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SIMON VECTOR
CORRUPTION: A Marshal Boothe Tale of Justice
Some men can't be bought. Some men won't be killed. Imperial Marshal Jayson Boothe is just such a man. When the identity of a killer notorious for targeting innocent families is discovered, Marshal Boothe sets his sights on bringing the murderer to justice. But forces far more powerful than Boothe, forces capable of manipulating the Empire itself, threaten to cover up the murders and set the killer free. Out of options and out of time, Marshal Boothe does the unthinkable: He takes the law into his own hands, and he starts by confessing to serial murder.
CORRUPTION is one of four prequel novellas set in the SIMON VECTOR Universe. They are an exciting and well priced way to explore additional background information about the characters and gain story insight not available to those readers that have only read SIMON VECTOR. These prequel novellas do not need to be read in any particular order; just pick one up and join in the action at any point, with no fear of getting lost.
READ AN EXCERPT!
CORRUPTION is one of four prequel novellas set in the SIMON VECTOR Universe. They are an exciting and well priced way to explore additional background information about the characters and gain story insight not available to those readers that have only read SIMON VECTOR. These prequel novellas do not need to be read in any particular order; just pick one up and join in the action at any point, with no fear of getting lost.
READ AN EXCERPT!
ebook
First published September 17, 2012
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About the author
Jak Holding
8 books17 followersJAK HOLDING is the pen-name for long time friends and collaborators, John Jackson and Ken Chapman (John And Ken).
They are the authors of the sci-fi book series, SIMON VECTOR. Current titles in the series include the novel SIMON VECTOR and the prequel novellas CORRECTION: A GERALD RUHMING TALE OF TERROR, CORRUPTION: A MARSHAL BOOTHE TALE OF JUSTICE, MISCALCULATION: A NOIR TALE OF SKULL MORGAN and DECEPTION: THE LAST BATTLE OF REX MASON. The novellas can be read in any order and provide an uncensored look at some of the exciting characters that inhabit the dark world of SIMON VECTOR.
In 2010, John and Ken teamed up with publisher Harper Voyager and author Adam-Troy Castro to create Z Is for Zombie: An Illustrated Guide to the End of the World and V Is for Vampire: An Illustrated Alphabet of the Undead.
Under the pen-name, Dante Savelli, John and Ken created CHOOSE YOUR DOOM: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, which they co-wrote with author DeAnna Knippling.
In addition to their writing, John and Ken are the founders of the publishing house, League Entertainment, which publishes many of their titles.
John devotes his off time mentoring at-risk youth in central Florida's juvenile detention facilities. When Ken is not trying to take over the world with John, he's busy safe-guarding it as a Commissioned Officer and UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot in the Army National Guard.
View John's Goodreads Profile.
View Ken's Goodreads Profile.
They are the authors of the sci-fi book series, SIMON VECTOR. Current titles in the series include the novel SIMON VECTOR and the prequel novellas CORRECTION: A GERALD RUHMING TALE OF TERROR, CORRUPTION: A MARSHAL BOOTHE TALE OF JUSTICE, MISCALCULATION: A NOIR TALE OF SKULL MORGAN and DECEPTION: THE LAST BATTLE OF REX MASON. The novellas can be read in any order and provide an uncensored look at some of the exciting characters that inhabit the dark world of SIMON VECTOR.
In 2010, John and Ken teamed up with publisher Harper Voyager and author Adam-Troy Castro to create Z Is for Zombie: An Illustrated Guide to the End of the World and V Is for Vampire: An Illustrated Alphabet of the Undead.
Under the pen-name, Dante Savelli, John and Ken created CHOOSE YOUR DOOM: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, which they co-wrote with author DeAnna Knippling.
In addition to their writing, John and Ken are the founders of the publishing house, League Entertainment, which publishes many of their titles.
John devotes his off time mentoring at-risk youth in central Florida's juvenile detention facilities. When Ken is not trying to take over the world with John, he's busy safe-guarding it as a Commissioned Officer and UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot in the Army National Guard.
View John's Goodreads Profile.
View Ken's Goodreads Profile.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 5, 2012
There are few things as terrifying as a truly just man. The “White Hat” of literature is an old staple, a good man fighting against a bankrupt world. In the latest Entrypoint novella Corruption (part of the Simon Vector universe), the audience is given a closer glimpse into the violent, extortionate setting of this sci-fi universe. While the plot of the story is exceedingly familiar, the characters within the book make notable what could have been a merely rote storytelling experience.
As mentioned above, the characters are the key to any given story. In this novella, the audience is given access to another of the principal prisoners of the Alpha Draconis prison which served as the setting of the original novel Simon Vector. The character presented here is Jayson Boothe, seen briefly in the novella Correction as admitting to be a serial killer with the moniker “The Asteroid Killer”. The first chapter establishes the principal character swiftly, indicating both Boothe’s inherent nobility and his capacity for extreme violence. As an Imperial Marshal of the Earth empire, Boothe is a modified crime-fighter, given hormonal and training enhancements that make him a mountain of corded flesh and chemically-induced bouts of seething rage. While Boothe is the “white hat” character, he is not a perfect character. He’s gruff, sometimes sanctimonious, yet still principled and empathetic (in the sense that it’s easy for the audience to get behind him).
The other character of note is a female Marshal known as Trame, a hulking, bruiser of a woman without any of the ethical and moral ideas Boothe holds onto. Trame is meant solely as a foil (and potential future antagonist) to show that Boothe is an oddity in the Vector universe. When someone who represents the law is corrupt, what does this say about the law itself? Through Trame and the character Cyrus the Praetorian (a single scene character from Correction that is given a much larger role in this story), the audience is given a glimpse into the stagnant, seedy underbelly of the Empire’s power structure. A bent cop is common-place and not usually indicative of a corrupt system. But a senatorial guard, genetically-altered and indoctrinated into possessing sociopathic traits, speaks volumes about the fundamental lack of humanity in this setting’s society. One has to wonder if the ultimate villains of the Simon Vector universe, the organic-machine necroids and the Vendak, are really the only monsters in the universe.
Such philosophical musings are at the core of the storytelling for this series but they are not described or debated by the characters in such terms. This installment is meant clearly as a combination of sci-fi and western tropes, particularly the lone lawman trying to tame the badlands of the frontier. Like Correction, JAK Holding puts the action on Mars, which is described as little more than a backwater colony world, despite its close proximity to Earth. Boothe remarks repeatedly that there is very little difference between Mars and the asteroid colonies elsewhere in the Solar system, giving the audience a look into the decaying nature of humanity. Also, like Correction, the plot revolves around a serial killer, the Asteroid Killer that Boothe claimed to be in the first novella.
While the plot is executed well and moves at a brisk pace, it did feel like there were no surprises along the way. A reader will almost see events occurring before they happen in the book, even without paying close attention to the details. My main praise for this novella is further expanding the setting in a much-needed direction. While Correction gave the audience insight into the common denizens of the universe (and the nightmarish people that sometimes make up their ranks), Corruption delves into the echelons of power and the consequences that come from having unlimited power. For a character such as Cyrus, there is no joy in his work, only precision and fealty to one’s orders, making him little better than an automaton with a difference engine for a brain. It is easy to see JAK Holding’s commentary that power calls to those who are easily corruptible and that it often creates its own polluted offspring (such as Cyrus, Trame, and the Asteroid Killer).
The Simon Vector series has so far proven to be a well-written romp through established science-fiction storytelling markers. It’s been observed before by such people as Joseph Campbell that there are only a finite number of stories in the world and that we are simply retelling them in different ways. This is true of JAK Holding’s work in this series, which delineates a brutal, savage universe that may not really be worth saving. This question of worth is central to Corruption and it is not an easy question to ask or to answer. For myself, I look forward to seeing what answers, if any, are provided in future installments. If you’ve read the prior two books in the series, I highly recommend picking up this one as well, especially if you enjoy a heroic story with a dollop of horror mixed in.
As mentioned above, the characters are the key to any given story. In this novella, the audience is given access to another of the principal prisoners of the Alpha Draconis prison which served as the setting of the original novel Simon Vector. The character presented here is Jayson Boothe, seen briefly in the novella Correction as admitting to be a serial killer with the moniker “The Asteroid Killer”. The first chapter establishes the principal character swiftly, indicating both Boothe’s inherent nobility and his capacity for extreme violence. As an Imperial Marshal of the Earth empire, Boothe is a modified crime-fighter, given hormonal and training enhancements that make him a mountain of corded flesh and chemically-induced bouts of seething rage. While Boothe is the “white hat” character, he is not a perfect character. He’s gruff, sometimes sanctimonious, yet still principled and empathetic (in the sense that it’s easy for the audience to get behind him).
The other character of note is a female Marshal known as Trame, a hulking, bruiser of a woman without any of the ethical and moral ideas Boothe holds onto. Trame is meant solely as a foil (and potential future antagonist) to show that Boothe is an oddity in the Vector universe. When someone who represents the law is corrupt, what does this say about the law itself? Through Trame and the character Cyrus the Praetorian (a single scene character from Correction that is given a much larger role in this story), the audience is given a glimpse into the stagnant, seedy underbelly of the Empire’s power structure. A bent cop is common-place and not usually indicative of a corrupt system. But a senatorial guard, genetically-altered and indoctrinated into possessing sociopathic traits, speaks volumes about the fundamental lack of humanity in this setting’s society. One has to wonder if the ultimate villains of the Simon Vector universe, the organic-machine necroids and the Vendak, are really the only monsters in the universe.
Such philosophical musings are at the core of the storytelling for this series but they are not described or debated by the characters in such terms. This installment is meant clearly as a combination of sci-fi and western tropes, particularly the lone lawman trying to tame the badlands of the frontier. Like Correction, JAK Holding puts the action on Mars, which is described as little more than a backwater colony world, despite its close proximity to Earth. Boothe remarks repeatedly that there is very little difference between Mars and the asteroid colonies elsewhere in the Solar system, giving the audience a look into the decaying nature of humanity. Also, like Correction, the plot revolves around a serial killer, the Asteroid Killer that Boothe claimed to be in the first novella.
While the plot is executed well and moves at a brisk pace, it did feel like there were no surprises along the way. A reader will almost see events occurring before they happen in the book, even without paying close attention to the details. My main praise for this novella is further expanding the setting in a much-needed direction. While Correction gave the audience insight into the common denizens of the universe (and the nightmarish people that sometimes make up their ranks), Corruption delves into the echelons of power and the consequences that come from having unlimited power. For a character such as Cyrus, there is no joy in his work, only precision and fealty to one’s orders, making him little better than an automaton with a difference engine for a brain. It is easy to see JAK Holding’s commentary that power calls to those who are easily corruptible and that it often creates its own polluted offspring (such as Cyrus, Trame, and the Asteroid Killer).
The Simon Vector series has so far proven to be a well-written romp through established science-fiction storytelling markers. It’s been observed before by such people as Joseph Campbell that there are only a finite number of stories in the world and that we are simply retelling them in different ways. This is true of JAK Holding’s work in this series, which delineates a brutal, savage universe that may not really be worth saving. This question of worth is central to Corruption and it is not an easy question to ask or to answer. For myself, I look forward to seeing what answers, if any, are provided in future installments. If you’ve read the prior two books in the series, I highly recommend picking up this one as well, especially if you enjoy a heroic story with a dollop of horror mixed in.
April 11, 2016
Corruption: A Marshal Boothe Tale of Justice is yet another short, Science Fiction thrill-ride from Jak Holding set in the Simon Vector universe. The back story of Marshal Jayson Boothe explores corruption on many levels including Boothe's partner, Marshal Ellen Trame, as well as Senators and the Praetorians assigned to protect them.
Unfortunately, corruption still exists today in many governments, militaries, and corporations worldwide; Jak Holding uses this as fodder to paint a picture of what it would look like in a society that embraces corruption from the top down.
The lead character, Marshal Jayson Boothe, is assigned to apprehend the illusive Asteroid Killer. The story begins with The Asteroid Killer's thirteenth multiple homicide. Boothe is obsessed with catching the Asteroid Killer and bring him or her to justice. He knows that his commitment to solve this case risks putting his family in danger.
In a story filled with corruption, Boothe is the lone beacon of justice. Throughout the story, he's approached by a cast of characters who try to bribe and manipulate him, but he refuses all of their advances. His simple answer to why he won't accept bribes or be corrupted: "What I want," said Jayson Boothe, "is justice."
As he works the case of the Asteroid Killer, Boothe locks horns with a powerful senator. In an ironic twist, the Senator pulls strings to have Boothe framed and arrested for corruption.
Unraveling the mystery of the identity of the Asteroid Killer and why powerful people are covering up the killer makes for a fast-paced and enjoyable read. Jak Holding introduces some interesting future technology like the drip-fed synthetic growth hormones that are used to strengthen the Imperial Marshals. The Praetorians are genetically modified as well to enhance their effectiveness as body guards. These enhancements make for some very spirited fight sequences.
Without spoiling the ending and giving too much away, I'll wrap up by sharing my favorite quote from Jayson Boothe: "That's your problem Senator. You assume that because you're for sale, and the people under you are for sale, that everyone is. I'm not."
If you're a fan of action, Science Fiction or mysteries, you'll enjoy Corruption: A Marshal Boothe Tale of Justice.
If you're interested in other work from Jak Holding, please take a look at my review of Simon Vector, or another novella in the Simon Vector world, Correction: A Gerald Ruhming Tale.
Unfortunately, corruption still exists today in many governments, militaries, and corporations worldwide; Jak Holding uses this as fodder to paint a picture of what it would look like in a society that embraces corruption from the top down.
The lead character, Marshal Jayson Boothe, is assigned to apprehend the illusive Asteroid Killer. The story begins with The Asteroid Killer's thirteenth multiple homicide. Boothe is obsessed with catching the Asteroid Killer and bring him or her to justice. He knows that his commitment to solve this case risks putting his family in danger.
In a story filled with corruption, Boothe is the lone beacon of justice. Throughout the story, he's approached by a cast of characters who try to bribe and manipulate him, but he refuses all of their advances. His simple answer to why he won't accept bribes or be corrupted: "What I want," said Jayson Boothe, "is justice."
As he works the case of the Asteroid Killer, Boothe locks horns with a powerful senator. In an ironic twist, the Senator pulls strings to have Boothe framed and arrested for corruption.
Unraveling the mystery of the identity of the Asteroid Killer and why powerful people are covering up the killer makes for a fast-paced and enjoyable read. Jak Holding introduces some interesting future technology like the drip-fed synthetic growth hormones that are used to strengthen the Imperial Marshals. The Praetorians are genetically modified as well to enhance their effectiveness as body guards. These enhancements make for some very spirited fight sequences.
Without spoiling the ending and giving too much away, I'll wrap up by sharing my favorite quote from Jayson Boothe: "That's your problem Senator. You assume that because you're for sale, and the people under you are for sale, that everyone is. I'm not."
If you're a fan of action, Science Fiction or mysteries, you'll enjoy Corruption: A Marshal Boothe Tale of Justice.
If you're interested in other work from Jak Holding, please take a look at my review of Simon Vector, or another novella in the Simon Vector world, Correction: A Gerald Ruhming Tale.
January 6, 2013
This is the second of the "Entry Point" novellas to be released for the Simon Vector universe. If you have not previously read "Simon Vector" or "Correction" this is another good place to enter into this intriguing new literary universe. To enjoy the story you are not required to read the preceding works, but of course, it does help to know what's going on. It is an experience comparable to viewing an unfinished tapestry or peering through a broken kaleidoscope. Each new work in the series of books gives us, the readers, a glimpse of the pattern of the whole. Each time we lift the cover of one of these stories new characters are introduced and we are exposed to more elements of the political and societal pressures that force the choices the protagonists of each story make.
As "Correction" was the most recent story I had read in this universe it's brutal flavor remained on my palate as I began reading this work. This sensation was also enhanced as several of the characters have cross-over scenes between the two stories. However, the brutal flavor of "Correction" was washed away as I bit into the bloody pulpy meat of Corruption. Make no mistake, "Corruption" is a pulp adventure along the pattern of the old Penny-Dreadful westerns or hard-boiled detective novels. In "Corruption" we are formally introduced to Marshal Boothe, who may be the first actual hero we have in the Simon Vector stories. And considering the nature of these books his eventual destination on the prison planet of Alpha Draconis seems pre-ordained. There is less jumping around in time in this narrative than there was in "Correction," but there is still a bit, so the reader is counseled to pay attention to the boldfaced "Before" and "Now" alerts that sometimes appear at the beginning of a chapter. Otherwise they might, as I did, get confused about if they are still in an extended flashback or not.
If you are a fan of Frank Miller's Sin City graphic novels or of the 2005 film, Marshal Boothe's story does have some similarities to the “Hartigan” storyline portrayed by Bruce Willis, adapted from "That Yellow Bastard." However, when you're working in the pulp genre, similarities to preceding works are inevitable and I'll leave it to TV Tropes to dissect the similarities and differences. There is something comforting about going into a work and finding a character type that you are already familiar with from the past, it's a bit like coming home.
If you are a fan of sci-fi and adventure stories I do recommend giving "Corruption: A Marshal Boothe Tale of Justice" a try, a digital copy is only $.99 on Amazon and you're sure to get at least a couple of hours of entertainment from it. As for me, I'll be waiting for the next two Entry Points to drop so that I can return to this universe and find out more about what the heck was going on in Simon Vector.
September 21, 2012
CORRUPTION is nothing more or less than a science fiction Western, complete with lonely showdowns and vengeful villains. It's much more than that, however. This is a novella with an eye for the emotional turmoil of its protagonist. Marshal Jayson Boothe could easily be a cookie-cutter tough guy with a badge and a gun. Instead he is a thoughtful family man who isn't at all pleased about the position in which he finds himself... but whose sense of justice will not allow him to accept a corrupt system that victimizes the innocent. He does the right thing, even though it may cost him, and he's got a LOT to lose.
The novella is a tie in to the full-length science fiction novel SIMON VECTOR. Boothe appears very briefly in that novel, although his appearance is really just a cameo. CORRUPTION explains how Boothe came to be where we find him in SIMON VECTOR, but you don't need to have read the full-length novel to read the novella (or vice versa).
CORRUPTION also takes place on the same Martian colony, and during the same time period, that League Entertainment's CORRECTION novella takes place. The feel and the mood of the two stories are very different. CORRECTION is a horror story, whose central character is a mentally deranged serial killer. CORRUPTION is an action-adventure tale with deliberate Western themes, whose protagonist is as righteous a man as you could want.
There is a thematic tie between the two stories, however, in that Boothe is hunting a DIFFERENT serial killer. Mars is a frontier world, in some ways a very backwards place, and seems to have no shortage of human predators. When Boothe realizes that the Powers That Are have conspired to set his prey free to kill again, he confesses to the crimes -- and proceeds to bring his own brand of justice to the Martian landscape.
This story is a lot of fun. Highly recommended.
The novella is a tie in to the full-length science fiction novel SIMON VECTOR. Boothe appears very briefly in that novel, although his appearance is really just a cameo. CORRUPTION explains how Boothe came to be where we find him in SIMON VECTOR, but you don't need to have read the full-length novel to read the novella (or vice versa).
CORRUPTION also takes place on the same Martian colony, and during the same time period, that League Entertainment's CORRECTION novella takes place. The feel and the mood of the two stories are very different. CORRECTION is a horror story, whose central character is a mentally deranged serial killer. CORRUPTION is an action-adventure tale with deliberate Western themes, whose protagonist is as righteous a man as you could want.
There is a thematic tie between the two stories, however, in that Boothe is hunting a DIFFERENT serial killer. Mars is a frontier world, in some ways a very backwards place, and seems to have no shortage of human predators. When Boothe realizes that the Powers That Are have conspired to set his prey free to kill again, he confesses to the crimes -- and proceeds to bring his own brand of justice to the Martian landscape.
This story is a lot of fun. Highly recommended.
February 17, 2013
I was taken with CORRECTION, Holding's previous 'entrypoint' novella - enough so that I picked up this story as well. I'm glad I did. Both stories are told in a grim, no-holds barred style that draws the reader in. The prose is smooth, the characters credible. There aren't a lot of original ideas in this - a police story set on Mars - but the storytelling is good.
I'm particularly taken with the idea of a series of linked novellas tied in with the main novel - SIMON VECTOR. The two I've read so far have mild connections, and clearly hint at setup for the larger story. Two more such stories are promised, and I look forward to them. In fact, my question now is whether to wait for those and then read Simon Vector, or read the novel now, and the stories later.
All in all, well written, engaging police SF that is well worth your money and your time.
I'm particularly taken with the idea of a series of linked novellas tied in with the main novel - SIMON VECTOR. The two I've read so far have mild connections, and clearly hint at setup for the larger story. Two more such stories are promised, and I look forward to them. In fact, my question now is whether to wait for those and then read Simon Vector, or read the novel now, and the stories later.
All in all, well written, engaging police SF that is well worth your money and your time.
October 24, 2012
Decent novella. Definitely good enough that I'd like to know more about what happened/happens to Marshal.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews