Vampire-Tech

by Bryan Romer

Alien science collides head on with ancient horror. The accidental discovery of long lost alien artefacts unleashes a fresh threat of werewolves upon the world and turns a beautiful test-pilot into a high-tech vampire.

– Bullets, fangs, and blood. Lots of blood.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2014

About the author

Despite being a boring Chartered Accountant, I've lived and worked all over the world, I'm multi-lingual, I've had a wild python crawl over my legs, and been chased by machete wielding mobs.

I've loved Science Fiction ever since I started reading, from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Doc EE Smith, Poul Anderson, Keith Laumer, Andre Norton, to David Drake and David Weber. I particularly like Military Science Fiction and my favourite publisher is BAEN.

My science fiction is based upon coherent worlds where things don't happen to work just because it is convenient to the plot, and where the concepts and "what ifs" are just as important as the lives of the characters and never just provide a pretty background of stars to a romance.

Reviews

[V.W. Singer]

Transparency Note: I am the author (different pen name).

I have always been a fan of both SF as well as Horror and Fantasy, especially the traditional Vampire/Nosferatu genre. For the longest time, I thought about how Science Fiction and "creature" horror might be combined. Zombies are easy, so are radioactive lizards and spiders. But what about Vampires and Werewolves?

After all, even if genetic manipulation developed to the stage that scientists could "breed" something that looked and worked like a Vampire or Werewolf, why would they bother? A "super soldier" yes, but Vampire?

And that doesn't explain the Vampires and Werewolves of the past. Would I have to throw in time travel as well? That seemed like stretching credibility a bit too far for good solid SF. Mutations perhaps? Again, historical mutations that resulted in stable races of both Vampire and Werewolf, but are never seen in a modern day maternity wards seemed very unlikely.

Then the solution hit me. Something that was not totally impossible to advanced science, and yet explained the historical existence of these fantastical creatures and their behaviour perfectly.

That was the start of "Vampire-Tech".

What if this "cause" of Vampirism and Lycanthropy surfaced again today? How would we respond? Certainly not with hammer and stake. And then what about the Vampires of old? What if some of them had survived and learned about this "new" outbreak. How would they respond?

So this is the background behind "Vampire-Tech", a straight SF novel that manages to incorporate Vampires and Werewolves, as well as the reactions of ordinary people when these mythical creatures rise again.

I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did creating this strange new world that isn't that new at all.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Reading this book is like watching a firework display! There is bang! fizz! Crack! pop!
The bangs are the ideas. There is quite a lot of what sounds like technical language but also there is a constant thudding heart beat of creativity and innovation. There are Werewolves, Vampires and even Dracula!
The fizz is the writing which is concise, pacey and tight. There is no dragging or lagging or waste.
The crack is the action which is frantic, exciting and sometimes rather scary. Rather like a comic strip.
The pop is the coherence and togetherness of it all.
This book is such a breath of fresh air. Sometimes it overwhelmed me!
The only small criticism I have is that I would have liked more about the characters, but perhaps this will come in the next edition...? Bring it on!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryan Romer’s vampire-werewolf novel is not intended as your typical fantasy-romance, but instead combines science with the legends, infusing it with action of a military calibre. Not being au fait with the vampire-werewolf genre, one of the main and easiest comparisons to make was with the Underworld film series, especially with the action, rivalry, and three-way battle.

There is certainly an early glimpse of something intriguing beneath the surface when the protagonists “change”, and I liked the setting and accompanying introductory ideas of a crash into a cave and discovered alien technology that is linked to alien memories. At this point, I had hoped for something like the Alien films or Prometheus. Unfortunately, these ideas were not developed and explored during this particular novel, and it seemed I was going to be led into the vampire-werewolf romp I had hoped to avoid. For example, there were times when I felt I had to be more acquainted and interested in the genre’s films or books when references were made, of which were numerous.

Vampire-Tech is intense and focuses mainly on action, military martial arts, and has a supernatural kick. In this way, it reminded me of the Underworld film series, but with an established setting and clear progression. The multiple POV worked well in this way, and though we saw through the eyes of many inconsequential characters, it did keep the pace rolling at breakneck speed.

Overall, though Vampire-Tech was not the alien/mystery read I thought I wanted it was well-written with precise technical vocabulary. Sometimes the action was so engrossing that I didn’t much care that I was reading a vampire-werewolf novel, and I even took to a winning quote: “If you believe in werewolves, why don’t you tell me what I am?”