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Duallists
ON THE MOON, EVERYONE HAS A DARK SIDE.
One hundred years in the future, enormous mining vessels scour the surface of the Moon, prospecting for valuable metals and minerals. Trapped onboard for months at a time, the crew use drugs, virtual environments, gambling and pitfights to make life bearable.
Joel Miller doesn’t need any of those things. He has a new reason to live.
An enemy.
Miller’s hatred of co-worker Reese has become an all-consuming vendetta. Unable to fight openly, their private war was waged in secret, until now. Now it’s to the death.
But Miller has no idea that there’s a hidden side to his duel. The hate keeping him alive is the most valuable commodity the Moon has to offer…
Duallists is a 50,000 word science fiction novel by the author of Fake Kate, Bang and the Auto Series.
One hundred years in the future, enormous mining vessels scour the surface of the Moon, prospecting for valuable metals and minerals. Trapped onboard for months at a time, the crew use drugs, virtual environments, gambling and pitfights to make life bearable.
Joel Miller doesn’t need any of those things. He has a new reason to live.
An enemy.
Miller’s hatred of co-worker Reese has become an all-consuming vendetta. Unable to fight openly, their private war was waged in secret, until now. Now it’s to the death.
But Miller has no idea that there’s a hidden side to his duel. The hate keeping him alive is the most valuable commodity the Moon has to offer…
Duallists is a 50,000 word science fiction novel by the author of Fake Kate, Bang and the Auto Series.
- GenresScience Fiction
110 pages, ebook
First published October 5, 2012
14 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Marc Adams
1 book1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Pseudonym for David Wailing
Pseudonym for David Wailing
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 19, 2013
This is an early work of David Wailing's which is only available (free) for the two weeks of the Edinburgh eBook festival. He doesn't intend to make it available through the usual outlets. The book is fairly hardcore science fiction and is set in a lunar mining colony. Joel and Reese have an intense hatred of one another and would happily battle to the death.
I found all the testosterone fueled fighting a bit teenage-rivalry for my taste but I was fascinated by the imagined technology in the lunar colony, and particularly the range and use of recreational drugs available. During three year stints on the moon, time is going to hang heavy! I also enjoyed the society and its hierarchy and the difference between the living conditions of the workers and the Exex. The ending is a revelation!
It's obvious from the occasional flaw in the writing that this is an apprentice piece from an author who now has an enviable mastery of his craft.
I found all the testosterone fueled fighting a bit teenage-rivalry for my taste but I was fascinated by the imagined technology in the lunar colony, and particularly the range and use of recreational drugs available. During three year stints on the moon, time is going to hang heavy! I also enjoyed the society and its hierarchy and the difference between the living conditions of the workers and the Exex. The ending is a revelation!
It's obvious from the occasional flaw in the writing that this is an apprentice piece from an author who now has an enviable mastery of his craft.
February 24, 2014
Duallists: by David Wailing.
As with all the books that I’ve read by this author, there is a great depth of thought into the setting of the novel and the characters within. Like a true artist, he has superbly set the scene on this sci-fi tale. Set in a mining ship on the moon, the backdrop to this tale is well thought out and believable.
Our would be hero is clearly showing the mental strain of his tour in space, having already left Earth with a plentiful amount of mental baggage, as his tour comes to an end, he has perhaps a few tools missing from his tool box and in need of some one to one time on a couch.
Whether his brain is really playing tricks on him, or whether he is truly being persecuted by his work colleagues, I will let you decide, but the story is an intricate plot, woven by a craftsman.
Although, perhaps a little slower in pace that some of the author’s other works, such as Fake Kate and Auto, it is still a really good novel, with plenty of twists and turns and a great ending. It’s well worth a read.
As with all the books that I’ve read by this author, there is a great depth of thought into the setting of the novel and the characters within. Like a true artist, he has superbly set the scene on this sci-fi tale. Set in a mining ship on the moon, the backdrop to this tale is well thought out and believable.
Our would be hero is clearly showing the mental strain of his tour in space, having already left Earth with a plentiful amount of mental baggage, as his tour comes to an end, he has perhaps a few tools missing from his tool box and in need of some one to one time on a couch.
Whether his brain is really playing tricks on him, or whether he is truly being persecuted by his work colleagues, I will let you decide, but the story is an intricate plot, woven by a craftsman.
Although, perhaps a little slower in pace that some of the author’s other works, such as Fake Kate and Auto, it is still a really good novel, with plenty of twists and turns and a great ending. It’s well worth a read.
August 19, 2013
This is David Wailing’s off-earth future imaginings. Joel Miller takes an immediate and intense dislike to Reese when he arrives on the Moonbug for mining Mars. All he thinks about is getting even and trying to kill him. The feeling is mutual.
As with the author’s Auto series, you get thrown into the future and it is believable. You can feel the claustrophobia of being on a spaceship for years. The tone is adult with a bit of graphic violence.
This was a tidy read. I must admit I skimmed through some of the fighting scenes, but I do that anyway, I like to get back to the story.
This book is not available anywhere now. It is one of David Wailing's first stories and you can see the seeds of where he got his Auto inspiration from.
As with the author’s Auto series, you get thrown into the future and it is believable. You can feel the claustrophobia of being on a spaceship for years. The tone is adult with a bit of graphic violence.
This was a tidy read. I must admit I skimmed through some of the fighting scenes, but I do that anyway, I like to get back to the story.
This book is not available anywhere now. It is one of David Wailing's first stories and you can see the seeds of where he got his Auto inspiration from.
May 20, 2014
Excellent futuristic novella set on a ship that's mining the moon. As usual with Wailing's work, you think you know what's going on, but you don't. Not really. He plays nicely with the theme of identity here--who is Joel, in his heart of hearts? By the end, you're still not entirely sure--and neither is Joel.
Wailing also blurs the lines between "good" and "bad" in unexpected ways. Joel had my sympathy throughout the story, but did I even like him? That's hard to say. However, his story was compelling and took some twists I didn't see coming.
"Duallists" also has some nice world building, and Wailing's imagination is on full display. If I had to give this a genre label, I'd call it "sci-fi noir."
Wailing also blurs the lines between "good" and "bad" in unexpected ways. Joel had my sympathy throughout the story, but did I even like him? That's hard to say. However, his story was compelling and took some twists I didn't see coming.
"Duallists" also has some nice world building, and Wailing's imagination is on full display. If I had to give this a genre label, I'd call it "sci-fi noir."
August 13, 2014
I've read and enjoyed many of the author's other book (especially the Auto series) but for some reason this one has languished on my TBR list for a long time. I've no idea why and it was a foolish move on my part because this is an excellent read. It's a sci-fi tale of man working as part of a mining operation on the Moon. The story centres around an obsession he has in out-doing one of his co-workers. In fact it's got so out of hand that there is a vendetta between the two men.
For me good sci-fi is about answering big questions and this story does so although in a quite subtle way. Through the main character we discover how the world has changed and it paints quite a distopian image of the future. It's also interesting to see how progress in certain areas impacts the lives of individuals as well as society as a whole.
I also appreciate stories that manage to surprise me. Even as more is revealed throughout the story I never had a complete handle on what was actually going on and right up to the end it sucker punched me with the ending. As with the author's books it is very well written and moves along at a decent pace. A recommended reads for science fiction fans.
For me good sci-fi is about answering big questions and this story does so although in a quite subtle way. Through the main character we discover how the world has changed and it paints quite a distopian image of the future. It's also interesting to see how progress in certain areas impacts the lives of individuals as well as society as a whole.
I also appreciate stories that manage to surprise me. Even as more is revealed throughout the story I never had a complete handle on what was actually going on and right up to the end it sucker punched me with the ending. As with the author's books it is very well written and moves along at a decent pace. A recommended reads for science fiction fans.
July 9, 2014
Quite a Rush
Stark, violent, raw and savage, this is the story of a man in a vendetta against another worker, which escalates until either one or both may be killed. BUT, not everything is what it seems, as these two trade dirty deeds and blows within the insular moon mining colony. A fast paced, first person POV story that packs a punch. Recommended!
Stark, violent, raw and savage, this is the story of a man in a vendetta against another worker, which escalates until either one or both may be killed. BUT, not everything is what it seems, as these two trade dirty deeds and blows within the insular moon mining colony. A fast paced, first person POV story that packs a punch. Recommended!
November 3, 2018
Not what I was thinking about at all .
It was a good buildup , lots of interaction background , I thought that I had the background story nailed , but I was wrong and and that I was reasonably pleased, good story
It was a good buildup , lots of interaction background , I thought that I had the background story nailed , but I was wrong and and that I was reasonably pleased, good story
September 2, 2017
Initially hard to follow, but..
The beginning about the two competing projects left me confused for a bit. Be patient it's a pretty entertaining read.
The beginning about the two competing projects left me confused for a bit. Be patient it's a pretty entertaining read.
June 28, 2019
Intriguing
Really liked the concept and it has a surprising turn.......no spoliers. A really good read, and well worth the time.
Really liked the concept and it has a surprising turn.......no spoliers. A really good read, and well worth the time.
October 6, 2015
An absolute belter of a Science Fiction story from David Wailing. Set on a mining colony on the moon, David's writing and imagination make it believable that these situations may exist. Characters are beautifully devised and I wasn't expecting the ending. Not a demanding read yet highly enjoyable. I'm not a Sci-Fi fan naturally, but I'm always engaged by David's books. Thoroughly Recommended.
October 3, 2015
I found it hard to rate this book. There are parts i did not like but overall it is an excellent read. Set in a future "big brother" type society a feud emerges between Reese and Joel both willing to go as far as necessary and both to some extent worked like puppets by those higher in the society.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews