Scapescope

by John E. Stith

Brother Sammy Wants YOU! In prison. For something you haven't done yet.

Aided by a device that provides glimpses of the future, Mike Cavantalo, a loyal government employee, learns that soon he will be on the list of known political criminals. Uncle Sammy wants him.

First published in 1984 by Ace Books, SCAPESCOPE is John E. Stith's first novel.

Partially set in a future version of the underground NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex, where the author once worked as an Air Force officer.

Praise for Scapescope

"Entertainingly written."--Science Fiction Chronicle

"Well-written and well-plotted, with several surprises. Scapescope is a fine, enjoyable first novel." --Galactic Dispatch

"Tried-and-true Alfred Hitchcock sort of plot."--Edward Bryant

Genres: Science Fiction

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

PUSHBACK , a mystery-suspense novel, was published in November 2018 and is a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, mainstream category.

PUSHBACK : At his ten-year high-school reunion, an investment counselor finds he doesn't know one person there, and soon realizes he must outwit an unknown antagonist who wants him dead.

"...unsettling Hitchcockian thriller...Judicious use of humor provides some relief from the dark plot line. Fans of Daniel Palmer-esque intelligent suspense will be pleased." -- Publishers Weekly

"Ordinary Hijacked by Extraordinary, With Comedy... what’s most captivating about PUSHBACK is that even with people like Dave Barlow—just an average guy doing average things—life can take a shocking turn for the worse. But the book reminds us that, also like Dave, we have the power to turn it right-side up again, with humor at the center of our inner strength." -- The Big Thrill, magazine of International Thriller Writers

Science-fiction author John E. Stith's works include REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS (Nebula Award nominee from Ace Books), MANHATTAN TRANSFER (Hugo Award Honorable Mention from Tor Books), REUNION ON NEVEREND, and RECKONING INFINITY (on Science Fiction Chronicle's Best Science Fiction Novels list for its publication year, on the Nebula Award preliminary ballot).

His other novels are SCAPESCOPE, MEMORY BLANK, DEATH TOLLS, and DEEP QUARRY.

He's the author of ALL FOR NAUGHT, which collects "Naught for Hire," and "Naught Again" both first appearing in ANALOG. If you hear about "Naught for Hire" verbally, you might think the title is "Not for Hire" but it's not. Check out the Naught for Hire website for even more info on the upcoming webisode series starring Ben Browder.

Reviews

[Howard Brazee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Older book that has some of the strengths that Stith shows today, but not all of them.

The big strength is in the Big Idea. (Basically the scapescope predicts most likely futures and has been part of a society where risks aren't taken).

The weaknesses are in that there's no way the bad guys would have trusted the protagonist, and the pace of the story is slow to start and the story was kind of irrelevant to the Big Idea, other than the fact the protagonist faces an outside threat which the others are unaware of.

[Solim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sci fi thriller that starts off with no build up. Straight action and mild character development. I think this author is going to deliver solid 3 star reads with each book. I have 6 more books from him to go through.