Your News, Book Reviews, and SciFi Books as curated by me, Andy Zach. I read through the whole internet (well, most of it) in the past month. Let’s get started!
This is actually in the science category, military science:
Since I told you about my audiobook, one of my six, I should tell you you can get it free right here. Click to join my newsletter. I also give away free short stories and one of my ebooks.
But enough of that. Let’s move on to my first review.
My review on Goodreads
One of the original military SciFi series, with some of the original supertanks, run by intelligent, aware AI. Mr. Laumer does a great job of portraying the personalities of these AIs, telling their stories from their point of view.
This collection of novellas is a must read for military scifi fans.
Like my review? I’ve got more below. They’re not all by me.
Your News – Real News Here
I’m a science fiction author, so I like science news. Here’s one:
Which thing seems coolest to you? Highways that charge electric vehicles? Or black holes? Or a 5K running robot? Let me know and I’ll give you a free book! Tell me here.
I’ve got more science for you here, my friends:
Your Books – A Book Excerpt for You and another Review
Authors Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor have added another fine adventure to their space castaway series. This time it is another space life ship from the same disaster. Led by the powerful Campbell, a severely injured woman and four young men escape the shipwreck to an unknown, undocumented planet they name Emerald.
The young crew has to rebuild the power coil of the ship and they barely get them to the planet. But that’s the least of their worries.
The planet is full of huge predators and they cannot relax for a moment. Then they get a call over their radio, “Hey, is anyone out there?”
Hard science and adventure-loving readers will get plenty of both before this tale ends.
Andy Zach on Goodreads
An Amazing Science Video for You Follows
Was that enough news for you? Do you want me? Let me know.
My Most Romantic Story – this’ll be the first time I’ve shared this story with you. I wrote it especially for this weekend. But it isn’t your gift. Your gift is at the end of this blog post.
Go ahead. Scroll down past the romantic story to see it, if you want.
My Most Romantic Story – For Valentine’s Day
He was hyper. His dream of marriage was finally coming true. He couldn’t believe she’d said ‘yes’, back in February when he proposed. Now it was June, a week before their wedding day.
She was gorgeous. Red-haired and petite, she’d fit nicely in his lap.
Stock photo, public domain
They had to buy their marriage license from the courthouse. Their minister would sign it after their wedding. They’d do that this week on Wednesday.
But today was Monday. Now he’d activate his plan. He’d surprise his fiancee with a gift she didn’t expect. They’d already bought each other’s wedding rings and her engagement ring. They’d been practical, with the two of them looking over the jeweler’s wares, picking the rings they wanted.
She was really practical. He loved that, since he tended to be highly romantic. She’d be a good balance for him.
He called the store and give very careful, precise instructions for the coming week. She’d never expect this. Not only was he romantic, he had a wild imagination.
He waited eagerly for her call. She called him daily from her job as an office manager to his cubicle where he worked as a programmer.
After lunch, she called.
My Most Romantic Story – Part 2
“You mushball!”
“Did you like the rose and the poem?”
“Of course I did.”
“I wanted to do something special for you this week.”
“A single long stemmed rose.”
“And a poem. I’m an amateur, but sincere.”
“I know.”
Long-stemmed rose
The next day, she called again.
“Two roses! And another poem.”
“Were you surprised?”
“Yes. Am I going to get twelve roses, eventually?”
“Could be. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Then on Wednesday I answered the phone and heard, “I got your four roses and poem today. Everyone in the office is going nuts.”
“Good. I wanted to create a sensation.”
“Well, it’s working. Everyone says you’re so romantic.”
“What about you?”
“I think I’m getting a steal. I don’t know why the other girls didn’t go for you.”
“Probably because I was wearing off my rough edges on them. I was dating for ten years before I met you. I know I wasn’t ready for marriage.”
“I’ve got you. That’s all that matters.”
The Conclusion
The following day she called. “I got twelve roses today. And your poem. What’ll happen tomorrow?”
“Wait and see. Tonight’s the rehearsal.”
“Yes. I can’t believe we need to do all this.”
“Its traditional. And afterward we’ll have a nice dinner together, our two families.”
“Your family is so different from mine.”
“I think my family’s closer to normal than yours.”
“C’mon. My family’s normal!”
“Your mom and dad raised seven kids in eight and a half years. She breast-fed all of you through the 50s and 60s when that was not the thing to do. Your dad gave up promotions so he could come home and have lunch with you guys. That’s all unusual.”
“It didn’t seem odd.”
“Let’s see how odd we can be.”
On Friday, I picked up the phone and heard, “i think I liked this poem the most of all.”
“I worked the hardest on it. Poetry doesn’t come naturally to me.”
“I love it. All the girls are gushing in the office.”
“Am I impacting your productivity?”
“No. I can run this office in my sleep. What am I supposed to do with all these roses?”
“Whatever you want. Strew the petals over your bed.”
“Our bed. It sounds uncomfortable. And it’d be lot of work to take off the petals.”
“We’re getting married this weekend. Are you excited?”
“Of course.”
Your Own Valentine’s Gift from Me
My novel My Undead Mother-in-law begins on Valentine’s Day. I’ll give you a romantic excerpt I’ve never shared before.
George and Diane Newby are a normal, middle-aged couple who turn zombie. Note that my zombies don’t eat human flesh. Rather, they regenerate from injuries very fast, as their zombie bacteria copy their cells and replace them. As a side effect, their eyes turn bright, glowing red.
This excerpt falls between My Undead Mother-in-law and Paranormal Privateers. I tell it in the latter book as a flashback.
Through an unbelievable plot line, the Newby’s acquire a five-hundred foot superyacht in the first book.
I vividly remember the rechristening of the yacht, formerly named Rule Britannia, in January in New Orleans.
Diane had held the bottle of champagne at the boat dock and smashed it against the prow. The sheet covering the new name had slipped down, revealing Resolute Too—and the figurehead.
“George, is that supposed to be me?” Diane yelled in excitement.
“Of course, Diane. Can’t you see the resemblance?”
“Yes, in the face. She even has cat’s-eye glasses just like me. But she’s too buxom.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” I knew that part of her anatomy very well. The sculptor had actually made Diane’s waist narrower, which made her seem more buxom, but I hadn’t wanted to point that out.
You’d think after three oddball novels, Zombie Turkeys (How an Unknown Blogger Fought Unkillable Turkeys), My Undead Mother-In-Law (The Family Zombie with Anger Management Issues), and Paranormal Privateers, that Andy Zach would have exhausted all the comic possibilities in his world of killer zombie turkeys and superhero zombie human.
You’d be wrong. How about flying zombie pickles? Zombie zucchini? Zombie caterpillars? (How can you tell a zombie caterpillar from a normal one? Andy Zach can tell you.)
How about being injected with zombie blood which can cure any ill, regrow any lost limb, and be quickly cured with a widely available antidote? Who needs insurance with that sort of help? How about organizing a zombie worker union at Amazon when zombies can outperform robots? And suggest the story is based on two real people, Anthony and Ravan Jones who contribute the foreword to the book? Or zombie residents of a nursing home taking over the place?
But all this silliness is just part of what Andy Zach has collected in Oops. He has included other short stories by other authors like “The Story of Sound” by Olivia Smith and his own “A Phoenix Tale” before diving into his zombie world. Then he offers a batch of stories based on his other book series featuring disabled middle-schoolers who become superheroes, the Secret Supers. Oh yea, there are the aliens who first appeared in Paranormal Privateers who are defeated by zombies working for the U.S. Government. The aliens can provide you legal assistance in the form of a sexy avatar who looks exactly like Marilyn Monroe.
But all this silliness is just part of what Andy Zach has collected in Oops. He has included other short stories by other authors like “The Story of Sound” by Olivia Smith and his own “A Phoenix Tale” before diving into his zombie world. Then he offers a batch of stories based on his other book series featuring disabled middle-schoolers who become superheroes, the Secret Supers. Oh yea, there are the aliens who first appeared in Paranormal Privateers who are defeated by zombies working for the U.S. Government. The aliens can provide you legal assistance in the form of a sexy avatar who looks exactly like Marilyn Monroe.
If you’re getting the impression that one Mr. Andy Zach has a wide and wild imagination, you are on the right track. One obvious audience for his quirky tales is the YA readership, especially for all the contemporary references like video gaming and computer lingo. But even grumpy old sixty-somethings like me can have a lot of fun with Andy’s characters, scenarios, and plots. I’m still laughing at the image of migrating flying zombie pickles. Hard to get more original, unique, or surprising than Zach’s “Life After Life” series. Have some fun with Andy Zach in 2020!
Be prepared for a fantasy experience like no other. Sybil, a child and grandchild of wizards, has a magical menagerie under her control. She has a giant black swan, a death-dealing hawk, a golden lion, a talking boar, a magical cat, and, of course, a dragon. She calls them to her and controls them with her thoughts.
Then a man brings her the baby of a king, Tamlorn, or Tam. He would be killed to preserve the king’s rule.
Sybil learns to love through the child and a strange witch on her mountain of Eld. Sybil tries to stay aloof from politics, but cannot, because of her love for Tam. But she is now enmeshed in politics of Eld and the king and his enemies both come to her, wanting to use her, and Tamlorn.
Then a mightier wizard calls her, just as she called her animals. And she is powerless to resist.
That is the merest sketch of the beginning a complex and utterly delightful tale.
