What do you think?
Rate this book
Skeleton Crew
A well-placed kick to Kanti’s stomach dropped him back to the deck, clutching his gut and gasping for breath.
“If you ever utter the phrase ‘skeleton crew’ again, I will find out,” Captain Ateri calmly told him. “And when I do, I will rip chunks of you out with my bare paws… and toss them into the recycler one by one… until all that remains of you… is your blood in my fur… and your screams in my ears.”
But the captain is the least of Kanti’s concerns. A huge monster named Commissioner Sarsuk thinks the crew of the White Flower II is out of control, and that executing Kanti publicly – a slow, messy execution – is the perfect recipe for getting the ship back under his clawed thumb.
Now Kanti is living in terror – a slave raised believing himself free, a criminal even before his birth. Everyone thinks he’s someone he isn’t: a playboy reduced to working at the dump, a spiteful son trying to make amends, and perhaps even an excuse to recycle every last officer, crewman, and cub on board.
The next few days are going to take this unlikely hero and the rest of the crew on a wild ride to the brink of mutiny, isolated deep in space, some 1500 light years from home.
“If you ever utter the phrase ‘skeleton crew’ again, I will find out,” Captain Ateri calmly told him. “And when I do, I will rip chunks of you out with my bare paws… and toss them into the recycler one by one… until all that remains of you… is your blood in my fur… and your screams in my ears.”
But the captain is the least of Kanti’s concerns. A huge monster named Commissioner Sarsuk thinks the crew of the White Flower II is out of control, and that executing Kanti publicly – a slow, messy execution – is the perfect recipe for getting the ship back under his clawed thumb.
Now Kanti is living in terror – a slave raised believing himself free, a criminal even before his birth. Everyone thinks he’s someone he isn’t: a playboy reduced to working at the dump, a spiteful son trying to make amends, and perhaps even an excuse to recycle every last officer, crewman, and cub on board.
The next few days are going to take this unlikely hero and the rest of the crew on a wild ride to the brink of mutiny, isolated deep in space, some 1500 light years from home.
242 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2014
25 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Gre7g Luterman
9 books39 followersGRE7G LIVES IN ALABAMA with his wife, Kyoht, and a small menagerie of pets. He enjoys writing stories about monsters in love, brews beer that he won’t drink, programs computers that don’t look like computers, and fantasizes about worlds without so many people in them.
He's written six novels, the latest four all being set in Rick Griffin's Hayven Celestia. His first two were about werewolves and minotaurs, respectively. He’s written a couple of novellas and a handful of short stories; most of which can sometimes be found on his website:
http://gre7g.com
Gre7g loves feedback on his stories. He wants to know what readers enjoyed about the tales along with what they hated. If you have the time, he’d love to hear your opinions about this or any of his other stories. You can reach him at:
gre7g.luterman@gmail.com
He's written six novels, the latest four all being set in Rick Griffin's Hayven Celestia. His first two were about werewolves and minotaurs, respectively. He’s written a couple of novellas and a handful of short stories; most of which can sometimes be found on his website:
http://gre7g.com
Gre7g loves feedback on his stories. He wants to know what readers enjoyed about the tales along with what they hated. If you have the time, he’d love to hear your opinions about this or any of his other stories. You can reach him at:
gre7g.luterman@gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 18, 2022
Sci-Fi fans, you have to give Gre7g Luterman’s Skeleton Crew series a try! The entire series is available in audio, performed by the marvelous Piers Ryman, and I highly recommend it. Gre7g Luterman is a new author for me, and I really enjoyed his writing style.
Clever and very creative, the first novel, The Kanti Cycle, introduces us to this futuristic, outerspace world. It’s an addictive story, which just got more interesting every step of the way, and I’m a sucker for a terrific hero’s journey tale.
As captivating as Kanti’s story is, it’s made even more engaging by Piers Ryman’s narration. Bright and lively (heck, there’s even singing!), Mr. Ryman brings these characters to life. Coming up with unique voices for this vast and varied cast must have been quite a challenge.
A fast moving, exciting, and emotional story, I can’t wait to find out what challenges Kanti and his comrades face in the next episode of The Kanti Cycle, Small World.
an audiobook copy of Skeleton Crew: The Kanti Cycle, book #1 was generously provided by the narrator at my request for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
Clever and very creative, the first novel, The Kanti Cycle, introduces us to this futuristic, outerspace world. It’s an addictive story, which just got more interesting every step of the way, and I’m a sucker for a terrific hero’s journey tale.
As captivating as Kanti’s story is, it’s made even more engaging by Piers Ryman’s narration. Bright and lively (heck, there’s even singing!), Mr. Ryman brings these characters to life. Coming up with unique voices for this vast and varied cast must have been quite a challenge.
A fast moving, exciting, and emotional story, I can’t wait to find out what challenges Kanti and his comrades face in the next episode of The Kanti Cycle, Small World.
an audiobook copy of Skeleton Crew: The Kanti Cycle, book #1 was generously provided by the narrator at my request for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
July 30, 2024
You might like this book if you're into:
-Scifi movies, such as Logan's Run
-Interesting sci-fi worldbuilding
-Spaaaaace
-Fun characters
-Dystopian themes
-Concepts with implications that become more messed up the more you think about them.
The first thing I hear most people say when reviewing the Kanti Cycle is that the first book has the same vibes as the classic Sci-fi dystopia movie Logan's Run. I'm sure the author is sick of hearing it by now. However, it's certainly a compliment. This futuristic dystopia features similar population control methods and authoritarian rule. Add in a reluctant main character who's roped into becoming a fugitive from that system, and you've got yourself the familiar vibes of a classic Sci-fi film. That's one of this book's greatest strengths, providing an familiar anchor for a lot of readers as they grapple with some of the book's more unfamiliar concepts.
The book stars Kanti, a hapless "Geroo" who lives on a massive colony ship where population is strictly controlled. All residents must commit suicide once they turn sixty, and couples are only allowed to have children via a lottery system. Kanti was somehow born outside of the lottery, and thus his very existence is illegal in this carefully maintained ecosystem. You can imagine the conflict that's sure to spring from such a predicament, and indeed things go quite awry for not only him, but his friends and family as well. The story here is quite engaging because of how it's plotted to line up with a lot of the universe's unique and creative concepts.
And wow is that another strength of not only Skeleton Crew, but the whole Kanti Cycle. These books ooze creative concepts and unique ideas, and that only becomes more and more true with every chapter and every book. There really isn't enough praise I can give for that, and I'm sure it'll be a main part of my reviews for the following entries in the series. Huge colony ships give a false illusion of freedom to their inhabitants. Giant space dragons run a capitalist empire that manipulates planets into enslavement. A recycling system is practically seen as divine because of how important it is in the function of the ship and the death cycle of its inhabitants. It's all just wildly creative, but the most creative parts I simply won't spoil for you.
The Kanti cycle also serves as a great introduction to the universe of Hayven Celestia, familiarizing you with a lot of its concepts before you jump into other stories, such as in the Tales of Hayven Celestia short story anthology (which is also excellent). I myself read The Kanti Cycle before any other book in this universe, and I'd recommend the same to anyone else looking to get into it. The whole universe is well worth your time.
Altogether, Skeleton Crew is a gem of creative storytelling, and I can't wait to talk about the other entries, which lean even harder into the bizarre creativity. Skeleton Crew really is just the beginning of a wild ride.
-Scifi movies, such as Logan's Run
-Interesting sci-fi worldbuilding
-Spaaaaace
-Fun characters
-Dystopian themes
-Concepts with implications that become more messed up the more you think about them.
The first thing I hear most people say when reviewing the Kanti Cycle is that the first book has the same vibes as the classic Sci-fi dystopia movie Logan's Run. I'm sure the author is sick of hearing it by now. However, it's certainly a compliment. This futuristic dystopia features similar population control methods and authoritarian rule. Add in a reluctant main character who's roped into becoming a fugitive from that system, and you've got yourself the familiar vibes of a classic Sci-fi film. That's one of this book's greatest strengths, providing an familiar anchor for a lot of readers as they grapple with some of the book's more unfamiliar concepts.
The book stars Kanti, a hapless "Geroo" who lives on a massive colony ship where population is strictly controlled. All residents must commit suicide once they turn sixty, and couples are only allowed to have children via a lottery system. Kanti was somehow born outside of the lottery, and thus his very existence is illegal in this carefully maintained ecosystem. You can imagine the conflict that's sure to spring from such a predicament, and indeed things go quite awry for not only him, but his friends and family as well. The story here is quite engaging because of how it's plotted to line up with a lot of the universe's unique and creative concepts.
And wow is that another strength of not only Skeleton Crew, but the whole Kanti Cycle. These books ooze creative concepts and unique ideas, and that only becomes more and more true with every chapter and every book. There really isn't enough praise I can give for that, and I'm sure it'll be a main part of my reviews for the following entries in the series. Huge colony ships give a false illusion of freedom to their inhabitants. Giant space dragons run a capitalist empire that manipulates planets into enslavement. A recycling system is practically seen as divine because of how important it is in the function of the ship and the death cycle of its inhabitants. It's all just wildly creative, but the most creative parts I simply won't spoil for you.
The Kanti cycle also serves as a great introduction to the universe of Hayven Celestia, familiarizing you with a lot of its concepts before you jump into other stories, such as in the Tales of Hayven Celestia short story anthology (which is also excellent). I myself read The Kanti Cycle before any other book in this universe, and I'd recommend the same to anyone else looking to get into it. The whole universe is well worth your time.
Altogether, Skeleton Crew is a gem of creative storytelling, and I can't wait to talk about the other entries, which lean even harder into the bizarre creativity. Skeleton Crew really is just the beginning of a wild ride.
July 29, 2020
I bought this book to get a taste to see what the Hayven Celestia series was like and to see what kind of writing and art work the series was known for. Being illustrated by Rick Griffin certainly helps, but I've also wanted to get a taste of Gre7g's writing - can definitely say it was a good taste of writing and art. 5 stars all the way on style.
As i read the book, I had to remind myself that a universe of furry space animals isn't my cup of tea since there is a rough learning curve with multiple new species, but luckily this book focused mainly on the Geroo. Other species get mentioned as part of the vast universe this book is set in and they might even tickle your curiosity, but the story is all about the Geroo and the struggles on the space shift life as a slave race. Kanti is the main focus in this book and is a course of intrigue as we watch how he goes through the motions in the book with living on the ship. I enjoyed studying the ship as i read about it as time went on and study more about it's workings.
Al in all, I enjoyed the penmenship and the drawings. Both were a great combination and was not only a fun read but a educational one for adults. Wishing for future successes!
As i read the book, I had to remind myself that a universe of furry space animals isn't my cup of tea since there is a rough learning curve with multiple new species, but luckily this book focused mainly on the Geroo. Other species get mentioned as part of the vast universe this book is set in and they might even tickle your curiosity, but the story is all about the Geroo and the struggles on the space shift life as a slave race. Kanti is the main focus in this book and is a course of intrigue as we watch how he goes through the motions in the book with living on the ship. I enjoyed studying the ship as i read about it as time went on and study more about it's workings.
Al in all, I enjoyed the penmenship and the drawings. Both were a great combination and was not only a fun read but a educational one for adults. Wishing for future successes!
March 21, 2019
A phenomenal read
Gre7g's "Skeleton Crew" is a memorable book to me because of its varied cast, world, and story. The cast all have their own quirks and voice which keeps the book from having any "throwaway" characters. What's really great is how the characters, all of a species called Geroo, interact with each other through smartphone-esque handhelds called strands. Gre7g also took the extra step and considered writing emotions Geroo experiences through scents, yelps, ear and tail positioning - which helped cement the Geroo as a species.
Many sci-fi books are burdened by devoting too much space to building up a world or explaining tech. Gre7g does a good job at world building without dragging the plot.
Speaking of plot, overall, it's very captivating. The book starts small as our protagonist Kanti finds his luck to worsen as it goes on. Twists at the end of each chapter make it read like a telenovela, making so hard to put it down without wondering what happens next to Kanti. The only complaint I have is that the ending speed of the plot feels too quick of a resolution for the story.
In general, if you want a sci-fi book with memorable characters, good twists, and pleasing worldbuilding: Skeleton Crew has it all.
Oh! And the art by Rickgriffin is extremely pleasing and helps highlight key parts of every chapter.
Gre7g's "Skeleton Crew" is a memorable book to me because of its varied cast, world, and story. The cast all have their own quirks and voice which keeps the book from having any "throwaway" characters. What's really great is how the characters, all of a species called Geroo, interact with each other through smartphone-esque handhelds called strands. Gre7g also took the extra step and considered writing emotions Geroo experiences through scents, yelps, ear and tail positioning - which helped cement the Geroo as a species.
Many sci-fi books are burdened by devoting too much space to building up a world or explaining tech. Gre7g does a good job at world building without dragging the plot.
Speaking of plot, overall, it's very captivating. The book starts small as our protagonist Kanti finds his luck to worsen as it goes on. Twists at the end of each chapter make it read like a telenovela, making so hard to put it down without wondering what happens next to Kanti. The only complaint I have is that the ending speed of the plot feels too quick of a resolution for the story.
In general, if you want a sci-fi book with memorable characters, good twists, and pleasing worldbuilding: Skeleton Crew has it all.
Oh! And the art by Rickgriffin is extremely pleasing and helps highlight key parts of every chapter.
April 7, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed “Skeleton Crew” and thought Mr. Luterman did an excellent job of setting the scene on The White Flower II. Enter Kanti, a nobody geroo caught against odds with the system that threatens to expose his secret. When his only friend is killed in an accident, he has no choice but to resume his identity. Things only get more complicated from there.
This book tosses the reader into the fray along side the Geroo, a race “employed” by the Krakun, giant dragons out to seize any new galactic resources they can get their claws on. It is a thrilling ride, and may leave you with more questions than answers. Kanti and the rest of the cast are flawed, likeable and passionate. At its core, this is really a story about finding your place in the universe and learning to be happy with what you have. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something a little bit different.
This book tosses the reader into the fray along side the Geroo, a race “employed” by the Krakun, giant dragons out to seize any new galactic resources they can get their claws on. It is a thrilling ride, and may leave you with more questions than answers. Kanti and the rest of the cast are flawed, likeable and passionate. At its core, this is really a story about finding your place in the universe and learning to be happy with what you have. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something a little bit different.
January 4, 2021
The first entry of Gre7g Luterman’s Kanti Cycle opens with a ceremonial euthanasia of a kangaroo-esque geroo after sixty years of life, with protagonist Kanti giving a eulogy. The chief setting is the spaceship metropolis White Flower II, where the richest geroo live towards the top of the vessel, whereas the poorer inhabitants, Kanti among them, live towards the bottom. The geroo coexist with the reptilian krakun, with Kanti exploring the vessel and hearing about the fabled skeleton crew, although it seems to be a taboo topic. Kanti works as a geroo recycler, and finds love early on.
Ateri serves as captain of the White Flower II, later serving as a scapegoat among the disgruntled inhabitants of the vessel. Kanti investigates a tragedy that leaves him upset for several chapters, with mysterious circumstances surrounding his birth token that is essentially a license to live. Kanti becomes intimate with Tish, although certain events cause her to believe that he is disloyal or has a secondary occupation. The action of the novel climaxes with the poorer inhabitants of the vessel attempting mutiny against Captain Ateri, who ultimately lauds Kanti as a hero.
All in all, I mostly enjoyed this science-fiction novel with anthropomorphic characters, with several illustrations from Rick Griffin that give visual assistance mainly for the geroo and krakun, although pre-text notes such as a list of dramatic personae would have been welcome, and the characters are largely interchangeable as far as their appearances go. It’s also a slight hodgepodge of other science-fiction such as Logan’s Run and Soylent Green, although it definitely stands decently on its own, and I would mainly recommend it to furries seeking a good niche novel.
Ateri serves as captain of the White Flower II, later serving as a scapegoat among the disgruntled inhabitants of the vessel. Kanti investigates a tragedy that leaves him upset for several chapters, with mysterious circumstances surrounding his birth token that is essentially a license to live. Kanti becomes intimate with Tish, although certain events cause her to believe that he is disloyal or has a secondary occupation. The action of the novel climaxes with the poorer inhabitants of the vessel attempting mutiny against Captain Ateri, who ultimately lauds Kanti as a hero.
All in all, I mostly enjoyed this science-fiction novel with anthropomorphic characters, with several illustrations from Rick Griffin that give visual assistance mainly for the geroo and krakun, although pre-text notes such as a list of dramatic personae would have been welcome, and the characters are largely interchangeable as far as their appearances go. It’s also a slight hodgepodge of other science-fiction such as Logan’s Run and Soylent Green, although it definitely stands decently on its own, and I would mainly recommend it to furries seeking a good niche novel.
December 13, 2021
Well that was different. The hard scifi elements here are actually really good, life on a generation ship would probably be similar. What I though was a major flaw is the point of the story turned out to be a plot point. You see, the crew of the Generation ship is essentially carrying a ship sized stargate. This allows instant transport to check on the ship and will presumably be used to setup trade with what ever system they eventually arrive at. The thing is, this would make a generation ship irrelevant. You could do the same task with a small crew and just switch them out all the time through the gate. But that isn't the point, the crew are slave labor to the giant lizards so the whole exercise is a make work situation.
There is an obvious... um, 'preference' aspect to the story of course, not helped by the cover art or some elements in the story. It's unfortunate as I think that might put some people off of what is otherwise a pretty good scifi story.
There is an obvious... um, 'preference' aspect to the story of course, not helped by the cover art or some elements in the story. It's unfortunate as I think that might put some people off of what is otherwise a pretty good scifi story.
August 11, 2020
A really great book. The characters are all really good, and give an excellent sense of what life on the generation ship is like. While the plot takes a while to get going, once it does, it skips along well.
My only real criticism is that it lacks attention to detail, and doesn't really have a firm grasp of the mechanics of writing. For example, on the very first page, you encounter this: "His heartbeat so loudly that[...]." It is his heart (subject) that is beating (verb); your heartbeat (noun) is a thing, and loudly, being an adverb, cannot modify it, and the sentence lacks a verb.
Is it a major thing? No. But it certainly means I had to re-read sentences to ensure comprehension several times.
My only real criticism is that it lacks attention to detail, and doesn't really have a firm grasp of the mechanics of writing. For example, on the very first page, you encounter this: "His heartbeat so loudly that[...]." It is his heart (subject) that is beating (verb); your heartbeat (noun) is a thing, and loudly, being an adverb, cannot modify it, and the sentence lacks a verb.
Is it a major thing? No. But it certainly means I had to re-read sentences to ensure comprehension several times.
March 15, 2022
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 4
I loved the audio performance!
I have to be honest… I requested a review copy of this audiobook because I love to listen to Piers Ryman. The story itself isn’t my normal type of book to read so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story, not just Piers excellent audio performance.
The story took us on quite a journey with Kanti. The farther I got into it the more I wanted and needed to keep listening; I had become thoroughly engrossed and didn’t want to stop. There are two more books in this series and I think I will really enjoy listening to them.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 4
I loved the audio performance!
I have to be honest… I requested a review copy of this audiobook because I love to listen to Piers Ryman. The story itself isn’t my normal type of book to read so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story, not just Piers excellent audio performance.
The story took us on quite a journey with Kanti. The farther I got into it the more I wanted and needed to keep listening; I had become thoroughly engrossed and didn’t want to stop. There are two more books in this series and I think I will really enjoy listening to them.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
July 4, 2018
I'm not much of a sci-fi fan and didn't think I'd like this genre, but I got hooked on the author while copyediting one of his forthcoming books. I read this one totally for fun. The only reason I haven't started the sequel yet is I want to get out of "editor brain" first, so I can enjoy it fully. (With this one, I found myself evaluating commas and making sure names were spelled correctly out of habit, even though that isn't my job for this book!)
To me, three things make a good book: characters I care about, some sort of growth shown by at least one character, and an engaging story. This book has all of those. I'm so glad the sequel is out on Kindle, because I definitely want more!
To me, three things make a good book: characters I care about, some sort of growth shown by at least one character, and an engaging story. This book has all of those. I'm so glad the sequel is out on Kindle, because I definitely want more!
February 24, 2022
Weird but in a good way
I didn't read the blurb before listening to the audio, which is a good job as I probably wouldn't have read it. But I'm so glad I did.
Not my usual read, but I enjoyed it a lot. My first reading of a book by Gre7g Luterman was amazing writing, great world-building and bizarre characters that work. I would actively seek more books by Gre7g.
Piers Ryman did an excellent job as usual of the audio, and he was clear, precise, and easy to listen to. However, I did speed him up to 1.25 on audible, which is usual for me.
I didn't read the blurb before listening to the audio, which is a good job as I probably wouldn't have read it. But I'm so glad I did.
Not my usual read, but I enjoyed it a lot. My first reading of a book by Gre7g Luterman was amazing writing, great world-building and bizarre characters that work. I would actively seek more books by Gre7g.
Piers Ryman did an excellent job as usual of the audio, and he was clear, precise, and easy to listen to. However, I did speed him up to 1.25 on audible, which is usual for me.
February 27, 2019
A good book that starts off kind of slow but laying out everything you need to know for the story to continue. You will find loss, love, danger, and adventure throughout the book and it is well laid out to keep you satisfied from the first page to the last. I was very happy to find out that the story does not stop here but does continue on!
February 17, 2018
Geroo!
Not a fan of scify, but this is an amusing, quirky book I think many people will be surprised to enjoy. Kanti is a relatable character and you can't help but to cheer him on.
Not a fan of scify, but this is an amusing, quirky book I think many people will be surprised to enjoy. Kanti is a relatable character and you can't help but to cheer him on.
August 8, 2024
It was a great start to an epic trilogy, but it could also be its own stand-alone story. Well crafted characters and world.
December 29, 2014
There are a lot of people looking for good alien sci fi that doesn't really involve humans and this one really does a good job of creating characters that are both alien and relatable. The writing is very clear and it makes for an easy read. I LOVE the extra artwork included in the book! It really adds value!
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a well paced, alien and star ship sci fi with splashes of romance. If the blurb looks interesting to you at all, definitely grab this!
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a well paced, alien and star ship sci fi with splashes of romance. If the blurb looks interesting to you at all, definitely grab this!
September 13, 2021
That was a supurb book
That was amazing and a very fun sci fi thriller. All I can say was that was good enough that I might have too read it again sooner rather then later.
That was amazing and a very fun sci fi thriller. All I can say was that was good enough that I might have too read it again sooner rather then later.
December 19, 2023
An amazing well written sf book. Everything works perfectly in the plot.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews