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The Planet of the Last Judgment
One planet.
Several convicts.
A game where only one can stay alive...
Several convicts.
A game where only one can stay alive...
44 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2016
26 people want to read
About the author
George Mazurek
17 books234 followersI'm a Czech writer of sci-fi and fantasy books and short stories with 6 books and over 30 stories published in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. Also, I'm an avid reader, my favorite authors are Roger Zelazny, Brandon Sanderson, GRRM, JRRT, Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, etc...
I live near Ostrava and I'm a professor at Silesian University, where I teach maths and statistics.
I live near Ostrava and I'm a professor at Silesian University, where I teach maths and statistics.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 16, 2017
This was a fun short story, but it would have been better as a longer book. Also, it seemed to be a translation into English, and the translation needed some editing.
March 11, 2017
This short scifi story has a bit of “The Hunger Games” about it. But instead of gladiatorial human teenagers fighting each other to the death for the glory of their district, an adult male prisoner has been marooned on the desolate prison planet of Ossirac 18, with minimal equipment, and has 18 hours to kill (or be killed by) the other marooned convicts of unknown species. The winner gains his (or her) freedom and a small stipend.
As with “The Hunger Games”, all the brutal action is broadcast on The Last Judgement show to “some twenty billion spectators of IQ lower than 83 in the whole Galaxy by SUPERNOVA channel”. The man is watched over by the transmitting ComEye, which acts like the TV Big Brother Diary Room, asking questions of “interest” to the viewers. As is often the way with broadcasters (and their audience), it is completely ok to show extreme violence – but swearing (even when, to my mind, completely justified) is not allowed: ““I would like to notify you that all vulgarities are censored.” “I fu----your fu-----sh--! Kiss your a----!” “I am sorry to announce that your popularity has dropped to 9.5%””.
The action in the story is, of necessity, fast paced and goes much as you would expect – that is, until the major unexpected twist at the end. It is the ending that sets this tale apart from other similar fight-to-the-death set-ups.
The imagery is very well done, and the aliens suitably alien: the Shokar, with its rough, scaly skin and lethal teeth (“Is his saliva really acid? And …does it matter anyway?”), the herbivorous Virrak, and the big weird one at the end. There are some lovely little extras, such as the Czech author adding some Pilsner beer to the prisoner’s survival pack. The translation from Czech is not always perfect, but it does not detract from a great short story.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
As with “The Hunger Games”, all the brutal action is broadcast on The Last Judgement show to “some twenty billion spectators of IQ lower than 83 in the whole Galaxy by SUPERNOVA channel”. The man is watched over by the transmitting ComEye, which acts like the TV Big Brother Diary Room, asking questions of “interest” to the viewers. As is often the way with broadcasters (and their audience), it is completely ok to show extreme violence – but swearing (even when, to my mind, completely justified) is not allowed: ““I would like to notify you that all vulgarities are censored.” “I fu----your fu-----sh--! Kiss your a----!” “I am sorry to announce that your popularity has dropped to 9.5%””.
The action in the story is, of necessity, fast paced and goes much as you would expect – that is, until the major unexpected twist at the end. It is the ending that sets this tale apart from other similar fight-to-the-death set-ups.
The imagery is very well done, and the aliens suitably alien: the Shokar, with its rough, scaly skin and lethal teeth (“Is his saliva really acid? And …does it matter anyway?”), the herbivorous Virrak, and the big weird one at the end. There are some lovely little extras, such as the Czech author adding some Pilsner beer to the prisoner’s survival pack. The translation from Czech is not always perfect, but it does not detract from a great short story.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
October 29, 2018
Battle Royale in space? Of course I had to read this... and I am glad I did. It was a very enjoyable read, fast paced and manages to introduce us to a whole new system in so few pages.
I only have two things to point out. First it’s that this story despite being mostly well crafted would benefit of having more pages and more players on this hell planet. The second was that the end was funny but felt too much like Deus Ex Machina with a sudden resolution that was not expected at all.
But if the author was going for the funny ending, he nailed it.
I only have two things to point out. First it’s that this story despite being mostly well crafted would benefit of having more pages and more players on this hell planet. The second was that the end was funny but felt too much like Deus Ex Machina with a sudden resolution that was not expected at all.
But if the author was going for the funny ending, he nailed it.
July 30, 2018
"The Planet of the Last Judgment" is an enjoyable short story that could easily stand alongside those written by the greats of sci-fi fiction.
It does need some polishing, however.
It does need some polishing, however.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews