Complex 13

by Matthew Reilly

Did the Soviet Union have its own Area 51? Discover the mysteries within

Genres: Thriller, Action, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Ebooks

14 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Born in Sydney in 1974, Matthew Reilly was not always a big fan of reading. It was only after he read To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies in Year 10 that he realised reading could transport you to another world. Following this revelation, Matthew soon began creating stories of his own and set about writing his first novel, Contest, at the age of 19 while still at university studying law.

Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.

In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!

Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.

His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.

Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.

Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.

He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.

Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Soviet complex called Complex 13 was wiped from the history books. All that is known about it, is that it was a high-security facility. Also known as the prison of no return. Rumor has it, human beings were fed to the alien prisoners they kept there. But that’s just hearsay, isn’t it?

A group of armed marines enters what used to be Complex 13. Their mission is simple: get in, grab something and get out. But nobody said it was going to be easy.


Great atmospheric start, a cool setting and simply a lot of action from start to finish. It’s a very short read, but definitely enjoyable.

[Kora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was jonesing for a Reilly fix, and saw this for download on his website. At only 14 pages, it was as expected - a fast, action-packed story without much character development. But I'm a greedy bitch. It just made me more impatient for a new, full-length novel!

[Tim Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too short to work for me. More like an abridged scene from one of his books than a short story.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick short story from the action master about a squad of US soldiers infiltrating an abandoned Soviet research station. The normal sort of stuff I've come to expect from Reilly, nothing too cerebral just lots of shooting and blood and guts.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This way incredibly short but action packed like all of Reilly’s works. Only 14 pages long but it covered a lot in the short number of pages, but also felt like something that could be massively developed into a full length novel about Russia’s Area 51.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have loved for that to have been a full length novel.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gonzo action and idea but little else beyond a hook. More like an elevator pitch than a story.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast snd fun read that brought back fond memories of reading Reilly for the first time.
It did wonders to my mood while I am going through a slow and ponderous read elsewhere.
Recommended.

[Paul Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

As usual with Matthew Reilly's short stories, this one was short on plot but long and action, blood and the out-of-the-ordinary events.

I prefer plot.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is typical of other Matthew Reilly books - fast-paced action and an incredible hero. A very quick 10 minute read that feels more like a story outline. Possibly part of the premise for The Great Zoo of China.

[Aleksander Gschib · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Reilly book (in a good way)! The only negative is that it isn't longer...

[Mark Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short story. I liked it a lot. Would like it to go on.

[Lori Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew where this was going when I began, but it still surprised me. I could see this being a movie. A fun read.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yea it was a decent read but I pretty much predicted the ending from within a couple of pages. I live Matthew Reilly books but this short story was not one of his better ones.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story. very short but intriguing.
Area 51 is beseiged by aliens. The americans believe the Russians Complex 13 had the same problem.
The solution senda team to investigate.
As the americans penetrate the sealed off Complex 13 they come under attachk.
At the end they find the solution and try to leave. Just one member of the team survives.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, Matthew Reilly shows that also his short stories are filled with action and a great imagination combined with facts and actual myths. But, again, I wished he had turned this little story into a full-grown novel - would have been so much fun, I'm sure!

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complex 13 was a secret Russian complex that had been completely erased from history. However, a group of US marines have found the secret location and are about to enter, but what will Russia’s equivalent of Area 51 have to reveal!

Short and gory, but a neat ending!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Again, really cool high-concept short with tons of action, thrills...and death. A clever ending too.

[Joe Phelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First ebook I ever read.

[Craig Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short story from Matthew Reilly. This one is only 14 pages long and available from his website for free. http://matthewreilly.com/downloads/co...

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little stand alone short story from Matthew Reilly. Solid but needed to be fleshed out more.

[Christophe Anagnostopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and clever, a short story with a nice ending !

[Kelly T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced story line. Too short for me! Can't wait for his next book!

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action packed short story from Matthew Reilly... Well worth a read...

Great story, lots of fun, great twists...

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was awesome

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very gripping short story, the kind only Matthew Reilly can truly deliver. Awesome!