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Proxima Station
Good morning Anthony!
Anthony is preparing for his eventual Ph.D. defense in anthropology. In less than a week, he’ll orbiting the planet Proxima Centauri b with five spacefaring races, known only to the US Space Command. The military will task him with profiling the aliens for their own dubious motives. His every action will be scrutinized by friends and foes alike.
Anthony is not ready for this.
Anthony is preparing for his eventual Ph.D. defense in anthropology. In less than a week, he’ll orbiting the planet Proxima Centauri b with five spacefaring races, known only to the US Space Command. The military will task him with profiling the aliens for their own dubious motives. His every action will be scrutinized by friends and foes alike.
Anthony is not ready for this.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2025
16 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mollman
7 books41 followersMike Mollman is a charming individual graced with good looks, undeniable charisma and humility. These descriptions come straight from his keyboard, so they must be treated as unimpeachable facts. When he’s not self-aggrandizing, Mike lives in the Richmond, Virginia area with his two dogs and the many voices in his head.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 19, 2025
This is a whacky novella that honestly was the perfect little morsel to tide me over on the last day of my vacation when I wanted something easy and quick to read. I mean, Mike used quite the cheat code on me by naming a professor and one of the first characters to appear after me, which was quite fun.
I am a big fan of Mike’s Protectors of Pretanni series, which is pretty serious epic/quest fantasy. Here Mike is in a completely different and totally zany writing mode, where humor is the number one priority. That’s usually not my bag, but Mike had me smiling early and often with this tale of a newly minted PhD anthropologist thrown onto a spaceship to interact with a bunch of alien species on a space station. There’s a repeated bit with everyone speaking in rhyming couplets due to one of the aliens always talking that way that I loved and that felt so clever on the page. Also, Anthony is an earnest anthropologist, and his thoughtfulness provided some sense of emotional grounding.
Events move insanely fast in this 150-page romp — maybe a bit too fast for me to feel the investment I’d like to even in this comedic tale, and my ability to suspend disbelief was being put almost continually to the test (not loving being stuck in that state is one of the reasons I’m not the biggest of Hitchhiker’s Guide fans).
My favorite bits involved our main character interacting with his new alien buddies, though I don’t think I had enough time with all of them to really feel like they distinguished themselves to the level I was hoping for (minus the bureaucratic slug thing Crighton, who jumped off the page and got a lot of the spotlight) — and that issue might be even more pronounced for the secondary human characters.
Even if it didn’t feel fully developed yet in a lot of ways, Proxima Station charmed me and has me eager for the continuation to see what whacky scenes and lines Mollman is going to come up with next!
I am a big fan of Mike’s Protectors of Pretanni series, which is pretty serious epic/quest fantasy. Here Mike is in a completely different and totally zany writing mode, where humor is the number one priority. That’s usually not my bag, but Mike had me smiling early and often with this tale of a newly minted PhD anthropologist thrown onto a spaceship to interact with a bunch of alien species on a space station. There’s a repeated bit with everyone speaking in rhyming couplets due to one of the aliens always talking that way that I loved and that felt so clever on the page. Also, Anthony is an earnest anthropologist, and his thoughtfulness provided some sense of emotional grounding.
Events move insanely fast in this 150-page romp — maybe a bit too fast for me to feel the investment I’d like to even in this comedic tale, and my ability to suspend disbelief was being put almost continually to the test (not loving being stuck in that state is one of the reasons I’m not the biggest of Hitchhiker’s Guide fans).
My favorite bits involved our main character interacting with his new alien buddies, though I don’t think I had enough time with all of them to really feel like they distinguished themselves to the level I was hoping for (minus the bureaucratic slug thing Crighton, who jumped off the page and got a lot of the spotlight) — and that issue might be even more pronounced for the secondary human characters.
Even if it didn’t feel fully developed yet in a lot of ways, Proxima Station charmed me and has me eager for the continuation to see what whacky scenes and lines Mollman is going to come up with next!
July 18, 2025
To calm myself down, I recite prime numbers in order
September 2, 2025
Very enjoyable short sci-fi read
Thoroughly enjoyed this one and wish it was longer. Some really fascinating world building crammed into this quick read. It’s also nice to see some first-person present written well.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one and wish it was longer. Some really fascinating world building crammed into this quick read. It’s also nice to see some first-person present written well.
July 9, 2025
Proxima Station is a delightfully weird, funny, and fast-paced first contact novella that I didn’t want to put down. It mostly takes place in a single day, following poor Anthony (a PhD in anthropology) who suddenly finds himself on a space station trying to profile five very different alien species. It’s chaotic, charming, and sometimes adorably gross. First contact has never been this awkward, or this fun.
Anthony is a fantastic main character, and even in just 135 pages, the side characters (and aliens!) feel distinct and well-realized. There’s even character art included, which is as darling as the story itself. This was my first Mike Mollman book, but definitely not my last (Becoming A Druid just jumped up my TBR list).
If you’re in the mood for something short, clever, and full of heart (and slime), this one’s a blast.
Anthony is a fantastic main character, and even in just 135 pages, the side characters (and aliens!) feel distinct and well-realized. There’s even character art included, which is as darling as the story itself. This was my first Mike Mollman book, but definitely not my last (Becoming A Druid just jumped up my TBR list).
If you’re in the mood for something short, clever, and full of heart (and slime), this one’s a blast.
July 18, 2025
Proxima Station Saga 01 Proxima Station by Mike Mollman
challenging funny reflective tense
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.75 Stars
I first was introduced to the author's work through his series,
Protectors of Pretanni 01 Becoming a Druid. I'm not sure I was ready for his writing style, but because he was giving away an audio format of this first book in the series, I was able to consume the story, falling in love with the characters. If I had had to read it, I'm not sure I would've enjoyed it as much as I did.
This same issue came in this story, too. This author, in some ways...is like a John Scalzi-esque comedic/serious story about dogs in space.
There isn't a plot, really...but a collection of unique characters, that keep bumping into each other.
Also, there's a "Colonel" Katie Janeway. Okay. That wasn't on my bingo card...at the start of this book, but it worked.
The main character is a normal Joe, by the name of Anthony. He's pretty much an average guy...being put into an extremely specific role...in space.
The aliens are unique and interesting, with pictures of them throughout the story (which I have to say...was nice to read about, and understand what they looked like). Nice touch.
This story will not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it...and am looking forward to sequels in this series.
Grateful for this type of writing.
challenging funny reflective tense
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.75 Stars
I first was introduced to the author's work through his series,
Protectors of Pretanni 01 Becoming a Druid. I'm not sure I was ready for his writing style, but because he was giving away an audio format of this first book in the series, I was able to consume the story, falling in love with the characters. If I had had to read it, I'm not sure I would've enjoyed it as much as I did.
This same issue came in this story, too. This author, in some ways...is like a John Scalzi-esque comedic/serious story about dogs in space.
There isn't a plot, really...but a collection of unique characters, that keep bumping into each other.
Also, there's a "Colonel" Katie Janeway. Okay. That wasn't on my bingo card...at the start of this book, but it worked.
The main character is a normal Joe, by the name of Anthony. He's pretty much an average guy...being put into an extremely specific role...in space.
The aliens are unique and interesting, with pictures of them throughout the story (which I have to say...was nice to read about, and understand what they looked like). Nice touch.
This story will not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it...and am looking forward to sequels in this series.
Grateful for this type of writing.
September 20, 2025
A fun, irreverent look at first contact, not with one, but five separate alien races, all with their own agendas. The humans are trying, desperately, to take control and learn and spy on the aliens to obtain their knowledge and technology, but are failing in spectacular fashion. So they bring a newly-minted PhD anthropologist to make sense of things and, in true military fashion, provide NO help, just thrusting him into a sink-or-float away situation light years from home on a space station. Shennanigans ensue and this novella doesn't shy away from some weird, disgusting, yet somehow not-entirely-unpleasant societal issues. As is usually the case, humans aren't necessarily to good guys here, even as our human hero valiantly works to get everyone to play nice with each other. The first in what is scheduled to be a 6-book series. I'm looking forward to book #2.
September 17, 2025
Had a lot of fun with the various wacky characters in this novella. The story is interesting and the humour is great!
Read
December 5, 2025rttc
July 17, 2025
I read Proxima Station before it was in it's final form and I found it to be a perfectly charming tale of government incompetence and interstellar relations. We are introduced to a menagerie of aliens and a circus of military and political intermediaries who start down the path of a galactic adventure that will either shut humanity out or introduce us to the sentient beings of the universe.
I found Mollman's treatment of the five alien species an interesting commentary on humanity. And this is knowing that he based them on his own menagerie. If you enjoy a lighthearted science fiction romp, this is a good example.
I found Mollman's treatment of the five alien species an interesting commentary on humanity. And this is knowing that he based them on his own menagerie. If you enjoy a lighthearted science fiction romp, this is a good example.
Read
November 28, 2025I read this novella for the indie novella competition, SFINCS. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole.
Proxima Station by Mike Mollman is a whacky space adventure where a young doctor of anthropology is ordered to take part in a secret mission to spy on some alien allies of humanity on a distant space station around the planet Proxima Centauri. Anthony, less than prepared and barely enthusiastic, needs to navigate his situation without any truly useful information about these aliens and with no help from the self-serving military leaders of the project. Humanity’s future in the alliance might depend on him, after all! Also, his aunt is there. And the aliens are dogs.
Well, no. But it quickly becomes clear that the novella doesn’t take itself very seriously. As Anthony goes through his short preparation at a military base, then, after a whirlwind travel on an alien spaceship, arrives at Proxima Station, we’re drawn into a tale of zany encounters and humorous/exasperating banter, both with humans (Anthony’s scientist mates, some buff spy-looking guys, various military personnel) and aliens: the bureaucratic, self-important Napoleon, Crighton, the warrior-like Umbra, Shadow, the goofy and enthusiastic Bwetnib, Buddy, the mysterious and distinguished Erate, Kalliope, and the taciturn Yeti, Grendel. It feels like no one really knows what they’re doing here, but everyone is quick to argue and cause trouble. Anthony, our “simple guy” (with a PhD) stumbles through his first shift as a member of this committee of a sort, obviously getting into much more than he thought he would (even knowing about the aliens). I have to say, even if his character didn’t become my favourite, his often immature but somehow still endearing presence lent a gentle groundedness to the strangeness of this story, even as he stressed about irrelevant things, didn’t ask questions I would have been interested to hear about, or overcomplicated others that did not need to be overcomplicated. Anthony is (mostly) nice, and he tries to do a good job which made him sympathetic.
The thing I enjoyed the most was definitely the interactions between the aliens and Anthony, even if these did go in circles a lot of the time. The personalities of the different species are distinct and well-conveyed, occasionally leaning into stereotypes but at the same time, at least for now, I didn’t feel like there was much more to this aspect than “different cultures more or less willingly trying to coexist”—while humans meddle, as always, and on that note, the novella seems to show that perhaps the invariant property/stereotype of humans should indeed be The Meddling. The little plot intrigue that is presented (an encounter with another, somewhat special “alien race”) also echoes the theme of coexisting, which I appreciated, even when I wished for a little more examination of this (perhaps in the following novellas). It was also clear that what carries the novella is the humor, and there were indeed times when I did smirk about the antics, but I should say that the particular sense of humor in the dialogues and narration did not necessarily work for me that well. I felt some things weren’t that logical, consistent, or well-presented to my taste, and I did wish a little more depth to the characters and the world, and this, together with the absurd-ish tone, was a bit too distracting for me. I also wished Anthony’s anthropology degree/very specific studies played more directly into the plot, other than his underlying attitude of wanting to understand instead of spying or warring, because that detail caught my attention at the beginning very quickly. However, I think there will be a lot of people that the humor and the style will work for, so it’s definitely worth a try. And yes, about the dog thing…there are art pieces scattered between the chapters and at the end of the book displaying the different aliens as inspired by the author’s pets, which I thought was charming.
Proxima Station is a very lighthearted sci-fi look into encounters with different species through the eyes of a simple guy, and might be a perfect quick, wholesome, and entertaining read for sci-fi comedy fans.
Proxima Station by Mike Mollman is a whacky space adventure where a young doctor of anthropology is ordered to take part in a secret mission to spy on some alien allies of humanity on a distant space station around the planet Proxima Centauri. Anthony, less than prepared and barely enthusiastic, needs to navigate his situation without any truly useful information about these aliens and with no help from the self-serving military leaders of the project. Humanity’s future in the alliance might depend on him, after all! Also, his aunt is there. And the aliens are dogs.
Well, no. But it quickly becomes clear that the novella doesn’t take itself very seriously. As Anthony goes through his short preparation at a military base, then, after a whirlwind travel on an alien spaceship, arrives at Proxima Station, we’re drawn into a tale of zany encounters and humorous/exasperating banter, both with humans (Anthony’s scientist mates, some buff spy-looking guys, various military personnel) and aliens: the bureaucratic, self-important Napoleon, Crighton, the warrior-like Umbra, Shadow, the goofy and enthusiastic Bwetnib, Buddy, the mysterious and distinguished Erate, Kalliope, and the taciturn Yeti, Grendel. It feels like no one really knows what they’re doing here, but everyone is quick to argue and cause trouble. Anthony, our “simple guy” (with a PhD) stumbles through his first shift as a member of this committee of a sort, obviously getting into much more than he thought he would (even knowing about the aliens). I have to say, even if his character didn’t become my favourite, his often immature but somehow still endearing presence lent a gentle groundedness to the strangeness of this story, even as he stressed about irrelevant things, didn’t ask questions I would have been interested to hear about, or overcomplicated others that did not need to be overcomplicated. Anthony is (mostly) nice, and he tries to do a good job which made him sympathetic.
The thing I enjoyed the most was definitely the interactions between the aliens and Anthony, even if these did go in circles a lot of the time. The personalities of the different species are distinct and well-conveyed, occasionally leaning into stereotypes but at the same time, at least for now, I didn’t feel like there was much more to this aspect than “different cultures more or less willingly trying to coexist”—while humans meddle, as always, and on that note, the novella seems to show that perhaps the invariant property/stereotype of humans should indeed be The Meddling. The little plot intrigue that is presented (an encounter with another, somewhat special “alien race”) also echoes the theme of coexisting, which I appreciated, even when I wished for a little more examination of this (perhaps in the following novellas). It was also clear that what carries the novella is the humor, and there were indeed times when I did smirk about the antics, but I should say that the particular sense of humor in the dialogues and narration did not necessarily work for me that well. I felt some things weren’t that logical, consistent, or well-presented to my taste, and I did wish a little more depth to the characters and the world, and this, together with the absurd-ish tone, was a bit too distracting for me. I also wished Anthony’s anthropology degree/very specific studies played more directly into the plot, other than his underlying attitude of wanting to understand instead of spying or warring, because that detail caught my attention at the beginning very quickly. However, I think there will be a lot of people that the humor and the style will work for, so it’s definitely worth a try. And yes, about the dog thing…there are art pieces scattered between the chapters and at the end of the book displaying the different aliens as inspired by the author’s pets, which I thought was charming.
Proxima Station is a very lighthearted sci-fi look into encounters with different species through the eyes of a simple guy, and might be a perfect quick, wholesome, and entertaining read for sci-fi comedy fans.
December 31, 2025
Mollman delivered in this greenhorn's first adventure with great one liners and satisfying prose. Full review coming.
July 31, 2025
Proxima Station is the start of a new novella series featuring some odd looking dog-aliens that are bound to grow on you as you get to know them.
Anthony goes through his final steps to obtaining his PhD in anthroplogy. Immediately after he passes, he's then sped away—with no say in the matter—to a space station where he's to observe 5 alien species and learn what he can of their races. No one on the space station has been able to learn much in the month since they've been there, but Anthony has a way with them... perhaps even more-so than with his own kind.
This book is advertised as cozy sci-fi and I'd say that's pretty accurate. I had a lot of fun reading it, and had a good chuckle at certain parts.
Mike Mollman does a great job with character voice and giving the reader a real feel for the personality of each character—particularly the main. And as Anthony got to know the aliens, I felt like each of their characters really came to life throughout the time they'd spent together.
I recognized a lot of names in the book (and loved seeing my own). I enjoyed imagining the behaviours of the aliens and picturing them as dogs in the way they acted or spoke.*gotta love the personalities that come out in them.
The pictures are a fun addition.
Also, I get a kick out of Timberwolf's villainism.
I'm looking forward to continuing this story and seeing how Anthony will get by in his time at the space station.
Anthony goes through his final steps to obtaining his PhD in anthroplogy. Immediately after he passes, he's then sped away—with no say in the matter—to a space station where he's to observe 5 alien species and learn what he can of their races. No one on the space station has been able to learn much in the month since they've been there, but Anthony has a way with them... perhaps even more-so than with his own kind.
This book is advertised as cozy sci-fi and I'd say that's pretty accurate. I had a lot of fun reading it, and had a good chuckle at certain parts.
Mike Mollman does a great job with character voice and giving the reader a real feel for the personality of each character—particularly the main. And as Anthony got to know the aliens, I felt like each of their characters really came to life throughout the time they'd spent together.
I recognized a lot of names in the book (and loved seeing my own). I enjoyed imagining the behaviours of the aliens and picturing them as dogs in the way they acted or spoke.*gotta love the personalities that come out in them.
The pictures are a fun addition.
Also, I get a kick out of Timberwolf's villainism.
I'm looking forward to continuing this story and seeing how Anthony will get by in his time at the space station.
July 16, 2025
I received an ARC in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
Like the author's other novels, it is first person present tense (Mike!) - not my favorite. But it's a fun novella that harkens back to classic sci-fi first contact stories. It doesn't tread much new ground but plays its tropes well, the science is well-founded, the aliens sufficiently alien, and while it's short it leaves plenty of room for future stories. Definitely worth checking out!
Like the author's other novels, it is first person present tense (Mike!) - not my favorite. But it's a fun novella that harkens back to classic sci-fi first contact stories. It doesn't tread much new ground but plays its tropes well, the science is well-founded, the aliens sufficiently alien, and while it's short it leaves plenty of room for future stories. Definitely worth checking out!
August 21, 2025
I devoured half of this book during a flight from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale.
I need to say I got a signed copy from the author at Seattle WorldCon (envy me, peasants) but that—in no means—affects my rating.
This book is hilarious. It's fast paced, full of humor, sarcasm, and a little of—how should I put it?—crazy. The MC is rushed through the process of defending his thesis (or dissertation—you are welcome, UK) because he needs to support Area 51 better understand and categorize a couple of aliens (but don't refer to them like that or else). He is told he will pass and still feels nervous—chef's kiss for relatability.
Throughout the adventure, which is dialogue heavy, Mike's creativity flourish and he creates unique species with known names (Yeti, Napoleon, etc) and some imaginative ones I can barely spell. Not sure if Mike has a degree in biology, but it felt like for the way he described the body parts and the effect they had on the creature's activities (as long tusks making them roll—hilarious). I read he consulted with a family member / friend who is an MD, so there is that.
Overall, this is a laid-back walk in the park—probably space park. Ideal for when you are in the mood for some smart humor, quick read, to forget about the bills. Highly recommend a week after payday, when your account is empty once again.
I wasn't a fan of first person present tense—until now.
P.S.: Yes, I am the Em Dash Queen and you will notice that if you read any of my books.
I need to say I got a signed copy from the author at Seattle WorldCon (envy me, peasants) but that—in no means—affects my rating.
This book is hilarious. It's fast paced, full of humor, sarcasm, and a little of—how should I put it?—crazy. The MC is rushed through the process of defending his thesis (or dissertation—you are welcome, UK) because he needs to support Area 51 better understand and categorize a couple of aliens (but don't refer to them like that or else). He is told he will pass and still feels nervous—chef's kiss for relatability.
Throughout the adventure, which is dialogue heavy, Mike's creativity flourish and he creates unique species with known names (Yeti, Napoleon, etc) and some imaginative ones I can barely spell. Not sure if Mike has a degree in biology, but it felt like for the way he described the body parts and the effect they had on the creature's activities (as long tusks making them roll—hilarious). I read he consulted with a family member / friend who is an MD, so there is that.
Overall, this is a laid-back walk in the park—probably space park. Ideal for when you are in the mood for some smart humor, quick read, to forget about the bills. Highly recommend a week after payday, when your account is empty once again.
I wasn't a fan of first person present tense—until now.
P.S.: Yes, I am the Em Dash Queen and you will notice that if you read any of my books.
November 28, 2025
Oof. The author is probably nice and maybe another of his stories would hit for me. Unfortunately this one didnt land for me. I felt similar to when I read the first Murderbot where I suspected some were laughing and relating to things that I just wasnt. I was fairly interested for the first half but then when we get to the meat of the book, unfortunately I didnt really feel interested in any of the characters that were meant to steal the show.
It was a miss from me, but ill always hope people find their readership and all the better if he develops a readership that connect with his works. This was starting to, but in my opinion it did not achieve what it was trying to.
It was a miss from me, but ill always hope people find their readership and all the better if he develops a readership that connect with his works. This was starting to, but in my opinion it did not achieve what it was trying to.
December 2, 2025
What a great read, and what a great performance by Son of Sonnet. I was thoroughly impressed by the narration and it really added to the humor (of which this little story is chock full).
Anthony is a riot, especially as we see his hidden depths come out. His inner monologues and hilarious one-liners really steal the show, which is saying something considering how priceless the aliens are once we meet them.
Also, "Timberwolf." In the context, I snort-laughed, but you'll have to read it for yourself to understand. Helps to know a real live Timothy Wolff as well.
Very fun first foray and a charming little story.
Anthony is a riot, especially as we see his hidden depths come out. His inner monologues and hilarious one-liners really steal the show, which is saying something considering how priceless the aliens are once we meet them.
Also, "Timberwolf." In the context, I snort-laughed, but you'll have to read it for yourself to understand. Helps to know a real live Timothy Wolff as well.
Very fun first foray and a charming little story.
August 18, 2025
This novella is a quick, fun read! The first person narrator is a newly minted PhD anthropologist who is hastily recruited to go up to a space station where five alien species plus some humans are trying to get along. Quite a bit of hilarity ensues, which makes this a fun first contact story. Turns out our narrator Anthony’s Aunt Jane is in command of the station which adds some wrinkles to the plot. There are some typos in this Beaver Castle Media. Hopefully the next book in the series will be edited more cleanly. I definitely plan to keep reading this fun tale!
December 31, 2025
Fun first contact sci-fi book, this is a comedic romp with a wonderful premise (the main character's qualifications are brilliant) and some laugh out loud moments. I'm not sure of the length but it's not very long, and leaves you eager for more adventures on proxima station (which I'm sure are coming).
Small trigger warning: book is in present tense, which probably won't bother most readers.
Small trigger warning: book is in present tense, which probably won't bother most readers.
January 10, 2026
Quick read that lacks a little polish. Doesn't take itself seriously, and I love that.
The story works, low stakes, not too much science in the science fiction.
But it's more about the humor which worked most the time for me.
The story works, low stakes, not too much science in the science fiction.
But it's more about the humor which worked most the time for me.
August 5, 2025
Anthony, our protagonists, has great voice with plenty of funny one liners and references. Going on this first contact adventure with the new PhD was a fun ride!
July 21, 2025
This was a great fantastical Sci-fi book! I love the idea of a station where many races meet together to work together & find common ground between each other. Mike does amazing with his characters & I love the 2 side quests/mysteries that he sends them on.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews