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The Dark Side
A WORLD'S DEATH CRY!
The space-distress call had sent Aaron Denton racing to his home planet of St. Paul. Yet long before he reached that sector of space, his world had died. Some had escaped the cataclysm that destroyed so many innocent lives. Some were the ruthless killes who had cold-bloodedly slain helpless women and children to insure their own places aboard the few spaceworthy ships left on St. Paul. Now Aaron had no qualms about using any means - inside the law or out - to track down and claim vengeance on their leader, the man who had given the order to fire and then abandoned St. Paul and its people to a terrifying doom.
The space-distress call had sent Aaron Denton racing to his home planet of St. Paul. Yet long before he reached that sector of space, his world had died. Some had escaped the cataclysm that destroyed so many innocent lives. Some were the ruthless killes who had cold-bloodedly slain helpless women and children to insure their own places aboard the few spaceworthy ships left on St. Paul. Now Aaron had no qualms about using any means - inside the law or out - to track down and claim vengeance on their leader, the man who had given the order to fire and then abandoned St. Paul and its people to a terrifying doom.
- GenresScience Fiction
207 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
Zach Hughes
26 books5 followersZach Hughes is a pseudonym of American writer Hugh Zachary.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 15, 2018
Neat, pulpy revenge tale by Hughes, and it did go where I thought it would. Our lead, Aaron Denton, starts the novel as the third office on a space freighter when the ship hears a distress call. A planet, where Denton's wife and son live, underwent suddenly a shift in its axis (never mind the science here 😁). When Denton's ship finally arrives on site, the planet is dead, a ruin, and it seems his family died as well. Maybe a bit of Denton did as well.
Flash forward 3 years or so and Denton, under an alias and false papers, gets a job on a space tug. What he wants is enough money and resources to get some revenge on what happened on the planet. The government fled ahead of disaster and it became a free for all to get to the remaining ships; the men with guns won, including the leading general named Bender. So, Denton makes up a list and checks it twice! Someone is going to pay!
Well, this turns out to be more of a speculative pondering on human nature and people in crises. What would you do if the world was ending and you have a chance to escape? Can Denton really blame the people that escaped the planet? The Dark Side could have been set anywhere-- a Western, Fantasy, etc., but Hughes made it a science fiction. Do not expect science marvels here, but Hughes can write decent prose and paces this nicely. 2.5 stars, rounding up as I have a soft spot for Mr. Hughes, who cranked out so many pulpy novels in the 70s and 80s I lost count.
Flash forward 3 years or so and Denton, under an alias and false papers, gets a job on a space tug. What he wants is enough money and resources to get some revenge on what happened on the planet. The government fled ahead of disaster and it became a free for all to get to the remaining ships; the men with guns won, including the leading general named Bender. So, Denton makes up a list and checks it twice! Someone is going to pay!
Well, this turns out to be more of a speculative pondering on human nature and people in crises. What would you do if the world was ending and you have a chance to escape? Can Denton really blame the people that escaped the planet? The Dark Side could have been set anywhere-- a Western, Fantasy, etc., but Hughes made it a science fiction. Do not expect science marvels here, but Hughes can write decent prose and paces this nicely. 2.5 stars, rounding up as I have a soft spot for Mr. Hughes, who cranked out so many pulpy novels in the 70s and 80s I lost count.
June 16, 2022
Love to pick up random pulp sci-fi fantasy at op shops.
This was a hidden gem. Easy quick read. Interesting and believable world
Feels like main character makes decisions at the end to appease the title of the book.
Not ground breaking but an enjoyable read none the less.
This was a hidden gem. Easy quick read. Interesting and believable world
Feels like main character makes decisions at the end to appease the title of the book.
Not ground breaking but an enjoyable read none the less.
September 4, 2020
Pleasantly enjoyable and quick read. I liked the character development of the main character (I forget his name), especially with how he has to deal with a particular situation towards the end of the book.
The love plotline felt kinda forced and the ending was kinda lame, I would've enjoyed it more if it wasn't so happily ever after
The love plotline felt kinda forced and the ending was kinda lame, I would've enjoyed it more if it wasn't so happily ever after
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2015
When a planetary distress is received, the commercial freighter Hendron Messinger is nearly out of range. What happens next changes many lives and that, fellow readers is the story. This venture is set in the established universe set forth is other books my Hugh Zachary, including Gold Star.
Some very fun points used, including that very fine invention by Billy Bob Blink.
Some very fun points used, including that very fine invention by Billy Bob Blink.
June 10, 2011
Definitely nothing special. I advise skipping this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews