What do you think?
Rate this book
As national governments cede society to international and soon-to-be intergalactic corporations, Sontem launches the Nexus and the Argus, two intergenerational starships sent as emissaries to the cosmos, but whose sole mission is to secure mining rights for the parent company. The ships are armed with the best of mankind's minds and technology, and a sense of manifest destiny. Captain Anderson Grant of the Nexus, the second starship in Sontem's budding armada, prepares to boldly fight and screw where no man has before. But Anderson and his crew struggle to maintain their humanity in the face of deception, exploitation, (sexually) aggressive aliens, and a system that ultimately respects its crew more for their genetic capacity than their individuality.
- GenresScience Fiction
314 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
About the author
Nicolas Wilson
38 books94 followersNicolas Wilson is a published journalist, graphic novelist, and novelist. He lives in the rainy wastes of Portland, Oregon with his wife, four cats and a dog.
Nic has written several short story collections and novels.Nic's work spans a variety of genres, from political thriller to science fiction and urban fantasy.
For information on Nic's books, and behind-the-scenes looks at his writing, visit nicolaswilson.com.
You can also subscribe to his mailing list, for information on new releases, as they become available. Mailing list subscribers also receive a copy of Dogs of War, an unpublished novella.
Nic has written several short story collections and novels.Nic's work spans a variety of genres, from political thriller to science fiction and urban fantasy.
For information on Nic's books, and behind-the-scenes looks at his writing, visit nicolaswilson.com.
You can also subscribe to his mailing list, for information on new releases, as they become available. Mailing list subscribers also receive a copy of Dogs of War, an unpublished novella.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 19, 2013
What is it with aliens and sexual experimentation?
I received a free copy of this book for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
And I'm quite pleased I did, for the story certainly kept me interested until the end.
This book reminded me of those classic old-school scifi stories where all the alien races are interested in finding out is what the human space explorers are like in the sack. Admittedly, being old-school, the detail in such exploration and experimentation is limited, just like on the Nexus. So if you're looking for alien erotica…fortunately, this isn't it.
I freely admit I didn't like main character Captain Anderson Grant at all. He talked about sex so much it sounded like it'd been a long time since he'd had any. Yet when he does…ah, I won't spoil the story for you. Wilson illustrated Grant's character so well I wanted to kick Grant in the tender regions myself on numerous occasions. Yet his was the ideal perspective to tell the story, because of course all the alien races assumed the leader would be the most interesting to experiment on or with…I think my dislike for the character made me enjoy some of those parts of the story more than I would have if I'd sympathised with the man.
The names can be confusing, as Grant calls many of his crew by their abbreviated job titles, so it was quite easy to get mixed up. There is a reason for this that comes clear toward the end of the story. Luckily, Grant managed to think about them in such a way that it was easy to remember whether the similarly-named crew members were male or female. The female ones he tended to identify by admiring their bodies or remembering when he'd last seen them wearing very little; whilst the male characters he tended to think about how dodgy they looked, smelled or a combination of the two.
The ending left me in no doubt that there will be a sequel and I'd be interested in reading it, for there were whispers of trouble brewing that Grant might not be able to sleep his way out of. Though somehow I suspect he'll try…
A solid four stars.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
And I'm quite pleased I did, for the story certainly kept me interested until the end.
This book reminded me of those classic old-school scifi stories where all the alien races are interested in finding out is what the human space explorers are like in the sack. Admittedly, being old-school, the detail in such exploration and experimentation is limited, just like on the Nexus. So if you're looking for alien erotica…fortunately, this isn't it.
I freely admit I didn't like main character Captain Anderson Grant at all. He talked about sex so much it sounded like it'd been a long time since he'd had any. Yet when he does…ah, I won't spoil the story for you. Wilson illustrated Grant's character so well I wanted to kick Grant in the tender regions myself on numerous occasions. Yet his was the ideal perspective to tell the story, because of course all the alien races assumed the leader would be the most interesting to experiment on or with…I think my dislike for the character made me enjoy some of those parts of the story more than I would have if I'd sympathised with the man.
The names can be confusing, as Grant calls many of his crew by their abbreviated job titles, so it was quite easy to get mixed up. There is a reason for this that comes clear toward the end of the story. Luckily, Grant managed to think about them in such a way that it was easy to remember whether the similarly-named crew members were male or female. The female ones he tended to identify by admiring their bodies or remembering when he'd last seen them wearing very little; whilst the male characters he tended to think about how dodgy they looked, smelled or a combination of the two.
The ending left me in no doubt that there will be a sequel and I'd be interested in reading it, for there were whispers of trouble brewing that Grant might not be able to sleep his way out of. Though somehow I suspect he'll try…
A solid four stars.
March 3, 2014
Nexus tells the tale of a starship carrying hundreds of crew that heads into the galaxy to seek out new life and new civilisations – and make mining treaties for the benefit of the corporation who sent them out. Their captain is a sex-obsessed smart-arse and the rest of the crew aren't much better. I found myself irresistably imagining Carry on Star Trek for the first half of the novel (for the non-Brits reading this, the Carry On films were a series of innuendo-laden comedies – Nexus has much the same feel, with vast numbers of sexual references, fleeting nudity and efforts at humour, but no actual sex scenes).
The novel has no underlying narrative thrust and feels like a clutch of episodes run together. Despite the Star Trek vibes, the majority of the events are shipboard, with only four somewhat sketchily described alien worlds visited – the core of the story is the interaction between the characters stuck on a ship for the long haul. The captain's view is that the majority of that interaction involves sex. He also (in best Captain Kirk mode) gets involved with a sexy alien telepath – the consideration of the rest of the ship's response to her is one of the most interesting themes of the novel. As the book continues, the ethical and philosophical questions of the future of the crew and of their obligations to their parent corporation take centre stage, leading to a finale that heads onwards in the hopes of a sequel.
The writing is good and witty in places, and has a nice line in SF references. It loses a star for the lack of narrative drive, but the growing humanity of the characters as the ship travels on compensates for this to some extent. Not perfect by any means, and the obsession with sex can become a little wearing at times (even the aliens seem sex-obsessed in human ways), but still more original than most Star Trek lookalikes.
The novel has no underlying narrative thrust and feels like a clutch of episodes run together. Despite the Star Trek vibes, the majority of the events are shipboard, with only four somewhat sketchily described alien worlds visited – the core of the story is the interaction between the characters stuck on a ship for the long haul. The captain's view is that the majority of that interaction involves sex. He also (in best Captain Kirk mode) gets involved with a sexy alien telepath – the consideration of the rest of the ship's response to her is one of the most interesting themes of the novel. As the book continues, the ethical and philosophical questions of the future of the crew and of their obligations to their parent corporation take centre stage, leading to a finale that heads onwards in the hopes of a sequel.
The writing is good and witty in places, and has a nice line in SF references. It loses a star for the lack of narrative drive, but the growing humanity of the characters as the ship travels on compensates for this to some extent. Not perfect by any means, and the obsession with sex can become a little wearing at times (even the aliens seem sex-obsessed in human ways), but still more original than most Star Trek lookalikes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2013
The story starts by introducing us to the Captain of the exploratory space vessel, Nexus. It is the second ship to leave under the guidance of the Sontem corporation to seek out new worlds and establish mining contracts with them.
The captain is a foul mouthed and has no internal filter. He speaks his mind, and he does in a way that people respect. This even includes a young man who gives the Captain a poor first impression by harassing a young woman. He is renamed Private Dickbite by the Captain.
The story follows the crew as they travel from world to world looking for sentient species they can negotiate contracts with. Their methods are less than admirable, and in some cases disturbing, but the crew is just doing their jobs as laid out by the Sontem corporation.
I don't want to say much more specifically about the story since it builds upon itself quite quickly, but on a ship that is design for many generations to go on this quest for contracts, there is bound to be a variety of conflicts, especially when you add in the dynamics of different species.
Nexus is a story filled with a broad range of conflicts that keep the reader reading because you have to know what is going to happen next. If you are a fan of science fiction, then this is a book you should buy and read today.
The captain is a foul mouthed and has no internal filter. He speaks his mind, and he does in a way that people respect. This even includes a young man who gives the Captain a poor first impression by harassing a young woman. He is renamed Private Dickbite by the Captain.
The story follows the crew as they travel from world to world looking for sentient species they can negotiate contracts with. Their methods are less than admirable, and in some cases disturbing, but the crew is just doing their jobs as laid out by the Sontem corporation.
I don't want to say much more specifically about the story since it builds upon itself quite quickly, but on a ship that is design for many generations to go on this quest for contracts, there is bound to be a variety of conflicts, especially when you add in the dynamics of different species.
Nexus is a story filled with a broad range of conflicts that keep the reader reading because you have to know what is going to happen next. If you are a fan of science fiction, then this is a book you should buy and read today.
November 10, 2013
"Nexus" by Nicolas Wilson, is a highly original and enjoyable science fiction story, set on Nexus, a star ship that sets out to explore the galaxies and which actually should have been named the Enterprise, had the corporation that built it not been sued by the copy right holders.
Very entertaining references to other science fiction work, much talk about sex and original interaction with aliens make this an odd but rather well done new helping in the genre. Wilson uses worm holes, aliens and other traditional science fiction elements in this story but for me the strength lies in the characters he has created, which with their banter and the sarcasm in their dialogue are quite a break from the more serious norm of the genre and make this a rather entertaining read.
To tell you my favourite parts would spoil the fun for you but if you don't mind the sexual innuendoes and quirky humour in science fiction you should definitely enjoy this.
Very entertaining references to other science fiction work, much talk about sex and original interaction with aliens make this an odd but rather well done new helping in the genre. Wilson uses worm holes, aliens and other traditional science fiction elements in this story but for me the strength lies in the characters he has created, which with their banter and the sarcasm in their dialogue are quite a break from the more serious norm of the genre and make this a rather entertaining read.
To tell you my favourite parts would spoil the fun for you but if you don't mind the sexual innuendoes and quirky humour in science fiction you should definitely enjoy this.
November 25, 2013
The starship Nexus has a mission to seek out new alien civilizations to negotiate trade and mining rights for their employer, Sontem. I was truly impressed that a lawyer was part of the greeting party! But, the mayhem they find parodies Star Trek. The Captain reminds me of a Catch 22 character. It's a highly entertaining read, with scattered bits of real science and cultural issues. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to their new adventures.
February 9, 2018
Interstellar Romcom
I missed out on some of the American humour. How to describe it?
In keeping with the books style...
Insurrection, Wacky Races, "Invasion of the sex crazed telepathic alien"
I missed out on some of the American humour. How to describe it?
In keeping with the books style...
Insurrection, Wacky Races, "Invasion of the sex crazed telepathic alien"
February 13, 2014
Nexus is a huge spaceship sent from Earth to further explore the universe, and subdue aliens, Standard scifi then? Far from it. The narrator is the arrogant, bullying, sex-obsessed captain, who gets away with his behaviour because of his sense of humour and intelligence. His value as the captain becomes evident not so much when he is pistol-wielding his attacks on bear-like or other weird aliens but when he instigates a momentous decision cusp in the plot about three-quarters way through. The need for that change and its consequences lift the erstwhile misogynistic captain to a new level. Until that point we don’t even know his name even though he is the narrator.
I am as interested in sex as the next deviant but to see it as innuendo or described three times a page for over 300 pages when I’m relaxing into a scifi novel. There, I’m sure that comment will sell copies!
Besides the sex, the other main feature of the writing style is the captain’s wry sense of humour. I like it though his puns can be cringe-worthy. Better examples are:
'I missed the bed by a foot, but the floor was surprisingly comfortable.' I imagine the constant use of abbreviations, admittedly often used in military institutions, is also meant humorously. I will let readers work these out (as the writer does) NavDiv, EngDiv, SecDiv, SecOff, BacFarm and SecDet. Easy, and sometimes fun to work out but it can lift the reader out of the fiction dream especially when placed close together as in “...PsychDiv would ask MedDiv to castrate me if I traumatized one of your SecOffs...”
Nicolas Wilson also goes a little OTT with his quasi-scientific and engineering explanations. Don’t get me wrong, I know plenty of scifi readers who love knowing the nitty-gritty details but sometimes, as Santiago says to our captain, “It’s a little insulting getting a chemistry lesson in baby-talk, but ... is how your mind operates.” Haha, yes and we readers agree! That’s not meant to be negative. I’m having fun, and there are keen moments worth quoting too. Eg “I’ve often found that men who want power least, exercise it best.” And, “Telepathy’s a known unknown.” Both I might quote on Twitter. The latter quote is an example of the narrator’s penchant for echoing his own words but there’s plenty of names and incidents that nerdy readers will recognize as possible homage to classic Sci Fi. Eg Santiago from Mike Resnick’s best selling novel, Haley as the ship’s AI.
I like the approach to first contact in this book. Drop a Commbox onto the planet and wait for the locals to learn English or for the box’s translator to successfully do its job, before landing with guns. Trouble is the latter always seemed to happen, bringing me to an issue I have with most scifi novels. The aliens are not alien enough. They have the same kind of hierarchical structure as on Earth down to Kings, nobles and captains. Yes, they are single-celled, or weird-looking but within minutes of contact they are speaking and acting like Americans even down to idioms and references to American TV shows and history. In Nexus we have an alien captain saying “They’re not going to nickel and dime us to death.” What? And they use pistols that our captain can just pick up and use with a trigger and “it’s safety is off”. Haha, groan.
Overall, Nexus is full of ideas, sex, fights and intelligence that should appeal to most scifi readers.
I am as interested in sex as the next deviant but to see it as innuendo or described three times a page for over 300 pages when I’m relaxing into a scifi novel. There, I’m sure that comment will sell copies!
Besides the sex, the other main feature of the writing style is the captain’s wry sense of humour. I like it though his puns can be cringe-worthy. Better examples are:
'I missed the bed by a foot, but the floor was surprisingly comfortable.' I imagine the constant use of abbreviations, admittedly often used in military institutions, is also meant humorously. I will let readers work these out (as the writer does) NavDiv, EngDiv, SecDiv, SecOff, BacFarm and SecDet. Easy, and sometimes fun to work out but it can lift the reader out of the fiction dream especially when placed close together as in “...PsychDiv would ask MedDiv to castrate me if I traumatized one of your SecOffs...”
Nicolas Wilson also goes a little OTT with his quasi-scientific and engineering explanations. Don’t get me wrong, I know plenty of scifi readers who love knowing the nitty-gritty details but sometimes, as Santiago says to our captain, “It’s a little insulting getting a chemistry lesson in baby-talk, but ... is how your mind operates.” Haha, yes and we readers agree! That’s not meant to be negative. I’m having fun, and there are keen moments worth quoting too. Eg “I’ve often found that men who want power least, exercise it best.” And, “Telepathy’s a known unknown.” Both I might quote on Twitter. The latter quote is an example of the narrator’s penchant for echoing his own words but there’s plenty of names and incidents that nerdy readers will recognize as possible homage to classic Sci Fi. Eg Santiago from Mike Resnick’s best selling novel, Haley as the ship’s AI.
I like the approach to first contact in this book. Drop a Commbox onto the planet and wait for the locals to learn English or for the box’s translator to successfully do its job, before landing with guns. Trouble is the latter always seemed to happen, bringing me to an issue I have with most scifi novels. The aliens are not alien enough. They have the same kind of hierarchical structure as on Earth down to Kings, nobles and captains. Yes, they are single-celled, or weird-looking but within minutes of contact they are speaking and acting like Americans even down to idioms and references to American TV shows and history. In Nexus we have an alien captain saying “They’re not going to nickel and dime us to death.” What? And they use pistols that our captain can just pick up and use with a trigger and “it’s safety is off”. Haha, groan.
Overall, Nexus is full of ideas, sex, fights and intelligence that should appeal to most scifi readers.
April 19, 2016
Utter trash. I was given this book for free from the author, so I felt some obligation to finish it, but I just couldn't. I tried. I really did. But the vast majority of fanfiction I've read on the internet is better than this book.
This book is what a 14 year old writes in high school when he's just discovered that girls are hot and wants to screw one. Almost every page there was a sexual joke or reference. It never bloody stopped. All the aliens are sexual in some way, one is a giant single-celled organism the tried to have sex with the first contact equipment. Jelly-monster fetish anyone? Another was a bipedal, humanoid lavender race with giant tits and ass that communicated by telepathically making the crew dream and daydream of giant orgies with the aliens. And it only got worse. It's like Star Trek crossed with HBO crossed with /b/ on 4chan.
And internet memes. What the hell were those doing in here? This is set far in the future! "The cake is a lie" would be meaningless nonsense by then! Look, I loved Portal as much as the next guy, maybe even more, but this was too much.
All the women acted the same and so did most of the men. They all had the smarmy, smart-ass thing going on. All the dialogue lines had horrible one-liners and "zany zingers" that got so tiring. It's difficult enough to believe that one person could act like the constantly but an entire shipful?
To top it all off the main character, the captain, is a complete Mary Sue. Not only is it insane that someone who acted that childish was given full command on an entire generational spacecraft, but he has all the power. He can kill whoever he wants for whatever reasons he wants, he has full authority to go through any personal files on the ship including medical ones. He can know the full intimate history of someone without their permission.
But that doesn't matter because he can do no wrong apparently! Everyone likes him or at least secretly likes him, even those he treated like shit. He gives preferential treatment to women who, of course, all have or all want to, usually both, bang him. All of them. Even the ships AI. The emotionless, non-physical entity that is a computer with no need or desire to reproduce... Wants to have sex with him. Hell all the senior staff on the vessel just happen to be exes from his past.
I'm not done yet! It still gets worse, he even has a horribly tragic backstory that he wasn't even indirectly the cause of and wasn't his fault but still feels guilty about it and blames himself for it. Which of course, for some reason, garners sympathy from everybody.
The captain acts like a teenager in highschool, from the way he speaks, his thought processes, his choices and actions... Everything. The whole damn book is complete drivel. I can't even think of the right combination of words to fully get across how bad this book is.
Just avoid it. Completely. At all costs. For your sake...
This book is what a 14 year old writes in high school when he's just discovered that girls are hot and wants to screw one. Almost every page there was a sexual joke or reference. It never bloody stopped. All the aliens are sexual in some way, one is a giant single-celled organism the tried to have sex with the first contact equipment. Jelly-monster fetish anyone? Another was a bipedal, humanoid lavender race with giant tits and ass that communicated by telepathically making the crew dream and daydream of giant orgies with the aliens. And it only got worse. It's like Star Trek crossed with HBO crossed with /b/ on 4chan.
And internet memes. What the hell were those doing in here? This is set far in the future! "The cake is a lie" would be meaningless nonsense by then! Look, I loved Portal as much as the next guy, maybe even more, but this was too much.
All the women acted the same and so did most of the men. They all had the smarmy, smart-ass thing going on. All the dialogue lines had horrible one-liners and "zany zingers" that got so tiring. It's difficult enough to believe that one person could act like the constantly but an entire shipful?
To top it all off the main character, the captain, is a complete Mary Sue. Not only is it insane that someone who acted that childish was given full command on an entire generational spacecraft, but he has all the power. He can kill whoever he wants for whatever reasons he wants, he has full authority to go through any personal files on the ship including medical ones. He can know the full intimate history of someone without their permission.
But that doesn't matter because he can do no wrong apparently! Everyone likes him or at least secretly likes him, even those he treated like shit. He gives preferential treatment to women who, of course, all have or all want to, usually both, bang him. All of them. Even the ships AI. The emotionless, non-physical entity that is a computer with no need or desire to reproduce... Wants to have sex with him. Hell all the senior staff on the vessel just happen to be exes from his past.
I'm not done yet! It still gets worse, he even has a horribly tragic backstory that he wasn't even indirectly the cause of and wasn't his fault but still feels guilty about it and blames himself for it. Which of course, for some reason, garners sympathy from everybody.
The captain acts like a teenager in highschool, from the way he speaks, his thought processes, his choices and actions... Everything. The whole damn book is complete drivel. I can't even think of the right combination of words to fully get across how bad this book is.
Just avoid it. Completely. At all costs. For your sake...
August 8, 2014
Contains Mild Spoilers
Nexus is one of those difficult books to review. Mostly because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s basically an R-rated Star Trek, if all of Star Trek’s jokes were about sex.
So here are the bad points.
It’s vulgar. Excessively so. Practically everything that comes out of the Captain’s mouth - who is *of course* our main character - is some sort of joke about sex or genitalia.
The Captain is almost textbook Mary Sue (Marty Stu) - in charge of the ship and unquestionable authority. The guys who dislike him are jerks, he’s a great fighter, and has a tragic past (which of course wasn’t his fault, but he still blames himself for it anyway.) He also makes so many vulgar jokes that you get tired of him after a while, and its amazing that his crew hasn’t. And *of course* every female in his vicinity wants to sleep with him. Including aliens and the ship’s AI.
There’s a lot of exposition. It’s interesting exposition - this alien species is like this, because of this, this, and this, but a whole lot of it nonetheless. Sometimes characters stop the Captain just to tell him their life stories - which of course he listens to, because he has nothing better to do.
Those things would have made me stop reading before I reached chapter three. Nothing is more annoying than a Mary Sue - male or female. So here’s the catch. I found myself enjoying this book.
The AI is incredibly funny and easily steals the show every time she’s on the page, the heads of division have their distinct personalities (despite the large cast) and are pretty ingenious, and the world building (literally so, because they’re looking for new worlds) is complex and fascinating, even if too sex-focused at times. Even the science is fun to read, if you like that sort of thing. (Which I do.) The author clearly did his research.
If you’re looking for a laugh, happen to like the Star Trek premise, and can handle all the vulgar jokes on every page, then by all means this book is for you. The sarcasm is biting, and I found myself laughing aloud at parts.
Overall: three stars.
Nexus is one of those difficult books to review. Mostly because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s basically an R-rated Star Trek, if all of Star Trek’s jokes were about sex.
So here are the bad points.
It’s vulgar. Excessively so. Practically everything that comes out of the Captain’s mouth - who is *of course* our main character - is some sort of joke about sex or genitalia.
The Captain is almost textbook Mary Sue (Marty Stu) - in charge of the ship and unquestionable authority. The guys who dislike him are jerks, he’s a great fighter, and has a tragic past (which of course wasn’t his fault, but he still blames himself for it anyway.) He also makes so many vulgar jokes that you get tired of him after a while, and its amazing that his crew hasn’t. And *of course* every female in his vicinity wants to sleep with him. Including aliens and the ship’s AI.
There’s a lot of exposition. It’s interesting exposition - this alien species is like this, because of this, this, and this, but a whole lot of it nonetheless. Sometimes characters stop the Captain just to tell him their life stories - which of course he listens to, because he has nothing better to do.
Those things would have made me stop reading before I reached chapter three. Nothing is more annoying than a Mary Sue - male or female. So here’s the catch. I found myself enjoying this book.
The AI is incredibly funny and easily steals the show every time she’s on the page, the heads of division have their distinct personalities (despite the large cast) and are pretty ingenious, and the world building (literally so, because they’re looking for new worlds) is complex and fascinating, even if too sex-focused at times. Even the science is fun to read, if you like that sort of thing. (Which I do.) The author clearly did his research.
If you’re looking for a laugh, happen to like the Star Trek premise, and can handle all the vulgar jokes on every page, then by all means this book is for you. The sarcasm is biting, and I found myself laughing aloud at parts.
Overall: three stars.
August 16, 2013
Set in the future, the reader finds the Captain of the Nexus out in space. The mission is to discover new life and planets in order to set up mining contracts for the Company, a powerful organization on Earth. The crew meets up with a variety of aliens, from single-celled blob creatures to tumor ridden ugly Rhino beings to violent Chewbacca-like creatures. Throughout their adventures, it becomes clear that the Company doesn't play fair and the Captain must make some crucial decisions as to the fate of the Nexus and its crew.
I loved this novel! The characters are vibrant and imaginative. The hero, Captain, resembles Captain Kirk in all his swagger but the author takes it up a notch. Our hero is a fantastic one-liner run-on of sexual jokes. His compassion for his crew is masked by witty and naughty entendres. He also has a tendency to attract unwanted sexual advances from the new species he meets...resulting in some very awkward and fun moments. The other characters are named after their jobs (we only discover their real names at the end), save for Elle, a former lover and lieutenant of SecDiv, and Sam, a beautiful alien telepath. In the beginning of the book, the reader does have to pay attention. The supporting characters are referred to mostly by their job on the ship: SecDiv, MedDiv, SciDiv, NavDiv, etc...Through the supporting characters, the sexual innuendos continue.
What is best about this novel is the dialogue. It is fast and furious making the reader pay attention to every detail. There are some moments where the technical dialogue becomes heavy but it didn't happen often enough to slow the reading. Because of this, the plot moves along quickly and smoothly. There is also the question about Dalaxia, a colony, and what truly happened there. The author wisely dangles that carrot throughout most of the book.
I would highly recommend this book but do have to warn readers. If you are affronted by on-going sexual humor, this novel may not be for you.
I loved this novel! The characters are vibrant and imaginative. The hero, Captain, resembles Captain Kirk in all his swagger but the author takes it up a notch. Our hero is a fantastic one-liner run-on of sexual jokes. His compassion for his crew is masked by witty and naughty entendres. He also has a tendency to attract unwanted sexual advances from the new species he meets...resulting in some very awkward and fun moments. The other characters are named after their jobs (we only discover their real names at the end), save for Elle, a former lover and lieutenant of SecDiv, and Sam, a beautiful alien telepath. In the beginning of the book, the reader does have to pay attention. The supporting characters are referred to mostly by their job on the ship: SecDiv, MedDiv, SciDiv, NavDiv, etc...Through the supporting characters, the sexual innuendos continue.
What is best about this novel is the dialogue. It is fast and furious making the reader pay attention to every detail. There are some moments where the technical dialogue becomes heavy but it didn't happen often enough to slow the reading. Because of this, the plot moves along quickly and smoothly. There is also the question about Dalaxia, a colony, and what truly happened there. The author wisely dangles that carrot throughout most of the book.
I would highly recommend this book but do have to warn readers. If you are affronted by on-going sexual humor, this novel may not be for you.
June 13, 2015
A journey through space, leaving a sarcastic trail behind.
Nexus is the story of the titular spaceship, captained by the sarcastic Captain Anderson as he leads the crew from planet to planet, negotiating trade agreements and dealing with the various issues that arise from command.
Nexus is a character heavy, dialog driven story as the strength of author Nicolas Wilson is his ability to write witty and sustainable dialog. Overall, the style is bawdy and wry as the captain's usual mode of communication is through jokes and insults to the other crew members - who respond in kind which makes for one zinger after the other.
The story is simple: pilot the ship from one planet to the next in compliance with the duties of the job. Those who wish for a faster moving plot might get bogged down as much of the situations are the captain moving from one conversation to the next. But, as I stated before, these conversations are a humorous back-and-forth that develop the characters in great detail and present a fertile set up for the future books. It's a fun romp that ends with the captain and crew having progressed from a seemingly shallow existence to one of great depth and potential.
The only nit-picks I can come up with are the many modern day pop-culture references that are used, which I question whether they would be remembered or even relevant so far in the future. Even so, they made me smile. The book is told first-person through the captain, but at one point it switches to another. It's a logical switch, but even so it was jarring and a challenge to adapt too. Plus, it was so short that it made me wonder if it was even necessary - but again, that's just a nit-pick and didn't detract from the enjoyment at all.
If you enjoy a rich sci-fi story, filled with jabbing, sarcastic humor, Nexus will be just right for you.
Nexus is the story of the titular spaceship, captained by the sarcastic Captain Anderson as he leads the crew from planet to planet, negotiating trade agreements and dealing with the various issues that arise from command.
Nexus is a character heavy, dialog driven story as the strength of author Nicolas Wilson is his ability to write witty and sustainable dialog. Overall, the style is bawdy and wry as the captain's usual mode of communication is through jokes and insults to the other crew members - who respond in kind which makes for one zinger after the other.
The story is simple: pilot the ship from one planet to the next in compliance with the duties of the job. Those who wish for a faster moving plot might get bogged down as much of the situations are the captain moving from one conversation to the next. But, as I stated before, these conversations are a humorous back-and-forth that develop the characters in great detail and present a fertile set up for the future books. It's a fun romp that ends with the captain and crew having progressed from a seemingly shallow existence to one of great depth and potential.
The only nit-picks I can come up with are the many modern day pop-culture references that are used, which I question whether they would be remembered or even relevant so far in the future. Even so, they made me smile. The book is told first-person through the captain, but at one point it switches to another. It's a logical switch, but even so it was jarring and a challenge to adapt too. Plus, it was so short that it made me wonder if it was even necessary - but again, that's just a nit-pick and didn't detract from the enjoyment at all.
If you enjoy a rich sci-fi story, filled with jabbing, sarcastic humor, Nexus will be just right for you.
May 1, 2014
First, I have to confess this was my first read of a harder science fiction novel, so take with a grain of salt. I thought the story was fun and enjoyed traveling with the crew of the Nexus into unknown worlds and civilizations. I really loved the Abhijna one celled beings that could morph into something the Nexus' own captain could love - Sam. The banter was humorous and light and the author is a polished, well-written author. I am excited to read his next book The Necromancer's Gambit - being a little less hard sci-fi.
The reason I gave it a 3 instead of a 4 and it was very close - and honestly, true science fiction fans will most likely score it an easy 4 or 5- but the main reason was that I personally had a hard time with the people being only referred to by their department names for the most part - SecDiv, MedDiv, SciDiv, etc., and I was confused at times who was who because there are obviously a lot of people needed to run a self sufficient ship. After finishing the book, I understand why he chose to do this, but it was a little distracting. The other reason, which I can see the male population will likely enjoy more, are the constant sexual innuendos. Pretty much every conversation comes back to sex before it's over. It was funny, but these two things just made it more difficult to connect with the characters.
Again, I did enjoy the author's writing style and the story was fast paced, I just think it wasn't exactly down my alley. No fault on the writer, just my own personal preference. I do highly recommend Nexus for science fiction lovers and I can't wait to read another book by Nic Wilson.
The reason I gave it a 3 instead of a 4 and it was very close - and honestly, true science fiction fans will most likely score it an easy 4 or 5- but the main reason was that I personally had a hard time with the people being only referred to by their department names for the most part - SecDiv, MedDiv, SciDiv, etc., and I was confused at times who was who because there are obviously a lot of people needed to run a self sufficient ship. After finishing the book, I understand why he chose to do this, but it was a little distracting. The other reason, which I can see the male population will likely enjoy more, are the constant sexual innuendos. Pretty much every conversation comes back to sex before it's over. It was funny, but these two things just made it more difficult to connect with the characters.
Again, I did enjoy the author's writing style and the story was fast paced, I just think it wasn't exactly down my alley. No fault on the writer, just my own personal preference. I do highly recommend Nexus for science fiction lovers and I can't wait to read another book by Nic Wilson.
August 4, 2014
http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/08/04...
Publisher: Victory
Publishing Date: july 2014
ISBN: 9781301673568
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.0/5
Publisher Description: Captain Anderson Grant of the corporate starship Nexus boldly explores alien worlds (and occasionally the alien women, too). Grant and his crew struggle with the company’s version of manifest destiny, as well as its attempt to coerce them into military force. They begin to question whether the largest threat to their mission and their safety will come from outside the Nexus or from the company that respects them more for their genetic possibilities than their individuality.
Review: Cover art is really bad.
The reason I did not finish this novel was mainly due to the endless dialogue between characters and the lengthy explanations tethered to the dialogue in order to get the reader up to speed. Rather than have the story-line unfold through the process of movement, you get bludgeoned with informational dialogue.
There is this paradigm where one moment you have Mr. Captain Swashbuckling womanizer to Captain Rules and Procedures. It is constantly alluded to that Captain Cod Piece bangs more chicks than Captain Kirk, but is found languishing in a bar, drunk as shjt and crying for a lost love. As the story unfolds you find that the crew are pretty much indentured servants, then all of a sudden you get the space opera vibe. Very schizophrenic. There was also this smug, “yuckity yuckity yuk”, backslapping camaraderie that tended to grind.
Sorry this one is a pass, mainly for the length tied to the dialogue I could not endure.
Publisher: Victory
Publishing Date: july 2014
ISBN: 9781301673568
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.0/5
Publisher Description: Captain Anderson Grant of the corporate starship Nexus boldly explores alien worlds (and occasionally the alien women, too). Grant and his crew struggle with the company’s version of manifest destiny, as well as its attempt to coerce them into military force. They begin to question whether the largest threat to their mission and their safety will come from outside the Nexus or from the company that respects them more for their genetic possibilities than their individuality.
Review: Cover art is really bad.
The reason I did not finish this novel was mainly due to the endless dialogue between characters and the lengthy explanations tethered to the dialogue in order to get the reader up to speed. Rather than have the story-line unfold through the process of movement, you get bludgeoned with informational dialogue.
There is this paradigm where one moment you have Mr. Captain Swashbuckling womanizer to Captain Rules and Procedures. It is constantly alluded to that Captain Cod Piece bangs more chicks than Captain Kirk, but is found languishing in a bar, drunk as shjt and crying for a lost love. As the story unfolds you find that the crew are pretty much indentured servants, then all of a sudden you get the space opera vibe. Very schizophrenic. There was also this smug, “yuckity yuckity yuk”, backslapping camaraderie that tended to grind.
Sorry this one is a pass, mainly for the length tied to the dialogue I could not endure.
September 1, 2013
Kicks mainstream sci-fi out the airlock
Recently, I've picked up a lot of sci-fi books which are Star Trek / Star Wars wannabes. This is not one of them. From the opening paragraph, Nicolas Wilson lets you know you're not in for a glossy sanitized vision of the future. Quite the opposite. The best comparison I can make is Douglas Adams on Viagra with the Parental Guidance filter turned off. But that doesn't quite do it justice. Nexus has its own unique style.
Interestingly, Nicolas Wilson categorises Nexus as a Space Opera. But there's no opera going on. It's pure rock 'n roll - as the crew rolls space rocks to keep Sontem Corporation's shareholder dividends looking good.
On the surface, Nexus is a story about the conquest of planets, mining rights and aliens. Captain Grant of the Nexus puts Captain Kirk to shame in the conquest department. Conquest being the operative word here. And there's even the conquest of commboxes too for that matter, but you'll have to read it to find out why. Go a layer down and there's a healthy dose of cynical satire poking fun at big corporation culture and life aboard a multi-generational ship.
For my taste, I found Nexus a bit talkie in places and would have liked more descriptive writing to break it up a bit. For the most part, it hoofs along with craft, intelligence and plenty of laughs.
Nexus is a most enjoyable contrast to the mass of books that have come straight out of the Enterprise replicator. In story and style it's quirky, off-beat, fresh and original. Roll on parts two and three.
Recently, I've picked up a lot of sci-fi books which are Star Trek / Star Wars wannabes. This is not one of them. From the opening paragraph, Nicolas Wilson lets you know you're not in for a glossy sanitized vision of the future. Quite the opposite. The best comparison I can make is Douglas Adams on Viagra with the Parental Guidance filter turned off. But that doesn't quite do it justice. Nexus has its own unique style.
Interestingly, Nicolas Wilson categorises Nexus as a Space Opera. But there's no opera going on. It's pure rock 'n roll - as the crew rolls space rocks to keep Sontem Corporation's shareholder dividends looking good.
On the surface, Nexus is a story about the conquest of planets, mining rights and aliens. Captain Grant of the Nexus puts Captain Kirk to shame in the conquest department. Conquest being the operative word here. And there's even the conquest of commboxes too for that matter, but you'll have to read it to find out why. Go a layer down and there's a healthy dose of cynical satire poking fun at big corporation culture and life aboard a multi-generational ship.
For my taste, I found Nexus a bit talkie in places and would have liked more descriptive writing to break it up a bit. For the most part, it hoofs along with craft, intelligence and plenty of laughs.
Nexus is a most enjoyable contrast to the mass of books that have come straight out of the Enterprise replicator. In story and style it's quirky, off-beat, fresh and original. Roll on parts two and three.
September 16, 2014
“Nexus” was published in 2013 and was written by Nicolas Wilson. Mr Wilson has written nine novels as well as some short stories. This is the first novel of “The Sontem Trilogy”.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there is Mature Language, Mature Situations and Violence. The novel is written in the third person and is set in a far future where space exploration has just begun in ernest. The primary character is Anderson “Drew” Grant, with a little peak at Pete Ferguson’s point of view.
Drew is Captain of the starship Nexus, which is on a deep space mission for the Sontem company to explore and secure business contracts for the corporation. As they visit diverse planets they encounter friends, as well as enemies. The crew must deal with internal strife, corporate over site, and hostile aliens.
I spent about 10.5 hours reading this novel, and I had mixed feeling about it. I liked the plot from the stand point of a Star Trek like exploration. The down side is that Drew is constantly a wise ass, as is much of the rest of the crew. There was really too much of that for my taste.
I also found Drew to be a less than heroic, likable character. I would never place him as an officer on any vessel, and certainly not as the captain. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there is Mature Language, Mature Situations and Violence. The novel is written in the third person and is set in a far future where space exploration has just begun in ernest. The primary character is Anderson “Drew” Grant, with a little peak at Pete Ferguson’s point of view.
Drew is Captain of the starship Nexus, which is on a deep space mission for the Sontem company to explore and secure business contracts for the corporation. As they visit diverse planets they encounter friends, as well as enemies. The crew must deal with internal strife, corporate over site, and hostile aliens.
I spent about 10.5 hours reading this novel, and I had mixed feeling about it. I liked the plot from the stand point of a Star Trek like exploration. The down side is that Drew is constantly a wise ass, as is much of the rest of the crew. There was really too much of that for my taste.
I also found Drew to be a less than heroic, likable character. I would never place him as an officer on any vessel, and certainly not as the captain. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
August 17, 2013
This is a somewhat unevenly written book. The concept, a starship sent out to explore and secure mining and similar rights for the company that owns it, is certanly good. The technology makes sense and is internaly consistent. And the detail put into the alien cultures encountered was well executed.
But there's a certain immaturity in the characters. I'd be hard pressed to come up with more than one conversation that doesn't revolve around either sex and/or violence. A crewmember does something really wrong, and their punishment ends up being having their name changed to something about masturbation. Even the ship's AI starts making sexual jokes.
I think there are some great ideas here, but they might want some reworking. Still, it's a good sci fi story with a lot of promise. One thing I'd suggest: the divisions of the ship are abbreviatred, such as EngDiv for Engineering Divison, but the person who runs the division is also called EngDev, and it gets a bit confusing at times.
It's a good story that could probably be better with some edits along the way.
But there's a certain immaturity in the characters. I'd be hard pressed to come up with more than one conversation that doesn't revolve around either sex and/or violence. A crewmember does something really wrong, and their punishment ends up being having their name changed to something about masturbation. Even the ship's AI starts making sexual jokes.
I think there are some great ideas here, but they might want some reworking. Still, it's a good sci fi story with a lot of promise. One thing I'd suggest: the divisions of the ship are abbreviatred, such as EngDiv for Engineering Divison, but the person who runs the division is also called EngDev, and it gets a bit confusing at times.
It's a good story that could probably be better with some edits along the way.
September 22, 2013
I received a copy of this book for honest review. 'Nexus' is the first in a sci-fi trilogy set on a ship called the Nexus, captained by Anderson Grant.
This book is really different and extremely amusing. The story was well crafted and intelligent, and very uniquely told. The characters were all quite quick-witted and fun, though a lot of their names were confusingly similar.
This book isn't bogged down in description, as the story's mainly told through dialogue exchanges. I'd say it's something like 80% dialogue, a lot of which is sexually suggestive in a hilariously immature kind of way. I think whether you like this book or not is going to depend on your sense of humour. I thought it was brilliantly funny so it gets a thumbs up from me!
If you like sci-fi, aren't put off by sexual innuendo and want to read something unique and fun then I'd highly recommend this book!
This book is really different and extremely amusing. The story was well crafted and intelligent, and very uniquely told. The characters were all quite quick-witted and fun, though a lot of their names were confusingly similar.
This book isn't bogged down in description, as the story's mainly told through dialogue exchanges. I'd say it's something like 80% dialogue, a lot of which is sexually suggestive in a hilariously immature kind of way. I think whether you like this book or not is going to depend on your sense of humour. I thought it was brilliantly funny so it gets a thumbs up from me!
If you like sci-fi, aren't put off by sexual innuendo and want to read something unique and fun then I'd highly recommend this book!
August 10, 2014
Nexus is fast paced. It is action filled. The story is told mainly in dialog. Saying all of that it should have more than three stars but it just did not make the grade for me. The dialog just tried to be too cute. I had trouble tell who was saying what. The characters did not have names. They were identified by their position on the ship. There was little character development and a lot of character bashing. All of that fast paced action is the set up for the series. Everything that happened was leading up to a crisis near the end. I was never really into the story until the last few pages. I did like Nexus enough that I will try the next book when it is released. It is fairly good Science Fiction just not great Science Fiction
September 25, 2013
A fantastic blend of scientific innovation, quirky characters, and an intriguing story all form the backbone of Nexus. Now most of the science in the novel isn't by far "ground breaking," but it actually carries quite a level of intelligence that is rare for most indie sci-fi. But what I truly enjoyed about the novel was the chemistry between most of the characters, and although it bounded more often into the sexual realm that what I personally prefer, it remained humorous and didn't come out as vile. (not 50 Shades of Gray level mature)
If you enjoy science fiction and want a read that will actually make you laugh, (rare for science fiction) I'd highly suggest reading Nexus.
If you enjoy science fiction and want a read that will actually make you laugh, (rare for science fiction) I'd highly suggest reading Nexus.
October 12, 2013
Sci Fi Fo Fum: I Smell the Blood of a Great New Series!
Nexus, by Nicolas Wilson, is a fun, campy science fiction read. If Harry Dresden and Kathryn Janeway had a son, he'd be Captain Grant Anderson.
With snappy dialogue, gleeful sexual innuendo, and exciting action, Nexus is an excellent book. It would make a great comic book, television series, and running gag on Saturday Night Live.
Pick up this imaginative read today, and go where no man has gone before.
Nexus, by Nicolas Wilson, is a fun, campy science fiction read. If Harry Dresden and Kathryn Janeway had a son, he'd be Captain Grant Anderson.
With snappy dialogue, gleeful sexual innuendo, and exciting action, Nexus is an excellent book. It would make a great comic book, television series, and running gag on Saturday Night Live.
Pick up this imaginative read today, and go where no man has gone before.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews