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The Maximus Black Files
Dyson's Drop
In a galaxy of cutthroat companies, shadowy clans and a million agendas, spy agency RIM barely wields enough control to keep order.
Maximus Black is RIM’s star cadet. But he has a problem. One of RIM’s best agents, Anneke Longshadow, knows there’s a mole in the organisation.
And Maximus has a lot to hide...
Maximus Black is RIM’s star cadet. But he has a problem. One of RIM’s best agents, Anneke Longshadow, knows there’s a mole in the organisation.
And Maximus has a lot to hide...
335 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2012
About the author
Paul Collins
245 books92 followersPaul Collins has written many books, mostly for younger readers. He is best known for his fantasy and science fiction titles: The Jelindel Chronicles (Dragonlinks, Dragonfang, Dragonsight and Wardragon), and The Quentaris Chronicles ─ co-edited with Michael Pryor ─ (Swords of Quentaris, Slaves of Quentaris, Dragonlords of Quentaris, Princess of Shadows, The Forgotten Prince, Vampires of Quentaris and The Spell of Undoing). His trade books published in America are The Earthborn, The Skyborn and The Hiveborn.
Paul has edited many anthologies which include Trust Me!, Metaworlds and Australia’s first fantasy anthology, Dream Weavers. He also edited The MUP Encyclopaedia of Australian SF&F.
Paul has been short-listed for many awards and has won the Inaugural Peter McNamara and the A Bertram Chandler awards, both of which were for lifetime achievement in science fiction, and the Aurealis and William Atheling awards.
His recent fantasy series is The World of Grrym (Allira’s Gift, Lords of Quibbitt and Morgassa’s Folly), in collaboration with Danny Willis. His latest YA book is The Only Game in the Galaxy, Book #3 in The Maximus Black Files.
His book, Slaves of Quentaris, features in 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die (UK, 2009).
Paul’s adult books are the anthology The Government in Exile and Cyberskin. His current adult horror novel, The Beckoning, Damnation Books (US) is available from http://tinyurl.com/ny6urwy.
Other than his writing, Paul is the publisher at Ford Street Publishing, publishing everything from picture books through to young adult literature, and he manages Creative Net, a speakers’ agency.
Paul’s websites are: www.paulcollins.com.au; www.fordstreetpublishing.com and www.fordstreetpublishing.com/cnet
Awards
1980s — 2000s a handful of nominations for Best Editor and Best Short Fiction in the Australian SF Achievement Awards
1999— Winner William Atheling Award for work on The MUP Encyclopaedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy; Shortlisted for the Aurealis Convenors’ Award.
2000— The Dog King, Notable Book Children’s Book Council; Shortlisted for the Clayton’s Award.
2001— Winner of the Aurealis Convenors’ Award (With Co-editor Meredith Costain) for Spinouts Bronze published by Pearson Education. Joint winner was Shaun Tan for The Lost Thing.
2002 — Winner of the inaugural Peter McNamara Award for lifetime achievement in SF.
2004 — Home Run (Illustrated by Connah Brecon), Notable Book, Children’s Book Council.
2009 -- Morgassa's Folly (in collaboration with Danny Willis), short-listed for the Chronos Award.
2010 -- The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler, short-listed for The Speech Pathology Award.
2011 -- The Glasshouse (illustrated by Jo Thompson) chosen by international IBBY as an Outstanding Book; short-listed for the CBC's Crichton Award.
2011 --Awarded the A Bertram Chandler Award for Lifetime Achievement in Australian Science Fiction.
Paul has edited many anthologies which include Trust Me!, Metaworlds and Australia’s first fantasy anthology, Dream Weavers. He also edited The MUP Encyclopaedia of Australian SF&F.
Paul has been short-listed for many awards and has won the Inaugural Peter McNamara and the A Bertram Chandler awards, both of which were for lifetime achievement in science fiction, and the Aurealis and William Atheling awards.
His recent fantasy series is The World of Grrym (Allira’s Gift, Lords of Quibbitt and Morgassa’s Folly), in collaboration with Danny Willis. His latest YA book is The Only Game in the Galaxy, Book #3 in The Maximus Black Files.
His book, Slaves of Quentaris, features in 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die (UK, 2009).
Paul’s adult books are the anthology The Government in Exile and Cyberskin. His current adult horror novel, The Beckoning, Damnation Books (US) is available from http://tinyurl.com/ny6urwy.
Other than his writing, Paul is the publisher at Ford Street Publishing, publishing everything from picture books through to young adult literature, and he manages Creative Net, a speakers’ agency.
Paul’s websites are: www.paulcollins.com.au; www.fordstreetpublishing.com and www.fordstreetpublishing.com/cnet
Awards
1980s — 2000s a handful of nominations for Best Editor and Best Short Fiction in the Australian SF Achievement Awards
1999— Winner William Atheling Award for work on The MUP Encyclopaedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy; Shortlisted for the Aurealis Convenors’ Award.
2000— The Dog King, Notable Book Children’s Book Council; Shortlisted for the Clayton’s Award.
2001— Winner of the Aurealis Convenors’ Award (With Co-editor Meredith Costain) for Spinouts Bronze published by Pearson Education. Joint winner was Shaun Tan for The Lost Thing.
2002 — Winner of the inaugural Peter McNamara Award for lifetime achievement in SF.
2004 — Home Run (Illustrated by Connah Brecon), Notable Book, Children’s Book Council.
2009 -- Morgassa's Folly (in collaboration with Danny Willis), short-listed for the Chronos Award.
2010 -- The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler, short-listed for The Speech Pathology Award.
2011 -- The Glasshouse (illustrated by Jo Thompson) chosen by international IBBY as an Outstanding Book; short-listed for the CBC's Crichton Award.
2011 --Awarded the A Bertram Chandler Award for Lifetime Achievement in Australian Science Fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 7, 2012
In 2011 the evil, enigmatic, psychopathic megalomaniac, Maximus Black, exploded onto our shelves in Mole Hunt. Trained to kill in a variety of gruesome, yet thoroughly inventive ways, Black is intent on universal domination and will settle for nothing less. But the blacker than black-hearted Black is a master of manipulation and misdirection, rendering those around him blind to his motives—all, that is, except for fellow RIM agent, Anneke Longshadow who’s had Black pegged from the start.
Commandeering Dyson’s Drop—the location of the Dyson jump gates, which can transport travellers to any point in the galaxy—is part of Black’s plan. There are also a set of coordinates to be found, and for the galaxy’s sake let’s hope Black doesn’t get to them first. Thankfully he has competition—and the tenacious terrier Anneke Longshadow snapping at his heels.
Collins has artfully woven a deceptively simple, yet emotionally complex tale of vengeance told through alternating chapters from Black and Longshadow’s viewpoints. Black is anything but an evil cliché hungry for power as one might expect. I found myself liking him as much as I loathed him, and I still can’t pinpoint exactly why that is. Perhaps it’s that he is so utterly alone, and despite his obvious cunning and intelligence, still very much a child.
Anneke Longshadow is everything Black isn’t, yet paradoxically she understands him the way no one else can. Equally matched in brains and skill their fight is an eternal one. The contrast and similarities between these two is why this story works so well.
Although set in the distant future, this is a classic and timeless story that will appeal to teens and adults alike. The pace is relentless, the attention to detail spot on and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Jenny Mounfield is the author of three novels and a number of short stories for young people and adults. She lives with her family in north of Brisbane Queensland.
Commandeering Dyson’s Drop—the location of the Dyson jump gates, which can transport travellers to any point in the galaxy—is part of Black’s plan. There are also a set of coordinates to be found, and for the galaxy’s sake let’s hope Black doesn’t get to them first. Thankfully he has competition—and the tenacious terrier Anneke Longshadow snapping at his heels.
Collins has artfully woven a deceptively simple, yet emotionally complex tale of vengeance told through alternating chapters from Black and Longshadow’s viewpoints. Black is anything but an evil cliché hungry for power as one might expect. I found myself liking him as much as I loathed him, and I still can’t pinpoint exactly why that is. Perhaps it’s that he is so utterly alone, and despite his obvious cunning and intelligence, still very much a child.
Anneke Longshadow is everything Black isn’t, yet paradoxically she understands him the way no one else can. Equally matched in brains and skill their fight is an eternal one. The contrast and similarities between these two is why this story works so well.
Although set in the distant future, this is a classic and timeless story that will appeal to teens and adults alike. The pace is relentless, the attention to detail spot on and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Jenny Mounfield is the author of three novels and a number of short stories for young people and adults. She lives with her family in north of Brisbane Queensland.
October 16, 2020
Black takes down RIM agency, confronts, blackmails healed Anneke, Sentinel guardians, for encrypted hidden location, he targets oppressed world Kantos. 50+ Typos.
December 30, 2012
In 2011 the evil, enigmatic, psychopathic megalomaniac, Maximus Black, exploded onto our shelves in Mole Hunt. Trained to kill in a variety of gruesome, yet thoroughly inventive ways, Black is intent on universal domination and will settle for nothing less. But the blacker than black-hearted Black is a master of manipulation and misdirection, rendering those around him blind to his motives—all, that is, except for fellow RIM agent, Anneke Longshadow who’s had Black pegged from the start.
Commandeering Dyson’s Drop—the location of the Dyson jump gates, which can transport travellers to any point in the galaxy—is part of Black’s plan. There are also a set of coordinates to be found, and for the galaxy’s sake let’s hope Black doesn’t get to them first. Thankfully he has competition—and the tenacious terrier Anneke Longshadow snapping at his heels.
Collins has artfully woven a deceptively simple, yet emotionally complex tale of vengeance told through alternating chapters from Black and Longshadow’s viewpoints. Black is anything but an evil cliché hungry for power as one might expect. I found myself liking him as much as I loathed him, and I still can’t pinpoint exactly why that is. Perhaps it’s that he is so utterly alone, and despite his obvious cunning and intelligence, still very much a child.
Anneke Longshadow is everything Black isn’t, yet paradoxically she understands him the way no one else can. Equally matched in brains and skill their fight is an eternal one. The contrast and similarities between these two is why this story works so well.
Although set in the distant future, this is a classic and timeless story that will appeal to teens and adults alike. The pace is relentless, the attention to detail spot on and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Jenny Mounfield is the author of three novels and a number of short stories for young people and adults. She lives with her family in north of Brisbane Queensland.
Commandeering Dyson’s Drop—the location of the Dyson jump gates, which can transport travellers to any point in the galaxy—is part of Black’s plan. There are also a set of coordinates to be found, and for the galaxy’s sake let’s hope Black doesn’t get to them first. Thankfully he has competition—and the tenacious terrier Anneke Longshadow snapping at his heels.
Collins has artfully woven a deceptively simple, yet emotionally complex tale of vengeance told through alternating chapters from Black and Longshadow’s viewpoints. Black is anything but an evil cliché hungry for power as one might expect. I found myself liking him as much as I loathed him, and I still can’t pinpoint exactly why that is. Perhaps it’s that he is so utterly alone, and despite his obvious cunning and intelligence, still very much a child.
Anneke Longshadow is everything Black isn’t, yet paradoxically she understands him the way no one else can. Equally matched in brains and skill their fight is an eternal one. The contrast and similarities between these two is why this story works so well.
Although set in the distant future, this is a classic and timeless story that will appeal to teens and adults alike. The pace is relentless, the attention to detail spot on and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Jenny Mounfield is the author of three novels and a number of short stories for young people and adults. She lives with her family in north of Brisbane Queensland.
August 30, 2013
An outstanding galactic read by Paul Collins. Action and suspense filled Dyson’s Drop.
Dyson’s Drop is the second instalment in the Maximus Black Files.
I haven’t had the chance to read MOLE HUNT the first instalment of The Maximus Black files, I thought I’d struggle to catch the main thread of the story but I found the opposite. I had no trouble reading Dyson’s Drop. I felt it easy to read and full of great adventure, I soon caught on to what had happened in MOLE HUNT.
Travelling through n-space is what reminds me of the way Jack O’Niell and his team travelled through the Stargate on the television series Stargate-SG1 featuring Richard Dean Anderson.
An amazing and intriguing character was the Envoy. He seems sneaky and yet so wise. He’s a seer and he can obviously see great potential in both Maximus and Anneke. The Envoy appears to be mysterious, he only tells Maximus what he needs to know. There is more to the Envoy than you first see. It’ll be interesting to read what he does in the next instalment of the Maximus Black Files titled The Only Game in the Galaxy
Technology is really advanced in The Maximus Black Files. You really get the sense that it could one day be here on our planet.
This has to be the best believable science fiction books I have read (not that I have read heaps of them!)
The Only Game in the Galaxy is going to be another great book and one I look forward to reading!!
Dyson’s Drop is the second instalment in the Maximus Black Files.
I haven’t had the chance to read MOLE HUNT the first instalment of The Maximus Black files, I thought I’d struggle to catch the main thread of the story but I found the opposite. I had no trouble reading Dyson’s Drop. I felt it easy to read and full of great adventure, I soon caught on to what had happened in MOLE HUNT.
Travelling through n-space is what reminds me of the way Jack O’Niell and his team travelled through the Stargate on the television series Stargate-SG1 featuring Richard Dean Anderson.
An amazing and intriguing character was the Envoy. He seems sneaky and yet so wise. He’s a seer and he can obviously see great potential in both Maximus and Anneke. The Envoy appears to be mysterious, he only tells Maximus what he needs to know. There is more to the Envoy than you first see. It’ll be interesting to read what he does in the next instalment of the Maximus Black Files titled The Only Game in the Galaxy
Technology is really advanced in The Maximus Black Files. You really get the sense that it could one day be here on our planet.
This has to be the best believable science fiction books I have read (not that I have read heaps of them!)
The Only Game in the Galaxy is going to be another great book and one I look forward to reading!!
March 7, 2013
Maximus Black is back! And going from strength to strength. Can no one stop him acheiving galactic domination? RIM, meanwhile, has been brought to its knees, and if anything, is now only a bit-player in galactic politics. But all is not as it seems, and Rim agents are everywhere.
Like its predecessor, Mole Hunt, this second book in the Maximus Black series is filled with thrills and spills, with a plot that has more twists and turns than a roller coaster, and more future whiz-bang gadgetry than you can poke a stick at. In this second book, readers get more of an insight into what drives Black, and his past is hinted at. He spends more time in the spotlight than I felt he did in Mole Hunt, but while he's gained incredible power, he still has his nemises to contend with.
Collins knows how to keep the action moving, and his cliff-hanger ending has you keenly wondering what's going to happen next.
Like its predecessor, Mole Hunt, this second book in the Maximus Black series is filled with thrills and spills, with a plot that has more twists and turns than a roller coaster, and more future whiz-bang gadgetry than you can poke a stick at. In this second book, readers get more of an insight into what drives Black, and his past is hinted at. He spends more time in the spotlight than I felt he did in Mole Hunt, but while he's gained incredible power, he still has his nemises to contend with.
Collins knows how to keep the action moving, and his cliff-hanger ending has you keenly wondering what's going to happen next.
October 27, 2014
Excellent read. I don't give 5 stars to many books, but this one definitely gets a 5-star rating from me. Loads of action, great story lines, and fantastic characters make this one book you really don't want to miss.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews