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Space Crazy
The Ontarrin Galaxy is a rough and tumble place. Young Dar Meltom knows this for fact. As the half breed offspring of an incredibly unlikely joining between an Earthling male and a Satiren female, he knows what fighting is all about. Having spent his childhood on Erotis 3 getting into fights because he was different, Dar’s only solace comes from watching the stars. He’s crazy about them. He dreams about them, and secretly wishes he could be among them.His mother, Denrika, knows her son is at a disadvantage. Living in a purebred society, his chances for getting a job after he graduates school are slim. Until one day, a large alien strolls into the general store where she works. His name is Gwog, and he’s captain of the space freighter Cunik. Little does he know, Denrika will convince him that he needs another crew member—a seventeen year old half breed with his head in the stars.Dar joins the crew of the Cunik and quickly learns that space life isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. After being on board only a few days, he’s stricken with Skrinnian fever and nearly dies. Gwog and Karnis nurse him back to health, and then he learns more important lessons about death, pirates, love, and the value of the friends he’s made. Until such time as he’s on his own, Dar absorbs everything Gwog teaches him. Then, one night, a game of Sirrixian poker changes his life forever…
- GenresScience FictionFiction
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
K. Rowe
50 books9 followersI'm just finishing up 20 years in the Air Force. I write a variety of genres: military thriller, romance, sci-fi, supernatural thriller, horror, and fantasy.
You can find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/K-Rowe-...
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All books are available on Amazon- either in paperback or Kindle; and on Smashwords.
You can find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/K-Rowe-...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project...
All books are available on Amazon- either in paperback or Kindle; and on Smashwords.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews
February 26, 2012
I was discussing this story with a friend of mine the other day. I told her of the lack of depth of the main character. He didn't really have any displays of strong emotion nor were we invited into his inner thoughts about any of the issues he did face.
I spoke of how the MC didn't really have to resolve any real conflicts throughout the story. What conflicts that arose were resolved easily, quickly and with very little challenge.
These factors left me vaguely dissatisfied with the story. My friend asked me why I was continuing with the story. So I pondered the reasons that drew me in and kept me drawn into the story.
The story itself was interesting. It moved fairly quickly. The aliens' descriptions were well-done and the language of one of the aliens felt well-developed and easy to follow. World building (or in this case, the small bit of the universe we traveled through) was sufficient enough to be able to imagine in this short.
The author is a fairly good writer, and with more practice at giving the main characters more depth, will become a very good writer. I look forward to seeing how this author grows in her writing adventure.
I spoke of how the MC didn't really have to resolve any real conflicts throughout the story. What conflicts that arose were resolved easily, quickly and with very little challenge.
These factors left me vaguely dissatisfied with the story. My friend asked me why I was continuing with the story. So I pondered the reasons that drew me in and kept me drawn into the story.
The story itself was interesting. It moved fairly quickly. The aliens' descriptions were well-done and the language of one of the aliens felt well-developed and easy to follow. World building (or in this case, the small bit of the universe we traveled through) was sufficient enough to be able to imagine in this short.
The author is a fairly good writer, and with more practice at giving the main characters more depth, will become a very good writer. I look forward to seeing how this author grows in her writing adventure.
February 1, 2012
“Story is more than plot, that it's the journey that matters, not how fast you arrive at your destination.” - George R.R. Martin
As I read this line a few days ago in Martin's “Not a blog,” I kept thinking about the latest story I read from K. Rowe, “Space Crazy.”
I enjoyed the short book, but to a point. There was something nagging at me for much of the book and even after I was done. After I read that line from Martin, it hit me. Space Crazy made it seem I was watching someone's life rather than living it and feeling what the main character, Dar, was going through in different stages of his life.
There were so many different life events readers witnessed with his character. The book spanned about 10 years of his life. But only once was I ever really pulled into Dar's feelings. Even through death, leaving home for the first time and gaining the trust and friendship of people he cared about, Rowe didn't dig deep enough.
The first time Dar faced death, he had a reaction. But after the initial surprise, he didn't seem to have anything to say about it. Here's the passage immediately following the death of his friend. (I intentionally took out the name as to not to give away too many spoilers).
““You just never think…” he said softly, reaching over to flip ***** ear back over his face. Dar had never seen someone dead before, his emotions were confused. He wanted his friend to come back to life, he was learning so much. And he loved watching him fly around the engine room. Now he was gone—in the blink of an eye.”
Rowe writes: “he was learning so much.”
That's the part that gets me. Don't tell me he's learning so much. Show me. Pull me inside the character, so I understand what he is learning, what he is feeling. Don't tell me that he is angry, which he says a few paragraphs later.
It could have been a much more effective scene if Dar went back to his room and experienced a fit of rage, trashing his room from anger. Or maybe even shedding a tear, then composing himself before meeting his crew for dinner, trying to avoid showing the others just how angry and scared he is over what could potentially be his fate.
The internal dialogue is missing.
The book's best writing involves a joining – think sex – scene. If the rest of the book matched that energy, this could have been a fantastic novel by Rowe. Instead, the book's characters fell flat.
Read more at WordsbySooz.com
As I read this line a few days ago in Martin's “Not a blog,” I kept thinking about the latest story I read from K. Rowe, “Space Crazy.”
I enjoyed the short book, but to a point. There was something nagging at me for much of the book and even after I was done. After I read that line from Martin, it hit me. Space Crazy made it seem I was watching someone's life rather than living it and feeling what the main character, Dar, was going through in different stages of his life.
There were so many different life events readers witnessed with his character. The book spanned about 10 years of his life. But only once was I ever really pulled into Dar's feelings. Even through death, leaving home for the first time and gaining the trust and friendship of people he cared about, Rowe didn't dig deep enough.
The first time Dar faced death, he had a reaction. But after the initial surprise, he didn't seem to have anything to say about it. Here's the passage immediately following the death of his friend. (I intentionally took out the name as to not to give away too many spoilers).
““You just never think…” he said softly, reaching over to flip ***** ear back over his face. Dar had never seen someone dead before, his emotions were confused. He wanted his friend to come back to life, he was learning so much. And he loved watching him fly around the engine room. Now he was gone—in the blink of an eye.”
Rowe writes: “he was learning so much.”
That's the part that gets me. Don't tell me he's learning so much. Show me. Pull me inside the character, so I understand what he is learning, what he is feeling. Don't tell me that he is angry, which he says a few paragraphs later.
It could have been a much more effective scene if Dar went back to his room and experienced a fit of rage, trashing his room from anger. Or maybe even shedding a tear, then composing himself before meeting his crew for dinner, trying to avoid showing the others just how angry and scared he is over what could potentially be his fate.
The internal dialogue is missing.
The book's best writing involves a joining – think sex – scene. If the rest of the book matched that energy, this could have been a fantastic novel by Rowe. Instead, the book's characters fell flat.
Read more at WordsbySooz.com
April 19, 2020
What an amazing read! I very much enjoyed the story and am very anxious to see what happens to Dar as the captain of his own ship. I highly recommend this book because it takes you to the stars and beyond.
August 9, 2023
A very good book!
I really enjoyed this book! I was so glad that the young man had such a good heart as he got older and didn’t let the bulling he got when he was younger turn him bitter and mean.
I really enjoyed this book! I was so glad that the young man had such a good heart as he got older and didn’t let the bulling he got when he was younger turn him bitter and mean.
March 11, 2018
First read.
Nice read. Could use some spacing between sections of the story. A paragraph divider. Otherwise a good story. Getting ready to start on the next book.
Nice read. Could use some spacing between sections of the story. A paragraph divider. Otherwise a good story. Getting ready to start on the next book.
July 29, 2019
A nice coming of age story in the vein of Heinlein juveniles. I like this one, and will probably read the rest of the trilogy.
April 10, 2014
A good 'starting from nothing' space story, that works out quite well. What kept this book being a 4 was a certain 'lack' of something. Some have said the empathy, but I think the problem is the big gap in the book. One minute he's 17, and starting out, the next he's 27 and things have changed, but also stayed the same. huh what? Nothing of interest happened those 10 years? hell, even spend 2 chapters giving us a few highs and lows. It just feels like I was reading a novella series, and books 2 and 3 were missing, so I went straight from 1 to 4. That really needs fixing.
Overall, its a good story, and a good framework for more, it just needs, well, "filling in" some.
Overall, its a good story, and a good framework for more, it just needs, well, "filling in" some.
October 7, 2012
Dar is a half human in a world of prejudice, watch him as he experiences his first taste of curry and rides as part of the crew in a freighter in space.
An adult space adventure.
An adult space adventure.
November 1, 2012
Cute story. Not very sophisticated writing, but a bit humorous. Enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews