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Bob and Nikki #1
Bob's Saucer Repair
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07TCN8WYB
Ride along as Bob's life goes from ordinary to out of this world. Helping a stranger in need changes everything. Spend a little time on a fun romp with Bob and Nikki.
Ride along as Bob's life goes from ordinary to out of this world. Helping a stranger in need changes everything. Spend a little time on a fun romp with Bob and Nikki.
183 pages, ebook
First published June 20, 2019
1192 people are currently reading
2647 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Boyd
67 books287 followersI’m a house husband. I keep things together while my wonderful wife makes our living. I’ve worked as a machinist, short order cook, electronics assembly tech, and several other jobs. My hobbies include vehicle maintenance, (I’ve had the transmission out of my truck. Twice) free flight airplanes, electronics, and shooting.
I was born and raised in the Ozarks, and now live in Mid-Missouri.
I was born and raised in the Ozarks, and now live in Mid-Missouri.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
January 2, 2021
I’m not sure I’ve seen a book like this before and I’m not sure sure what to make of it. There are no chapters and it is 90-95% straight dialogue. There are no descriptors. No internal conversations that provide you with insight into characters motivations. No background information on any character. For example, Bob mentions to Nikki he knows someone who can help out. A few sentences later he is calling John and a few more after that John is at the house. We are never told what John looks like, history, hobbies. He’s called and then he shows up.
Bob’s Saucer Repair begins when Bob pulls up to his house one day and sees an alien trying to fix her spaceship. The spaceship needs some coolant and few other broken parts fixed and Bob is more than happy to help Nikki (the alien) out. She has to leave sooner than expected and Bob feels her absence because he rather liked her company – a lot. But as it turns out Bob’s help is so invaluable that the aliens come back and offer him a business opportunity to provide saucer repair to other aliens. Almost immediately upon accepting the job the real adventure starts happening.
The main characters are Bob and Nikki, but the group grows and John becomes an integral part to the space repair shop too. Although there are several different characters, I found their personalities were a little too similar to each other. As a result, there weren’t many distinguishing characteristics between them other than a few examples here and there. I also found that the human characters all accepted the idea of aliens and spaceships a bit quicker than one might expect.
While the novel does have a decent amount of flaws, there is also a sense of joy that comes across in the writing. The story offers humor, romance, and a sense of sci-fi fun.
Bob’s Saucer Repair begins when Bob pulls up to his house one day and sees an alien trying to fix her spaceship. The spaceship needs some coolant and few other broken parts fixed and Bob is more than happy to help Nikki (the alien) out. She has to leave sooner than expected and Bob feels her absence because he rather liked her company – a lot. But as it turns out Bob’s help is so invaluable that the aliens come back and offer him a business opportunity to provide saucer repair to other aliens. Almost immediately upon accepting the job the real adventure starts happening.
The main characters are Bob and Nikki, but the group grows and John becomes an integral part to the space repair shop too. Although there are several different characters, I found their personalities were a little too similar to each other. As a result, there weren’t many distinguishing characteristics between them other than a few examples here and there. I also found that the human characters all accepted the idea of aliens and spaceships a bit quicker than one might expect.
While the novel does have a decent amount of flaws, there is also a sense of joy that comes across in the writing. The story offers humor, romance, and a sense of sci-fi fun.
June 19, 2022
How does this have the rating it does? The writing is probably the worst I have seen outside of a fan fic forum. The romance is dreadful, the plot is stupid, and the actual writing itself is similar to what you would expect from a 12 year old. Everything happens so conveniently and the jokes are painful. It is all just dialog and wish fulfillment. A alien just happens to be using the garage of a man who can fix a space ship, the space ship just so happens to need the same coolant that cars need, the main characters just so happen to instantly love one another, the best friend just so happens to be able to preform emergency surgery, the bank just so happens to give a loan on a piece of land right next to the doctor friend, you name it, this book will solve any crisis within two pages. Also, so the alien from the advanced planet that happens to be a guide and also a pilot gets to loan their expert skills to all of this as a cook because she happened to watch one Youtube video? Come on. Really bad.
August 10, 2019
I wanted to like this
Decent plot, good dialog, amusing characters.
But.
The pace is all wrong. All talk and no descriptors (she said, he motioned, their eyebrows raised) makes for an uneven narrative. Pages of dialog with no descriptors only works for soliloquies. People don’t simply sit still when talking.
Then there is the magic tech. Too handwavium and used too much. Sleep teaching is a time honored trope, but this novel overuses the concept.
I personally got bounced out when the MC took possession of his new real estate property and discover a mysterious bunker. Basic realty concept is that the seller has to make the buyer aware of all structures on the property *and* any hidden defects they are aware of. Mysterious bunker with no available key should have been disclosed at least during signing. Especially if a bank is involved!!!
The only thing missing was the retired Navy SEAL/Marine Scout Sniper/Sooper Green Beanie.
The beginning of the book had potential, but it did not develop well and ultimately crashed.
Decent plot, good dialog, amusing characters.
But.
The pace is all wrong. All talk and no descriptors (she said, he motioned, their eyebrows raised) makes for an uneven narrative. Pages of dialog with no descriptors only works for soliloquies. People don’t simply sit still when talking.
Then there is the magic tech. Too handwavium and used too much. Sleep teaching is a time honored trope, but this novel overuses the concept.
I personally got bounced out when the MC took possession of his new real estate property and discover a mysterious bunker. Basic realty concept is that the seller has to make the buyer aware of all structures on the property *and* any hidden defects they are aware of. Mysterious bunker with no available key should have been disclosed at least during signing. Especially if a bank is involved!!!
The only thing missing was the retired Navy SEAL/Marine Scout Sniper/Sooper Green Beanie.
The beginning of the book had potential, but it did not develop well and ultimately crashed.
August 17, 2021
Grease monkey meets fuckable alien chick. A boring love story develops while they are having fewer cultural / language / biological barriers than he would have with a French Canadian.
This is probably the most unimaginative sci-fi story I have ever read. The language is dull, the story boring, the "alien" thinks, behaves, and talks like the valley girl next door. Basically, the author removed everything from his "science" fiction that actually makes this genre interesting.
This is probably the most unimaginative sci-fi story I have ever read. The language is dull, the story boring, the "alien" thinks, behaves, and talks like the valley girl next door. Basically, the author removed everything from his "science" fiction that actually makes this genre interesting.
December 7, 2019
Humorous, silly, with lots of dialog, action, and pop culture references. I’m enjoying each book in the series.
March 28, 2020
I wanted to like this, but the writing style was just too vague for me to enjoy the story. It is a cute idea, I just really wish an editor had sat down and steered the author in a better direction stylistically. It was very, very dialogue heavy. Descriptions of any kind were thin on the ground, which meant I had no idea what any of the characters or their surroundings looked like. I also didn’t get a good feel for who the characters really were - generally I understand that all the mains are easy going with quick senses of humor, but that was applicable to them all without much differentiation. Only difference is one is an easy going former doctor, one is an easy going mechanic, and one is an easy going interstellar guide who apparently is female and thus immediately the love interest of Bob. Go figure. Several people were clearly unaffected by this and enjoyed the book thoroughly. I immerse myself in stories far too much to do so.
December 25, 2019
Just plain fun
Pure entertainment, right up there with premium frozen custard without calories. The culture memes might be as much fun as in Anderle's "Kurtherian Gambit" (even if much more blatant). Give yourself a special treat and read this straight through.
UPDATE: I was doing a re-read of "Bob's Saucer Repair" and figured out why I like it so much. (Other than Snitz world.) Good authors have a love of language and a playful and or elegant relationship with words. They also view things more "deeply" and at more objective, maybe skewed, levels than most. And, the really good ones are master people watchers. There's a joy to the work. Yep, that's why I'm liking this.
Pure entertainment, right up there with premium frozen custard without calories. The culture memes might be as much fun as in Anderle's "Kurtherian Gambit" (even if much more blatant). Give yourself a special treat and read this straight through.
UPDATE: I was doing a re-read of "Bob's Saucer Repair" and figured out why I like it so much. (Other than Snitz world.) Good authors have a love of language and a playful and or elegant relationship with words. They also view things more "deeply" and at more objective, maybe skewed, levels than most. And, the really good ones are master people watchers. There's a joy to the work. Yep, that's why I'm liking this.
November 18, 2019
Memories
It was like reading a 1950s pulp story, Amazing stories or the like. Brought back memories from the golden age of SF
It was like reading a 1950s pulp story, Amazing stories or the like. Brought back memories from the golden age of SF
January 23, 2020
Fun action packed story! It's told in the first person, mostly dialog!
April 20, 2021
The story had the feel of a 1960s pulp SciFi book, it was easy to read, although everything was a bit too easy for the main characters. There was a lot of banter, which was quite amusing to start with, but after a while it becomes a bit excessive, bordering on tedious.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
June 29, 2022
You got to be kidding me
I bailed out one third of the way through .I should have done so during the first few paragraphs where the protagonist drives home only to find an alien repairing her flying saucer in his garage and he walks up to her and asks her what she is doing. It goes down hill from there
I bailed out one third of the way through .I should have done so during the first few paragraphs where the protagonist drives home only to find an alien repairing her flying saucer in his garage and he walks up to her and asks her what she is doing. It goes down hill from there
July 15, 2021
I couldn't even get through this book (made it 3/4 of the way). Not only is the writing terrible, the story itself is lackluster. I read a lot of Sci-fi and fantasy, and am always excited to find a good book by an indie author. But some are a miss. And this one didn't even come close to connecting.
October 18, 2021
jr level writing
This writers style is not even suited for teen sci-if. Goofy without being funny, excessively long chapters and a good premise gone to waste.
This writers style is not even suited for teen sci-if. Goofy without being funny, excessively long chapters and a good premise gone to waste.
October 4, 2020
I'm finally getting some reviewing done, and this one has been sitting the longest. I've blogged about it, at https://habakkuk21.blogspot.com/2020/...
This one is most delightful; I found nothing to object to. The book has had some changes in the cover art, and the most recent cover reminds me of "The Hitchhikers Guide" series, and that's good. It's funny; there is an adventure story, but don't come looking to have exploding spaceships take you all the way. Instead, relish the dialogue:
“You have a point. Your hair covers it, though.”
Boyd, Jerry. Bob's Saucer Repair (Bob and Nikki Book 1) . Jerry Boyd. Kindle Edition.
The protagonist is: a mechanic. Bob, the mechanic. He arrives home at the end of a work day, anticipating chili and beer, and discovers a broken spaceship (not an exploding spaceship!) in his garage. He does NOT freak out; he invites the pilot, Nikki, to hang out while he mends a coolant pipe. Amusing cultural differences emerge, and the effect is made delightful by the fact that both Bob and Nikki are quick with a quip and an insult.
She is a pilot/guide to interstellar graduate students, who sought to cut costs by procuring a junker spaceship. Bad choice. Fortunately, Bob, then his medic buddy John, pull their chestnuts out of the fire. In doing so, they present an opportunity for continued commerce (and Bob and Nikki interact chemically, or something; anyway, they both want to smooch).
Translator devices; direct-brain-interface learning machines; some other different super-advanced tech, but, this ISN'T a story about gadgets. Do you like...SPACE PIRATES?
It's a thorough romp, the first in the series, and it's my understanding that installment 11 has recently gone live. Amazing....
Peace be on your household.
This one is most delightful; I found nothing to object to. The book has had some changes in the cover art, and the most recent cover reminds me of "The Hitchhikers Guide" series, and that's good. It's funny; there is an adventure story, but don't come looking to have exploding spaceships take you all the way. Instead, relish the dialogue:
“You have a point. Your hair covers it, though.”
Boyd, Jerry. Bob's Saucer Repair (Bob and Nikki Book 1) . Jerry Boyd. Kindle Edition.
The protagonist is: a mechanic. Bob, the mechanic. He arrives home at the end of a work day, anticipating chili and beer, and discovers a broken spaceship (not an exploding spaceship!) in his garage. He does NOT freak out; he invites the pilot, Nikki, to hang out while he mends a coolant pipe. Amusing cultural differences emerge, and the effect is made delightful by the fact that both Bob and Nikki are quick with a quip and an insult.
She is a pilot/guide to interstellar graduate students, who sought to cut costs by procuring a junker spaceship. Bad choice. Fortunately, Bob, then his medic buddy John, pull their chestnuts out of the fire. In doing so, they present an opportunity for continued commerce (and Bob and Nikki interact chemically, or something; anyway, they both want to smooch).
Translator devices; direct-brain-interface learning machines; some other different super-advanced tech, but, this ISN'T a story about gadgets. Do you like...SPACE PIRATES?
It's a thorough romp, the first in the series, and it's my understanding that installment 11 has recently gone live. Amazing....
Peace be on your household.
January 9, 2024
If you ever thought you wanted to write a book, but lacked confidence in your ability to do so, this is a prime example of anyone being capable of doing so. It doesn’t mean it will be good, though the bar is low enough that it will probably be better than this.
Pesky things such as formatting, pacing, chapters, showing and not telling, or even making characters clearly have any definable traits need not be done! Just throw piles of dialog together with the only details being dated references, two annoying nicknames, and repeated assurance that coffee is being made.
The best thing about this story is that I got the worst book I will read in 2024 out of the way already. It’s all uphill from here, baby!
February 9, 2021
Needs dialog tags and action beats
I had to stop reading 20% in. It is just blocks of dialog with nothing to support them. Maybe 1 in 15 blocks of dialog has tags and it feels like there are no action beats. I had to stop and reread sections at least 4 times to try to figure out what the hell they were talking about or the emotion that was meant to be expressed. A lot of the dialog is jokes or witty replies., and without dialog tags or action beats they do land. The story idea was ok, but the writing blew it for me.
I had to stop reading 20% in. It is just blocks of dialog with nothing to support them. Maybe 1 in 15 blocks of dialog has tags and it feels like there are no action beats. I had to stop and reread sections at least 4 times to try to figure out what the hell they were talking about or the emotion that was meant to be expressed. A lot of the dialog is jokes or witty replies., and without dialog tags or action beats they do land. The story idea was ok, but the writing blew it for me.
Read
June 30, 2025Rating: minus 5 on a scale of minus 5 to plus 5.
Another review/expansion to be done and I so do not look forward to writing for this site. After so much abuse over many reviews and more than four years for mildly negative opinions, I now aim to misbehave.
First I need to visit YouTube. This was brought to you by Doctor Who/Be Kind - Reality Genre Studios, LuckyBlackCat, Keffals, Josh Johnson, Sarah Z, A Cup of Nicole, The New Enlightenment with Ashley, Red Glasgow, Raw News and Politics, Alex Fleev, FAFO, Lady of the Library, Emilie's Literary Corner, Queen Penguin, Trae Crowder, Quinn's Ideas, Steve Shives, Combat Veteran Reacts, Agro Squirrel Narrates, Fun Size Reader, Reese Waters, Books N Cats, Skip Intto, Autumn's Boutique, Kazachka, Ukraine Matters, Horses, It ain't half hot mum, Squire, Sarah Millican, Lily Simpson, Operator Starsky, Jake Broe, physicist Dr Fatima, World Science Festival, Verilybitchie, British Museum, The Stitchery, Mia Mulder, Sarah Millican, Lady Knight the Brave, Ukraine Calling SOF UA, Cruising Crafts, Boat Time, Well Deck Diaries, Ukrainian Jenny, The Activist Witch, Kiko1006- Empire of Angels, Kyiv Independent, Diary of a Ditch Witch, Deerstalker Pictures, Books with Chloe, Mia Asano, Ode to Joy Flashmob, Welcome to Ukraine Widebeam and Wellingtons, Democratic Penguins Republic, Yarmak, Cambrian Chronicles, Deerstalker Pictures, May, Inside Russia, IL Neige, Kings and Generals, Ukraine Matters, Springtime for Elon, Mercado Media, Jessica Kellgren Fozard, Lily Alexandre, Times Radio, Honest Government Ads, J Draper, Eugenia from Ukraine, Think That Through, IAI, Andrewism, Dr Tamitha Skov, Jean's Thoughts, Crow Caller, Up and Atom, The Ritual Kitchen with Laura May, Owen Jones, Ben and Emily, Tank Museum, Sanctioned Ivan, Valhalla Drums, Real Time History, Operator Starsky, Oh Joe, Philosophy Tube, Bobbing Along, Vlad Vexler, Jabzy, Professor Gerdes Explains, Tallgirl6234, Linguoer Mechanic, TriAngulum, League of STEAM, Unlearning Economics, Travelling K, Don't F@ck with Ukraine, KernowDamo, ThePrimeChronus, Dylan Burns, Silicon Curtain, Storied, Monte Mader, Kasatka Inga, Amie's Literary Empire, Gingers are Black, Professor Tim Wilson, Eleanor Morton, Prime of Midlife, RevolutionarythOt, Maggie Mae Fish, Amie's Literary Empire, Britta Bohler, Books and Things, Kozak Siromaha, The Juice Media.
I recently saw an idiot who whilst attacking an essayist complain to her that I list channels with trans female creators. I wonder what epidemic causes the US male arrogant idiocy syndrome. Trigger warning then to that idiot and fellows. I list channels with hobbyist, Welsh, gay, socialist, cis, anthropologist, activist, trans, communist, older, intersex, essayist, physicist, primatologist, asexual, tall, het, WOC, redhaired, German, lesbian, gamer, linguist, archaeologist and other female creators or as the sane refer to them Women. There are other almost as threatening channels which include anarchist, scientist, Swedish, redhead, hobbyist, communist, Irish, boater, other LGBTQ+, historian, Danish, economist, other BIPOC, Canadian, Ginger, mathematician and others or as I refer to them Human Beings. If the voices still pressure you to read my reviews or visit these channels, seek emergency therapy, immediately develop a healthy hobby (assaulting women is a mental illness) or our Catholic exorcism. My feelings towards these morons is similar to that of the 13 Ukrainian marines defending Snake Island, when their surrender was demanded by the Russian navy. Their response was "Russian warship, go f@ck yourself." Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.
When I first wrote this, I labelled this an old man's fantasy. It is much more than that and much less also. There is as usual for low end US science fiction almost a hint at a background universe but it does not materialize. The book moves directly to a smug male fantasy instead. The unfolding of the main character's personality defects, social deficiencies and a list of every negative character trait assumed of a working class male are the world building.
The readers seem on the whole are not those who consider themselves working class. The remainder are those readers, who are desperate for some type of class representation in their fiction. I understand that last well enough. To that group, I say we must not settle for this stereotype because there are alternatives in science fiction. I recommend better working class characters in the books by Massey, Ann Christy, Butcher, Weber, McCaffrey, Turtledove, Drake, Bujold-McMaster, Philip K Dick, Octavia Butler, Pournelle, Cherryh and others. There are some interesting films which do a decent job of discussing identity issues. "Smoke Signals", "Lars and the Real Girl", "Mumford", "Landscape with Invisible Hand", "Billy Elliot", "Little Boxes" are samples.
If the writer's aim is to elevate a working class character to main story driver, that would be wonderful but he failed. If the writer did not intend to mock a working class reader, he failed. If his goal was to continue the denigration of myself and other readers for the entertainment of the middle class reader, he succeeded. I am not liking his purpose.
The working class white male in these books never have money concerns. Whatever minor constraints that exist are barely mentioned. Here the alien bride is a clone of a human woman who demonstrates a genetic predisposition to wasteful spending. That sexist myth is alive and well in this and similar books.
The dialogue seems modelled on the artificial "Duck Dynasty" interactions. I doubt that any of these readers have actually viewed the pre-launch photos of the cast or their backgrounds. The aliens also speak in the same insane dialect because Reasons.
There is no explanation for the alien being in stasis or why rural US mechanics need instruct aliens in the use of the alien's own technology. It is another shot of anti-intellectualism. The same approach to storytelling appears in most of these "libertarian" fantasies written for the low income white US male. These books tap into the required support for that demographic's delusion of innate superiority, which need translated into the 75% of white males voting for destruction of their remaining unions, ending of worker protections, workplace safety enforcement, ending of overtime bonus and more. This based on the promise that non-whites and women will be even more cruelly treated.
Apparently a sketch of a premise, a spaceship and at least one female character lacking in personality or agency and your book is chosen. Of course, the prose has to be sufficiently coarse and seem to have never been subjected to editorial review. Overcoming the minor hurdles presupposes that your finished manuscript is not an actual space adventure but a clearly described political message.
Every libertarian fantasy writer should in my opinion be tried for crimes against fiction.
Book Furnace made an interesting argument that the short story is an important tool for developing skill. If one of these No Effort writers were to visit the World Anvil site, they might see how ridiculous their character descriptions are. They might then actually create personal histories and a development path for each. That does depend on a commitment to planning the book. My apologies, I drifted off into a fantastical dream in which a science fiction writer is proud of their work. Silly, I know.
Before I continue, I must visit YouTube again. This next was made possible by Nini Music, Adiemus -Carmina Slovenica, Dark Seas, Dark Docs, The Ministry of Miniatures, Dungeon Dad, Dungeons and Discourse, Legendary Tactics, Discourse Minis, Players Aid, NFKRZ, Natasha's Adventures, Hoots, Nomadic Crobot, Yanis Varoufakis, OrangeRiver, Leena Norms, Brigitte Empire, Autumn's Boutique, Bookslike Whoa, Kirkpattiecake, Cindy's Villa, Cold Fusion, Welcome to Ukraine, Artur Rehi, The Book Leo, The Thought Spot, Kristine Vike, A Day of Small Things, The Cold War, Alina Gingertail, The Great War, Tale Foundry, Oceanliner Designs, Depressed Russian, Casual Navigation, Hailey in Bookland, ILona Millinery, Bernadette Banner, Ukrsine: The Latest, Deerstalker Pictures, Travelling K, United24, Jen the Librarian, Roisin's Reading, Sarah Millican, Reporting from Ukraine, JimmyTheGiant, How to ADHD, Horses, Terrible Writing Advice, NerdForge, UNTV, Cecilia Blomdahl, Abney Park, Living Anachronism, ScaredKetchup, Liz Webster, Agro Squirrel Narrates, SK Media, 3rd regiment SOF, Think Ukraine, UNTV, JohnTheDuncan, History with Kayleigh, Kyiv Post, Jake Broe, RFU News, Northern Narrowboaters, Narrowboat Pirate, Planarwalker, Gutsick Gibbon, J Draper, Emma Thorne, Angela Collier, Alt Shift X, Between the Wars, Atun Shei Films, Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Dark Brandon, Maggie Mae Fish, What Vivi did next, History of Everything, Real Time History.
This writer's books are an excellent study of US publisher's standards and expectations for science fiction titles. The overt social and political messaging in the crafting, absence of any semblance of editing, plot hole and contrivance as plot devices in lieu of thought, no planning and character arcs, etc are not unique to this writer. As a communist, I believe that all speech, writing and human interactions are political.
These writers either do not recognize the concept of fiction and prose standards or choose to ignore them. With no context, it would seem impossible to create compelling characters. Dialogue will be an afterthought and the rest implausible, illogical and/or silly. Most of these books are based on a single, simple premise, a single scene and/or a very simple, poorly expressedidea. They execute no follow-up and instead meander along a minimal plot to achieve the desired ending.
The three current publisher's categories for science fiction seem to be The No Effort, The Insulting and The Abhorrent. I admit that for the first time, I watch rather than read fiction at the moment. I began to shy away from US science fiction altogether, if written in the last fifteen years or so. The streaming services do offer a superior product to the print generally, with the consolation of decent cinematography at worst. YouTube have DUST, Omeleto and other short film channels which always deliver a superior story, quite of few of them excellent.
I began searching YouTube for science fiction recommendations a bit more than two years ago. I was surprised by all the varied interest channels. Discovering my first literary essayist, Lindsay Ellis led me to the book channels. 😍 They create communities of readers who are thoughtful, with various interests but love all of the world of books. I promise that these are an experience far different to that of Amazon/Goodreads.
I recommend that you consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 🤔
Goodreads discourse does not exist. About three years ago now, I wrote a short negative review of Powers of the Earth, an unremarkable poorly written, juvenile salute to the sociopathic January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran a self-described Libertarian and vocal advocate for the return of chattel slavery, US veteran and supporter of Putin and employee of an unnamed US agency. There followed the longest comment storm I had experienced, running close to a year demanding a response. I was informed that I am a narcissist. The writer led six self-identified patriots on that mission.
Finally Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr declared in a comment that They had "won" (?). I discovered that They had launched a deluge of truly vile sexual and racist comments against channels which I mention, which comments continue still. They failed to impress or silence the British historian, the Swedish essayist, the Oxford astrophysicist, the Australian engineer and the many other female creators. They did however deliver an accurate, much needed self-portrait of the snowflake ( twisted libertarian US man-child) to a multinational audience and of course also increased the world's overabundance of ugliness. Quite a Victory. Goodreads Discourse, Yay ?? USA, Yay ??
All the above and more because a communist suggested that the glorification of the overthrow of the US government with the aid of the military in order to not pay inheritance taxes, was unhealthy and dangerous. I hate irony.
I need a step away before finishing. This next is thanks to YouTube - Snappy Dragon, Shelves with Samantha, Brittany Page, FAFO, Vasya in the Hay, OrangeRiver, Historical Fashion, Cruising Alba, World War Two, Mom on the Spectrum, The Confused Adipose, ScaredKetchup, A Very Casual Librarian, ATP Geopolitics, Jorg Think Ukraine, Autumn's Boutique, Malinda, Ben and Emily, Gingers are Black,Haropones, Katy Montgomerie, Andrewism, Gemma Dyer, Ember Green, Queer Kiwi, Karolina Zebrowska, Ponderful, Kaz Rowe, Contrapoints, Bella Ciao - Nikolay Kutuzov, Matriarchetype, Delamer, Wes O'Donnell, Shades of Orange, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, A Cup of Nicole, Maggie Mae Fish, Kozak Siromaha, Real Vintage Dolls house, Jormungandr, Ben and Emily.
Ominous music begins. 🙂 The comment gangs have been active for several years against my reviews and I have seen other targets. The science fiction gangs are loosely organised and operated fairly consistently over years. The romance/romantasy segment only seems to include more gang activity which is ad hoc. I suspect that is because BookTubers report the incidents from stalking, doxxing and threats against one star reviewers. Amazon do not acknowledge any incident or discipline readers, punish writers who sometime organise gangs or dismiss the employees who enabled them.
These are the patriots who launch race riots at Tommy Robinson's urging and consider the private school Farage with the Nazi past to be their hero. Neither of these made an appearance at the trials. No cultists have ever been so stupid, except possibly the MAGA.
After my review of Powers, the most dangerous action was having my limited message history given over to those mental members. The Australian Intelligence services performed a favour requested by Pine Gap Centre possibly on behalf of butthurt Travis. They attempted to interrogate the one friend whom I occasionally messaged. The attempt on my personal history failed. Until we began publicising the event Amazon was unconcerned. Then all Alterations, abuse visible to others were masked or undone. That two customers are outraged was of no concern.
Recently a seventh ex-employee of EBay was sentenced for months of harassment against a couple who produced a small ecommerce channel deemed unkind to EBay. The couple were awarded multi-millions of pounds and that ex-employee had been the Chief of EBay Global Security. These are things to think about.
You may be a US reader and consider the above normal. I have no answer to that. If you are not, some precautions may cause these idiots to tread lightly.
My suggestions are remove all personal information from Goodreads profile and avoid site messaging. Remove the lurkers, those who never post. They are monitors not admirers. Given the Goodreads penchant for Altering customer pages with no explanation, the screenshot of the odd and the ugly are invaluable. For Goodreads alone, these may suffice.
Do Not use Kindle Files, Calendar, Email or Contacts, if concerned for safety. Silk searches should be innocuous and non-critical. Do Not "purchase" Amazon ebooks, as you do not own downloads only the device. Amazon read emails and files, with no notice or permission. Make of that what you will.
To implement these will not cost anything but to not might well do. As you have probably decided, these arrogant nutcases are not restrained by any non-Randian morality and cowardly as well as poorly socialised. More importantly these members and employees alike are US patriots, with all that implies. Ominous music ends. 🙂
Be safe. May we all enjoy Good Reading! 😊
Some of my favourite YouTube channels.
Zoe Baker, Alizee, The Stitchery, TVP News, aidan knight, Chloe Stafler, Mrs Betty Bowers, Crow Caller, Kris Atomic, The Carpenter's Daughter, Driftwood Folk, Cruising Crafts, Tara Mooknee, Ship Happens, Wizards and Warriors, Raw News and Politics, Alice Cappelle, Munecat, UATV English, Narrowboat Pirate, Oliver Lugg, Mia Mulder, Joe Blogs, The Closet Historian, SandRhoman History, Aid Thompsin, Nomadic Crobot, Bobbing Along, MechWest Show, Bernadette Banner, Ash L G, Shannon Makes, Historical Fashion, Horses, A Day of Small Things, UNTV, Linguoer Mechanic, Mythic Concepts, Savy Writes Books, Roomies Digest, Words Unravelled, Prime of Midlife, Jean's Thoughts, Squire, Widebeam and Wellingtons, The Russian Dude, Its Black Friday, Abney Park, OliSUNvia, Nini Music, Minimal List, Jess of the Shire, Engineering Knits, Ben and Emily, Mythology and Fiction Explained, Lily Simpson, Eileen, Lady Knight the Brave, A Clockwork Reader, SciFiOdyssey, Malinda, Lady of the Library, Sailing Melody, Narrowboat Adventures, Elina Charatsidou, RFU News,cWhat Vivi did next, AllShorts, Travelling K, Sarah Z, Ponderful, The Book Leo, Alexa Donne, Sci-fi Secrets, JuLingo, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, The Science of Science Fiction, Dr Becky, Ask a Mortician, Paleo Analysis, Planarwalker, Shaun, Rosencreutz, Dominic Noble, No Justice, AllShorts, Kathy's Flog in France, Mandy, Cunk, Nini Music, The Historian's Craft, Lilly's Expat Life, A Life of Lit, Jake Broe, Just Write, Interior Design Hub, Audrie Greywind, Lily Simpson, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Puddles Pity Party, The Dadvocate, Rebecca Watson, Princess Weekes, Verilybitchie, IzzzYzzz, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Dominic Noble, Acollierastro, Veritas et Caritas, May Moon Narrowboat, HBomberGuy, Harbo Wholmes, Science Fiction with Damien Walter, Certifiably Ingame, Biz, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Ben and Emily, Library Ladder, Terrible Writing Advice, Military History Visualized, Amie's Literary Empire, Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Some More News, History with Kayleigh, Abbie Emmons, Geo Girl, Kelly Loves Physics and History, The Researcher, Heather Dale, Book Furnace, Part Time Hobbit, History of Everything, Mark R Largent, Kat Blacque, Leftist Cooks, Zoe Bee.
I wish you a wonderful morning, a splendid afternoon, a pleasant evening, a fantastic night and may we all continue learning.
What is labelled Hate, is actually Contempt.
Observations, Thirteenth Route Trade Fleet
Another review/expansion to be done and I so do not look forward to writing for this site. After so much abuse over many reviews and more than four years for mildly negative opinions, I now aim to misbehave.
First I need to visit YouTube. This was brought to you by Doctor Who/Be Kind - Reality Genre Studios, LuckyBlackCat, Keffals, Josh Johnson, Sarah Z, A Cup of Nicole, The New Enlightenment with Ashley, Red Glasgow, Raw News and Politics, Alex Fleev, FAFO, Lady of the Library, Emilie's Literary Corner, Queen Penguin, Trae Crowder, Quinn's Ideas, Steve Shives, Combat Veteran Reacts, Agro Squirrel Narrates, Fun Size Reader, Reese Waters, Books N Cats, Skip Intto, Autumn's Boutique, Kazachka, Ukraine Matters, Horses, It ain't half hot mum, Squire, Sarah Millican, Lily Simpson, Operator Starsky, Jake Broe, physicist Dr Fatima, World Science Festival, Verilybitchie, British Museum, The Stitchery, Mia Mulder, Sarah Millican, Lady Knight the Brave, Ukraine Calling SOF UA, Cruising Crafts, Boat Time, Well Deck Diaries, Ukrainian Jenny, The Activist Witch, Kiko1006- Empire of Angels, Kyiv Independent, Diary of a Ditch Witch, Deerstalker Pictures, Books with Chloe, Mia Asano, Ode to Joy Flashmob, Welcome to Ukraine Widebeam and Wellingtons, Democratic Penguins Republic, Yarmak, Cambrian Chronicles, Deerstalker Pictures, May, Inside Russia, IL Neige, Kings and Generals, Ukraine Matters, Springtime for Elon, Mercado Media, Jessica Kellgren Fozard, Lily Alexandre, Times Radio, Honest Government Ads, J Draper, Eugenia from Ukraine, Think That Through, IAI, Andrewism, Dr Tamitha Skov, Jean's Thoughts, Crow Caller, Up and Atom, The Ritual Kitchen with Laura May, Owen Jones, Ben and Emily, Tank Museum, Sanctioned Ivan, Valhalla Drums, Real Time History, Operator Starsky, Oh Joe, Philosophy Tube, Bobbing Along, Vlad Vexler, Jabzy, Professor Gerdes Explains, Tallgirl6234, Linguoer Mechanic, TriAngulum, League of STEAM, Unlearning Economics, Travelling K, Don't F@ck with Ukraine, KernowDamo, ThePrimeChronus, Dylan Burns, Silicon Curtain, Storied, Monte Mader, Kasatka Inga, Amie's Literary Empire, Gingers are Black, Professor Tim Wilson, Eleanor Morton, Prime of Midlife, RevolutionarythOt, Maggie Mae Fish, Amie's Literary Empire, Britta Bohler, Books and Things, Kozak Siromaha, The Juice Media.
I recently saw an idiot who whilst attacking an essayist complain to her that I list channels with trans female creators. I wonder what epidemic causes the US male arrogant idiocy syndrome. Trigger warning then to that idiot and fellows. I list channels with hobbyist, Welsh, gay, socialist, cis, anthropologist, activist, trans, communist, older, intersex, essayist, physicist, primatologist, asexual, tall, het, WOC, redhaired, German, lesbian, gamer, linguist, archaeologist and other female creators or as the sane refer to them Women. There are other almost as threatening channels which include anarchist, scientist, Swedish, redhead, hobbyist, communist, Irish, boater, other LGBTQ+, historian, Danish, economist, other BIPOC, Canadian, Ginger, mathematician and others or as I refer to them Human Beings. If the voices still pressure you to read my reviews or visit these channels, seek emergency therapy, immediately develop a healthy hobby (assaulting women is a mental illness) or our Catholic exorcism. My feelings towards these morons is similar to that of the 13 Ukrainian marines defending Snake Island, when their surrender was demanded by the Russian navy. Their response was "Russian warship, go f@ck yourself." Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.
When I first wrote this, I labelled this an old man's fantasy. It is much more than that and much less also. There is as usual for low end US science fiction almost a hint at a background universe but it does not materialize. The book moves directly to a smug male fantasy instead. The unfolding of the main character's personality defects, social deficiencies and a list of every negative character trait assumed of a working class male are the world building.
The readers seem on the whole are not those who consider themselves working class. The remainder are those readers, who are desperate for some type of class representation in their fiction. I understand that last well enough. To that group, I say we must not settle for this stereotype because there are alternatives in science fiction. I recommend better working class characters in the books by Massey, Ann Christy, Butcher, Weber, McCaffrey, Turtledove, Drake, Bujold-McMaster, Philip K Dick, Octavia Butler, Pournelle, Cherryh and others. There are some interesting films which do a decent job of discussing identity issues. "Smoke Signals", "Lars and the Real Girl", "Mumford", "Landscape with Invisible Hand", "Billy Elliot", "Little Boxes" are samples.
If the writer's aim is to elevate a working class character to main story driver, that would be wonderful but he failed. If the writer did not intend to mock a working class reader, he failed. If his goal was to continue the denigration of myself and other readers for the entertainment of the middle class reader, he succeeded. I am not liking his purpose.
The working class white male in these books never have money concerns. Whatever minor constraints that exist are barely mentioned. Here the alien bride is a clone of a human woman who demonstrates a genetic predisposition to wasteful spending. That sexist myth is alive and well in this and similar books.
The dialogue seems modelled on the artificial "Duck Dynasty" interactions. I doubt that any of these readers have actually viewed the pre-launch photos of the cast or their backgrounds. The aliens also speak in the same insane dialect because Reasons.
There is no explanation for the alien being in stasis or why rural US mechanics need instruct aliens in the use of the alien's own technology. It is another shot of anti-intellectualism. The same approach to storytelling appears in most of these "libertarian" fantasies written for the low income white US male. These books tap into the required support for that demographic's delusion of innate superiority, which need translated into the 75% of white males voting for destruction of their remaining unions, ending of worker protections, workplace safety enforcement, ending of overtime bonus and more. This based on the promise that non-whites and women will be even more cruelly treated.
Apparently a sketch of a premise, a spaceship and at least one female character lacking in personality or agency and your book is chosen. Of course, the prose has to be sufficiently coarse and seem to have never been subjected to editorial review. Overcoming the minor hurdles presupposes that your finished manuscript is not an actual space adventure but a clearly described political message.
Every libertarian fantasy writer should in my opinion be tried for crimes against fiction.
Book Furnace made an interesting argument that the short story is an important tool for developing skill. If one of these No Effort writers were to visit the World Anvil site, they might see how ridiculous their character descriptions are. They might then actually create personal histories and a development path for each. That does depend on a commitment to planning the book. My apologies, I drifted off into a fantastical dream in which a science fiction writer is proud of their work. Silly, I know.
Before I continue, I must visit YouTube again. This next was made possible by Nini Music, Adiemus -Carmina Slovenica, Dark Seas, Dark Docs, The Ministry of Miniatures, Dungeon Dad, Dungeons and Discourse, Legendary Tactics, Discourse Minis, Players Aid, NFKRZ, Natasha's Adventures, Hoots, Nomadic Crobot, Yanis Varoufakis, OrangeRiver, Leena Norms, Brigitte Empire, Autumn's Boutique, Bookslike Whoa, Kirkpattiecake, Cindy's Villa, Cold Fusion, Welcome to Ukraine, Artur Rehi, The Book Leo, The Thought Spot, Kristine Vike, A Day of Small Things, The Cold War, Alina Gingertail, The Great War, Tale Foundry, Oceanliner Designs, Depressed Russian, Casual Navigation, Hailey in Bookland, ILona Millinery, Bernadette Banner, Ukrsine: The Latest, Deerstalker Pictures, Travelling K, United24, Jen the Librarian, Roisin's Reading, Sarah Millican, Reporting from Ukraine, JimmyTheGiant, How to ADHD, Horses, Terrible Writing Advice, NerdForge, UNTV, Cecilia Blomdahl, Abney Park, Living Anachronism, ScaredKetchup, Liz Webster, Agro Squirrel Narrates, SK Media, 3rd regiment SOF, Think Ukraine, UNTV, JohnTheDuncan, History with Kayleigh, Kyiv Post, Jake Broe, RFU News, Northern Narrowboaters, Narrowboat Pirate, Planarwalker, Gutsick Gibbon, J Draper, Emma Thorne, Angela Collier, Alt Shift X, Between the Wars, Atun Shei Films, Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Dark Brandon, Maggie Mae Fish, What Vivi did next, History of Everything, Real Time History.
This writer's books are an excellent study of US publisher's standards and expectations for science fiction titles. The overt social and political messaging in the crafting, absence of any semblance of editing, plot hole and contrivance as plot devices in lieu of thought, no planning and character arcs, etc are not unique to this writer. As a communist, I believe that all speech, writing and human interactions are political.
These writers either do not recognize the concept of fiction and prose standards or choose to ignore them. With no context, it would seem impossible to create compelling characters. Dialogue will be an afterthought and the rest implausible, illogical and/or silly. Most of these books are based on a single, simple premise, a single scene and/or a very simple, poorly expressedidea. They execute no follow-up and instead meander along a minimal plot to achieve the desired ending.
The three current publisher's categories for science fiction seem to be The No Effort, The Insulting and The Abhorrent. I admit that for the first time, I watch rather than read fiction at the moment. I began to shy away from US science fiction altogether, if written in the last fifteen years or so. The streaming services do offer a superior product to the print generally, with the consolation of decent cinematography at worst. YouTube have DUST, Omeleto and other short film channels which always deliver a superior story, quite of few of them excellent.
I began searching YouTube for science fiction recommendations a bit more than two years ago. I was surprised by all the varied interest channels. Discovering my first literary essayist, Lindsay Ellis led me to the book channels. 😍 They create communities of readers who are thoughtful, with various interests but love all of the world of books. I promise that these are an experience far different to that of Amazon/Goodreads.
I recommend that you consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 🤔
Goodreads discourse does not exist. About three years ago now, I wrote a short negative review of Powers of the Earth, an unremarkable poorly written, juvenile salute to the sociopathic January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran a self-described Libertarian and vocal advocate for the return of chattel slavery, US veteran and supporter of Putin and employee of an unnamed US agency. There followed the longest comment storm I had experienced, running close to a year demanding a response. I was informed that I am a narcissist. The writer led six self-identified patriots on that mission.
Finally Claes Rees Jr aka cgr710 now ka Clayton R Jesse Jr declared in a comment that They had "won" (?). I discovered that They had launched a deluge of truly vile sexual and racist comments against channels which I mention, which comments continue still. They failed to impress or silence the British historian, the Swedish essayist, the Oxford astrophysicist, the Australian engineer and the many other female creators. They did however deliver an accurate, much needed self-portrait of the snowflake ( twisted libertarian US man-child) to a multinational audience and of course also increased the world's overabundance of ugliness. Quite a Victory. Goodreads Discourse, Yay ?? USA, Yay ??
All the above and more because a communist suggested that the glorification of the overthrow of the US government with the aid of the military in order to not pay inheritance taxes, was unhealthy and dangerous. I hate irony.
I need a step away before finishing. This next is thanks to YouTube - Snappy Dragon, Shelves with Samantha, Brittany Page, FAFO, Vasya in the Hay, OrangeRiver, Historical Fashion, Cruising Alba, World War Two, Mom on the Spectrum, The Confused Adipose, ScaredKetchup, A Very Casual Librarian, ATP Geopolitics, Jorg Think Ukraine, Autumn's Boutique, Malinda, Ben and Emily, Gingers are Black,Haropones, Katy Montgomerie, Andrewism, Gemma Dyer, Ember Green, Queer Kiwi, Karolina Zebrowska, Ponderful, Kaz Rowe, Contrapoints, Bella Ciao - Nikolay Kutuzov, Matriarchetype, Delamer, Wes O'Donnell, Shades of Orange, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, A Cup of Nicole, Maggie Mae Fish, Kozak Siromaha, Real Vintage Dolls house, Jormungandr, Ben and Emily.
Ominous music begins. 🙂 The comment gangs have been active for several years against my reviews and I have seen other targets. The science fiction gangs are loosely organised and operated fairly consistently over years. The romance/romantasy segment only seems to include more gang activity which is ad hoc. I suspect that is because BookTubers report the incidents from stalking, doxxing and threats against one star reviewers. Amazon do not acknowledge any incident or discipline readers, punish writers who sometime organise gangs or dismiss the employees who enabled them.
These are the patriots who launch race riots at Tommy Robinson's urging and consider the private school Farage with the Nazi past to be their hero. Neither of these made an appearance at the trials. No cultists have ever been so stupid, except possibly the MAGA.
After my review of Powers, the most dangerous action was having my limited message history given over to those mental members. The Australian Intelligence services performed a favour requested by Pine Gap Centre possibly on behalf of butthurt Travis. They attempted to interrogate the one friend whom I occasionally messaged. The attempt on my personal history failed. Until we began publicising the event Amazon was unconcerned. Then all Alterations, abuse visible to others were masked or undone. That two customers are outraged was of no concern.
Recently a seventh ex-employee of EBay was sentenced for months of harassment against a couple who produced a small ecommerce channel deemed unkind to EBay. The couple were awarded multi-millions of pounds and that ex-employee had been the Chief of EBay Global Security. These are things to think about.
You may be a US reader and consider the above normal. I have no answer to that. If you are not, some precautions may cause these idiots to tread lightly.
My suggestions are remove all personal information from Goodreads profile and avoid site messaging. Remove the lurkers, those who never post. They are monitors not admirers. Given the Goodreads penchant for Altering customer pages with no explanation, the screenshot of the odd and the ugly are invaluable. For Goodreads alone, these may suffice.
Do Not use Kindle Files, Calendar, Email or Contacts, if concerned for safety. Silk searches should be innocuous and non-critical. Do Not "purchase" Amazon ebooks, as you do not own downloads only the device. Amazon read emails and files, with no notice or permission. Make of that what you will.
To implement these will not cost anything but to not might well do. As you have probably decided, these arrogant nutcases are not restrained by any non-Randian morality and cowardly as well as poorly socialised. More importantly these members and employees alike are US patriots, with all that implies. Ominous music ends. 🙂
Be safe. May we all enjoy Good Reading! 😊
Some of my favourite YouTube channels.
Zoe Baker, Alizee, The Stitchery, TVP News, aidan knight, Chloe Stafler, Mrs Betty Bowers, Crow Caller, Kris Atomic, The Carpenter's Daughter, Driftwood Folk, Cruising Crafts, Tara Mooknee, Ship Happens, Wizards and Warriors, Raw News and Politics, Alice Cappelle, Munecat, UATV English, Narrowboat Pirate, Oliver Lugg, Mia Mulder, Joe Blogs, The Closet Historian, SandRhoman History, Aid Thompsin, Nomadic Crobot, Bobbing Along, MechWest Show, Bernadette Banner, Ash L G, Shannon Makes, Historical Fashion, Horses, A Day of Small Things, UNTV, Linguoer Mechanic, Mythic Concepts, Savy Writes Books, Roomies Digest, Words Unravelled, Prime of Midlife, Jean's Thoughts, Squire, Widebeam and Wellingtons, The Russian Dude, Its Black Friday, Abney Park, OliSUNvia, Nini Music, Minimal List, Jess of the Shire, Engineering Knits, Ben and Emily, Mythology and Fiction Explained, Lily Simpson, Eileen, Lady Knight the Brave, A Clockwork Reader, SciFiOdyssey, Malinda, Lady of the Library, Sailing Melody, Narrowboat Adventures, Elina Charatsidou, RFU News,cWhat Vivi did next, AllShorts, Travelling K, Sarah Z, Ponderful, The Book Leo, Alexa Donne, Sci-fi Secrets, JuLingo, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, The Science of Science Fiction, Dr Becky, Ask a Mortician, Paleo Analysis, Planarwalker, Shaun, Rosencreutz, Dominic Noble, No Justice, AllShorts, Kathy's Flog in France, Mandy, Cunk, Nini Music, The Historian's Craft, Lilly's Expat Life, A Life of Lit, Jake Broe, Just Write, Interior Design Hub, Audrie Greywind, Lily Simpson, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Puddles Pity Party, The Dadvocate, Rebecca Watson, Princess Weekes, Verilybitchie, IzzzYzzz, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Dominic Noble, Acollierastro, Veritas et Caritas, May Moon Narrowboat, HBomberGuy, Harbo Wholmes, Science Fiction with Damien Walter, Certifiably Ingame, Biz, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Ben and Emily, Library Ladder, Terrible Writing Advice, Military History Visualized, Amie's Literary Empire, Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Some More News, History with Kayleigh, Abbie Emmons, Geo Girl, Kelly Loves Physics and History, The Researcher, Heather Dale, Book Furnace, Part Time Hobbit, History of Everything, Mark R Largent, Kat Blacque, Leftist Cooks, Zoe Bee.
I wish you a wonderful morning, a splendid afternoon, a pleasant evening, a fantastic night and may we all continue learning.
What is labelled Hate, is actually Contempt.
Observations, Thirteenth Route Trade Fleet
Read
September 11, 2021I saw this listed with SF comedy books. The dialog between characters (and occasionally narration) includes word play, teasing each other and repartee. I have to say, I was slow to catch some of the word play. The timing between hearing and "getting it" is important for appreciating humor. John said to Bob, "Were you too loose, Lautrec?" At that moment, it sank in just a little too late for me to smile. Maybe it was because I was listening to the book, maybe it was just me. Some dialog suggested there were references to TV or movie content I wasn't familiar with. The story can be entertaining, but in terms of comedy (that I was aware of) these dialog elements were the main comedy elements. Some readers might think the improbable plot points should be included.
Bob is a mechanic (?) One day he comes home and finds a flying saucer in his garage and an alien woman - Nikki - seeing if she can repair it. (The aliens look just like humans, can be treated with human-based medical care, and Earthlings and aliens end up being attracted to each other.) Bob quickly decides to help Nikki fix her saucer. Nikki was the pilot / guide who brought several alien grad students to Earth. When one of the grad students needs medical care, Bob brings in his friend John. John had been an army medic, but isn't licensed to practice medicine. John provides medical care outside official circles. This develops so that Nikki and her father arrange to have Bob and John run a secret-from-Earth-authorities business to provide repair and medical care to visiting aliens when needed.
The book is a short and easy read. For those who like it, there are lots of sequels.
Bob and John live in a small town, like guns, have a weekly paint-ball game, are friends with a cop but seem familiar / comfortable with various illegal activities, etc. Perhaps, it may appeal more to those more in tune with the portrayed culture.
Bob is a mechanic (?) One day he comes home and finds a flying saucer in his garage and an alien woman - Nikki - seeing if she can repair it. (The aliens look just like humans, can be treated with human-based medical care, and Earthlings and aliens end up being attracted to each other.) Bob quickly decides to help Nikki fix her saucer. Nikki was the pilot / guide who brought several alien grad students to Earth. When one of the grad students needs medical care, Bob brings in his friend John. John had been an army medic, but isn't licensed to practice medicine. John provides medical care outside official circles. This develops so that Nikki and her father arrange to have Bob and John run a secret-from-Earth-authorities business to provide repair and medical care to visiting aliens when needed.
The book is a short and easy read. For those who like it, there are lots of sequels.
Bob and John live in a small town, like guns, have a weekly paint-ball game, are friends with a cop but seem familiar / comfortable with various illegal activities, etc. Perhaps, it may appeal more to those more in tune with the portrayed culture.
May 5, 2023
MacGyver Meets Alien Dudette...and If You Like It, Put A Ring On It. DNF at 50%
This is what happens when you don't have any chapters, no character description, stupid plot, ridiculous happenings, all dialogue, and the dialogue is all blokey slang with lots of 70s movie references...you make Paul (me) an unhappy little Aussie. (Except for the reference to a certain Burt Reynolds movie I like, so one extra star for that.)
Lucky this book was in my Kindle, otherwise I would have hoiked it out the back door onto the compost pile. I need a G&T.
EDIT: If you're wondering: It was "White Lightning" from 1973 starring Burt Reynolds and Jennifer Billingsley.
This is what happens when you don't have any chapters, no character description, stupid plot, ridiculous happenings, all dialogue, and the dialogue is all blokey slang with lots of 70s movie references...you make Paul (me) an unhappy little Aussie. (Except for the reference to a certain Burt Reynolds movie I like, so one extra star for that.)
Lucky this book was in my Kindle, otherwise I would have hoiked it out the back door onto the compost pile. I need a G&T.
EDIT: If you're wondering: It was "White Lightning" from 1973 starring Burt Reynolds and Jennifer Billingsley.
November 12, 2022
If I could give negative stars, I would. The book reads like it's the tenth in the series instead of the first, and I'm still not convinced the author didnt simply post a 12-year old's alien fan fiction. Everything happens conveniently and without conflict, every other paragraph has the main characters calling each other "space cadet" and "caveman," and everyone swears by saying "snagfart."
I stopped reading after I read this on page 56: “Naughty Space Cadet! Daddy spank.”
The only thing I hate more than this book is myself for reading 56 pages of it.
I stopped reading after I read this on page 56: “Naughty Space Cadet! Daddy spank.”
The only thing I hate more than this book is myself for reading 56 pages of it.
December 12, 2022
Like many others, I wanted to like this book. I thought it would be a fun book but it irritated me a lot. The dialogue didn’t sound natural. Also, the main characters constantly called each other by their pet names: caveman and space cadet, just Argh! I have a rule about quitting books, so started skimming the text. No descriptive text, so things just happen without any build up. Sexist stereotypes, even though you can tell he tried not to…
July 13, 2023
I hated this audiobook so much so that I gave up really early on. The protagonist is the cliched genius everyman - a man easily mistaken for nothing special, but who is wildly intelligent, talented, and humble. There's a whole lot of humble-bragging. So much I couldn't take it anymore. The concept is an auto mechanic fixing a space ship that just happened to park in his home garage.
November 15, 2019
First contact.
Light hearted, tongue in cheek, first contact story the story is told from mostly first person reports of two good old boys out of the military.
Light hearted, tongue in cheek, first contact story the story is told from mostly first person reports of two good old boys out of the military.
July 22, 2020
Not Exactly What Was Expected
A delightful word salad jumble of Sci-fi, pop culture and irreverent humor. While a bit confusing at times, this was still a light, fun read.
A delightful word salad jumble of Sci-fi, pop culture and irreverent humor. While a bit confusing at times, this was still a light, fun read.
March 14, 2021
This book must have been written by an adolescent for an adolescent. Read the one and two star reviews. I'm not wasting my time reviewing this in depth.
October 3, 2021
Meh
Story lacks depth, and believability, especially in context of the genre. A shell of dialogue, skimming necessary. If food, it’d be gas station food.
Story lacks depth, and believability, especially in context of the genre. A shell of dialogue, skimming necessary. If food, it’d be gas station food.
February 22, 2023
DNF
Definitely NOT for young adults, or anyone for that matter. Constant swearing and foul language. Sexual references
Definitely NOT for young adults, or anyone for that matter. Constant swearing and foul language. Sexual references
January 15, 2025
Not a good book. The writing was not great and there was too much dialogue. Also a little sexist. “Well, you’re a female, and you admitted I wasn’t wrong, I just want a record”. ????? BOOOOO
February 19, 2023
Pretty good!
August 19, 2024
Interesting premise....
Although I was intrigued by the premise, I found the juvenile behavior and banter of supposed adults very off-putting. A few grammatical errors (the past tense of drag is dragged, not drug) is probably an editing issue. Otherwise, it was a quick read. I may try the second volume but if the characters don't start acting like real people, it will be my last.
Although I was intrigued by the premise, I found the juvenile behavior and banter of supposed adults very off-putting. A few grammatical errors (the past tense of drag is dragged, not drug) is probably an editing issue. Otherwise, it was a quick read. I may try the second volume but if the characters don't start acting like real people, it will be my last.
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