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Chewing Rocks
Chastity Snowden Whyte just wanted to mine for rocks, metal and ice in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Rock mining in space was all she knew. It was all she was good at doing. She was comfortable living alone as the captain of her mining ship the Sedona. Normally she managed with only infrequent trips to the planetoid Ceres for resupply. She didn’t want to have to make extra trips back to base because of equipment failure. She didn’t want to become a mining tutor for a group of newcomers from Earth. And she certainly didn’t want to get entangled in corporate conspiracies, piracy, kidnapping, murder and worst of all…politics.
- GenresScience Fiction
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2009
50 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Alan Black
22 books312 followersAuthor of
sci/fi
Christian/Historical Fiction
Action/Humor
Western
sci/fi
Christian/Historical Fiction
Action/Humor
Western
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 27, 2014
A strong female character you can't help but love...
Chastity Snowden Whyte had gotten into too much trouble trying to defend her name and so started going by Sno. What a great name. Sno! Isn't that a weather condition? people ask when first introduced to her, many of whom have never seen snow, being born somewhere off planet, planet Earth, that is? Sno, herself, had only heard stories of snow, having been born on a planetoid somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. in the opening chapter, Alan Black paints an out-of-this-world picture of young Sno busy outside her spacecraft in her EVA suit, by herself, mining asteroids for rock and hopefully, a rare metal or two. When she returns to her home base in Arizona City on a small planetoid called, Ceres, she gets in a barroom scrap with 4 fellow miners from a competing operation. Without harming so much as a fingernail, she puts them in their place and then shortly after blasts off into the asteroid belt again to work a claim. It's what happens when they chase after her that makes Chewing Rocks so much fun to read. Great action, wonderful word visuals of the planetoid city, the spaceships and the mining operations along with a multitude of colorful characters made Chewing Rocks hard to walk away from. When I got to the arbitration scenes with Therese Cleasemount, I just simply couldn't put my iPad down; actually found myself chuckling now and then. I think maybe our justice system could learn a little bit from Miss Cleasemount.
Chewing Rocks was simply a joy to read. I look forward to reading more about Chasity Snowden (Sno) Whyte.
Chastity Snowden Whyte had gotten into too much trouble trying to defend her name and so started going by Sno. What a great name. Sno! Isn't that a weather condition? people ask when first introduced to her, many of whom have never seen snow, being born somewhere off planet, planet Earth, that is? Sno, herself, had only heard stories of snow, having been born on a planetoid somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. in the opening chapter, Alan Black paints an out-of-this-world picture of young Sno busy outside her spacecraft in her EVA suit, by herself, mining asteroids for rock and hopefully, a rare metal or two. When she returns to her home base in Arizona City on a small planetoid called, Ceres, she gets in a barroom scrap with 4 fellow miners from a competing operation. Without harming so much as a fingernail, she puts them in their place and then shortly after blasts off into the asteroid belt again to work a claim. It's what happens when they chase after her that makes Chewing Rocks so much fun to read. Great action, wonderful word visuals of the planetoid city, the spaceships and the mining operations along with a multitude of colorful characters made Chewing Rocks hard to walk away from. When I got to the arbitration scenes with Therese Cleasemount, I just simply couldn't put my iPad down; actually found myself chuckling now and then. I think maybe our justice system could learn a little bit from Miss Cleasemount.
Chewing Rocks was simply a joy to read. I look forward to reading more about Chasity Snowden (Sno) Whyte.
May 16, 2015
I tried so hard to like this book. I'm generally open to re-writes of fairy tales, and Snow White in space has promise. I was willing to forgive the uninspired naming of characters: Sno Whyte, Evelyn Queen, Prentiss "Prints" Chalmers... And sure, the dialog is kind of awkward. And... well, at some point you have to stop making excuses and realize that a book just isn't going to get better.
Chewing Rocks started as fractured fairy tale, but that was over before the halfway point. It then devolved into a treatise on Libertarian government, followed by a chaotic free-for-all arbitration where everyone seeks justice against everyone else. Then things got REALLY weird.
Also... Proofread! C'mon authors, surely you know SOMEONE willing to read your work and correct glaring mistakes. People shudder. Windows are shuttered. Not the other way around. And if you don't know the difference between a tail and a tale, please go the nearest university and take a biology course and literature course.
Chewing Rocks started as fractured fairy tale, but that was over before the halfway point. It then devolved into a treatise on Libertarian government, followed by a chaotic free-for-all arbitration where everyone seeks justice against everyone else. Then things got REALLY weird.
Also... Proofread! C'mon authors, surely you know SOMEONE willing to read your work and correct glaring mistakes. People shudder. Windows are shuttered. Not the other way around. And if you don't know the difference between a tail and a tale, please go the nearest university and take a biology course and literature course.
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May 19, 2018
What happened here?
I have loved all his earlier work and to a degree this one to. Until he drops all this second amendment, and gunslinger glory around. The book has a good build up to the plot point, but collapses on in-depth explanations on the needs for a gun carrying civilians. It is a good point to discuss in today’s political climate. But falls to short on both sides of the argument. The duelling shooting and killing seems like it came from the old days of pulp fiction, cowboy days. I would recommend all of his other books this however I recommend you leave untouched.
I have loved all his earlier work and to a degree this one to. Until he drops all this second amendment, and gunslinger glory around. The book has a good build up to the plot point, but collapses on in-depth explanations on the needs for a gun carrying civilians. It is a good point to discuss in today’s political climate. But falls to short on both sides of the argument. The duelling shooting and killing seems like it came from the old days of pulp fiction, cowboy days. I would recommend all of his other books this however I recommend you leave untouched.
February 12, 2017
Okay but a bit preachy in the middle
Got off to an OK start, reasonably entertaining. But about half way through the monologues and exposition dumps started to get out of hand. Some rather blatant pro-gun rants, the usual "armed citizens are the only way to keep the big bad politicians in check" and then it all puttered out to a bit of a lacklustre ending.
Got off to an OK start, reasonably entertaining. But about half way through the monologues and exposition dumps started to get out of hand. Some rather blatant pro-gun rants, the usual "armed citizens are the only way to keep the big bad politicians in check" and then it all puttered out to a bit of a lacklustre ending.
January 11, 2018
Enjoyable quick read that in some ways reminded me of Heinlein.
May 29, 2022
Thinly veiled author writing about some sort of perceived utopia that sounds like a giant no to me.
March 19, 2017
Clever satire and a completely original premise.
Characters are a bit over-the-top, but always lots of fun.
Characters are a bit over-the-top, but always lots of fun.
August 21, 2014
Two and a half stars. This was definitely an interesting read but I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I had a hard time figuring out if this book was supposed to be serious, political, or if it was supposed to be dark comedy. Or maybe all of the above? While the action wasn't bad, there was a lot of in between discussions and weird interactions between characters. The crazy justice system seemed to lack any consistent rules...and maybe that was the point. I started losing focus near the end with all of the back and forth with the warrants. I'm honestly not sure. I liked the main character but frankly could have done without the in depth description of her underwear and constant nakedness. In short, I liked the start of the book, and then after that....it just got a little too weird for me.
July 29, 2016
this is a pretty good sci-fi story. it has a big wild west influence to it. unfortunately the sci-fi portion takes up about half of the book. the second half devolves into a libertarian manifesto just barely relevant to the sci-fi section. I rate the first half 4 stars, so why the 1 star rating? it loses half the 4 for being nearly two separate stories and it loses points for having the author as one of the characters giving his political points as monolog instead of through the story itself. and this site doesn't allow users giving half star ratings. I understand that authors have a bias and that stories will carry a bias as well. the better writers are able to get their political points across without being so obvious about them. that monolog ruined a slightly below average book to something I would not recommend except to ayn rand fanboys and fangirls.
August 9, 2014
Alan Black's dry humor and wit kept me turning pages and chuckling throughout his book, Chewing Rocks. Thinking I was fixing to sit down and read a typical sci-fi novel, the story soon took me where I never expected to go: into a courtroom on a strange planet with strange laws. Absolutely unique ... the wildest courtroom drama I've ever read ... extremely imaginative to the point of making John Grisham's earthly courtroom scenes pale in comparison.
Here,though, I'll voice my one complaint to Mr. Black about his tale. Everyone in the Universe gets to see his protagonist, the beautiful Sno Whyte, buck-ass naked at one time or another except me! Now that is grossly unfair!
Here,though, I'll voice my one complaint to Mr. Black about his tale. Everyone in the Universe gets to see his protagonist, the beautiful Sno Whyte, buck-ass naked at one time or another except me! Now that is grossly unfair!
December 16, 2016
Gun control rant.
The author spent almost 10 pages in the middle of the book to argue the 2nd amendment...literally. he tried to frame it as a "way back on old earth..." but it was a shallow attempt at making a current political statement.
(Trigger warning) you should know that the author sets up a rape scene with 4 men tying the protagonist to a table without her clothing, where she waits as the 'men' talk about what they are going to do.
Lastly, Mr. Black writes female characters as locker room talking, sexually manipulating whores. It's truly juvenile.
The author spent almost 10 pages in the middle of the book to argue the 2nd amendment...literally. he tried to frame it as a "way back on old earth..." but it was a shallow attempt at making a current political statement.
(Trigger warning) you should know that the author sets up a rape scene with 4 men tying the protagonist to a table without her clothing, where she waits as the 'men' talk about what they are going to do.
Lastly, Mr. Black writes female characters as locker room talking, sexually manipulating whores. It's truly juvenile.
August 4, 2016
Chastity Snowden Whyte only has a small chip on her shoulder. No problem. She’s an asteroid miner and works alone. But author Alan Black knows that comfortable characters don’t make for good reading. From page one, he piles problem after problem on Sno, keeping the reader turning pages to find out what happens next. Chewing Rocks is engaging science fiction and a fun read. Did Black leave Sno alive and well for a sequel. Read Chewing Rocks to find out.
January 26, 2015
Another great read
I have read now many books by Alan Black. I enjoy that he adds Hispanics to his stories. The first book I read was Titanium Texicans. Was hooked. Don't read many books where the main character is a woman,but found this very entertaining. I'm going to read his other stories that have a "lady" as the main character.
I have read now many books by Alan Black. I enjoy that he adds Hispanics to his stories. The first book I read was Titanium Texicans. Was hooked. Don't read many books where the main character is a woman,but found this very entertaining. I'm going to read his other stories that have a "lady" as the main character.
September 24, 2015
Amazingly fun read...a must for anyone from a small town
Alan Black writes amazing character driven stories. Chewing Rocks is SciFi with a heart. It held my attention in character development,story and just plain fun. I almost went myself from laughing so hard. To anyone from the southwest USA this is a must read....
Alan Black writes amazing character driven stories. Chewing Rocks is SciFi with a heart. It held my attention in character development,story and just plain fun. I almost went myself from laughing so hard. To anyone from the southwest USA this is a must read....
August 8, 2016
Good Space mining story,
The book started out very well , but the second half has nothing to do with sci fi or space. There is also a bit too much Libertarian politics at a time when I personally could use a break from politics. Otherwise well written and interesting but it falls short of his other books.
The book started out very well , but the second half has nothing to do with sci fi or space. There is also a bit too much Libertarian politics at a time when I personally could use a break from politics. Otherwise well written and interesting but it falls short of his other books.
November 20, 2015
Very enjoyable character driven science fiction novel. Very strong female main character who non sexually has trouble keeping her clothes on. Alan Black writes the best kind of books; those you hate to see end and want always to know more.
April 16, 2015
I skipped through most of the last half of this book --- just a bit too juvenile, with characters and a plot right out of a '50s western.
May 7, 2015
Interesting
Not a bad story and kind of like a romp through the woods naked. The story is not awesome but just a fun quick read.
Not a bad story and kind of like a romp through the woods naked. The story is not awesome but just a fun quick read.
September 24, 2015
Rocks
This book was somewhat uneven at times but the ending sure made up for any and all Imperfections. The symbolism that was presented was fantastic. I highly recommend this book.
This book was somewhat uneven at times but the ending sure made up for any and all Imperfections. The symbolism that was presented was fantastic. I highly recommend this book.
December 8, 2019
Good read
Well done worth reading. Pity about the pro gun lobby rant . Sort of spoiled it for me. May be he felt plot required it . I didnt.
Well done worth reading. Pity about the pro gun lobby rant . Sort of spoiled it for me. May be he felt plot required it . I didnt.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews