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NewCon Press Novellas (set 1) #2
At The Speed Of Light
A tense drama set in the depths of space. Aboard a ship that has travelled beyond the reach of human knowledge, Corbyn discovers he may not be as alone as he ought to be
An intense hard SF novella from Simon Morden (B.Sc. Hons., Sheffield, Ph.D, Newcastle), a bona fide rocket scientist with degrees in geology and planetary geophysics who also writes science fiction. Author of a dozen novels and collections, Simon won the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award. At The Speed of Light is one of his finest works to date.
“Morden has a natural talent for a plot that keeps the reader guessing.” – The Guardian (on Equations of Life)
“An engrossing rollercoaster of a plot winds up with a solidly satisfying climax that leaves the reader craving more.” – Publishers Weekly (on Arcanum)
“Morden, against a gritty, utterly convincing backdrop, anticipates every consequence and wrings out surprise after surprise.” – Kirkus (on Arcanum)
“This is British sci-fi at its hard-boiled best.” – The Guardian (on The Curve of the Earth)
“Morden is a writer who delights in turning your expectations upside down.” – ScienceFiction.com
At The Speed Of Light is the second release in a new series of NewCon Press novellas. The series will be issued in sets of four, with each set featuring cover art by the same artist - one piece of artwork divided between the four covers.
An intense hard SF novella from Simon Morden (B.Sc. Hons., Sheffield, Ph.D, Newcastle), a bona fide rocket scientist with degrees in geology and planetary geophysics who also writes science fiction. Author of a dozen novels and collections, Simon won the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award. At The Speed of Light is one of his finest works to date.
“Morden has a natural talent for a plot that keeps the reader guessing.” – The Guardian (on Equations of Life)
“An engrossing rollercoaster of a plot winds up with a solidly satisfying climax that leaves the reader craving more.” – Publishers Weekly (on Arcanum)
“Morden, against a gritty, utterly convincing backdrop, anticipates every consequence and wrings out surprise after surprise.” – Kirkus (on Arcanum)
“This is British sci-fi at its hard-boiled best.” – The Guardian (on The Curve of the Earth)
“Morden is a writer who delights in turning your expectations upside down.” – ScienceFiction.com
At The Speed Of Light is the second release in a new series of NewCon Press novellas. The series will be issued in sets of four, with each set featuring cover art by the same artist - one piece of artwork divided between the four covers.
- GenresScience Fiction
115 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2017
14 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Simon Morden
44 books287 followersAka S.J. Morden
Dr. Simon Morden, B.Sc. (Hons., Sheffield) Ph.D (Newcastle) is a bona fide rocket scientist, having degrees in geology and planetary geophysics. Unfortunately, that sort of thing doesn’t exactly prepare a person for the big wide world of work: he’s been a school caretaker, admin assistant, and PA to a financial advisor. He’s now employed as a part-time teaching assistant at a Gateshead primary school, which he combines with his duties as a house-husband, attempting to keep a crumbling pile of Edwardian masonry upright, wrangling his two children and providing warm places to sleep for the family cats.
His not-so-secret identity as journeyman writer started when he sold the short story Bell, Book and Candle to an anthology, and a chaotic mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror followed. Heart came out to critical acclaim, and Another War was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award, but with The Lost Art, things suddenly got serious. Contracts. Agents. Deadlines. Responsibility. Scary stuff. The Lost Art was subsequently a finalist for the Catalyst Award for best teen fiction.
As well as a writer, he’s been the editor of the British Science Fiction Association's writers’ magazine Focus, a judge for the Arthur C Clarke awards, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Arts Festival on matters of faith and fiction. In 2009, he was in the winning team for the Rolls Royce Science Prize.
Dr. Simon Morden, B.Sc. (Hons., Sheffield) Ph.D (Newcastle) is a bona fide rocket scientist, having degrees in geology and planetary geophysics. Unfortunately, that sort of thing doesn’t exactly prepare a person for the big wide world of work: he’s been a school caretaker, admin assistant, and PA to a financial advisor. He’s now employed as a part-time teaching assistant at a Gateshead primary school, which he combines with his duties as a house-husband, attempting to keep a crumbling pile of Edwardian masonry upright, wrangling his two children and providing warm places to sleep for the family cats.
His not-so-secret identity as journeyman writer started when he sold the short story Bell, Book and Candle to an anthology, and a chaotic mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror followed. Heart came out to critical acclaim, and Another War was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award, but with The Lost Art, things suddenly got serious. Contracts. Agents. Deadlines. Responsibility. Scary stuff. The Lost Art was subsequently a finalist for the Catalyst Award for best teen fiction.
As well as a writer, he’s been the editor of the British Science Fiction Association's writers’ magazine Focus, a judge for the Arthur C Clarke awards, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Arts Festival on matters of faith and fiction. In 2009, he was in the winning team for the Rolls Royce Science Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 7, 2017
Simon Morden won the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award. (Morden has a B.Sc. with Hons. from Sheffield, Ph.D, Newcastle), a rocket scientist with degrees in geology and planetary geophysics
Simon Morden's book "At The Speed Of Light" demonstrates to me the sad side of Science Fiction. The novella to me was boring and overly repetitive.
I do not recall having had a single miss in all of the selections of the books that I have read edited by Ian Whates's NewCon press.
The story is set in the depths of space aboard a ship that has traveled beyond known space. This in itself is an oxymoron.
I would give this a pass if I had it to do all over again. I found it difficult to finish the book.
This is copy 43 of 100 hardcover copies printed and is signed by Simon Morden.
Simon Morden's book "At The Speed Of Light" demonstrates to me the sad side of Science Fiction. The novella to me was boring and overly repetitive.
I do not recall having had a single miss in all of the selections of the books that I have read edited by Ian Whates's NewCon press.
The story is set in the depths of space aboard a ship that has traveled beyond known space. This in itself is an oxymoron.
I would give this a pass if I had it to do all over again. I found it difficult to finish the book.
This is copy 43 of 100 hardcover copies printed and is signed by Simon Morden.
March 7, 2021
So while I wait for the latest NewCon novella set to arrive I thought I would do some catching up (you know me always so easily distracted with other books) and so on to the second of this set (the sets do not follow a sequence more follow a similar theme).
This one contains a lot of science theory - not surprising when you realise that the author is actually an planetary geologist (according to the end piece of the book) so you can imagine it does get technical but thankfully not excessively so and if anything it acts a great plot device to support the story.
Initially rather confusing it does all weave together and I for one feel that I would love to know "what happens next" which I guess is a sign of a good story in that you care about the characters and feel invested in their situation.
This one contains a lot of science theory - not surprising when you realise that the author is actually an planetary geologist (according to the end piece of the book) so you can imagine it does get technical but thankfully not excessively so and if anything it acts a great plot device to support the story.
Initially rather confusing it does all weave together and I for one feel that I would love to know "what happens next" which I guess is a sign of a good story in that you care about the characters and feel invested in their situation.
April 12, 2017
I received a copy of this novella from LibraryThing Early Reviewers batch.
Corbyn wakes up. This is strange because he is an artificial intelligence made by man, and doesn’t need sleep. He never grows tired. He has a space ship built around him. He has slept for ten years when a derelict space ship wakes him up.
In this novella I found the same kind of reasoning as in Andy Weir’s The Martian. At times the technical writing made reading slow. I had to check up definitions of words.
All in all this was still a very nice read.
Corbyn wakes up. This is strange because he is an artificial intelligence made by man, and doesn’t need sleep. He never grows tired. He has a space ship built around him. He has slept for ten years when a derelict space ship wakes him up.
In this novella I found the same kind of reasoning as in Andy Weir’s The Martian. At times the technical writing made reading slow. I had to check up definitions of words.
All in all this was still a very nice read.
November 30, 2017
I quite liked this novella from Morden. I appreciated the nice use of the hard science aspects in the story and the interaction of the main character with his eventual passenger.
But the story is so incomplete. It seems to stop at a midway point in a longer novel. Yes, the protagonist has accomplished a major feat and is ready for the next step in the story, but the result seems very incomplete.
So, enjoy the novella for good writing, an intersting situation, attention to scientific detail but know you will be left hanging.
But the story is so incomplete. It seems to stop at a midway point in a longer novel. Yes, the protagonist has accomplished a major feat and is ready for the next step in the story, but the result seems very incomplete.
So, enjoy the novella for good writing, an intersting situation, attention to scientific detail but know you will be left hanging.
March 26, 2018
Not my favorite Morden. This made me realize that I enjoy Morden's characters more than anything, and this novella has only one character.
The interesting thing is that the character is an unreliable narrator. The less interesting thing is the detailed machinations of solving engineering issues.
I was warned going into this: it's hard science fiction. But I don't believe that hard SF has to mean flat SF, and that's what this book was to me. I'll try his next work instead.
The interesting thing is that the character is an unreliable narrator. The less interesting thing is the detailed machinations of solving engineering issues.
I was warned going into this: it's hard science fiction. But I don't believe that hard SF has to mean flat SF, and that's what this book was to me. I'll try his next work instead.
February 12, 2017
Influenced by The Martian?
Parts of this tale remind me of the writing style of The Martian, but occurring on a vastly different stage. Can be read in one sitting, which is good, because it is very hard to put down due to its story ideas and quality of writing. Wish it were a bit longer, but perhaps that is for another day!
Parts of this tale remind me of the writing style of The Martian, but occurring on a vastly different stage. Can be read in one sitting, which is good, because it is very hard to put down due to its story ideas and quality of writing. Wish it were a bit longer, but perhaps that is for another day!
November 4, 2017
This is a short novella. Which is not made clear on iBooks. I love this kind of pure science, hard science, fiction. Since I have no scientific background this always surprises me, but I guess it's down to good writers thAt can bring a story to life. Which Morden always can. It's just another example of how he can draw you in to any situation.
October 2, 2017
Interesting
Interesting but incomplete to me. The ending left me hanging and not in a good way. It had potential though
Interesting but incomplete to me. The ending left me hanging and not in a good way. It had potential though
January 6, 2018
Loved it, true science fiction that gripped me.
Demands a sequel
Demands a sequel
March 3, 2017
3.5/5.0
February 2, 2017
A nice hard space story, with plenty of psychological twists, squarely in the classical tradition.
April 3, 2017
Three stars, but only because the end is so frustrating. Morden leaves us with too many unanswered questions, and this should have been twice as long. Who were the two men in the drive section? What was waiting at the end of the journey? Why had Corbyn dreamt of being shot? Did the D Drive work?
We will never know.
We will never know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2017
(3.5 stars)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews