David Williams's Blog: Reedsy 5-STAR Celebration - Posts Tagged "science-fiction"

I could not have asked for a better launch for The Umbra Signal. Over the past few weeks I have been humbled by the response from readers and reviewers alike, and I want to take a moment to share a few highlights.

First, I am honored that The Umbra Signal was awarded a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Must Read” review by Gordon A. Long on Reedsy Discovery. His detailed reflections on the book’s themes and structure truly captured what I set out to achieve, and the “Must Read” designation is a distinction I do not take lightly.

In addition, the American Writing Awards described The Umbra Signal as “an intriguing and complex work that challenges traditional storytelling.” Their review highlighted the novel’s unique chapter structure and its focus on time, memory, and meaning — elements at the heart of what I hoped to bring to life.

Most importantly, I am deeply grateful for the overwhelming encouragement from the Goodreads community. Your comments, reviews, and support have meant the world. Writing is often a solitary pursuit, but this community has made the journey feel shared.

Looking ahead, I am excited to share that Book 2 in The Umbra Trilogy is already in the works. I will be teasing out details here in the weeks ahead. Without giving too much away, I can say that the next chapter expands the mystery, deepens the characters’ journeys, and explores new dimensions of the world we began in The Umbra Signal.

Thank you again for being part of this journey. Your support makes the writing worthwhile, and I cannot wait to share what comes next.

— David Williams

To celebrate The Umbra Signal being awarded a Reedsy Must Read honor , the Kindle edition is now just $3.99 for one week only.

👉 Grab it here on Amazon before the price goes back up on Oct 8.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this Cipherlock™ thriller — your reviews and shares help bring the story to new readers!

Big news this week — The Umbra Signal has officially been featured on Reedsy Discovery’s “Best Science Fiction Books” list for October 2025! It’s been an incredible ride so far, with 107 reader upvotes and a glowing 5-Star MUST READ review from Reedsy reviewer Gordon A. Long.

📖 View the live feature on Reedsy

This recognition means a lot. The Umbra Signal was built from years of real science, Cold War research, and a deep fascination with time and meaning — so to see it connect with serious readers on Reedsy has been both humbling and thrilling.

To celebrate, we’ve reduced the Kindle eBook price from $5.99 to $3.99 through Friday, October 10, exclusively for the Goodreads and Reedsy communities.

📘 Get The Umbra Signal on Amazon

🎬 Explore the CipherLock™ Universe on YouTube

You can now dive deeper into the world of The Umbra Signal through short cinematic teasers and behind-the-scenes clips on the CipherLock Press channel:

🎥 CipherLock Press on YouTube

Each video brings scenes, characters, and concepts from the book to life — from Cold War transmissions to quantum memory experiments.

Thank you to everyone who’s read, upvoted, reviewed, or shared The Umbra Signal. Every reader helps keep this journey alive as we move toward the next installment in the CipherLock Sci-Fi™ Trilogy.

Stay curious — and watch the signal.

— David Williams
Author, The Umbra Signal
View the Reedsy Review

Hi everyone — wanted to share some exciting news!

The Umbra Signal, a cerebral sci-fi thriller that blends Cold War mystery, signal theory, and metaphysical tension, was just featured on Reedsy Discovery as a 5-Star MUST READ.

It hit 107 upvotes, earned comparisons to The Matrix and The Da Vinci Code, and it’s price-dropped to $3.99 until Friday.

If you enjoy near-future realism, time anomalies, and mind-bending storytelling, this might be your next read.

🔗 Get The Umbra Signal on Amazon

🎥 Watch the cinematic shorts: https://youtube.com/@cipherlockpress/shorts

🛰 Featured on Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/the-umbra-signal-david-williams

Selected scene shorts are on YouTube @ Cipherlock Press:

https://www.youtube.com/@CipherLockPr...

Thrilled to share that The Umbra Signal received a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ MUST READ review on Reedsy Discovery!

“The Matrix meets The Da Vinci Code with a tip of the hat to James Joyce. Exercise for your little grey cells.”
— Gordon A. Long, Reedsy Discovery

https://reedsy.com/discovery/best-sci...