COMRADES in ARMS (kindle)(short story) by Kevin J. Anderson

Published in 2014 by WordFire Press

My Synopsis:

Veteran (and prolific) author Kevin J. Anderson delivers a compelling short story/novella in the tradition of the golden age of sci-fi with Comrades in Arms. 

Humanity is at war with an insectoid race that uses psychic energy to create weapons and even peer into the future.  The story is set in an asteroid belt way out in the middle of nowhere. Some of the asteroids have breathable atmospheres, but they're not comfortable for either race to live on for long. 

Even though the asteroids have limited value, there is no way either side will give them up so the war has ground itself into a stalemate of sorts. 

However, humanity has developed a new weapon that is starting to turn the tide. Mortally wounded humans are brought back to the base and given the Robocop treatment. Their bodies are refitted with armored limbs, organs are replaced, and a "werewolf trigger" is installed deep in the brain. The werewolf trigger sets the cyborg soldier into an out-of-control killing frenzy. These killing machines tear across the battlefield and civilian outposts, leaving behind nothing by death and destruction until the cyborg is destroyed or its system breaks down.

But, what happens if a cyborg learns to control its computerized impulses? What if it starts to question the war itself? What if it refuses?

My Review:

I enjoyed this novella from beginning to end. The story has an ironic twist at the end, but not the way that you would think. In its own way, it makes a strong anti-war statement. 

I rate this novella 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Comrades in Arms by Kevin J. Anderson.

THREE MILITARY SF NOVELLAS (audiobook) by Kevin J. Anderson

Published by WordFire Press LLC in April of 2019.

Read by Charles Kahlenberg.

Duration: 5 hours, 22 minutes.

Unabridged.

The title of Three Military SF Novellas says it all - this audiobook is actually a collection of three novellas. Nothing about any of these stories was particularly original, but I enjoyed two of the three immensely.

Story #1 is called Comrades in Arms. It is set in an asteroid belt that is actually the front line of a war between humans and a insect-like species. This story has a familiar vibe - think Robocop meets Enemy Mine. I rate this novella 5 stars. Very entertaining.

Story #2 is called Escape Hatch. It is set on a future earth in which a water-based alien species has invaded. They are sort of like eels and jellyfish. They combine together to create massive sea monsters and they are destroying Earth's combined navies. This story has a clever twist and has a very satisfying ending. I rate this novella 5 stars.

Story #3 is called Prisoner of War. This story is set in a world at war. No one really remembers why the war started and soldiers are literally being bred and raised just to fight the war. Several species of animals have also been adapted to fight. This story seemed like a missed opportunity. It hinted at being critical of our seemingly endless wars against "terror" and the toll they take on our soldiers - but it misses the mark and the story just fizzles. I rate this story 2 stars out of 5.

The stories were read by Charles Kahlenberg. He has an interesting voice - a change of pace from the typical voice stylings of most readers.

The average score is this collection is 4 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: THREE MILITARY SF NOVELLAS (audiobook) by Kevin J. Anderson.

ENEMIES AND ALLIES (audiobook) by Kevin J. Anderson

 

Just About as Perfect as It Could Be

Published by GraphicAudio in 2013
Multicast Performance
Duration: about 6 hours
Adapted from the original book.

As D.C. Comics gears up for their big Batman vs. Superman release next year it is interesting to look at how these two iconic characters ever ended up meeting, working together and then become trusted allies.

I grew up in the era when Superfriends and the Justice League were Saturday morning mainstays. Unfortunately, these were horrible days for the Batman franchise. Batman was reduced to being a sidekick of Superman with his only saving grace being that he was the only sidekick with a sidekick (Robin). The first Michael Keaton Batman movie brought a dark side to the character that had probably never been seen on screen. 

Batman has trust issues. He is secretive and he is often the only force for justice in a city that perverts the law to do the work of evil men. He must work in secrecy and hide in the shadows. This audiobook captures that side of Batman perfectly.

The spirit of Superman was captured well in the old TV show and in the Christopher Reeve movies. Those movies had plenty of issues but I have not heard of anyone that does not think the Reeve nailed the character of Superman perfectly. But, for some reason, modern movie makers have had a hard time understanding this iconic character. It's not hard. He is the ultimate Boy Scout and he is internally motivated to be that way. He is the guy that does the right thing all of the time. He is powerful because of his genetics. He is good because of his upbringing by his adopted parents. This audiobook understands Superman and captures his personality perfectly. 

But, what happens when the Gee Whiz! Aw, Shucks farm boy meets the man who wears a scary costume and  works out of the shadows? 

If you like your Superhero tales told in the classic form (I do - I am something of a comics Fundamentalist), you will thoroughly enjoy a story in which nothing new is told but it the story is still very entertaining. There are no out-of-left-field plot twists (like Alfred is really Bruce's dad! or Lex Luthor used to date Lois Lane!) - this is the same old story but told really well. Perry White yells all of the time, Lois Lane is too curious for her own good, Alfred the butler is efficient and mysterious, Gordon is the only honest cop in Gotham City and Lex Luthor has a diabolical plan that could shake up the entire world.

And it's just about as perfect as it could be.

My daughter and I listened to this audiobook as we commuted back and forth to school for a couple of weeks. When it was all done and she pulled the last CD from the CD player she said, "That was awesome! That was amazing! That was amazingly awesome!" 

The story is set in the 1950s and Lex Luthor is stealing Wayne Enterprises military technology so that he can dominate the Cold War military buildup and playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne doesn't seem to notice. Clark Kent has been sent to Nevada to look into a secret military base called Area 51. Rumors of alien visitors have made him quite curious. And, both Batman and Superman are getting curious about each other as their stories are starting to spread - Superman, the hero with a smile and a kind word. Batman, the vigilante in the dark.

If you are not familiar with GraphicAudio you should be. Their tag line is "A Movie In Your Mind" for good reason. They make each production like an old-fashioned radio show with sound effects. This production had 26 different voice actors - some with big parts, some with tiny parts. It keeps the story lively and it is much easier to picture Superman ripping open the roof of an airplane hanger when you hear the metal tearing at the same time.

I rate this audiobook 5 stars out of 5.

 This audiobook can be found on Amazon.com here: Enemies and Allies

The X-Files: Ground Zero (abridged audiobook) by Kevin J. Anderson

Published in 1995 by HarperAudio.

Duration: approximately 3 hours
Read by Gillian Anderson

Abridged.

 I am going to say this succinctly and clearly.

The abridged audiobook of The X-Files: Ground Zero is not good. It is bad. It is not well read. It has few of the best qualities of the TV show.

Read by Gillian Anderson, the abridged audiobook clocks in at about 3 hours and read unenthusiastically by Gillian Anderson. One of the reasons I picked this one up is that I figured she'd read it well. It says it was recorded in Vancouver in 1995 (where the show was filmed) and it sounds like she read it between takes. She sounds tired and completely uninterested in the text.

Then again, when you look at what she was reading, I cannot blame her for being uninterested. This book has none of the zip of the show. Mulder's lines are almost non-existent. No smart-alack lines or observation. No wry sense of humor that makes even the weakest of the TV shows watchable (I love the X-Files but let's face it - every episode is not being shipped to the TV Hall of Fame...). This book is a tired and pale imitation of what the show was. You can see the ending coming and you wish it would just hurry up and get here. Perhaps the abridgment gutted the book but I was glad it was abridged.

Gillian Anderson

The science behind this audiobook is laughable. Not the supernatural stuff - that's what the X-Files is all about. I mean the atomic science. Does the author really think that anyone can explode an atomic bomb without radiation detectors picking up on it? Remember Chernobyl? The West knew it had gone wrong long before the Soviets admitted to it because it was detected by Western atomic sensors. Atomic blasts show up on seismographs. That's how we knew India and Pakistan had them. But, let's ignore facts like that and roll right along with a silly premise.

I rate this audiobook 1 star out of 5.

This audiobook can be found on Amazon.com here: The X-Files: Ground Zero.

Reviewed on April 8, 2009.