Revisit When They Came Series | Science Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE LAST MOMENT by Kody Boye is a short story set in the WHEN THEY CAME series. The prequel, THAT FIRST HOUR is told through the eyes of Jason Parks, an eleven year old running from a waking nightmare, and introduces readers to an alien species that breaks away from the traditional black-eyed, grey creatures. The first book, WHEN THEY CAME, takes place six years after the initial invasion. The main character, Ana Mia, has decided to join the Midnight Guard, to protect Fort Hope. She takes an insane amount of abuse from the other human survivors throughout the trilogy. Ana Mia has accepted her way of life will always be fighting, which is exactly what she does...right to the very end.

Which brings us to this new addition to the series...another prequel revealing how Ana Mia came to be a resident of Fort Hope. The way her parents her react to the attack in their home explains her warrior spirit. As for the rest, I think there's enough to tempt new readers into this series, while giving a nod to those who loyally followed Ana Mia through her apocalyptic journey.

I'm recommending this story and the others to readers who love a good mix of horror and science fiction. These are not your parents' aliens...

As always,

AstraDaemon

Fu Sheng Returns | AstraDaemon

BLOOD BONDS by Laura A. Ellison features the Chinese vampire, Fu Sheng, from the short story, A FOREIGN BODY. As with the short story, this novella is also a mix of crime drama, science fiction and preternatural characters, as well as multiple alien species.

An ancient vampire family makes their way to the New Galaxy (not an easy journey for vampires, who still have yet to make their species known to anyone), with news of in-fighting between the older and younger generations of vampires. The young ones are sick of hiding, but the older ones believe the humans will hunt them to extinction, even on other planets. The threat of exposure follows them to their new home. Unfortunately, the humans have spread throughout the known universe, much to the displeasure of the aliens.

You don't have to read the short story to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend reading A FOREIGN BODY first for context about the alien culture, as well as background about Fu Sheng and his few acquaintances.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Sci-Fi Sunday Short

Are we alone in the universe? When an alien materializes in the lobby of the Sheriff's department in Searchlight, Nevada, NSA Head Agent Dale Hunter, and his partner, Agent Jerry Rafferty are about to discover the answer.

The Interview by Steven Pajak is a science fiction short story about an alien being interviewed. During the process, "ALF" reveals the Earth will be devastated by a global war and all life will be reduced to mutated abominations.

The pace is slow, much of the story is predictable and/or cliché and I don't even recognize Pajak's writing style anymore. I think Pajak needs to stick with the horror genre...his previous work is far better.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Alien + Human + Vampire = Sci-Fi Crime Drama

Fu Sheng, a 900 year old Chinese vampire, comes out of the seclusion of his high-rise apartment to investigate the unsolved murder of an alien medical student on Pharaoh Moon II's Desert City, part of the New Galaxy that has been colonized by humans and aliens. Fu Sheng, using his vampire powers, learns more about the victim, a Lost species of alien, and her murderer, who was willing to kill to know her mysteries.

A Foreign Body by Laura A. Ellison is a science fiction murder mystery, told from the POV of a vampire who has chosen to relocate from Earth to a society of humans and aliens in the New Galaxy. While the cultural tensions between species is fascinating and the investigation is full of twists, the setting crafted by Ellison is worthy of its own series.

As much I love the idea of a detective series with Fu Sheng, I would be happy with any stories taking place in the New Galaxy. Even though this story was originally published in 2013, I sincerely hope Ellison considers returning to this mix of genres: crime drama, science fiction and preternatural.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Grand Finale [When They Came Trilogy]

When They Fell by Kody Boye is the third book in his alien invasion trilogy, which includes When They Came and When They Saw. The story begins where the second one left off, with Asha asking "Are you okay?" over and over and over. I can't even get into this installment without first emphasizing how much I looked forward to watching her die or get her tongue cut out, or something...anything to get her to shut the hell up. While Asha's skill with a rifle improved over time, her social skills did not.

Aliens have been raining hell on Earth for about seven years, with all manner of death and dismemberment, while survivors find themselves fighting each other as well as the invaders. Yet, Asha feels compelled to question the well-being of Ana Mia every five damn minutes. Her brilliant contribution to the war is to ask through out ALL THREE BOOKS, "Are you okay?" because, you know, she cares so much.

Not much has changed for Ana Mia. Not only does she have Dr. Phil for a girlfriend, but she is continually abused by the human survivors. They force her to use her special gift to lure the enemy into various traps, put her into life and death situations, and then accuse her of being a traitor because she used her gift. Damned if she does, damned if she doesn't. As if that isn't bad enough, Ana Mia is like a walking kiss of death, with her loved ones dying left and right.

Her alien contact, Grayson, appears to have his own agenda in this war, passing messages to Ana Mia about the alien Queen. Since she can't even trust her human companions, Ana Mia has given up on the idea of peace for either species. She has accepted her way of life will always be fighting, which is exactly what she does...right to the very end.

Anyone who is a fan of the TV series Falling Skies will appreciate the detail Kody Boye puts into the continued suffering of his characters. I'd love to see this trilogy optioned into a movie.

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I am such a huge fan of Kody Boye's writing style, I plan on reviewing another one of his book series in April.

As always,
AstraDaemon

When They Came, Book 2

***WARNING: May contain spoilers from Book One.***

When They Saw by Kody Boye continues to follow Ana Mia through her personal experiences after years of living in a post-apocalypse. While I enjoy the story of the conflict between humans and the Grays, I didn't enjoy this installment as much as the first. I found a few characters annoying to the point of distraction, but, in fairness to the author, Boye creates very believable human reactions. He also does a good job highlighting the daily struggle to maintain any kind of relationship when everyone is suffering from some form of PTSD (and the psychological trauma is very well-written).

I'm sick to death of Asha asking Ana Mia if she is okay. I think it's safe to say that Ana Mia isn't even in the same zip code as okay. I'm starting to feel like Asha is a drain on the main character, not a source of strength. After everything Ana Mia has been through, I am struggling to understand why she takes so much crap from Dubois...I nearly lost my mind over the punch to the face. At this point, I'd welcome the POV of anyone else...it's exhausting to be in Ana Mia's head.

With all that said, I'm excited to read the third book. I'm hoping the mystery behind the Reapers will be revealed. I'd like to know more about the different alien species, period. There is a fascinating sociological aspect to Boye's alien trilogy which drives the ongoing horror deeper into the mind.

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There's a dark part of me wanting Asha to get killed off. I think Mary-Anne would make a better companion for Ana Mia. Even with her revelation about her former illness, Mary-Anne just seems stronger in spirit than Asha. I loved the character in the first book, but I'm not seeing much emotional growth in Asha and I think that's what is eating at me.

I have to give Kody Boye extra credit for writing a character in such a way, the girl annoys me, even after I put the book down.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sean T Page on Zombies, Aliens, the Apocalypse and Mrs Emma Peel [Interview]

Sean T Page is one of my favorite authors...he's writing style is a mix of Max Brooks and Monty Python. Two of my favorite Page books are War Against The Walking Dead and Meta-Horde, but he is best known for his series of Haynes survival guides.

Sean is also known for traveling from one country to another, as well as his responsibilities with the Ministry of Zombies. However, I was able to lure him into the Lair for a chat about his ever-growing writing career...

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You are something of a world traveler. Any particular place you call home?

I’m one of those people who grew in up in the same small town as my parents. Growing up my world was pretty small. All my family lived within a few miles of my house. But, I’ve lived in London for now for years so London’s home. I’m a Londoner!

How, if at all, do your adventures abroad influence your writing?

I think they have. I’ve certainly keep notes whilst travelling. I think being exposed to different environments certainly helps your writing. In a recent titled 1975, which was published by Infected Books, what better way to understand being trapped in a bunker, than being sealed in a bunker yourself. I’m not clever enough to write about stuff completely alien to me.

Do you remember when you first felt like a “real” author?

Honestly, it never came. I think serious horror writers think my guides and manuals are all a bit child-like – fair point I suppose – I do write for a wide range of readers. I don’t tend to get invited to write for many anthologies and things like that.

You’ve written in more than one genre…do you have a favorite? Is there a particular writing style and/or format that you prefer?

I suppose the zombie stuff is where I started and I still love it. However, I do enjoy alien and time travel tales to. I’ve not really written science fiction as such but I enjoy reading it. I also tried something more serious but by all accounts it wasn’t great!

What are your most recent projects? I heard your working on another guide…

The rumours are true – I’m working a few bits – I have to limit what I do as I’m working and studying.  My next project is around post-apoc transport…more to follow but it does involve converting a big red London Bus into the ultimate zombie-busting form of transport….

Is there any one book that was more challenging to write than the others?

I have sketched out my time travel manual - it’s not slated yet for release but the science was bewildering and took some real focus to master. Although I didn’t manage to get my time machine fully working, I did send a sandwich toaster back to 1945. I do wonder how that affected the timeline?

Which book was the easiest to write? Why is that?

Zombie, zombie, zombie stuff.  We loves it. We knows it. We read all the books. We all love the genre. I’ve got a ready-created universe for stories.

Is there anything you wouldn’t write?

I think I struggle with dialogue. To be fair, I’ve never really been trained it. I like to use ‘He said’ then ‘She said’ then ‘He quipped’ then ‘she joked’. You get the idea. I think I’d struggle with a serious book – some horror authors think apoc fiction should be gritty real. My apoc fiction is like a cross between an episode of Sherlock Holmes and The Avengers (1960s tv series). What better way to face the end of the world than with a cup of tea, Mrs Peel by your side and a joined bowler hat.

What do your friends and family think of your writing career?

My wife gets it but the rest are not sure. I think they see it as a bit of a weird niche thing. The only time they really mention it (this will be familiar to many writers) is when:

a)      They spot your book in a shop

b)      They read about the new Harry Potter film and suggest “making a movie” as a great way to make a bundle of cash.

Do you interact with your fans at conventions? What kind of people make up your fan base? One kind or a mix?

I used to do a lot but family commitments make it more difficult now. I realized loads of kids around 10/11/12 read my books so I try to ensure everything is good for them. There are a real mix – young, old, alien, human…..so certainly not one kind.

Do you think there’s a difference, if any, between American readers and British readers?

Good question. I’m a bad person to answer this. I reckon I’ve sold 95% of my stuff here in the UK and Ireland. I’ve never really cracked America. I’m a bit like Marmite I expect. I’ll probably always be a bit of a niche player in the US.

My alien manual has recently been translated into Chinese and I suspect I now sell more books in China than in the US.

If I’m honest, I don’t really know why. Maybe I should avoid using words like Marmite that no-one outside the UK understands…

Is there anything else you want to share to entice new fans?

Only really that I write to provide a bit of entertainment. I honestly don’t want readers to have nightmares. My books are full of survival content that’s real – I don’t make the survival elements up – I consult with real experts to help me get things right.  Remember, if you want a British-style apoc then I’m probably a good bet.

Thanks for stopping by!

Those of you who are interested, I strongly recommend Sean T. Page for your reading pleasure…

As always,

AstraDaemon