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Null Vector: A Joe Ballen Prequel Novella
First they framed him. Now they want him dead.
After an accident in space cost Joe Ballen three of his limbs, he's finished as a space engineer—the only job he ever wanted. Now, with a replacement arm and legs that don't work so well, all he has to look forward to is life on basic income and a small medical pension that he drinks his way through all too fast.
But when Joe helps a beautiful woman who’s desperate and needs somewhere to hide, he ends up losing four days out of his life. What’s more, he wakes to discover he's wanted for murder and the theft of a space freighter with a cargo worth millions.
Now the police have all the evidence they fingerprints, his security access codes, video of him committing the crime, and even his DNA from the crime scene. Joe's only chance of proving his innocence is to track down the woman he helped. But he's not the only one looking, and the corpses are piling up.
Get in on the action and find out how it all began in this prequel to David M. Kelly’s popular Joe Ballen series.
Fall guys don't come any snarkier!
After an accident in space cost Joe Ballen three of his limbs, he's finished as a space engineer—the only job he ever wanted. Now, with a replacement arm and legs that don't work so well, all he has to look forward to is life on basic income and a small medical pension that he drinks his way through all too fast.
But when Joe helps a beautiful woman who’s desperate and needs somewhere to hide, he ends up losing four days out of his life. What’s more, he wakes to discover he's wanted for murder and the theft of a space freighter with a cargo worth millions.
Now the police have all the evidence they fingerprints, his security access codes, video of him committing the crime, and even his DNA from the crime scene. Joe's only chance of proving his innocence is to track down the woman he helped. But he's not the only one looking, and the corpses are piling up.
Get in on the action and find out how it all began in this prequel to David M. Kelly’s popular Joe Ballen series.
Fall guys don't come any snarkier!
131 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2024
About the author
David M. Kelly
21 books53 followersDavid M. Kelly writes fast-paced, near-future sci-fi thrillers with engaging characters, cynical humor, and (mostly!) plausible science. He is the author of the Joe Ballen series, Logan's World series, and the Hyperia Jones sci-fi humor series. Along with historical suspense and fantasy author Christie Stratos, he also co-hosts the Fun Classic Reads videocast on YouTube, featuring entertaining live reads and very quick costume changes!
David’s interest in science and technology began early. At the age of six his parents allowed him to stay up late into the night to watch the television broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping on to the surface of the moon. From that day he was hooked on everything related to science and space.
An avid reader, he worked his way through the contents of the mobile library that visited his street, progressing through YA titles (or ‘juveniles’ as they were known back then) on to the classics of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harry Harrison.
David worked for many years in project management and software development. Along the way his interests have included IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, crew chief on a drag racing team, and several years as bass player/vocalist in a heavy rock band. He also managed to fit in some real work in manual jobs from digging ditches and work on production lines to loading trucks in a haulage company.
Originally from the wild and woolly region of Yorkshire, England, David emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario with his patient and supportive wife, Hilary. Foot surgery in 2014 temporarily curtailed many of his favourite activities – hiking, camping, piloting his own personal starfighter (otherwise known as a Corvette ZR-1). But on the plus side, it meant a transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer—an opportunity he grasped enthusiastically.
David is passionate about science, especially astronomy and physics, and is a rabid science news follower. Never short of an opinion, David writes about science and technology on his blog davidmkelly.com. He has supported various charity projects such as the Smithsonian’s Reboot The Suit and the Lowell Observatory Pluto Telescope Restoration. He also contributes to citizen science projects such as SETI@home.
David’s interest in science and technology began early. At the age of six his parents allowed him to stay up late into the night to watch the television broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping on to the surface of the moon. From that day he was hooked on everything related to science and space.
An avid reader, he worked his way through the contents of the mobile library that visited his street, progressing through YA titles (or ‘juveniles’ as they were known back then) on to the classics of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harry Harrison.
David worked for many years in project management and software development. Along the way his interests have included IPSC combat (target) pistol shooting, crew chief on a drag racing team, and several years as bass player/vocalist in a heavy rock band. He also managed to fit in some real work in manual jobs from digging ditches and work on production lines to loading trucks in a haulage company.
Originally from the wild and woolly region of Yorkshire, England, David emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario with his patient and supportive wife, Hilary. Foot surgery in 2014 temporarily curtailed many of his favourite activities – hiking, camping, piloting his own personal starfighter (otherwise known as a Corvette ZR-1). But on the plus side, it meant a transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer—an opportunity he grasped enthusiastically.
David is passionate about science, especially astronomy and physics, and is a rabid science news follower. Never short of an opinion, David writes about science and technology on his blog davidmkelly.com. He has supported various charity projects such as the Smithsonian’s Reboot The Suit and the Lowell Observatory Pluto Telescope Restoration. He also contributes to citizen science projects such as SETI@home.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 6, 2024
Null Vector is a fast and fun sci-fi read, with mystery, suspense, easy world-building, believable tech, and lots of great humor.
I'm not always a fan of a fair helping of humor in books, but in this one, it suited and made the book an even faster read.
Joe Ballen has always been a character I like, but in this book, he's particularly sympathetic due to the issues he's facing, which the author does a great job of dealing with head-on. These are not problems exclusive to the genre; they're common problems faced today, like poverty and disability. It isn't often you have an MC who's living off meager government disability funds, so I found that particularly of interest. Joe's disability isn't romanticized or tamped down for reader comfort either, which is something that drives me crazy in other books. This was handled very well and much more realistically, along with the self-doubt and insecurities that go hand-in-hand.
There's also a great noir feel that I enjoyed, being that I love film noir. If you're also a fan, you'll recognize it. It adds another layer of enjoyment to the book and atmosphere overall.
You don't have to have read the other books in the Joe Ballen series before diving into this prequel; you'll understand everything without them. This may even be the best place to start the series! It sets up Joe's character and past as well as Dollie's character beautifully.
I highly recommend this book!
I'm not always a fan of a fair helping of humor in books, but in this one, it suited and made the book an even faster read.
Joe Ballen has always been a character I like, but in this book, he's particularly sympathetic due to the issues he's facing, which the author does a great job of dealing with head-on. These are not problems exclusive to the genre; they're common problems faced today, like poverty and disability. It isn't often you have an MC who's living off meager government disability funds, so I found that particularly of interest. Joe's disability isn't romanticized or tamped down for reader comfort either, which is something that drives me crazy in other books. This was handled very well and much more realistically, along with the self-doubt and insecurities that go hand-in-hand.
There's also a great noir feel that I enjoyed, being that I love film noir. If you're also a fan, you'll recognize it. It adds another layer of enjoyment to the book and atmosphere overall.
You don't have to have read the other books in the Joe Ballen series before diving into this prequel; you'll understand everything without them. This may even be the best place to start the series! It sets up Joe's character and past as well as Dollie's character beautifully.
I highly recommend this book!
Displaying 1 of 1 review