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Beyond: Space Opera
GET READY FOR SWASHBUCKLING ACTION AMONG THE STARS
This space opera collection includes humorous action and adventure alongside stories with heart. These tales won’t leave you in the pits of despair. Instead, they’ll lift your spirits, taking you to places unknown.
You’ll travel the stars to far-flung planets, meeting heroic humans and aliens alike — even a mech and a clone. There may be lions and jet packs, to boot. No pigs in this space, but otherwise, all bets are off.
Strap in, and prepare yourself for a wild ride!
INCLUDED IN THIS COLLECTION:
“Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers” by Milo James Fowler
“The Ungreat Escape” by Siobhan Gallagher
“All Comms Down” by Anne E. Johnson
“Remembrance Day” by Simon Kewin
“The Lion’s Den” by Devin Miller
“Captain Clone” by Deborah Walker
This space opera collection includes humorous action and adventure alongside stories with heart. These tales won’t leave you in the pits of despair. Instead, they’ll lift your spirits, taking you to places unknown.
You’ll travel the stars to far-flung planets, meeting heroic humans and aliens alike — even a mech and a clone. There may be lions and jet packs, to boot. No pigs in this space, but otherwise, all bets are off.
Strap in, and prepare yourself for a wild ride!
INCLUDED IN THIS COLLECTION:
“Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers” by Milo James Fowler
“The Ungreat Escape” by Siobhan Gallagher
“All Comms Down” by Anne E. Johnson
“Remembrance Day” by Simon Kewin
“The Lion’s Den” by Devin Miller
“Captain Clone” by Deborah Walker
ebook
First published August 12, 2015
80 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Milo James Fowler
166 books242 followersMilo James Fowler is the cross-genre author of more than thirty books: space adventures, post-apocalyptic survival stories, mysteries, and westerns. A native San Diegan, he now makes his home in West Michigan with his wife and all four seasons. Some readers seem to enjoy the unique brand of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humor found in his ever-growing body of work. Soli Deo gloria.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 13, 2018
4 and a half stars, rounded up. This is a collection of shorts, which I'm taking one by one:
Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers by Milo James Fowler has our intrepid Captain attempting to recover from the slow-moving Kolarii, a bunch of children whom they are alleged to have kidnapped. Except that it's not that simple. Captain Quasar stories are droll, but the villains always get their comeuppance, which is very satisfactory.
The Ungreat Escape by Siobhan Gallagher features a jewel thief and rocket motors, and eventually, an escape best described as ungreat. A bit funny in parts, and of course, crime doesn't pay...yet.
All Comms Down by Anne E Johnson is about one of the first extra-galactic spaceships, carrying a crew of colonists, and the trouble they encounter. Is there, ultimately, a cure of sorts for the mysterious illness that strikes the humans aboard? Plain and simple space opera.
Remembrance Day by Simon Kewin has a Mobius Strip in outer space, a Space Bar (I kid you not, he put this in with a straight face), a bar owner with little memory, a long-lost girlfriend, an old enemy and a startling surprise. I liked this one second best in today's lot. The plot is neat enough and the characters are well done.
The Lion's Den by Devin Miller has a very light touch. There is an ill-maintained spacecraft, zoo animals and a love-struck young man out to rescue the girl of his dreams. It's a fun and funny story, and my favourite in this collection.
Captain Clone by Deborah Walker has clones, wine, and a spaceship stuck on a planet, held by tentacles. Not to mention two utterly unloving 'mothers'. Creepily well done.
There are also short notes on the inspirations for the stories, which add to the experience.
Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers by Milo James Fowler has our intrepid Captain attempting to recover from the slow-moving Kolarii, a bunch of children whom they are alleged to have kidnapped. Except that it's not that simple. Captain Quasar stories are droll, but the villains always get their comeuppance, which is very satisfactory.
The Ungreat Escape by Siobhan Gallagher features a jewel thief and rocket motors, and eventually, an escape best described as ungreat. A bit funny in parts, and of course, crime doesn't pay...yet.
All Comms Down by Anne E Johnson is about one of the first extra-galactic spaceships, carrying a crew of colonists, and the trouble they encounter. Is there, ultimately, a cure of sorts for the mysterious illness that strikes the humans aboard? Plain and simple space opera.
Remembrance Day by Simon Kewin has a Mobius Strip in outer space, a Space Bar (I kid you not, he put this in with a straight face), a bar owner with little memory, a long-lost girlfriend, an old enemy and a startling surprise. I liked this one second best in today's lot. The plot is neat enough and the characters are well done.
The Lion's Den by Devin Miller has a very light touch. There is an ill-maintained spacecraft, zoo animals and a love-struck young man out to rescue the girl of his dreams. It's a fun and funny story, and my favourite in this collection.
Captain Clone by Deborah Walker has clones, wine, and a spaceship stuck on a planet, held by tentacles. Not to mention two utterly unloving 'mothers'. Creepily well done.
There are also short notes on the inspirations for the stories, which add to the experience.
January 5, 2019
This compilation of stories is brilliant. Full of action, emotion and drama, it's a great read.
They are very, very good stories and I have selected three personal favourites to represent the quality of each authors writting..
Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers by Milo James Fowler,
All Comms Down by Anne E. Johnson.
The Lions Den by Devin Miller
These three stories are really well written.
The first one is a space story with a lot of humour in it, which I just adore!
Captain Quasar is completely incompetant as a leader. He has been sent by Space Command to go and deal with a kidnapping situation.
A kidnapping with a difference. However, something utterly unexpected occurs which changes Quasar's priorties, and everything goes wrong, as it usually does with him around - he's utterly hopeless but I love stories with him in them.
The Captain and his intrepid, often confused and absolutely clueless crew are utterly adorable. Especially Officer Wan, his Number Wan, who is his straight faced and very grounded, long suffering First Officer.
And then there is his Helmsman, Hank, who is a very hairy, multi armed Carpethrian.
They have travelled to aid the Kolarii race, who are a slow moving, shelless turtle like race whose children are the kidnap victims.
Naturally nothing goes to plan, everything goes wrong for the brave, handsome, Captain Quasar and his crew from the spaceship the Effervescent Magnitude. Turns out that two races, the Kolarii and the humans of Zeta Colony 6, are both claiming the children are theirs.
What the hell will Captain Quasar do?
This story is just my kind of humour and worthy of 5 stars all on its own in my opinion!
The second story I liked, All Comms Down, is a different kettle of fish altogether. It's an intense story about deep space and what happens to people when they travel there. It's brilliantly written, and just like the Captain Quasar story, it grabs your attention and holds your focus throughout. I read it really quickly, I just couldn't stop myself!
The final story of the three is The Lions Den by Devin Miller. Now this story packs a deeply felt punch. The tension in it was so well written it had me hanging on every single word!
It's about a spaceship which carries exoric animals from the Zoo where they live and transports them to their new homes in other Zoo's. Of course, there are many perils in space and when something goes terribly wrong in the blink of an eye, a keeper finds himself in an untenable situation, with a huge and difficult decision on his hands. This story had me utterly spellbound! I absolutely loved it.
The other stories in this amazing book, each different and looking at space from various points of view. I enjoyed them all wholeheartedly. I picked a small group which I felt were the very best of an impressive group.
I will be looking up each of the authors whose stories graced the pages of this book. I would like to see what other great books they have written. This compilation really was that good. It gets a well earned and well deserved 5 out of 5 from me!
They are very, very good stories and I have selected three personal favourites to represent the quality of each authors writting..
Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers by Milo James Fowler,
All Comms Down by Anne E. Johnson.
The Lions Den by Devin Miller
These three stories are really well written.
The first one is a space story with a lot of humour in it, which I just adore!
Captain Quasar is completely incompetant as a leader. He has been sent by Space Command to go and deal with a kidnapping situation.
A kidnapping with a difference. However, something utterly unexpected occurs which changes Quasar's priorties, and everything goes wrong, as it usually does with him around - he's utterly hopeless but I love stories with him in them.
The Captain and his intrepid, often confused and absolutely clueless crew are utterly adorable. Especially Officer Wan, his Number Wan, who is his straight faced and very grounded, long suffering First Officer.
And then there is his Helmsman, Hank, who is a very hairy, multi armed Carpethrian.
They have travelled to aid the Kolarii race, who are a slow moving, shelless turtle like race whose children are the kidnap victims.
Naturally nothing goes to plan, everything goes wrong for the brave, handsome, Captain Quasar and his crew from the spaceship the Effervescent Magnitude. Turns out that two races, the Kolarii and the humans of Zeta Colony 6, are both claiming the children are theirs.
What the hell will Captain Quasar do?
This story is just my kind of humour and worthy of 5 stars all on its own in my opinion!
The second story I liked, All Comms Down, is a different kettle of fish altogether. It's an intense story about deep space and what happens to people when they travel there. It's brilliantly written, and just like the Captain Quasar story, it grabs your attention and holds your focus throughout. I read it really quickly, I just couldn't stop myself!
The final story of the three is The Lions Den by Devin Miller. Now this story packs a deeply felt punch. The tension in it was so well written it had me hanging on every single word!
It's about a spaceship which carries exoric animals from the Zoo where they live and transports them to their new homes in other Zoo's. Of course, there are many perils in space and when something goes terribly wrong in the blink of an eye, a keeper finds himself in an untenable situation, with a huge and difficult decision on his hands. This story had me utterly spellbound! I absolutely loved it.
The other stories in this amazing book, each different and looking at space from various points of view. I enjoyed them all wholeheartedly. I picked a small group which I felt were the very best of an impressive group.
I will be looking up each of the authors whose stories graced the pages of this book. I would like to see what other great books they have written. This compilation really was that good. It gets a well earned and well deserved 5 out of 5 from me!
December 7, 2017
Solid Anthology!
I really enjoyed this book. Usually there is a story or 2 I just cannot get in to. I liked all of them. My favorite was The Lions Den. I have never read about transporting zoo animals on a spaceship and the sly humour of the story made me smile. Highly recommend this book.
I really enjoyed this book. Usually there is a story or 2 I just cannot get in to. I liked all of them. My favorite was The Lions Den. I have never read about transporting zoo animals on a spaceship and the sly humour of the story made me smile. Highly recommend this book.
March 16, 2018
I don't expect every story in a collection to be good, but that's the nice thing about collections: if you don't like this story, move on to the next one. But not one of these was worth finishing. From a lack of basic physics to to non-existent plots (I don't care how short it is, something interesting has to happen!), not one of these was worth finishing.
November 19, 2020
Short stories.
Author freebie. These are a collection of short sci fi stories. None of these authors are a complete amateur and these community efforts are becoming more common. Captain Clone was quite depressing. Most of these stories are not space opera, which tends to be 200+ pages long?
Author freebie. These are a collection of short sci fi stories. None of these authors are a complete amateur and these community efforts are becoming more common. Captain Clone was quite depressing. Most of these stories are not space opera, which tends to be 200+ pages long?
September 2, 2021
This is a collection of short, simple, old fashioned science fiction stories. Each one was very different from the others and all were entertaining. My favorites were “Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers” by Milo James Fowler, “The Ungreat Escape” by Siobhan Gallagher, and “Remembrance Day” by Kevin Kewin.
January 7, 2021
Entertaining fun reading 📚
Six very will written Sci-Fi thriller novellas with interesting characters. Each excellent story line is futuristic world 🌎 either stand alone or the first in a series. I would recommend this novella to anyone who is looking for a quick read. Enjoy reading 🔰2020😀
Six very will written Sci-Fi thriller novellas with interesting characters. Each excellent story line is futuristic world 🌎 either stand alone or the first in a series. I would recommend this novella to anyone who is looking for a quick read. Enjoy reading 🔰2020😀
October 26, 2023
Wasn't what I thought.
I thought this was a book of short stories but it wasn't instead it was full of parts of books and what else they had wrote and how to get in touch with them. Waste of time.
I thought this was a book of short stories but it wasn't instead it was full of parts of books and what else they had wrote and how to get in touch with them. Waste of time.
August 15, 2023
6 sci-fi short stories. All OK, some pretty good.
September 11, 2015
The end of this book came sooner than expected. BEYOND is a brief anthology, containing a mere six offerings, but it’s far more enjoyable than some of its much larger brethren. One might call BEYOND the “fun size” anthology.
It was edited by Milo James Fowler, a familiar name from the days when his Captain Quasar tales and my Thieves’ Honor serial were published by Ray Gun Revival, and his is the first story we encounter in BEYOND.
In “Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers”. Quasar is his usual self, with the quips and the derring-do, but this time he also plays detective, searching for kidnapped offspring of the Kolarii race. I always get a kick out of his ship’s name, the Effervescent Magnitude. ;)
“The Ungreat Escape” by Siobhan Gallagher is a jewelry heist caper narrated by a quick-witted thief in a rocket suit. When things go wrong, she’s aided by a hunchback who is more than he first appears.
In “All Comms Down” by Anne E. Johnson, the passengers and crew of the Exceptional encounter unexpected peril in their quest to colonize Deep Space, and a brave young woman whose stories become the last communication link.
“Remembrance Day” by Simon Kewin recounts a man’s search for memories he lost after a traumatic head injury during war, and what happens when he’s asked to aid an enemy. (One of my favorites in this anthology.)
Stuart, the main character in “The Lion’s Den” by Devin Miller, embarks on a terrifying rescue mission to save his colleague from wild animals, only to learn that all is not as it seems. (For me, this one runs neck-and-neck with “Remembrance Day”.)
“Captain Clone” by Deborah Walker is told from the point-of-view of the first clone of the ship’s captain, and therefore the only one to whom the captain gives a name. Mikar is overseer, healer, and reluctant executioner of all the clones that come after her. Overwhelmed by the captain’s callusness and unable to follow her orders any longer, Mikar takes her revenge.
The origin stories at the end of the book are a nice touch. As a reader and as a writer, I like to know where stories originate, what sparks or informs them, so I enjoyed this section as much as I enjoyed the rest of the book.
Overall, BEYOND is fun and varied, and I recommend it to readers looking for a bite of space opera without committing to an entire novel.
[Review based on an ARC of the book.]
It was edited by Milo James Fowler, a familiar name from the days when his Captain Quasar tales and my Thieves’ Honor serial were published by Ray Gun Revival, and his is the first story we encounter in BEYOND.
In “Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers”. Quasar is his usual self, with the quips and the derring-do, but this time he also plays detective, searching for kidnapped offspring of the Kolarii race. I always get a kick out of his ship’s name, the Effervescent Magnitude. ;)
“The Ungreat Escape” by Siobhan Gallagher is a jewelry heist caper narrated by a quick-witted thief in a rocket suit. When things go wrong, she’s aided by a hunchback who is more than he first appears.
In “All Comms Down” by Anne E. Johnson, the passengers and crew of the Exceptional encounter unexpected peril in their quest to colonize Deep Space, and a brave young woman whose stories become the last communication link.
“Remembrance Day” by Simon Kewin recounts a man’s search for memories he lost after a traumatic head injury during war, and what happens when he’s asked to aid an enemy. (One of my favorites in this anthology.)
Stuart, the main character in “The Lion’s Den” by Devin Miller, embarks on a terrifying rescue mission to save his colleague from wild animals, only to learn that all is not as it seems. (For me, this one runs neck-and-neck with “Remembrance Day”.)
“Captain Clone” by Deborah Walker is told from the point-of-view of the first clone of the ship’s captain, and therefore the only one to whom the captain gives a name. Mikar is overseer, healer, and reluctant executioner of all the clones that come after her. Overwhelmed by the captain’s callusness and unable to follow her orders any longer, Mikar takes her revenge.
The origin stories at the end of the book are a nice touch. As a reader and as a writer, I like to know where stories originate, what sparks or informs them, so I enjoyed this section as much as I enjoyed the rest of the book.
Overall, BEYOND is fun and varied, and I recommend it to readers looking for a bite of space opera without committing to an entire novel.
[Review based on an ARC of the book.]
August 23, 2015
This is a fantastic collection of science-fiction short stories. We have the humorous and horrific, the awe-inspiring and the monstrous. A little something for everyone and then some.
I was already a big fan of Captain Quasar before this book. Fowler's quirky captain gets into another mess and has to find a way to survive in "Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers."
"The Ungreat Escape" may give you exactly what the title states, but there is a lot of in it. And "All Comms Down" makes you wonder exactly what it would be like for humans in deep space.
"Remembrance Day" is about a soldier's life after a war and what might happen if what he remembers isn't the whole story. While "The Lion'S Den" gives us a very clear experience of what it would like in a the huge predator's lair.
"Captain Clone" is my favorite of the stories. It's told from a clone's perspective and what it feels like in a future where clones are thought of as merely recyclable tools. My sympathy went out immediately to the clones. I particularly liked the alien Grey Cut that had a bit of a Lovecraftian feel.
I was already a big fan of Captain Quasar before this book. Fowler's quirky captain gets into another mess and has to find a way to survive in "Captain Quasar and the Kolarii Kidnappers."
"The Ungreat Escape" may give you exactly what the title states, but there is a lot of in it. And "All Comms Down" makes you wonder exactly what it would be like for humans in deep space.
"Remembrance Day" is about a soldier's life after a war and what might happen if what he remembers isn't the whole story. While "The Lion'S Den" gives us a very clear experience of what it would like in a the huge predator's lair.
"Captain Clone" is my favorite of the stories. It's told from a clone's perspective and what it feels like in a future where clones are thought of as merely recyclable tools. My sympathy went out immediately to the clones. I particularly liked the alien Grey Cut that had a bit of a Lovecraftian feel.
March 14, 2023
A set of short stories. Very uninspiring. About 110 pages. A quick read if you wish to endure it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews