Worlds Without End

Worlds Without End #1

by Shaun Messick

Editorial
"The characters are exciting, and full of color and the story consumes your soul and imagination." -  Bookreview buz


The discovery of a new world may be the very thing that threatens the freedom of the human race and changes the destiny of mankind forever.

Twenty-three years after the disappearance of the Mars I space shuttle, NASA receives a mysterious transmission from Adrian Palmer, the commander of the mission. Adrian's brother, Kevin, wastes no time funding the Mars II rescue mission, commanded by Jake Palmer, Adrian's son.

Jake and Dr. Steven "Skip" Hendricks, a NASA physicist, travel through a wormhole that Skip believes was the reason the Mars I crew disappeared. They eventually crash-land on the planet Terrest and are thrust into a dangerous conflict. The native Terrestrians are at war against a super-race of humans called the Gnols, led by Koroan Chast. The Terrestrian's struggle is futile because of the godlike abilities of the Gnols.

Now, the only hope mankind has may rest on a 2000-year-old prophecy discovered in an ancient temple on Terrest. But before the prophecy can come to pass, Adrian and Jake must first stop the Gnols from attacking Earth and enslaving the human race.
Worlds Without End  Series . . .  The saga of the chosen one. A story that stretches across the galaxy in search of the key that will unleash mankind's destiny or total annihilation.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Amazon

357 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Shaun Messick is an established writer and teacher. His works include fiction, personal development books and articles, and freelance blogging. He writes for several blogging websites, including his own blog – EmpyreanBooks.com. His first novel, Worlds Without End: The Mission, has been successful with over 50,000 downloads and purchases on the Kindle alone. The next book in the series, Worlds Without End: Aftermath, has continued that trend with seventy-five percent of the reviews having 4 and 5 stars.

Shaun currently resides in Shelley, Idaho with his beautiful wife and his four wonderful children. In addition to writing, Shaun works full-time as a teacher. He enjoys teaching and working with youth. Furthermore, he coaches high school boys basketball. His passions include spending time with his family, sports, reading, watching movies, playing Madden NFL Football, and – of course –writing.

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, this is a cliffhanger leaving you up in the air about everything. personally, I hate it when authors do that, and normally won't read these kind of books. This one slipped by my radar though. Secondly, the book is marketed as Christian and it most definitely is NOT. Instead it is full of Mormon theology and their perverted scriptures. You can't miss the so called scriptures, but most won't realize that the entire story is all about Mormon beliefs. The reason many won't notice this is because the Mormon beliefs sound a lot like science fiction fantasy. I'm not making fun of them or being sarcastic, just honest. They are very secretive about their true beliefs for this very reason. When teaching a possible new member, they're very careful not to bring up anything controversial or anything they well know would be considered weird. They bring possible new converts through many stages of teaching, never revealing those kind of things until long after the person has been converted and allowed in the temple. (which takes at least a year of hard work after baptism). Their members go through ranks, kind of like secret clubs do, and receive a little bit of new information as they climb through the ranks. It's much harder for them now though because of the internet. Even so, they often simply lie saying whatever you have read isn't true. I assume it's considered ok to do that, since I've heard it happen a number of times. I've made my notes public if you want to hear more about their beliefs. Sorry, I can't recommend a book that is full of false teaching, regardless if it's fiction. I do strongly recommend a fantastic and interesting book that you won't want to put down called: Out of Mormonism: A Woman's True Story by Judy Robertson. You'll be glad you did!

[Tanya Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read!

Shaun Messick has redefined the science fiction genre. He wonderfully mixes LDS doctrine with science fiction into a page turner that I could not put down. I bought this book on a Monday and finished it the next day. I am surprised that this author hasn't been signed by a traditional publishing house yet. His writing style is fast paced and action packed. He left me hanging at the end of each chapter, so I had to keep reading. I highly recommend this book for readers of every age! Shaun Messick is my new favorite author and I can't wait for the next book to come out in the series.

I also posted this review on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. I found Goodreads.com and wanted to post my review about this book. It's a book I am telling everyone about. It's awesome!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I won this in a giveaway

This book was okay, the NASA/Space/Gnol/Love story part was awesome, but when it came to the religious part of the book I was really displeased. I felt like I was getting really bored and I couldn't follow the scriptures that were quoted in here. I wanted to skip over those and continue with the good parts of the book. Which is why I gave this book four stars.

I would consider reading book #2.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, it was very unique and interesting. My only complaint is that it needs to be proof read extensively! I found so many spelling errors, it was kind of off-putting. Also, I don't know if it was my Kindle or what, but after a certain point in the book, there were no longer any divisions between chapters or any paragraph indentations. I would really like to read the next book, but I hope that the author will take the time to have it proof read.

[Daleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent scifi. I liked it so much I ordered the next book, I just have to know the rest of saga. This is a great book for teens and adults alike. It is the story of a man who goes looking for his father who had gone through a worm hole twenty years before. What he finds his father and a whole planet which has been enslaved by a third world. Excellent story, a must read for scifi fans, teens and Adults

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book but there were a few too many grammatical and punctuation errors that I had a hard time looking past. That said, I even though I can't say I LOVED it I did really, really like it and I found the plot very intriguing and original. Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

[Janice Crespo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy science fiction, expanding your imagination and well-developed characters, this is definitely a series you want to put on your reading list. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series!

[~reader~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the disappearance of the Mars I space shuttle, NASA receives a message from Adrian Palmer, the commander of the mission. So they send Mars II for a rescue mission, ran by Adrian's son. This book is action packed and I could easily see it translated into the big screen. Thumbs up from me.

[KyleeMo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worlds Without End: The Mission is a cool book. It's got a lot of suspense and action. I can't wait for the next book to come out!

[KyleeMo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worlds Without End: The Mission is a cool book. It's got a lot of suspense and action. I can't wait for the next book to come out!

[Natarsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mission delivered what the movie "Prometheus" side tracked and veered off , and couldn't portray. Look forward to the next book.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: Adrian Palmer was supposed to be the first human to set foot on Mars, but his NASA ship disappeared before he reached The Red Planet, which devastated Jake, the son he left behind. Twenty-three years later, Jake, who has since become a star pilot, gets notified by NASA that they have received a message from Adrian, intended for him. Jake engages on the same journey, and finds himself taken into a wormhole, which leads to a planet whose denizens look exactly like humans.  After reuniting with Daddy-O, Jake discovers that the planet is in the midst of a war.  Worse yet, the villains have plans to attack Earth.  Will Jake, Adrian, and friends be able to save their home planet and their new one, or will the oppressive empire squelch them for good?



Story: 4.5/5

What a riveting read! Though responsibilities prevented me from devouring this in one sitting, I still finished it as soon as I could, and it kept me involved.  It also discussed some questions I've always wondered about: Are we alone in the universe? If there are aliens, wouldn't they look just like us, and wouldn't they have the Bible and Jesus as well? It's almost like Mr. Messick read my mind when he was writing this.  Though the slightly lackluster ending prevents this from having a perfect rating in this department, it's still among the best science fiction yarns I've read in a while.



Writing: 4/5

The amazing story was matched by the great writing...to a degree.  Though the prose mostly flowed well, the edition I read via my iPad's Kindle app had some notable typos.  If Mr. Messick had used a copy editor, then the score above would be better; the writing is still great nonetheless.



Content: 2.5/5

This may be Christian fiction, but it is a bit edgier than Beverly Lewis' Amish stories or Karen Kingsbury's dramas.  Violence abounds, much of it involving blood and the infliction of serious wounds.  Some characters, including on the heroes' side, are even killed.  I don't recall any language, and sexual content is limited to a young woman pretending to seduce a young man as a means to escape the clutches of the main villain.  Still, discerning parents might want to read this book before handing it to a preteen or young teen.



Conclusion: After suffering through the terrible Chop, Chop, this was the kind of book I needed; it's novels such as these that remind me why I'm a book lover, and a fan of entertainment in general, in the first place.  If you keep the above in mind, this is one that Christian fans of Star Wars and/or Star Trek are likely to devour.  As of this writing, the Kindle edition is still free; if you have a Kindle or Kindle app, go find it and get it, now!



Score: 4.25/5

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like it to be known that I received this book for free as part of the Goodreads Giveaway. However, I have no interest in giving false reviews and the following is my own opinion based solely on my reading experience.

The first thing that needs to be said of this book is that it is heavily religious; it assumes that the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are true and indisputable.

As a long time reader of science fiction, I have always enjoyed the genre for its' reliance on rational thought. Many authors of science fiction are skeptical about everything from social practices to religion to gender roles and more. That is not the case in "Worlds Without End" where Shaun F. Messick is not merely influenced by his religious beliefs, but bases the entire story on them.

I was sorely disappointed to find that this book was practically the Mormon version of Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" series when there was NO indication anywhere in the Goodreads Giveaway information that it was largely religious. I, however, gave it a good chance as I feel that would be fair to the author and his personal beliefs. Being a rational reader, I attempted to read the story like any other science fiction book and pretend that the beliefs and practices in the story were new to me... simply a construction of the author's imagination. However, Messick is obviously so entrenched in his belief system that he assumes too much. Mormon ideals and practices are on every page, alienating an unbiased reader. As a previous reviewer wrote: this book would be best for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I do not want to be detrimental to Messick's sales. I only wish Messick had gone to the trouble to make his intentions more clear in his book description. He should be honest enough with himself to know where his audience lies.

[Magnus Itland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mormons. In space!
If you are one of the many who have met Mormon / Latter Day Saint missionaries trying to push their holy book on random people, you may have wondered: "What are they like off-duty?" This book will not answer that question. The author is still trying to push his religion in a cheerfully unsubtle way even as he is writing a science-fiction book. As such, the result is something highly unusual.

Unfortunately, it has little value beyond the absurd theater effect of combining quotes from LDS scriptures with spaceflight. The science is poorly developed and is kicked brutally aside whenever religious doctrine needs its place. The book reads like your average Mormon missionary having earnestly studied some handbook of novel writing. For instance the famous slogan "kill your darlings" is effectuated early in the book in the most literal ways, with the love interests of the main characters being killed off for unclear reasons. In the middle of the book there is some actual drama that is neither predictable nor completely random, and my hopes for the book started rising. "There is not going to be a real ending, though" I said to myself , and this also came to pass. It looks like the book ends at the end of the first chapter after some particular number of words or pages was reached. It is not really a book, but the first part of a book. There is no resolution, and the last chapter is no different from the rest except feeling a little rushed toward the end.

I don't think the barely mediocre writing has anything to do with the author's religion. It is actually one of the more charming traits. Most of us just can't write a good book. At least he will have a market as long as there are very few books about Mormons in space.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the attempt to make this science fiction book an LDS Fiction novel turned a good science fiction read in to a mediocre one. I think the book would have been much better if most of the references to the Gospel/LDS Church had been removed.

I love science fiction. I love LDS Fiction. So I was prepared to really love this book. I did not. I think the book is a good work of science fiction and when that was the focus, the book really captured my attention and I wanted to keep reading.

But the LDS Fiction aspect seemed forced. Like it was added in after the original book was written. And anytime that was the focus, I would stop reading for extended time periods cause I hated slogging through those parts of the book. It almost felt like the author added in the LDS elements in order to get the book published.

If this book had only been science fiction without the LDS material, I would have given this book 4 stars. But with the added material, I couldn't do better than three.

[Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when I randomly come across an author that I’ve never heard of and it ends up being a damn good book. Lately I’ve had to force myself through some very boring science fiction books.

When I first started reading this, I planned on setting it down after the first chapter. But before I knew it, a couple hours passed and I was reading well into the night. I finished the book within a week

Which is pretty unusual for me and my schedule. I’m usually happy if I finish one book a month.

What to say...the story kept moving, is engaging, and didn’t have hundreds of pages of useless fluff that so many other books seem so fond of. I understand what Shaun was doing and he pulled it off very well.

Great book and I will be keeping an eye on this author to see else he comes out with.

In addition to that, one of the characters is named Kevin :)

Highly recommended if you like quality sci-fi!

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This action-packed novel was intense! I didn't know if I'd like it at first, but I ended up loving it. It has a very intriguing premise. Adrian Palmer goes with his team to Mars and gets sucked into a wormhole and stranded in another galaxy on a world like Earth called Terrest. He helps these people until another alien race comes and wipes out most of the population. Adrian and his group lead a resistance movement against the superior Gnol race (humans that use 80% of their brain instead of only 10% like the Earthlings and Terrestians). This story has religious undertones that were very intriguing and helped the plot along. There are many characters, but you get to know them fast and love them. The cliff-hanger ending made me very glad that the next book is already written so I can go download it.

[Steve Curll · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Larry Norman thought, "If there's life on other planets,then I'm sure that He must know...'cause He's been there once already, and has died to save their souls" is a major theme of this series. When on a mission to Mars our crew is sucked through a wormhole to an earth like planet where the savior has died for all, but not all have accepted this fact. A rescue mission from Earth soon discvers this war torn world where the battle between good and evil is evident. The religious references are light, but obvious to a believer, and do not conflict with the science fiction and adventure. The epilogue has a strong, intriguing spiritual statement which makes us hope for a stronger development of the spiritual theme in book 2.

[LaDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't start out liking this book. I didn't like the prologue, and in the end, I didn't like the epilogue. I think both could have been left out. The book also suffers what many ebooks suffer: lack of a good editor. However, it wasn't so bad as to interfere with the story, just bad enough to be annoying.

Having said that, as a member of the LDS church, I liked the storyline. I only found a few places where I thought the religious part of the story interfered with the flow, and those tended to be close to the beginning.

I do think books such as this should be honest in their marketing. It's IS a book of LDS fiction. Fellow members are more likely to enjoy this book than non-members. Non-members are more likely to be offended and leave nasty rants as reviews.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am big fan of science fiction and I love finding new and unique books in this genre. That is exactly what I found in Worlds Without End. However, this book is so much more than just a science fiction book. The story is complex and very well written. The author does a great job of developing the characters in a way that really makes you connect with them. The coming of age story of Jake Palmer as well as the mysteries and journeys surrounding Adrian Palmer made this one hard book to put down. I cannot wait to read the next installment in this great series.

[Gunnhildur Rúnarsdóttir · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read a few reviews of this book before reading it. Some readers loved it and some did not like it. There were mentions of the religious aspect in it. I think it should be tagged as religious. This book was bad.

I read the first half and then skimmed the rest. I had figured out the big reveals very early and just couldn't read the rest properly.

I'm not going into what I thought was wrong with this book, it would take to long and I already spent too much time on it.

Will not be reading the next book.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written. The plot was unbelievable in places, e.g. recovering from life threatening injuries in days or even hours, learning to fly a space fighter in combat in a few days, and rebuilding an entire world's technology in a few years. The worst part though was an overwhelmingly useless use of religion in the story.

[Russ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but the religious stuff was a bit (a lot?) over the top. Too bad, too, because I would like to know how the invasion turns out, who wins, and all that stuff. But I won't because I'm not going to read the remaining book(s). Funny how the sci-fi part was more beliveable than the God stuff.

[Carolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I love the book, I love to read LDS fiction books. I has a message behind a story. I gives an insigth to how it is greatly possiable that there are other worlds out there that might just be like our earth.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall direction and writing was okay. It's a good story.

There are several places where the author wishes to bring you into an emotional state that just doesn't work. It is very optimistic, perhaps too much (everything works out a little too neat sometimes).

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for my Kindle to read on vacation and had a hard time putting it down. I don't usually like science fiction but this held my attention. I liked to gospel connection. I am now ready the sequel but it is not as good.

This was a clean but exciting read.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't quite decide where to place this book. It deals with space travel, future electronics, future society, ancient society, and many christian themes. The author has done a good job combining all into a very readable novel.

[Doreen Dalesandro]

Kindle freebie, 11/07/12

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, good book. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Lauraleetham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Nice sci/fi with some scripture and action without being gory.