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Quantum Tales: Volume 1
Prepare to journey through four worlds of science "Man Overboard" - A starship captain races to save his son who's fallen into another dimension "Erasing Einstein" - In a future where babies are made to order, a doctor tries to keep a couple from taking the genius out of their unborn child "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" - The discovery of a genetically engineered tree that grows money turns a neighborhood against itself "The Morning After" - A scientist created a weapon that ended the war between humans and alien invaders, but he's forced to face the consequences.
57 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2013
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About the author
Nigel G. Mitchell
27 books42 followersNigel G. Mitchell is a writer for the popular sci-fi blog, The Geek Twins. His work has been featured regularly in Slashfilm, Blastr, io9, and Screenrant. His short stories have been published in Lost Worlds and Black Hole Magazine. His latest novel is "Dead Links."
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 29, 2016
Nigel G. Mitchell, author of the techno-thriller "Dead Links," returns to riveting form with the imaginative, action-and-suspense-packed short story "Man Overboard." In the future, humans span space and time. One breed of space-time farers, called "quanta fishermen," search presumably for massive accumulations of the smallest amounts of radiant energy (or "quanta"). Veteran fisherman Captain Shane Laughlin is nearing the end of a prosperous, but draining, 30-year career. Then, during a run, he suddenly loses a man. But when sensors determine it's not just any man, but his son Hank instead, Laughlin must decide whether to re-open old wounds and risk his ship and crew on another costly rescue or to retain his steely professionalism and continue the hunt (minus one crewman).
True to form, author Mitchell excels at presenting a dynamic cast of multicultural characters. DeMaio is a chain-smoking, plain-speaking female engineer; Chang, the duty-bound replacement navigator; and Hank, the eager and idealistic captain's son. African American Captain Shane Laughlin posesses the necessary dose of potent, iron will that is tempered (when need be) by paternal warmth and concern, bringing to mind "Moby Dick's" Ahab and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's" Benjamin Sisko. The settings are mostly inside Laughlin's ship The Indigo. Mitchell gives it a rather rough and utilitarian feel, rather than making it a high tech, chauffeured ride. This adds to the suspense, as the ship's crew rely not so much slick automation, but must instead physically contend with a variety of space-time dangers.
The short story's only drawback is that the author doesn't fully explain what "quanta" are. Without some knowledge of physics, the average reader may assume they are lower lifeforms to be harvested for food (since the term "fishermen" is prominently used). Given the story's sci-fi basis, however, it's more likely that quanta refer to the smallest measurement of radiant energy (as theorized by German physicist Max Planck). Mitchell does assign them great value and worth the risk of capturing, but perhaps leaves it up to the reader to determine the true nature of quanta (as was done by Arthur C. Clarke with The Monolith).
Complete with hyperstorms, slipstreams, and even "sharks", "Man Overboard" exemplifies the adage "good things come in small packages." Nigel Mitchell delivers plenty of rich characterization, action, and suspense, while crafting a universe that is full of enough imaginative technology and natural phenomena to captify die-hard sci-fi fans.
True to form, author Mitchell excels at presenting a dynamic cast of multicultural characters. DeMaio is a chain-smoking, plain-speaking female engineer; Chang, the duty-bound replacement navigator; and Hank, the eager and idealistic captain's son. African American Captain Shane Laughlin posesses the necessary dose of potent, iron will that is tempered (when need be) by paternal warmth and concern, bringing to mind "Moby Dick's" Ahab and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's" Benjamin Sisko. The settings are mostly inside Laughlin's ship The Indigo. Mitchell gives it a rather rough and utilitarian feel, rather than making it a high tech, chauffeured ride. This adds to the suspense, as the ship's crew rely not so much slick automation, but must instead physically contend with a variety of space-time dangers.
The short story's only drawback is that the author doesn't fully explain what "quanta" are. Without some knowledge of physics, the average reader may assume they are lower lifeforms to be harvested for food (since the term "fishermen" is prominently used). Given the story's sci-fi basis, however, it's more likely that quanta refer to the smallest measurement of radiant energy (as theorized by German physicist Max Planck). Mitchell does assign them great value and worth the risk of capturing, but perhaps leaves it up to the reader to determine the true nature of quanta (as was done by Arthur C. Clarke with The Monolith).
Complete with hyperstorms, slipstreams, and even "sharks", "Man Overboard" exemplifies the adage "good things come in small packages." Nigel Mitchell delivers plenty of rich characterization, action, and suspense, while crafting a universe that is full of enough imaginative technology and natural phenomena to captify die-hard sci-fi fans.
April 14, 2014
It's sort of Jonah or Moby-Dick meets Star Trek when a spaceship fishing for "quanta" loses its captain's son and they have to undertake a dangerous journey into hyperspace to save him. A good short story about fathers and sons.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews