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First Date
Humanity is bound for the stars on a one-way mission to a distant planet.
They've figured out the hard stuff – hyperdrive, cryo-sleep, how to make muffins in space. They've found a captain, and are hiring crew.
High intelligence, capable of learning, and good sense of humour, essential.
Being human, not so much.
They've figured out the hard stuff – hyperdrive, cryo-sleep, how to make muffins in space. They've found a captain, and are hiring crew.
High intelligence, capable of learning, and good sense of humour, essential.
Being human, not so much.
30 pages, ebook
9 people want to read
About the author
Rex Burke
7 books40 followersRex Burke is a SciFi writer based in North Yorkshire, UK.
When he was young, he read every one of those yellow-jacketed Victor Gollancz hardbacks in his local library. That feeling of out-of-this-world amazement never left him – and keeps him company as he writes his own SciFi adventures.
When he's not writing, he travels – one way or another, he'll get to the stars, even if it's just as stardust when his own story is done.
For a fantastic FREE prequel to the Odyssey Earth series ('First Date') not available anywhere else, sign up to his newsletter at http://subscribepage.io/GPiihl
When he was young, he read every one of those yellow-jacketed Victor Gollancz hardbacks in his local library. That feeling of out-of-this-world amazement never left him – and keeps him company as he writes his own SciFi adventures.
When he's not writing, he travels – one way or another, he'll get to the stars, even if it's just as stardust when his own story is done.
For a fantastic FREE prequel to the Odyssey Earth series ('First Date') not available anywhere else, sign up to his newsletter at http://subscribepage.io/GPiihl
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 12, 2023
3.5 rounded to a 4
First Date is a quick and informative short story that sets up the greater world of Burke's trilogy Odyssey Earth. We learn about the origins of the company that sets up the space flight to a distant planet that is basically comparable to Earth. We are introduced to Juno, as well as Omnio, who does try to get a hilarious name change at the end, which I kind of hope sticks. I'm assuming Omnio will be present for the rest of the series but Juno I'm not sure about, since I don't know what the rest of the series is going to follow. Will it be the flight to this distant planet or the aftermath of arriving on said planet? I have to admit that I like not know as it gives me something to look forward to.
The banter between Juno and Omnio was cute and had me laughing a few times, especially the one line about Nicholas Cage, (my sister hates his acting and I immediately bust up laughing at this part). There isn't enough time to really attach yourself to either character but I have to be honest I might already have a soft spot for Omnio, but then again I am a sucker for robots, or AI life in sci-fi.
As for the writing its very easy to follow along with there was only a few times where the structure felt a bit odd but all together its a well articulated story minus one paragraph that made no sense to me and I read it multiple times
I'm not sure if its me or this whole paragraph, but it feels incomplete? This pops up early in the story so if its strange to you as well don't let it deter you, this is not a reflection of the rest of the writing in this book, which is why it has me very confused.
Overall this short story set up what I am hoping will be a promising series and I'm looking forward to reading Orphan Planet the first book in Burke's trilogy.
First Date is a quick and informative short story that sets up the greater world of Burke's trilogy Odyssey Earth. We learn about the origins of the company that sets up the space flight to a distant planet that is basically comparable to Earth. We are introduced to Juno, as well as Omnio, who does try to get a hilarious name change at the end, which I kind of hope sticks. I'm assuming Omnio will be present for the rest of the series but Juno I'm not sure about, since I don't know what the rest of the series is going to follow. Will it be the flight to this distant planet or the aftermath of arriving on said planet? I have to admit that I like not know as it gives me something to look forward to.
The banter between Juno and Omnio was cute and had me laughing a few times, especially the one line about Nicholas Cage, (my sister hates his acting and I immediately bust up laughing at this part). There isn't enough time to really attach yourself to either character but I have to be honest I might already have a soft spot for Omnio, but then again I am a sucker for robots, or AI life in sci-fi.
As for the writing its very easy to follow along with there was only a few times where the structure felt a bit odd but all together its a well articulated story minus one paragraph that made no sense to me and I read it multiple times
"Mars, though, was it. As far as humans had yet managed to fly and settle, and home to a couple of thousand geologist, scientists, prospectors, homesteaders and ultimate second-homers."
I'm not sure if its me or this whole paragraph, but it feels incomplete? This pops up early in the story so if its strange to you as well don't let it deter you, this is not a reflection of the rest of the writing in this book, which is why it has me very confused.
Overall this short story set up what I am hoping will be a promising series and I'm looking forward to reading Orphan Planet the first book in Burke's trilogy.
June 12, 2024
Quick synopsis
: Set before the Odyssey Earth trilogy, this story covered the hiring of the captain and the building of the ship.
Brief opinion : I had loved the first book of the trilogy (reviewed here), but each of the two following books went downhill. This story was more like the first book than the later ones.
Plot : Set on Earth, the first interstellar ship is being built. The company needs to hire a captain (who we later meet in the trilogy) and to train up the most advanced AI ever made.
Writing/editing : Both were fine. This was a very short book. I always feel a little bad about counting those in my book count for the year, but I have no other way to track them. The Stephen King book I read earlier this week balances it out.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : It was nice seeing the characters again, but these are supposed to be funny, feel good stories and they really are neither.
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4 stars, liked
Brief opinion : I had loved the first book of the trilogy (reviewed here), but each of the two following books went downhill. This story was more like the first book than the later ones.
Plot : Set on Earth, the first interstellar ship is being built. The company needs to hire a captain (who we later meet in the trilogy) and to train up the most advanced AI ever made.
Writing/editing : Both were fine. This was a very short book. I always feel a little bad about counting those in my book count for the year, but I have no other way to track them. The Stephen King book I read earlier this week balances it out.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : It was nice seeing the characters again, but these are supposed to be funny, feel good stories and they really are neither.
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4 stars, liked
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews