The Thunderchild Fables

by Roger Emile Stouff, Kenneth R. Brown

The USS Thunderchild expedition carried the dreams of a nation and a world. For the first time human beings would set foot on Mars.But the Thunderchild crashed into the face of the Red Planet on entry, leaving the stranded crew with limited chances of survival unless a hastily-launched rescue ship arrives in time to save them.But in a shallow valley just beyond the wreckage of the ship the crew discovers someone had reached Mars before them, unknown to all human kind, and left the evidence of its visit strewn across the valley floor. Panic and fear cascade through the survivors. Captain Myles Jacobs sees that they are bickering among themselves and fears losing control over the expedition's members and all their lives. He orders the crew to present him with What have they found in that red valley and how did it come to be there?He expected trained analytical hypotheses from the best astronauts and scientists the space program could offer, but what he gets are the Fables, extraordinary tales derived from each crewman's experiences, paradigms and personalities.Helmsman Ben Chambers draws inspiration from his estranged father, a career military officer who disdained his son's choice to join the space program; Engineer Travis MacArthur resurrects a boy's memory of a circus and a startling magic trick; Navigator and Science Officer Vincent Carpelli allows bigotry to spin a tale of betrayal; Dr. Luka Spears recalls the loss of a beloved childhood pet to conjure a fantastical tale of mythical proportions; and Captain Jacobs himself warns of the horror of interplanetary civil war.One-by-one they tell their tales, and the hours tick away, waiting for that ship hurtling its way through space to reach them.And something on Mars is listening.

Genres: Science Fiction

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Roger Emile Stouff is the son of Nicholas Leonard Stouff Jr., last chief of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, and Lydia Marie Gaudet Stouff, daughter of a Cajun farmer. He has been a journalist for more than thirty years and writer of the award-winning column "From the Other Side" in the St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune. He was featured on the television show "Fly Fishing America" in 2006, and was writer and narrator of the documentary "Native Waters: A Chitimacha Recollection" on Louisiana Public Broadcasting in 2010. Based on his two memoirs, "Native Waters" and "The Great Sadness," the show is now showing on public broadcasting stations nationwide, was nominated for an Emmy and was recipient of a Bronze Telly Award.

He writes extensively about his Native American ancestry in autobiography, fiction and short stories, including the connection the Chitimacha, "people of the many waters" hold to the ancestral waters of the Atchafalaya Basin.

With co-author Kenneth Brown he has also authored science-fiction and epic fantasy novels, including the first two books of the series "The Allidian Saga."

Reviews

[Babette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! It is several short tales, all linked by an over-arching main story. I was hooked by every single character's explanation for some serious weirdness on Mars. This reminded me of The Martian Chronicles, but updates with modern society. I love finding great books, and new authors. I recommend this one!