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Jake Corby #2
The Universe Next Door
Jake Corby saved the world. Now, he's being asked to save the universe!
Corby is recovering from his last mission, enjoying life with his new family, when he’s sucked into a parallel universe with nothing but his clothes, his dog, and his eighty-three-year-old grandmother-in-law.
On this version of Earth, the dinosaurs didn’t go extinct and the world is ruled by a spacefaring civilization of dinobirds. If Jake wants to return home, he’ll need to not only survive but locate the rulers of Earth so they can send him back.
Worse, Corby learns that a universe collision is imminent. Unless he can adapt to his new reality and work with the dinobirds to ward off that danger, his universe, as well as countless others, will cease to exist.
The Universe Next Door is a standalone book and may be understood without reading any of the other books in the series. However, for maximum enjoyment, consider reading Contact Us first.
Corby is recovering from his last mission, enjoying life with his new family, when he’s sucked into a parallel universe with nothing but his clothes, his dog, and his eighty-three-year-old grandmother-in-law.
On this version of Earth, the dinosaurs didn’t go extinct and the world is ruled by a spacefaring civilization of dinobirds. If Jake wants to return home, he’ll need to not only survive but locate the rulers of Earth so they can send him back.
Worse, Corby learns that a universe collision is imminent. Unless he can adapt to his new reality and work with the dinobirds to ward off that danger, his universe, as well as countless others, will cease to exist.
The Universe Next Door is a standalone book and may be understood without reading any of the other books in the series. However, for maximum enjoyment, consider reading Contact Us first.
- GenresScience Fiction
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2016
30 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Al Macy
26 books152 followersAl Macy writes because he has stories to tell. In school he was the class clown and always the first volunteer for show and tell. His teachers would say “Al has a lot of imagination.” Then they'd roll their eyes.
But he put his storytelling on the back burner until he retired and wrote a blog about his efforts to improve his piano sight-reading. That's when his love of storytelling burbled up to the surface, along with quirky words like “burble.”
He had even more fun writing his second book, Drive, Ride, Repeat, but was bummed by non-fiction's need to stick to “the truth” (yucko). From then on it was fiction all the way, with a good dose of his science background burbling to the surface.
Macy's top priority is compelling storylines with satisfying plot twists, but he never neglects character development. No, wait … his top priority is quirkiness, then compelling storylines, then character development. No, wait …
But he put his storytelling on the back burner until he retired and wrote a blog about his efforts to improve his piano sight-reading. That's when his love of storytelling burbled up to the surface, along with quirky words like “burble.”
He had even more fun writing his second book, Drive, Ride, Repeat, but was bummed by non-fiction's need to stick to “the truth” (yucko). From then on it was fiction all the way, with a good dose of his science background burbling to the surface.
Macy's top priority is compelling storylines with satisfying plot twists, but he never neglects character development. No, wait … his top priority is quirkiness, then compelling storylines, then character development. No, wait …
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 18, 2016
The Universe Next Door: A Jake Corby Sci-Fi Thriller (Jake Corby Series Book 3) by Al Macy is an amazing sci-fi book! My gosh, I was so absorbed in this book, I loved it soooo much. Jake is having a get-together and his dog had been acting strange all that morning. During the get-together, as he is touching the hands of his 83 yr old grandmother-in-law, and his dog with his other hand, he is transported (with the two he is touching) into another world, another parallel world. It is so weird and exciting. They have to fight prehistoric creatures, live off the land with what they have, and they weren't the only ones transported from their worlds, it gets sooo friggin good! Great plot and strange characters, and weird creatures. I loved the "insane" bird like creatures, they had me laughing like crazy. Lots of action, suspense, adventure, tears, joy, thoughtfulness, intrigue, humor, and great sci-fi/fantasy. It is a must read...loved it! I won this book from Goodreads! I had read some of his books before and loved them so I was super happy when I won!
April 4, 2017
Al Macy is someone you gotta be in the mood for. Which today I sort of was. He's very a enthusiastic and pretty funny writer and I think I've read either all of just about all of his books either as beta reader or the regular kind of reader. He has an admirable consistency, I've never loved any of his books, but never hated any either. They are all pretty much the same amount of fun. Although the first half of this one was significantly more fun than the second half, because Jake and Marie's adventures in prehistoric and the fascinating world he created were infinitely more entertaining than the subsequent quantum physics based time/space traveling and space fighting. Still, a fun, diverting tale and a quick read.
November 3, 2016
The Universe Next Door
A stellar reading experience. This sci fi thriller engrosses you in by the most unique subjects to follow the adventure to the end of the book.
A stellar reading experience. This sci fi thriller engrosses you in by the most unique subjects to follow the adventure to the end of the book.
September 6, 2017
Imaginative and engaging. Macy's style is more Lucas than Roddenberry. I like the parallel universe perspective especially in so far as it has some advantages of time travel but remains original in that regard. This is film-worthy for action and environment.
March 8, 2018
Ask Macy is a true What If author. Fantastic read! Only problem.... I need more of his books!
You should also get his mindreader series. His character development of all major and minor people make you want to meet all of them. Except Cronkite.
You should also get his mindreader series. His character development of all major and minor people make you want to meet all of them. Except Cronkite.
August 6, 2023
Wonderful
This was so wonderful it was impossible to put down. Mr. Macy has the best imagination ever to think up the characters in this book. So different yet they pull you right into their world. Many twists and turns and while this is a story, it seems positively real.
This was so wonderful it was impossible to put down. Mr. Macy has the best imagination ever to think up the characters in this book. So different yet they pull you right into their world. Many twists and turns and while this is a story, it seems positively real.
May 13, 2020
Can't quite get to 4stars but a definite 3 and a half!
March 11, 2017
Jake is in a party in his house, a moment later, he finds himself, his grandmother-in-law, and his dog in a totally different place. He thinks he is just too drunk and his hallucination fools him. In fact, he just enters The Universe Next Door, where dinosaurs and half-animal intelligent creatures live; and sophisticated airships exist. He has only one purpose: to find a way home.
Since the beginning, this story is really engaging and hard to put down. It takes the readers into Jake’s feelings and thoughts deeply with details of his actions and how he comes into decisions. Jake is not so likable character, but is really believable . Though Jake’s backstory is unclear , it does not really influence the course of the story. The more answers are revealed, the more interesting it becomes. Nonhuman characters in this story are also interesting and very human.
Overall, even though changing of POV is somewhat challenging, this story is original and enjoyable.
I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys sci-fi/thriller and ‘maybe’ to read Contact Us first, because I didn’t and felt a bit lost sometimes during the reading.
**Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in accordance with the terms of LibraryThing’s Members Giveaway program.**
Since the beginning, this story is really engaging and hard to put down. It takes the readers into Jake’s feelings and thoughts deeply with details of his actions and how he comes into decisions. Jake is not so likable character, but is really believable . Though Jake’s backstory is unclear , it does not really influence the course of the story. The more answers are revealed, the more interesting it becomes. Nonhuman characters in this story are also interesting and very human.
Overall, even though changing of POV is somewhat challenging, this story is original and enjoyable.
I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys sci-fi/thriller and ‘maybe’ to read Contact Us first, because I didn’t and felt a bit lost sometimes during the reading.
**Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in accordance with the terms of LibraryThing’s Members Giveaway program.**
December 30, 2016
Before we get started *I received this book for free for a fair and honest review* I've been wanting to read more sci-fi lately especially since reading Leviathan Wakes but I didn't just want to rush into the next book in the series. The Universe Next Door seemed perfect
I know this is the third book in the Jake Corby series and I usually like to read the other books before just diving in, however it said this was a stand alone and I didn't need to read the other two to understand this one. I kinda wish I did though. from the very beginning I felt like I was missing an important information. I would have loved to like to book. The world is very thought out, Macy is very good at describing the world around Jake, I also really like the alien (other dimensional?) species, but I still just couldn't get into it.
If you are a avid sci-fi fan then look into the first book Contact Us. Macy did mentioned actions that happened in his other books that I had no idea about, although he did explain what happened I really wished I read the other ones. Also let me just say that theres' a dog in this and well.. yea. I don't want to give anything away but the entire time I was wondering how Jake didn't just fall apart.
I know this is the third book in the Jake Corby series and I usually like to read the other books before just diving in, however it said this was a stand alone and I didn't need to read the other two to understand this one. I kinda wish I did though. from the very beginning I felt like I was missing an important information. I would have loved to like to book. The world is very thought out, Macy is very good at describing the world around Jake, I also really like the alien (other dimensional?) species, but I still just couldn't get into it.
If you are a avid sci-fi fan then look into the first book Contact Us. Macy did mentioned actions that happened in his other books that I had no idea about, although he did explain what happened I really wished I read the other ones. Also let me just say that theres' a dog in this and well.. yea. I don't want to give anything away but the entire time I was wondering how Jake didn't just fall apart.
October 7, 2016
The hero of the story – Jake Corby - is in survival mood, but remains remarkably upbeat given the onslaught of fantastical problems he must overcome. Repeatedly, he employs smart-aleck humor to break the tension. Brilliant.
The twists and turns in the scifi plots were many. First, Jake gets stuck in a cave with his mother-in-law and dog; then he loses them and must seek help from dinobirds, then triangular airships and an impending crash collision; next a visit to Mars and colony ships. I didn’t expect so many twists and turns. But they kept coming, which kept my attention.
To develop his alternative universe, the author must have done extensive research on the fauna and flora of Earth millions of years ago as well as Mars. His dinobirds were also uniquely described; the author owns (or owned) a parrot or bird of some kind, definitely; I know this since I volunteered at a bird shelters years ago.
Well done, keep the books the coming.
The twists and turns in the scifi plots were many. First, Jake gets stuck in a cave with his mother-in-law and dog; then he loses them and must seek help from dinobirds, then triangular airships and an impending crash collision; next a visit to Mars and colony ships. I didn’t expect so many twists and turns. But they kept coming, which kept my attention.
To develop his alternative universe, the author must have done extensive research on the fauna and flora of Earth millions of years ago as well as Mars. His dinobirds were also uniquely described; the author owns (or owned) a parrot or bird of some kind, definitely; I know this since I volunteered at a bird shelters years ago.
Well done, keep the books the coming.
August 17, 2016
I had just started the story and I already liked it.
In the beginning we immediately know something has happened, then we read about the happy life of Jay ... and next we witness the devastation.
We see the bewilderment, tempered by Marie, and follow the hero in a strange, strange world.
Lovely.
Al Macy quite cunningly waves different worlds and different universes. And the book is convincing, all the time.
The reader should know about Star Trek and Star Wars but yeah, who does not? I liked - and understood - the references anyway.
Al has convinced me. I will try to get more of his books.
In the beginning we immediately know something has happened, then we read about the happy life of Jay ... and next we witness the devastation.
We see the bewilderment, tempered by Marie, and follow the hero in a strange, strange world.
Lovely.
Al Macy quite cunningly waves different worlds and different universes. And the book is convincing, all the time.
The reader should know about Star Trek and Star Wars but yeah, who does not? I liked - and understood - the references anyway.
Al has convinced me. I will try to get more of his books.
November 27, 2016
This is volume three in the Jake Corby series has Jack and dog Boonie are transported into an alternative universe. The parallel universe is in danger and Jake needs to work with dinosaurs, spheres, and computer to save all from destruction. The plot flips between universes and situations with Jake facing one problem after another. The book needs editing for fragmented sentences, missing punctuation, and spelling.
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August 5, 2016I love Jake Corby, his daughter, grand-mother-in-law, wife, dog...the whole package! This one, latest in the series, has more action and scary drama than the previous books. It still has Jake's snarky humor, which is my favorite part about him, but also has some sadness. I'm already looking forward to the next in the series!
September 1, 2016
Macy is an entertaining writer. He keeps the story moving, always with a sense of humor.
Macy's character Jake Corby is a sci-fi version of James Rockford, of the old T.V. show "The Rockford Files". Grumbling, self-deprecating, but always gets the job done.
Macy's character Jake Corby is a sci-fi version of James Rockford, of the old T.V. show "The Rockford Files". Grumbling, self-deprecating, but always gets the job done.
October 27, 2016
I received a copy of this third book in the series in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to buckle your seat belt and return your tray to the upright position before you dive into this book - because you are in for a wild ride! I honestly loved it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews