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Vulcan's Forge
Jason Kessler doesn't fit in the society of Nocturnia, the sole colony that survived the Earth's destruction. Between the colony's dedication to a distorted vision of mid-twentieth century Americana, its sexually repressive culture, and the expectation that his most important duty is marriage and children Jason rebels, throwing himself into an illicit and dangerous affair with Pamela Guest, but Pamela harbors a secret. Soon the lovers are engaged in a lethal game of cat and mouse with the colony's underworld head and the secrets Jason unlocks upend everything he knew, exposing dangers far beyond Nocturnia and its obsessions. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
- GenresScience Fiction
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 26, 2020
27 people want to read
About the author
Robert Mitchell Evans
5 books1 followerRobert Mitchell Evans has been a sailor, a dishwasher, a shipyard worker, a cashier, and currently his day-job is in the non-profit healthcare industry. He resides in San Diego, California and can frequently be found haunting southern California SF conventions. His SF/Noir novel Vulcan's Forge will be available from FlameTree Press in March 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 23, 2020
This is Sci-Fi Noir, it’s the tale of Jason Kessler who is bored, bored of the committee approved life, from what movies to watch to the expectation that you will marry and have children and not endanger colonial morals!
Nocturnia is mankind’s new home, but Jason wants a life, so when he sees a beautiful woman he decides to risk an illicit affair.
But was it a coincidence she came into his life? Or does Pamela have a secret?
“You have never known a normal life “
Wow…..the world building in Vulcan’s Forge is just so well done, the feeling of almost claustrophobic tension is felt throughout. There’s also the frustration of being under strict control but what is the cost of rebelling?
Jason is about to find out.
This has a mix of crime, lies, betrayals and death all in a twisty and compelling plot. Engaging and entertaining from the first to last pages.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Nocturnia is mankind’s new home, but Jason wants a life, so when he sees a beautiful woman he decides to risk an illicit affair.
But was it a coincidence she came into his life? Or does Pamela have a secret?
“You have never known a normal life “
Wow…..the world building in Vulcan’s Forge is just so well done, the feeling of almost claustrophobic tension is felt throughout. There’s also the frustration of being under strict control but what is the cost of rebelling?
Jason is about to find out.
This has a mix of crime, lies, betrayals and death all in a twisty and compelling plot. Engaging and entertaining from the first to last pages.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
March 26, 2020
Synopsis
Jason Kessler doesn’t fit in the society of Nocturnia, the sole colony that survived the Earth’s destruction – between the colony’s dedication to a distorted vision of mid-twentieth century Americana, its sexually repressive culture, and the expectation that his most important duty is marriage and children. Jason rebels, throwing himself into an illicit and dangerous affair with Pamela Guest, but Pamela harbors a secret. Soon the lovers are engaged in a lethal game of cat and mouse with the colony’s underworld head and the secrets Jason unlocks upend everything he knew, exposing dangers far beyond Nocturnia and its obsessions.
Review
Vulcan’s Forge is a sci-fi book about a future where Earth no longer exists, and humans have colonized another planet. This new government is obsessed with creating a society where decency is favored above all, and marriage and procreation is a goal forced on its citizens, Jason’s job is to screen movies from the past to make recommendations to the committee as to which movies should be allowed based on content and theme. Jason gets entangled in a crazy web of secrets and lies when he becomes enthralled with a mysterious woman who seems ready to give up everything to be with him. This affair opens Jason up to a whole new underground world he never knew existed, and he has to deal with the consequences of his actions.
This plot is actually different than I thought it would be. Based on the short synopsis I read originally, I was expecting a book about an all-knowing computer that was threatening to destroy the world. Centering the story around Jason, his job, and how his decisions affect society (and vice-versa) was an interesting take on this type of story. It allows the author to be more granular; the reader gets to experience this direct effect of the intertwining of technology and policy on people’s lives as opposed to just society in the aggregate.
And it is a good story. The lead up to the main story was well-written and intriguing, and once the plot begins in earnest it is pretty much nonstop action from there. The author pulled me in with good writing tension, and intrigue and kept me there with the action. The best aspect of this story was that I had no idea how it was going to end. I could not put it down until I found out how everything turned out.
Speaking of the end, I really liked the way things ended up. I do not want to give it away, but I spent much of the story telling myself it cannot finish with a super-happy ending because that is not the tone of the book, and it would break too many literary rules for a book such as this. Taking those items into account, I thought the ending was fitting.
The book does have its flaws. I always wonder with books like this why the focus from people of future is often about the times we live in. Why not 100 years from now? Or 200 even? The answer is easy: that would be too difficult to write, but it is something that was on my mind and took me out of the story at times. Also, I questioned the logic of some of the decision-making by the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Vulcan’s Forge. Robert Mitchell Evans has written a story full of intrigue, and I really like the writing. This book scratched my sci-fi itch, and I recommend it for fans of the genre.
Jason Kessler doesn’t fit in the society of Nocturnia, the sole colony that survived the Earth’s destruction – between the colony’s dedication to a distorted vision of mid-twentieth century Americana, its sexually repressive culture, and the expectation that his most important duty is marriage and children. Jason rebels, throwing himself into an illicit and dangerous affair with Pamela Guest, but Pamela harbors a secret. Soon the lovers are engaged in a lethal game of cat and mouse with the colony’s underworld head and the secrets Jason unlocks upend everything he knew, exposing dangers far beyond Nocturnia and its obsessions.
Review
Vulcan’s Forge is a sci-fi book about a future where Earth no longer exists, and humans have colonized another planet. This new government is obsessed with creating a society where decency is favored above all, and marriage and procreation is a goal forced on its citizens, Jason’s job is to screen movies from the past to make recommendations to the committee as to which movies should be allowed based on content and theme. Jason gets entangled in a crazy web of secrets and lies when he becomes enthralled with a mysterious woman who seems ready to give up everything to be with him. This affair opens Jason up to a whole new underground world he never knew existed, and he has to deal with the consequences of his actions.
This plot is actually different than I thought it would be. Based on the short synopsis I read originally, I was expecting a book about an all-knowing computer that was threatening to destroy the world. Centering the story around Jason, his job, and how his decisions affect society (and vice-versa) was an interesting take on this type of story. It allows the author to be more granular; the reader gets to experience this direct effect of the intertwining of technology and policy on people’s lives as opposed to just society in the aggregate.
And it is a good story. The lead up to the main story was well-written and intriguing, and once the plot begins in earnest it is pretty much nonstop action from there. The author pulled me in with good writing tension, and intrigue and kept me there with the action. The best aspect of this story was that I had no idea how it was going to end. I could not put it down until I found out how everything turned out.
Speaking of the end, I really liked the way things ended up. I do not want to give it away, but I spent much of the story telling myself it cannot finish with a super-happy ending because that is not the tone of the book, and it would break too many literary rules for a book such as this. Taking those items into account, I thought the ending was fitting.
The book does have its flaws. I always wonder with books like this why the focus from people of future is often about the times we live in. Why not 100 years from now? Or 200 even? The answer is easy: that would be too difficult to write, but it is something that was on my mind and took me out of the story at times. Also, I questioned the logic of some of the decision-making by the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Vulcan’s Forge. Robert Mitchell Evans has written a story full of intrigue, and I really like the writing. This book scratched my sci-fi itch, and I recommend it for fans of the genre.
June 17, 2020
I’m a big sci-fi fan, so when I had the opportunity to read Vulcan’s Forge, I was excited. This one is a unique premise about a future where Earth no longer exists and what humans remain, have colonized another planet. This new society puts a lot of emphasis on marriage, children, sexual repression, and so on.
Vulcan’s Forge centers around Jason, his job, and how this culture affects his life. Jason is a fantastic protagonist. Readily wanting to rebel against this repressive new society. His actions, of course, have consequences, and it was interesting to watch his story progress.
Robert Mitchell Evans has a talent for pulling his readers in. Tension, intrigue, and action galore, Vulcan’s Forge was a compelling read. I could not put it down because I was so intrigued to see where the story would go.
Vulcan’s Forge is a well-written, intriguing sci-fi that I definitely recommend checking out.
4/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Random Things Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
Vulcan’s Forge centers around Jason, his job, and how this culture affects his life. Jason is a fantastic protagonist. Readily wanting to rebel against this repressive new society. His actions, of course, have consequences, and it was interesting to watch his story progress.
Robert Mitchell Evans has a talent for pulling his readers in. Tension, intrigue, and action galore, Vulcan’s Forge was a compelling read. I could not put it down because I was so intrigued to see where the story would go.
Vulcan’s Forge is a well-written, intriguing sci-fi that I definitely recommend checking out.
4/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Random Things Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
February 5, 2020
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting sci fi novel filled with suspense and imagination. Jason lives in a post apocalyptic world where humans live on a different planet after their earth was destroyed. Here life is dictated by working and having families. Jason is seduced by the idea that he doesn't have to conform to those norms and falls into the trap set up by others with alternative motives. The novel is well written and well paced. It begs to question whether humans can overcome their propensity for violence and chaos.
This was an interesting sci fi novel filled with suspense and imagination. Jason lives in a post apocalyptic world where humans live on a different planet after their earth was destroyed. Here life is dictated by working and having families. Jason is seduced by the idea that he doesn't have to conform to those norms and falls into the trap set up by others with alternative motives. The novel is well written and well paced. It begs to question whether humans can overcome their propensity for violence and chaos.
November 8, 2021
Robert Mitchell Evans is an author I met while taking part in the Horrible Imaginings film back when it was still a San Diego event. I have seen him at a few local events at Mysterious Galaxy as well. He is an active member of our community and a smiling face who I am always happy to see. A valued member of the community. So I was excited to check out his first novel.
Vulcan’s Forge is an interesting piece of work that shows some growing pains of a first-time author, but it has a real old-school feel that I enjoyed. Speaking as someone who likes Golden Age and new wave science fiction I liked that this felt like a lost 60s or 70s novel. There is very little that feels modern about this novel, that is a compliment by the way.
One of the best elements of the novel is the setting and world-building in the first act. The story takes place on Nocturia, the sole human colony that survived the exploitation and death of the earth. While many ark ships were sent out, they only know that they made it. Jason the protagonist of the story wants to contact other worlds in the hopes that other colonies made it, but he is met with resistance.
“And what good would that do us? We can’t get to them and they can’t get to us. Hell, Wolf, it took the Ark three centuries to get here.”
This mission was overseen by the Founders super-intelligent Ais that followed orders and self-destructed after completing the mission, the thing is one of those computers still exists – Forge. At this point, I was super interested in this ark mission. My brain started to explore how that mission would work, and I thought OK Bob this is a fascinating epic tale of survival. However, that is all background.
Jason doesn’t fit in, like your normal dystopian lead, he is a bit of a stand-in for the author as he is into ancient movies. That seemed a bit of a stretch but if you think about Humans on this world would learn about the earth. Movies and old news footage. You do have to be careful because that is how you ended up with Chicago gangster planet on Star Trek.
This novel could have made that commentary and gone that direction as the supercomputer is under the control of a gangster named Eddie. The movies are mostly little easter eggs like inner monologues about The Day the Earth Stood for one example. I think the novel would have benefitted by integrating the movies more. Anyways the middle of the book centers around Jason’s new love Pamela who wants to escape but tells Jason that he has Forge, one of the supercomputers that are all supposed to be gone.
There is much to like about the old school feel early and, in the end, but it made me uncomfortable in the middle. The woman needing our hero to help save her from the crime boss elements in the middle felt a little tired to me. The interesting setup and sci-fi elements seemed to get lost in some over-familiar noir tropes.
“That’s really bad news. How the hell did you get mixed up in that?”
“A woman.”
I expect to read that in a 60s hard case crime novel, but in a science fiction novel published in 2020 it made me uncomfortable. I thought we were past “I did it all for the dame.” That said if Evans intention was to crossover Sci-fi and hard case I will say he has done that. Without spoiling it there are a couple of reasons Pamela was not my favorite aspect of this book.
The novel comes back around with a good twist in the final pages but I kind of wish it happened a bit earlier and was more of the third act. The final chapters presented ideas that I felt were more interesting elements to build a story around. This novel is focused on the Jason and Pamela crime story when I found the social-political nature of the world far more interesting.
That said if you are looking for old-school sci-fi that crosses with a hard case crime feel then Vulcan’s Forge captures that feeling. I admit I was more invested in the setting off-screen from the story and that made the middle of the novel sag a bit for me. I am interested to see what Bob does next. Fun debut novel.
Vulcan’s Forge is an interesting piece of work that shows some growing pains of a first-time author, but it has a real old-school feel that I enjoyed. Speaking as someone who likes Golden Age and new wave science fiction I liked that this felt like a lost 60s or 70s novel. There is very little that feels modern about this novel, that is a compliment by the way.
One of the best elements of the novel is the setting and world-building in the first act. The story takes place on Nocturia, the sole human colony that survived the exploitation and death of the earth. While many ark ships were sent out, they only know that they made it. Jason the protagonist of the story wants to contact other worlds in the hopes that other colonies made it, but he is met with resistance.
“And what good would that do us? We can’t get to them and they can’t get to us. Hell, Wolf, it took the Ark three centuries to get here.”
This mission was overseen by the Founders super-intelligent Ais that followed orders and self-destructed after completing the mission, the thing is one of those computers still exists – Forge. At this point, I was super interested in this ark mission. My brain started to explore how that mission would work, and I thought OK Bob this is a fascinating epic tale of survival. However, that is all background.
Jason doesn’t fit in, like your normal dystopian lead, he is a bit of a stand-in for the author as he is into ancient movies. That seemed a bit of a stretch but if you think about Humans on this world would learn about the earth. Movies and old news footage. You do have to be careful because that is how you ended up with Chicago gangster planet on Star Trek.
This novel could have made that commentary and gone that direction as the supercomputer is under the control of a gangster named Eddie. The movies are mostly little easter eggs like inner monologues about The Day the Earth Stood for one example. I think the novel would have benefitted by integrating the movies more. Anyways the middle of the book centers around Jason’s new love Pamela who wants to escape but tells Jason that he has Forge, one of the supercomputers that are all supposed to be gone.
There is much to like about the old school feel early and, in the end, but it made me uncomfortable in the middle. The woman needing our hero to help save her from the crime boss elements in the middle felt a little tired to me. The interesting setup and sci-fi elements seemed to get lost in some over-familiar noir tropes.
“That’s really bad news. How the hell did you get mixed up in that?”
“A woman.”
I expect to read that in a 60s hard case crime novel, but in a science fiction novel published in 2020 it made me uncomfortable. I thought we were past “I did it all for the dame.” That said if Evans intention was to crossover Sci-fi and hard case I will say he has done that. Without spoiling it there are a couple of reasons Pamela was not my favorite aspect of this book.
The novel comes back around with a good twist in the final pages but I kind of wish it happened a bit earlier and was more of the third act. The final chapters presented ideas that I felt were more interesting elements to build a story around. This novel is focused on the Jason and Pamela crime story when I found the social-political nature of the world far more interesting.
That said if you are looking for old-school sci-fi that crosses with a hard case crime feel then Vulcan’s Forge captures that feeling. I admit I was more invested in the setting off-screen from the story and that made the middle of the novel sag a bit for me. I am interested to see what Bob does next. Fun debut novel.
July 27, 2020
On a world where humans are rebuilding their society after the destruction of Earth, the populace looks to the films of a bygone age as their example of how to live life properly. But Jason Kessler, the man in charge of presenting these old Earth movies, knows that it's all a crock and that there are a lot more choices in life other than sanitized films he's allowed to play. More choices in life too. So rather than accept the prescribed expectations of his society, Jason yearns to look elsewhere. Then he meets a beautiful woman whose rebelliousness tempts him in all the right ways. She is his salvation or possibly his damnation...
June 26, 2020
This book was well written. The characters were interesting, the imagined world was textured, and the story had its share of twists and turns. A really fun read!
March 24, 2020
Thoughtfully-presented future science fiction, offered from a sociological or cultural viewpoint rather than from hard Science, VULCAN'S FORGE reminded me of the early decades of Communism in both the Soviet Union and Russia. The new planet's human culture seems so controlling, so determined to "guide" the species into culturally approved "right thinking" and away from the least taint of "immorality. " Of course, there are always going to be free-thinkers and rebels, too.
January 20, 2020
This book immediately pulled me in. I absolutely loved the storyline and the style of writing. So immersive. Cannot wait for more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews