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The Bridge
A starship is struck by an asteroid on its way to colonize a distant planet. Now, hundreds of years later, the inhabitants must learn to survive deep space without technology or perish.
Start reading The Bridge here: https://leonardpetracci.com/the-bridge
Start reading The Bridge here: https://leonardpetracci.com/the-bridge
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About the author
Leo Petracci
23 books91 followersLeonard Petracci is a recent graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology currently living in Los Angeles. In his spare time you can find him hiking, at the beach, or enjoying the outdoors.
Feel free to direct any questions or comments to his reddit account, LeoDuhVinci, or his gmail, leonardpetracci@gmail.com
Visit his blog at https://www.leonardpetracci.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 6, 2017
I'm eager to see what Petracci produces in the future. It's well written for a self-published work but could use the hand of a deft editor. The plot is gripping and I'm eager to find out more about the world. Secondary characters feel a bit unfinished, and the bad guys are so dramatically evil that it leaves little room for depth. Leering, disgusting cannibals, check. Old guy adhering to tradition even when demonstrably wrong again and again, check. Gluttonous, stupid character made leader due to nepotism, check. The easy answer is that we're only seeing those people through other characters' eyes, so their most important traits are the only visible ones. Still, it leaves me wanting. Do these people even deserve saving?
On the other hand, aspects of the world and plot jump out as shining beacons that allow for forgiving aforementioned grievances. The whole 'generation ship' shtick hasn't grown old yet, it seems, and this author's managed to bring something creative to the table.
I wavered between a 3 and a 4 and went for the latter, mostly because I have a soft spot for home-grown web fiction.
On the other hand, aspects of the world and plot jump out as shining beacons that allow for forgiving aforementioned grievances. The whole 'generation ship' shtick hasn't grown old yet, it seems, and this author's managed to bring something creative to the table.
I wavered between a 3 and a 4 and went for the latter, mostly because I have a soft spot for home-grown web fiction.
May 9, 2017
This book intends to show the triumph of knowledge and wisdom over ignorance. The inhabitants of a damaged generation colony ship not only have lost their knowledge and culture, but they don't seem to value it anymore. Unfortunately, too many inconsistencies make this story less enjoyable.
The main issue is that the extent of the ignorance of the antagonists and most other characters is unsustainable. They consistently act against their self-interests and chances of survival. In a completely automated ship that took care of their every need, this kind of attitude could be expected. But not in groups that survived for generations. We are expected to believe it's due to tradition, but even the stauncher traditionalists seem to accept knowledge and learn just fine whenever it's inconvenient for the protagonist and self-destructive.
The situation improves slightly from the second part forward, as the initial protagonist is no longer the sole working mind trying to save the people, but we are introduced to another set of antagonists so savage and self-destructive, it's to wonder how could such a group persist. Their glee for violence and disregard for their own well-being makes them seem more like a zombie horde than a group of people. The antagonists do not seem like characters in their own right, but one-dimensional embodiments of the flaws of the society the protagonists must fight against.
Ultimately, the story has an interesting premise but weak characters and a contrived opposition make it fall short.
The main issue is that the extent of the ignorance of the antagonists and most other characters is unsustainable. They consistently act against their self-interests and chances of survival. In a completely automated ship that took care of their every need, this kind of attitude could be expected. But not in groups that survived for generations. We are expected to believe it's due to tradition, but even the stauncher traditionalists seem to accept knowledge and learn just fine whenever it's inconvenient for the protagonist and self-destructive.
The situation improves slightly from the second part forward, as the initial protagonist is no longer the sole working mind trying to save the people, but we are introduced to another set of antagonists so savage and self-destructive, it's to wonder how could such a group persist. Their glee for violence and disregard for their own well-being makes them seem more like a zombie horde than a group of people. The antagonists do not seem like characters in their own right, but one-dimensional embodiments of the flaws of the society the protagonists must fight against.
Ultimately, the story has an interesting premise but weak characters and a contrived opposition make it fall short.
June 16, 2017
Of all the stories I've read on writingprompts, this one is my absolute favourite.
Since it started out as a serial, I think that format works a little better than as a novel/novella. However, it's really engaging either way, and has totally converted me into a Petracci fan.
Since it started out as a serial, I think that format works a little better than as a novel/novella. However, it's really engaging either way, and has totally converted me into a Petracci fan.
May 29, 2017
Fun concept, mediocre execution. A story of a post-disaster ship where society has regressed and split into factions, struggling to survive with the ship's systems limping along. Not the first author to do this but it showed promise at the start... and unfortunately, held back by very mediocre characters, caricatures... with wooden and predictable interactions. Also failed to build a sense of tension during the conflicts.
As often happens with such cases, I found myself skimming, especially towards the end. It came pretty close to being good several times; a lot of missed potential here. Completely uninteresting plot twist at the end that, honestly, is utterly irrelevant to the actual story; it would have been more relevant as a prologue.
For $3 you're not losing much for giving it a shot; nonetheless, not recommended.
As often happens with such cases, I found myself skimming, especially towards the end. It came pretty close to being good several times; a lot of missed potential here. Completely uninteresting plot twist at the end that, honestly, is utterly irrelevant to the actual story; it would have been more relevant as a prologue.
For $3 you're not losing much for giving it a shot; nonetheless, not recommended.
November 13, 2024
This story had a lot of potential but it moved so slowly and the characters weren't as full as I would've liked. I did like what I saw in terms of writing and will most likely check out one of his newer books.
August 11, 2017
Good story and cliffhangers. Needs more editing though.
January 26, 2023
That's the thing with self-published books, they need a publisher to review them and point the author to the bits that don't work.
Good ideas, but mediocre execution.
Good ideas, but mediocre execution.
November 12, 2017
NOTE: The author graciously gave me a copy of this book and asked me to write a review.
Lengthy interplanetary colonization voyages seem to be a trending topic in science fiction these days, but most of the time, the would-be colonists get through the decades or centuries of travel by simply sleeping their way through it. In Leonard Petracci’s imaginative tale, The Bridge, however, there are no temporal shortcuts; instead generations of colonists live and die as the ship makes its way to the descendants’ eventual new home. And because the ship represents the perfect example of a closed ecosystem, the author engages in some fascinating literary experimentation with the system he created with some startling results.
As in most science fiction novels, things don’t go smoothly for the passengers of this massive vessel that carries thousands of passengers. Centuries earlier, an asteroid hit the ship and split it nearly in two, with the two sections connected only by a single passageway. This nearly complete bisection of the ship results in two separate mini-civilizations springing up, each eventually with only the vaguest memories through reference books and passed-down folklore of the other. Eventually, however, the twain do meet, as the ship suddenly begins repairing itself, and the two halves rejoin with a distinct culture shock. Further, this reunion occurs at a time when the ship has nearly exhausted its supplies of food and fuel, meaning that those who few onboard who still have better knowledge of operation of the ship have to take action quickly to save the lives of those on board.
I haven’t gone much into the details of the story here because I don’t want to detract from the highly intricate and fascinating speculations that the author engages in. When reading The Bridge, I felt like the naturalists arriving on the Galapagos Islands and seeing the odd varieties of animal life that had evolved. Let’s just say that the twin societies that develop in The Bridge exhibit many of the flaws that plagued mankind here on earth. Aggression, nepotism, bureaucracy, blind belief in tradition vs. science, and a whole host of other flaws have shaped the societies on this ship and threaten the future of everyone on board.
In addition to being an interesting exercise in speculative science fiction, The Bridge is also an action adventure. There’s a lot of combat and fighting here, shaped by the unique contours of a space ship and the limited weaponry that most of the passengers possess. Due to the narrow corridors, a few trained fighters can and do hold off larger forces that don’t have long-range weapons. The author isn’t quite as good at describing the ins and outs of the combat as some readers might like, but the set-up makes perfect sense here.
Similarly, some of the characterizations are a bit stereotyped. The villains are rather stock characters, and at one point, the author resorts to having one fairly important character, a strong but rather simple man, engage in “Me Tarzan, you Jane” type of conversation. However, the two main characters, who emerge as de facto leaders of the two sides of the ship, are very well developed, as the author follows them from childhood on, revealing their education and gradual transformation into the exact types that the ship needs.
Overall, I was very impressed by the thought and detail that went into the writing of The Bridge. The author efficiently describes two separate societies over the first half of the book, then resolves the eventual crises they face. Fans of both adventure-style science fiction and the more speculative variety will both find this book enjoyable. In addition, although the book is self-contained, the author sets up a sequel quite nicely, even including a teaser at the end to pique reader interest. Readers will definitely want to get onboard this ship and admire the view from its bridge.
Lengthy interplanetary colonization voyages seem to be a trending topic in science fiction these days, but most of the time, the would-be colonists get through the decades or centuries of travel by simply sleeping their way through it. In Leonard Petracci’s imaginative tale, The Bridge, however, there are no temporal shortcuts; instead generations of colonists live and die as the ship makes its way to the descendants’ eventual new home. And because the ship represents the perfect example of a closed ecosystem, the author engages in some fascinating literary experimentation with the system he created with some startling results.
As in most science fiction novels, things don’t go smoothly for the passengers of this massive vessel that carries thousands of passengers. Centuries earlier, an asteroid hit the ship and split it nearly in two, with the two sections connected only by a single passageway. This nearly complete bisection of the ship results in two separate mini-civilizations springing up, each eventually with only the vaguest memories through reference books and passed-down folklore of the other. Eventually, however, the twain do meet, as the ship suddenly begins repairing itself, and the two halves rejoin with a distinct culture shock. Further, this reunion occurs at a time when the ship has nearly exhausted its supplies of food and fuel, meaning that those who few onboard who still have better knowledge of operation of the ship have to take action quickly to save the lives of those on board.
I haven’t gone much into the details of the story here because I don’t want to detract from the highly intricate and fascinating speculations that the author engages in. When reading The Bridge, I felt like the naturalists arriving on the Galapagos Islands and seeing the odd varieties of animal life that had evolved. Let’s just say that the twin societies that develop in The Bridge exhibit many of the flaws that plagued mankind here on earth. Aggression, nepotism, bureaucracy, blind belief in tradition vs. science, and a whole host of other flaws have shaped the societies on this ship and threaten the future of everyone on board.
In addition to being an interesting exercise in speculative science fiction, The Bridge is also an action adventure. There’s a lot of combat and fighting here, shaped by the unique contours of a space ship and the limited weaponry that most of the passengers possess. Due to the narrow corridors, a few trained fighters can and do hold off larger forces that don’t have long-range weapons. The author isn’t quite as good at describing the ins and outs of the combat as some readers might like, but the set-up makes perfect sense here.
Similarly, some of the characterizations are a bit stereotyped. The villains are rather stock characters, and at one point, the author resorts to having one fairly important character, a strong but rather simple man, engage in “Me Tarzan, you Jane” type of conversation. However, the two main characters, who emerge as de facto leaders of the two sides of the ship, are very well developed, as the author follows them from childhood on, revealing their education and gradual transformation into the exact types that the ship needs.
Overall, I was very impressed by the thought and detail that went into the writing of The Bridge. The author efficiently describes two separate societies over the first half of the book, then resolves the eventual crises they face. Fans of both adventure-style science fiction and the more speculative variety will both find this book enjoyable. In addition, although the book is self-contained, the author sets up a sequel quite nicely, even including a teaser at the end to pique reader interest. Readers will definitely want to get onboard this ship and admire the view from its bridge.
May 4, 2017
Compelling but Amateur Narrative
I enjoyed this book. The setting in particular is quite fascinating: a pre-industrial society aboard a spaceship. Yet as much as I enjoyed the story, there was a distinct lack of cohesion and tightness that a professional editing process imbues. Beyond that, I felt most of the characters were a little flat and didn't have the requisite complexity or depth for me to truly enjoy them. If I were able, I'd actually rate this 3.5 stars. However, the ending and plot hook for the sequel makes me round up rather than down. Ultimately, while I would recommend this book it would be more so for the promise of the author rather than the quality of the prose.
I enjoyed this book. The setting in particular is quite fascinating: a pre-industrial society aboard a spaceship. Yet as much as I enjoyed the story, there was a distinct lack of cohesion and tightness that a professional editing process imbues. Beyond that, I felt most of the characters were a little flat and didn't have the requisite complexity or depth for me to truly enjoy them. If I were able, I'd actually rate this 3.5 stars. However, the ending and plot hook for the sequel makes me round up rather than down. Ultimately, while I would recommend this book it would be more so for the promise of the author rather than the quality of the prose.
May 7, 2017
This story started as a comment on a Reddit Writing Prompt. The author added chapters as individual posts to their blog so chapters are only a couple of each, resulting in 80 chapters. Most chapters end on cliff hanger to bring the reader back for the next blog post. This made me not want to put it down.
Unfortunately, the book needed more editing. Several sentences have poor word order that made them confusing. Some spelling mistakes changed meanings. Worst was that subjects would sometimes change between paragraphs without notifying the reader that the focus was on something or someone else.
Overall a great story that needed more review. I'm glad I read it. Perhaps, with support, the author's future works will be even better.
Unfortunately, the book needed more editing. Several sentences have poor word order that made them confusing. Some spelling mistakes changed meanings. Worst was that subjects would sometimes change between paragraphs without notifying the reader that the focus was on something or someone else.
Overall a great story that needed more review. I'm glad I read it. Perhaps, with support, the author's future works will be even better.
September 5, 2017
Since Brian Aldiss wrote Non-Stop, a.k.a. "The Ship" in the 1950s, we've had about seventy years of technological advancement. Our common knowledge of space has expanded. Our library of science-fiction has grown into something huge, yet instantly accessible through the Internet.
The Bridge is what happens when someone thinks, "what would happen if we took all that progress, all that knowledge, our fond memories of that generation-ship plot, and really put our minds to it? Could we, in fact, make something much, much worse?"
Yes, we could.
The Bridge is what happens when someone thinks, "what would happen if we took all that progress, all that knowledge, our fond memories of that generation-ship plot, and really put our minds to it? Could we, in fact, make something much, much worse?"
Yes, we could.
May 11, 2017
Excellent book!
I really loved this book. The author has a really clean writing style, with a good mix of action, dialogue, and internal thought. It paces well, keeping you interested the whole way. He has a way of writing very compelling characters, even somewhat with the antagonists. The plot is pretty great. I wouldn't say it's completely unique, but it has a really good spin on the typical Generation Ship trope in SF... what if they forget why they're there, and how/what do they eventually figure out about their survival? I really loved this one, and can't wait to read some other stuff from this author, and hope a sequel comes out of this one.
I really loved this book. The author has a really clean writing style, with a good mix of action, dialogue, and internal thought. It paces well, keeping you interested the whole way. He has a way of writing very compelling characters, even somewhat with the antagonists. The plot is pretty great. I wouldn't say it's completely unique, but it has a really good spin on the typical Generation Ship trope in SF... what if they forget why they're there, and how/what do they eventually figure out about their survival? I really loved this one, and can't wait to read some other stuff from this author, and hope a sequel comes out of this one.
March 30, 2020
One of the best books I've read recently.
Having lived in different countries it somehow resonated with me. Separated for a long tine... living different lives in different conditions... under different ideologies, science advancements or religious dogma. We are so different and yet we are the same. We are humans. We like to explore. And we want to love.
Having lived in different countries it somehow resonated with me. Separated for a long tine... living different lives in different conditions... under different ideologies, science advancements or religious dogma. We are so different and yet we are the same. We are humans. We like to explore. And we want to love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2018
DNF at 70%. I just couldn't make myself finish this book because I was so frustrated by the insipid main characters and the cliche villains. It was an interesting premise and I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but it was all downhill from there.
December 21, 2022
Eh...
Had to skip a lot just to get thru it. Starts off interesting then changes course drastically with new main characters. Quickly comes together but drags painfully. Then final 3rd easily skipped through.
Had to skip a lot just to get thru it. Starts off interesting then changes course drastically with new main characters. Quickly comes together but drags painfully. Then final 3rd easily skipped through.
May 4, 2017
Good read
Not your average "post apocalyptic teen drama" characters are well developed and the story breaks the mold set forth by others of the genre.
Not your average "post apocalyptic teen drama" characters are well developed and the story breaks the mold set forth by others of the genre.
May 8, 2017
So, picked this up after seeing the prompt on r/writingprompts and the initial chapter just pulled me right in. Sure enough once it arrived I could not put it down until I was finished.
May 13, 2017
A fresh take on sci-fi
While still raw in some places, this book does a great job of delivering an original and captivating story. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
While still raw in some places, this book does a great job of delivering an original and captivating story. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
June 23, 2017
page turner
October 20, 2024
didnt like the pacing, the half-hearted attempts at intellectualism and nods to the bible, or the random forced romance on the last page lol
November 7, 2023
While I hung on every word...some aspects of the characters were unbelievable. There was a degree of ignorance in several of the characters that felt contrived at best...that being said the story structure was phenomenal and besides some of the mistakes that would have been caught by an editor, the writing was definitely above the tier of what typically comes from r/writingprompts.
It may be pedantic but I also removed a star for lack of research into space. Again it was a wonderful ride, but I believe the journey would have been improved with an extra hour of research into have gravity interacts with things.
3-3.5
It may be pedantic but I also removed a star for lack of research into space. Again it was a wonderful ride, but I believe the journey would have been improved with an extra hour of research into have gravity interacts with things.
3-3.5
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews