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Samuel Lord #1
Zero-G
A new science fiction adventure from William Shatner—famous for his role as Captain Kirk on Star Trek—about the intrepid, eighty-year-old FBI deputy director Samuel Lord and his quest to stop the Chinese from using a weapon that, unknown to them, could destroy the earth.
In the year 2050, the United States sends the FBI to govern its space station, the Empyrean. Under the command of former fighter pilot and FBI field agent Samuel Lord, the space based “Zero-G” men are in charge of investigating terrorism, crime, corruption, and espionage beyond the Earth’s atmosphere and of keeping an eye on the rival Chinese and Russian stations.
During the Zero-G team’s first days in space, a mysterious and beautiful scientist, Dr. May, shows up to the Empyrean claiming that important research has been stolen from her lab on the moon. Her arrival suspiciously coincides with timing of a tsunami that destroys part of the coast of Japan, and her unusual behavior makes Director Lord think that Dr. May might know more about the disaster than she’s letting on. Meanwhile, the Chinese space station has gone mysteriously silent.
In this gripping space adventure, Director Lord must connect the dots to discover who or what has caused the tsunami as well as subsequent disasters, and how Dr. May and the Chinese might be involved.
In the year 2050, the United States sends the FBI to govern its space station, the Empyrean. Under the command of former fighter pilot and FBI field agent Samuel Lord, the space based “Zero-G” men are in charge of investigating terrorism, crime, corruption, and espionage beyond the Earth’s atmosphere and of keeping an eye on the rival Chinese and Russian stations.
During the Zero-G team’s first days in space, a mysterious and beautiful scientist, Dr. May, shows up to the Empyrean claiming that important research has been stolen from her lab on the moon. Her arrival suspiciously coincides with timing of a tsunami that destroys part of the coast of Japan, and her unusual behavior makes Director Lord think that Dr. May might know more about the disaster than she’s letting on. Meanwhile, the Chinese space station has gone mysteriously silent.
In this gripping space adventure, Director Lord must connect the dots to discover who or what has caused the tsunami as well as subsequent disasters, and how Dr. May and the Chinese might be involved.
353 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2016
12 people are currently reading
705 people want to read
About the author
William Shatner
135 books807 followersWilliam Shatner is the author of nine Star Trek novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Ashes of Eden and The Return. He is also the author of several nonfiction books, including Get a Life! and I'm Working on That. In addition to his role as Captain James T. Kirk, he stars as Denny Crane in the hit television series from David E. Kelley, Boston Legal -- a role for which he has won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 5, 2020
Action-packed with a great hero, Shatner & Rovin out did themselves with the tech. It was almost overwhelming at times simply because there was so much new, although nothing untoward. Most of it was simply a small step forward in what we have now which was perfect since the setting isn't too far in the future. Sam Lord, the hero, remebers the 80s & he is 80, so this is only about 40 years from now.
Humans have permanently manned near-Earth space & lunar stations. That means politics, espionage, & the threat of war in space, the basis of the crisis that composes the book. The FBI has an office on one of the stations which Lord heads, the Zero-G department, a joke on his part. His second in command is pangendered, switching from fully male to female in seconds with the appropriate pronoun used.
The story never lagged. It was even difficult to keep up with occasionally since it moved so quickly. Quite a step up from the Tech series he wrote with Goulart, but every bit as well narrated if you like Shatner's voice. I do. Definitely recommended.
Humans have permanently manned near-Earth space & lunar stations. That means politics, espionage, & the threat of war in space, the basis of the crisis that composes the book. The FBI has an office on one of the stations which Lord heads, the Zero-G department, a joke on his part. His second in command is pangendered, switching from fully male to female in seconds with the appropriate pronoun used.
The story never lagged. It was even difficult to keep up with occasionally since it moved so quickly. Quite a step up from the Tech series he wrote with Goulart, but every bit as well narrated if you like Shatner's voice. I do. Definitely recommended.
December 17, 2016
4.5⭐️.
Usually I steer clear of SciFi, but to meet a bookclub challenge I needed to read a book with "Zero" in the title. Also, I was curious about Canadian, William Shatner and wanted to read his work. So happy that I took the plunge.
This story stretched my mind and imagination with scenes, scenarios, events and terminology foreign to my usual way of thinking. It was totally refreshing.
Usually I steer clear of SciFi, but to meet a bookclub challenge I needed to read a book with "Zero" in the title. Also, I was curious about Canadian, William Shatner and wanted to read his work. So happy that I took the plunge.
This story stretched my mind and imagination with scenes, scenarios, events and terminology foreign to my usual way of thinking. It was totally refreshing.
July 9, 2017
This is story set in a space station called Empyrean. We have a station on the moon and china has one called the Jade Star. Captain Sam Lord is an ex fighter pilot and FBI agent. He is always taking risks which is why he is so good at what he does. There is a cataclysmic typhoon that hits Japan. Then it seems it was caused by something other than nature. There is a force that attacks the Jade Star and seems to be related to the other event. Captain Lord and his crew are racing time trying to figure it all out before all of mankind is wiped out.
The characters and world are fairly well fleshed out and I am looking forward to more of Sam Lord's adventures. It was an enjoyable read.
I received this book free from the publisher for an honest review.
The characters and world are fairly well fleshed out and I am looking forward to more of Sam Lord's adventures. It was an enjoyable read.
I received this book free from the publisher for an honest review.
January 20, 2017
In the near future, the US has the space station Empyrean under the control of Director Samuel Lord and has now decided to send up FBI personnel to govern this station. These FBI men have been dubbed the Zero-G men. The US, Russia, and China are all still competing with one another for supremacy but some new science has upped the stakes. Something is mimicking natural disasters on the Earth and the Moon, wreaking havoc with a station-born super vine, and causing nanites to go off kilter and basically create a kind of walking, talking cyborg zombie. Sounds pretty crazy, huh? Wait! There’s more! There’s plenty of espionage going on as well as shifting loyalties. Our heroes zoom from place to place in a vain effort to rescue everyone. I truly didn’t know if the Zero-G men would be able to save the day.
This is a convoluted action-adventure story that has bits and pieces of scifi tossed into it. There are concepts I really liked but the execution was sloppy or only half carried out. First, let’s talk about the 80 year old Samuel Lord. He’s our guide through out the story, offering advice to the younger crowd, keeping the station functioning with his wisdom, and calling the hard shots when a man of action is needed. He’s basically an 80 year old Captain Kirk (William Shatner’s famous character in the original Star Trek series). Yep. Shatner wrote a main character based on himself (or, at least a character he played for years aged several decades). In some ways this worked for the good, bringing up the nostalgia of watching the Star Trek TV series. In other ways, it meant that certain plot points and even some dialogue were completely predictable.
I was very excited about the pansexual character, Adsila, who is also a full-blooded Cherokee. This story in general is very sexual-orientation friendly. Adsila, as a pansexual, has the ability to shift from male to female at will. So, A+ for concept. Unfortunately, the execution fell short (C+ at best). Adsila’s Cherokee heritage is merely nodded at and not an integral part of his/her personality. Also, there are times when gender biases become apparent in the writing. Nearly all of Adsila’s action scenes happen when he is in the male gender. There was some comment about how Adsila finds it easier to be focused as a man….. which quirked my eyebrow. If it had been one single comment, I could say it was simply that character’s experience and let it be. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. There were several similar remarks along those lines.
At first I was pretty excited by all the scifi bits. I love having futuristic tech incorporated into a scifi story. I believe it is one of the main things that makes scifi science fiction. Once again, we have A+ for concepts and Cs for execution of these science-y bits. In the end, I felt the scifi tech was simply window dressing to an action flick. Having said that, as an action flick, there is never a dull moment in this tale. Things are always in motion. We might not always get where the story is going or why it’s going there, but it is always in motion.
All together, it was an OK story. I think another round of solid polishing would have made this a good story. Not an outstanding story, but a good one. There is a lot of ground being covered in this novel and as such, some of it was pretty sparse. I think it could have used less intrigue, less future tech, and perhaps a smaller cast so that each bit of science could shine and each character could reach their full potential.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The Narration: William Shatner is William Shatner. He starts off with a pretty even pacing but shortly falls into the odd cadence he has become known for. On one hand, this was soothing because I am a Star Trek fan and this sounded like a really long, convoluted Star Trek episode in some ways. However, there were times when I became fatigued over his odd staccato speech pattern. Also, Shatner doesn’t perform character voices very well, and sometimes doesn’t do so at all. As such, I really had to pay attention to keep track of who was talking.
This is a convoluted action-adventure story that has bits and pieces of scifi tossed into it. There are concepts I really liked but the execution was sloppy or only half carried out. First, let’s talk about the 80 year old Samuel Lord. He’s our guide through out the story, offering advice to the younger crowd, keeping the station functioning with his wisdom, and calling the hard shots when a man of action is needed. He’s basically an 80 year old Captain Kirk (William Shatner’s famous character in the original Star Trek series). Yep. Shatner wrote a main character based on himself (or, at least a character he played for years aged several decades). In some ways this worked for the good, bringing up the nostalgia of watching the Star Trek TV series. In other ways, it meant that certain plot points and even some dialogue were completely predictable.
I was very excited about the pansexual character, Adsila, who is also a full-blooded Cherokee. This story in general is very sexual-orientation friendly. Adsila, as a pansexual, has the ability to shift from male to female at will. So, A+ for concept. Unfortunately, the execution fell short (C+ at best). Adsila’s Cherokee heritage is merely nodded at and not an integral part of his/her personality. Also, there are times when gender biases become apparent in the writing. Nearly all of Adsila’s action scenes happen when he is in the male gender. There was some comment about how Adsila finds it easier to be focused as a man….. which quirked my eyebrow. If it had been one single comment, I could say it was simply that character’s experience and let it be. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. There were several similar remarks along those lines.
At first I was pretty excited by all the scifi bits. I love having futuristic tech incorporated into a scifi story. I believe it is one of the main things that makes scifi science fiction. Once again, we have A+ for concepts and Cs for execution of these science-y bits. In the end, I felt the scifi tech was simply window dressing to an action flick. Having said that, as an action flick, there is never a dull moment in this tale. Things are always in motion. We might not always get where the story is going or why it’s going there, but it is always in motion.
All together, it was an OK story. I think another round of solid polishing would have made this a good story. Not an outstanding story, but a good one. There is a lot of ground being covered in this novel and as such, some of it was pretty sparse. I think it could have used less intrigue, less future tech, and perhaps a smaller cast so that each bit of science could shine and each character could reach their full potential.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The Narration: William Shatner is William Shatner. He starts off with a pretty even pacing but shortly falls into the odd cadence he has become known for. On one hand, this was soothing because I am a Star Trek fan and this sounded like a really long, convoluted Star Trek episode in some ways. However, there were times when I became fatigued over his odd staccato speech pattern. Also, Shatner doesn’t perform character voices very well, and sometimes doesn’t do so at all. As such, I really had to pay attention to keep track of who was talking.
November 17, 2016
The Zero-G takes us into a future, not very far into the future, just 35 years (we might even see if any of it could really come true ;)). So in this future not much is changed - there are still three competing countries (USA, China, Russia) and electronics are still chancing with great speed and scientists are still discovering things that others see as possible weapon. So in this future the communication system has moved from hand held devices into integrated devices, so for communication or data surfing you just have to flick your eyes or move your fingers and you see all what you need, and thanks to that people have stared to squint. And there are also new sort of people - pansexuals, who are basically shapeshifters, who can shift from male to female and other way around as they will. and then there are the Tea Bags or CHAI or something like Robocop - they are persons, who consist more from artificial mechanical parts than natural parts.
So in this not so far of the future, there are three space stations, American's, China's and Russian's. The American's has just been opened and they have opening party, which brought many important persons up there and they brought also companions with them.
At the same time an disaster has struck the Earth - there was an wall of water near Japan, that rushed inland and destroyed part of Japans coast, before it fell back to earth again and swept back into ocean. It's obviously not a natural disaster, but nobody wants to take the blame.
One of the leaders on American space station, director Lord (who BTW is eighty years old) receives an assignment to offer a shelter to a scientist, who has fled from Moon. Dr. May is the scientist who might have the answer, what happened on a earth, how to prevent is happening again and who's behind it. So Lord has to make her feel safe and also get the answers from her.
Before Dr. May arrives to station she meets the CHAI, but the information she has, she still gives only to Lord. Together they fly to the Moon and then back and at the same tome the Rocky Mountains on earth are destroyed and part of the Moon is liqufied and ...
Everything in this book is just like it would been in an exiting action movie. There are bad guys and heroes and wimps and brainiacs and pretty girls and every second is filled with excitement and fight and emotions. This is my first action movie in book form and I liked it. Good experience and good read.
So in this not so far of the future, there are three space stations, American's, China's and Russian's. The American's has just been opened and they have opening party, which brought many important persons up there and they brought also companions with them.
At the same time an disaster has struck the Earth - there was an wall of water near Japan, that rushed inland and destroyed part of Japans coast, before it fell back to earth again and swept back into ocean. It's obviously not a natural disaster, but nobody wants to take the blame.
One of the leaders on American space station, director Lord (who BTW is eighty years old) receives an assignment to offer a shelter to a scientist, who has fled from Moon. Dr. May is the scientist who might have the answer, what happened on a earth, how to prevent is happening again and who's behind it. So Lord has to make her feel safe and also get the answers from her.
Before Dr. May arrives to station she meets the CHAI, but the information she has, she still gives only to Lord. Together they fly to the Moon and then back and at the same tome the Rocky Mountains on earth are destroyed and part of the Moon is liqufied and ...
Everything in this book is just like it would been in an exiting action movie. There are bad guys and heroes and wimps and brainiacs and pretty girls and every second is filled with excitement and fight and emotions. This is my first action movie in book form and I liked it. Good experience and good read.
April 24, 2017
***THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FROM A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***
William Shatner, best known for his acting in the well-known sci-fi series, Star Trek, is not someone who I thought would also be a writer. Of course, after reading Zero-G, I’m still not convinced, even with the help of ghostwriter Jeff Rovin. The book had an interesting premise, but the exposition and plot were so slow and clunky that it was difficult to get into it. I will say there is an appreciation of the challenges of space in this book, but it almost plays a backseat to an aged government official trying to relive his glory days (sound familiar?).
If I were to re-write this book, it would have been considerably shorter, possibly even a short story. As it is, the first third of the book is almost useless, filled with detailed explanations of the characters’ backgrounds and relationships. Even the first action sequence only emphasized that the main character is reckless and flies by his own rules. When it came to the core of the plot, I never felt a sense of urgency to take out the threat of the space-weapon, mainly because it acted “randomly” (read: whenever it might suit to move the plot along).
For a book about a FBI station in space, the mystery solved by the deputy director seemed quite a bit beneath his station. In fact, I was surprised he even handled it since the whole case appeared to be obvious right from the start. There wasn’t enough development of the lesser characters to even know who they were and why they had any motivation to perpetrate the crimes they did. Aside from the main character, most of the character focus appeared to be on the gender-switching assistant, probably to make the book “hip” and “trendy” amongst the modern and liberal-leaning readers.
An interesting concept that falls flat on its face immediately after the prologue, I give Zero-G 2.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
William Shatner, best known for his acting in the well-known sci-fi series, Star Trek, is not someone who I thought would also be a writer. Of course, after reading Zero-G, I’m still not convinced, even with the help of ghostwriter Jeff Rovin. The book had an interesting premise, but the exposition and plot were so slow and clunky that it was difficult to get into it. I will say there is an appreciation of the challenges of space in this book, but it almost plays a backseat to an aged government official trying to relive his glory days (sound familiar?).
If I were to re-write this book, it would have been considerably shorter, possibly even a short story. As it is, the first third of the book is almost useless, filled with detailed explanations of the characters’ backgrounds and relationships. Even the first action sequence only emphasized that the main character is reckless and flies by his own rules. When it came to the core of the plot, I never felt a sense of urgency to take out the threat of the space-weapon, mainly because it acted “randomly” (read: whenever it might suit to move the plot along).
For a book about a FBI station in space, the mystery solved by the deputy director seemed quite a bit beneath his station. In fact, I was surprised he even handled it since the whole case appeared to be obvious right from the start. There wasn’t enough development of the lesser characters to even know who they were and why they had any motivation to perpetrate the crimes they did. Aside from the main character, most of the character focus appeared to be on the gender-switching assistant, probably to make the book “hip” and “trendy” amongst the modern and liberal-leaning readers.
An interesting concept that falls flat on its face immediately after the prologue, I give Zero-G 2.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
did-not-finish
December 20, 2016I really wanted to love this book because there were elements that really appealed to me (space, FBI, pan-genders) but I just couldn't get into it.
The main problem I had was the thick science and sci-fi-ness that bogged down the plot. There were some genuinely interesting inventions and ideas but I got 100 pages in and it felt like the story had barely begun. Also, I dislike political posturing so that didn't appeal either.
My second problem was one I didn't really expect with Adsila being pan-gender, but there were still moments of sexism and unnecessary "Oh, isn't she sexy, despite being a covered-up scientist." Lord was too much a "good old boy" in ways I did not enjoy. And there wasn't enough to the story to get me through. Also, Adsila staying male-gender during a high-stress situation because it was easier to focus? That's just insulting.
Third, and I'm not sure I got far enough to see if this was a problem or well-written, but I was wary when Adsila mentioned being a full-blooded Cherokee. Because I was worried that unless a good amount of research was undertaken, this would not go well. It's not always easy for white people to "get it," despite any good intentions. So far what I'd seen of Adsila's character didn't show much beyond caricature, which is disappointing.
Problem one could probably been fixed by a different editing focus (more on plot, less on science). Problem two, I think, could have been avoided with a female co-author. Hopefully. And third, I think just needed more research, speaking to people in the Native community, maybe having it read through by members.
So, I tried but I just couldn't get passed the things I didn't like.
The main problem I had was the thick science and sci-fi-ness that bogged down the plot. There were some genuinely interesting inventions and ideas but I got 100 pages in and it felt like the story had barely begun. Also, I dislike political posturing so that didn't appeal either.
My second problem was one I didn't really expect with Adsila being pan-gender, but there were still moments of sexism and unnecessary "Oh, isn't she sexy, despite being a covered-up scientist." Lord was too much a "good old boy" in ways I did not enjoy. And there wasn't enough to the story to get me through. Also, Adsila staying male-gender during a high-stress situation because it was easier to focus? That's just insulting.
Third, and I'm not sure I got far enough to see if this was a problem or well-written, but I was wary when Adsila mentioned being a full-blooded Cherokee. Because I was worried that unless a good amount of research was undertaken, this would not go well. It's not always easy for white people to "get it," despite any good intentions. So far what I'd seen of Adsila's character didn't show much beyond caricature, which is disappointing.
Problem one could probably been fixed by a different editing focus (more on plot, less on science). Problem two, I think, could have been avoided with a female co-author. Hopefully. And third, I think just needed more research, speaking to people in the Native community, maybe having it read through by members.
So, I tried but I just couldn't get passed the things I didn't like.
November 22, 2016
This is pure space opera with a hero who goes above and beyond. He is 80 and I had to wonder if the author's age (William Shatner) had anything to do with the age of the main character. This starts rather slowly, has some action that is really not part of the story line. It seems to be there at the first of the book to just show that even at 80 the hero can perform great feats of danger and daring. In fact he does that many times in the story. One problem is solved and anther is mentioned at the end. In fact it seems that the space station is just full of spies ready to provide a plot. The world building is good. The characters are rather one-dimensional but fit the story line. I found it to be entertaining.
April 17, 2016
I struggled to finish. The description made it sound so interesting -stolen technology that causes a Tsunami to hit Japan? A group of FBI agents working in space?
...I felt like words were thrown in just to make it seem more sci-fi -ish.
...I felt like words were thrown in just to make it seem more sci-fi -ish.
February 26, 2017
Terrible. I really wanted to like this book, as Bill Shatner has written it. But I couldn't.
July 26, 2017
William Shatner is an extremely talented writer in addition to being an extremely talented actor, and has written over the years, a number of books, many of them autobiographical in nature and which always put a smile on your face. And, he's written some fiction works as well. Admittedly, I've enjoyed the fiction, but I've probably enjoyed the autobiographical ramblings more. This one though, I'm not sure yet whether I like it more than the rating indicates or if I'm spot on. One thing is certain - it isn't his best work.
Part of the problem may lie with so much technical jargon and explanations (possibly the work of co-author Jeff Rovin) and not being a technically-oriented person (I hate, deplore, despise and otherwise detest cell phones for example), just got bogged down in too much technical explanations of items which don't exist yet (and hopefully never will), that it was a struggle to get through all that.
Despite that, it's a good yarn and moves right along - assuming you don't get hung up in the jargon. And, there's one character - the Doctor - that has got to be pure 100% Shatner since the character is so reminiscent of Leonard "Bones" McCoy of "Star Trek." When the character was speaking in the book, in your mind - or least in mine - it was 100% DeForest Kelley.
If you're a Shatner fan, you obviously have to have the book and have to read it. If you're a techno-geek, you'll love it. If you're a lover of sci-fi and hate all the techno-babble, read some Arthur Clarke instead!
Part of the problem may lie with so much technical jargon and explanations (possibly the work of co-author Jeff Rovin) and not being a technically-oriented person (I hate, deplore, despise and otherwise detest cell phones for example), just got bogged down in too much technical explanations of items which don't exist yet (and hopefully never will), that it was a struggle to get through all that.
Despite that, it's a good yarn and moves right along - assuming you don't get hung up in the jargon. And, there's one character - the Doctor - that has got to be pure 100% Shatner since the character is so reminiscent of Leonard "Bones" McCoy of "Star Trek." When the character was speaking in the book, in your mind - or least in mine - it was 100% DeForest Kelley.
If you're a Shatner fan, you obviously have to have the book and have to read it. If you're a techno-geek, you'll love it. If you're a lover of sci-fi and hate all the techno-babble, read some Arthur Clarke instead!
October 2, 2022
I rated it higher than the average rating for this book, which is unusual. This may be partly because it's read by none other than the Captain himself, His Shatnerness.
It is hard not to break the fourth wall and listen to it in Kirk's voice. It is hard not to get a kick out of William Shatner as a performer because I have never understood whether he takes himself seriously. One could make a case either way. The references to Star Trek I found quite amusing. There are obvious ones including verbal references to going into the universe boldly, exploring, being on an enterprise, and quite obviously handing over command to a subordinate. There are less obvious but suspicious other references such as leaders who are adept at strategy and command outstanding team help, the elder leader of the station being put out to pasture but coming back in an effective position, and plenty of sexual freedoms.
There are surprises too, in the form of finding who the perp was and how the bad guys got the information. Sometimes the bad guy is really who he seems to be on the outside and you should judge a book by its cover.
There are parallels to today: do not trust the People's Republic of China and do not underestimate it. People who do are often best thought of as dupes. At worst, there will be unintended consequences.
It is hard not to break the fourth wall and listen to it in Kirk's voice. It is hard not to get a kick out of William Shatner as a performer because I have never understood whether he takes himself seriously. One could make a case either way. The references to Star Trek I found quite amusing. There are obvious ones including verbal references to going into the universe boldly, exploring, being on an enterprise, and quite obviously handing over command to a subordinate. There are less obvious but suspicious other references such as leaders who are adept at strategy and command outstanding team help, the elder leader of the station being put out to pasture but coming back in an effective position, and plenty of sexual freedoms.
There are surprises too, in the form of finding who the perp was and how the bad guys got the information. Sometimes the bad guy is really who he seems to be on the outside and you should judge a book by its cover.
There are parallels to today: do not trust the People's Republic of China and do not underestimate it. People who do are often best thought of as dupes. At worst, there will be unintended consequences.
February 10, 2025
I didn't help myself by accidentally reading book 2 (Zero-G: Green Space) first, due to a combination of confusing titles and lack of attention to detail. Even ignoring how much that out-of-order-ness messed up my reading, this still isn't a very good book.
There are a lot of characters. Events are happening on earth, on 2-3 space stations, and on the moon. There's science and politics and humanitarian concerns. It sounds like a good story, and you could certainly try suggesting it to readers who like more space-opera -type sci-fi.
I didn't enjoy the pacing and couldn't connect to any of the characters. Even more so than in book 2, a *lot* of page space is wasted with asides regarding the main-est character, an ~80yo man, and all the hot, younger down to *very* young women he meets, interacts with, hits on, reminisces about, etc.-- ick. Yeah, this book came out a little while ago, but still in this century. Read the room.
approved for the eARC from NetGalley but didn't get to it in time; read courtesy of my local public library.
There are a lot of characters. Events are happening on earth, on 2-3 space stations, and on the moon. There's science and politics and humanitarian concerns. It sounds like a good story, and you could certainly try suggesting it to readers who like more space-opera -type sci-fi.
I didn't enjoy the pacing and couldn't connect to any of the characters. Even more so than in book 2, a *lot* of page space is wasted with asides regarding the main-est character, an ~80yo man, and all the hot, younger down to *very* young women he meets, interacts with, hits on, reminisces about, etc.-- ick. Yeah, this book came out a little while ago, but still in this century. Read the room.
approved for the eARC from NetGalley but didn't get to it in time; read courtesy of my local public library.
September 1, 2024
It took me some years to find used copies at reasonable prices of this and the sequel. For some reason, new copies are £££. Anyway, 2024 is when I read Zero G and I was amazed it was published eight years ago!
Sam Lord is clearly modelled on Bill Shatner and Bill and his coauthor Jeff Rovin have written a hard science story. I got confused by the many acronyms and kept having to flip back to find what they meant. I also often got confused by things and again had to search backwards.
It was heavy going overall and I could have done without the pangender nonsense and the peverted sex scene was wholly unnecessary.
Usually if I have trouble with a plot after reading a book or seeing a film, I can hop over to Wikipedia for a writeup that helps me understand but no one has written one for Zero G.
I have all of Bill Shatner's books, most whennewly released, so now filled a void with both Zero G and the sequel Green Space, though going by Zero G, it's not the best.
Sam Lord is clearly modelled on Bill Shatner and Bill and his coauthor Jeff Rovin have written a hard science story. I got confused by the many acronyms and kept having to flip back to find what they meant. I also often got confused by things and again had to search backwards.
It was heavy going overall and I could have done without the pangender nonsense and the peverted sex scene was wholly unnecessary.
Usually if I have trouble with a plot after reading a book or seeing a film, I can hop over to Wikipedia for a writeup that helps me understand but no one has written one for Zero G.
I have all of Bill Shatner's books, most whennewly released, so now filled a void with both Zero G and the sequel Green Space, though going by Zero G, it's not the best.
January 18, 2022
Awful. I wanted to like it given the author and topic. It started so terribly, I didn't even know what to do with it. The first few pages were a confusing jumble of techno-speak from three different perspectives. Then there was a strange interlude where someone has the ability to shift fluids in the body at a thought to change body shape. Then there was a confusing cocktail party with an interstellar hooker. And yet after all that, there was nothing about a plot or character that was even semi-interesting to me. Won't be finishing this for sure.
October 12, 2023
The audiobook, read by Shatner, did keep my attention. That’s why the three stars. There is a problem with balance between the story and the amount of technology that is introduced. So much description of cool inventions and so much science I felt like I was reading Moby Dick at times. And I had to ask whether the 80-year-old hero was based on wishful thinking by Shatner about either himself or an older Captain Kirk. So, not my favorite science fiction, although entertaining, but not good enough to make me want to read any more in the series
December 16, 2016
This is my first sci-fi in years and I picked it up at our library only because it had William Shatner's name on it as an author. The story is a doomsday scenario with a huge cast of characters and a lot of techno-babble, real and otherwise, all of which made for a slow, ho-hum read for me. The epilogue is a set-up for a sequel, which I will probably read to see if Shatner's writing skills get any better.
July 14, 2017
Absolutely love this new series . The characters are warm and engaging, the story is an excellent thrill ride and the science is on point. Jeff Rovin does a marvelous job of blending science-fiction and Science-faction to createan entertaining and informative story. Will definitely read as many as he creates in this series.
September 11, 2017
there is a lot of build up and lead to reach the main plot of the book along with a lot of almost distracting descriptions of ongoing mini sub plots, but it all leads up to a most satisfying plot and
good characters. It has a lot of real life country/culture content as well...and the end is setting up
another novel to hopefully come and which I will read. Overall a real enjoyable read.
good characters. It has a lot of real life country/culture content as well...and the end is setting up
another novel to hopefully come and which I will read. Overall a real enjoyable read.
October 27, 2018
Set in the near future, there are clearly identifiable progressions in technology and science. There are also instantly recognisable traits of nationalism and intrigue. The host of characters is well rounded and each have their own incentives and points of view. It felt like a real working world and it was easy to accept the changes.
September 15, 2022
I picked up this book a year ago, super excited because its by Shatner. Gosh I thought it would be amazing and super captivating but I was soo wrong. Im about halfway through and I dont really know what Im reading the whole story is just not connecting (but others probably have a different experience with this story)
November 4, 2019
I enjoyed the premise and the story. Entertaining characters and plenty of suspense. It's a bit too technical and insane science in places for me, which made it a harder read for me. I truly liked the overall book.
July 23, 2020
This was a great book, I couldn't put it down! I love that the main character is an eighty year old man who kicks butt! There are spies, political going-ons, lots of action, adventure, humor and a really cool story. It's a great scifi story.
January 25, 2024
Well written, science filled, and a great who done it. Couldn't put it down. To think, William Shatner wrote this before he went into space. The clarity of vision and forecast of the future is enthralling.
November 30, 2017
Absolutely love this series.
June 12, 2018
Interesting, he does a better job writing than he does singing anyway.
April 30, 2019
Quite boring.
June 7, 2020
3.5 stars.
November 22, 2022
Entertaining. The science was fun. Loved the space adventure.
March 3, 2025
The science was WAY over my head but the story line was great.
I enjoyed the story but not so much the science
I enjoyed the story but not so much the science
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