by Alain Gomez
Source: Review Copy from Author
Release Date: December 27, 2010
Ebook Edition; 14 Pages (Approximately 2982 words)
Genre: Science Fiction / Short Story
Set in the not too distant future, a worker hopes that his new job at the spaceport will allow him to get his life back on track. While taking passengers to the space hotel "Moonwalk", a collision with an unknown object brings his dreams... and possibly his life... to a screeching halt.
Release Date: February 24, 2011
Ebook Edition; 11 Pages (Approximately 2602 words)
Genre: Science Fiction / Short Story
The Space Hotel Series continues from the viewpoint of Dr. Agatha Fleischer. Aliens made Dr. Fleischer an offer she couldn't refuse: unlimited resources for her research... and no ethics laws to speak of. A dream come true for the overly ambitious doctor. But will her atrocious acts in the name of science go unpunished?
Release Date: February 9, 2011
Ebook Edition; (Approximately 2538 words)
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy / Short Story
Working on his model railroad set is more than just a hobby for John Wilson, it's his desperate attempt to fix the ghosts of his childhood. But his obsession with his creation may have an unexpected side-effect...
My Thoughts
With several twists and turns, and some unexpected endings, I found this short story collection by Alain Gomez to be interesting and riveting.
"Celebrity Space" is a futuristic tale about celebrities going to a space station in order to live it up. On their way to the station, the space shuttle develops problems. This one has a great and unexpected ending that came out of nowhere; I always enjoy it when an author can turn the tables on a reader and keep them guessing as I first thought the plot seemed a bit formulaic and predictable. I also enjoyed the character development, the bantering between the characters, and thought the plot was well-developed. It was an entertaining short story.
"Doctor Fleischer" is a sequel to "Celebrity Space" and this story revolves around genetitist Doctor Fleischer. She has accepted a new job and her new employers are a bit unusual. But with an unlimited budget and the ability to do whatever research she wants, who is she to complain? This was another entertaining short story and I really enjoyed Doctor Fleischer's no-nonsense approach to life. And according to her principles, people should give up their life to science if it advances research. The interesting plot line, and the unexpected twist at the end make this short story worth reading.
"A Model Railway Man" took a bit longer to develop and I was left wondering what the purpose of the story was about, when suddenly, in the last three pages it took a sudden turn, and I felt like I was bowled over. I have devloped a lot of respect for Ms. Gomez and her unexpected endings and I enjoyed this tremendously. This story is about a man with such an obsession for trains that he neglects his wife of five years. The results are not what he was expecting.
Verdict
These three stories are a quick read, but all have fascinating twists at the end that I did not expect. Ms. Gomez has a nice writing style that draws the reader into the story immediately, something that is important when writing short stories. She also doesn't rely overtly on description and therefore, the stories generally move along smoothly and easily, allowing the characters to develop and the plot to flow.
0 comments:
Post a Comment