Mimic and the Space Engineer

Space Shifter Chronicles #1

by James David Victor

An aspiring space engineer, a shape-shifting alien, and the race to save an unknown alien race.
A new story from #1 Best Selling author James David Victor

Higgens has the best job in the galaxy. Except for the fact that he’s technically a janitor on a galactic mining vessel. When he discovers an unknown alien species, his world gets turned upside down. He will have to find unlikely allies if he is going to save his new friend and start the journey home.

Mimic and the Space Engineer is the first book in the Space Shifter Chronicles. If you like fast paced space adventures with engaging, and quirky, characters, you will love Higgens, Mimic, and their adventures in space.

Download Mimic and the Space Engineer and get started on your next space adventure today!

Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Genres: Science Fiction, Amazon

69 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2017

About the author

James David Victor is the pen name used by science fiction and fantasy author David J. VanBergen Jr. for co-authored projects. It is his way of sharing more stories with you than he could write by himself.

If you would like to check out all of his books, under both pen names, and get a free short story, be sure to sign up for his Science Fiction newsletter by visiting:
fairfieldpublishing.com/sci-fi-newsle...

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great prequel

Mining asteroids and our janitor hero finds an alien blob, terrified. He hides it and finds that it is a shape shifter. It grows and so does his problems. Cute story.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the whole box set of the Space Shifter Chronicles a while ago, which includes all 9 episodes in this series. I was in the mood for a fun sci-fi adventure type of read and picked this one up. It fit exactly the type of story I was looking for and I enjoyed reading it. The episodic format works really well for this series with the episode having a clear start and end. And after finishing it made me curious enough about what happens next that I jumped right into episode 2.

Mimic and the Space Engineer is mostly told from the point of view of Higgins who is a janitor/ space engineer aboard a government issued mining vessel. I thought it was interesting how Higgins might not have the highest rank aboard the ships, the opposite in fact, but it's clear he has a big heart when he befriends an alien life form and risk his life to help her.

The pace of the story is quite fast, but it didn't feel rushed. Things just developed quite quickly and it went from one interesting scene to the next. I thought the set-up of Higgins finding this alien creature and befriending it was fun. It might not be the most original concept, but the authors brought it to life well and it was a fun read.

I liked the alien creature Mimic. I enjoy reading about characters who aren't quite human ad try to grasp human concepts. Mimic easily picks up the dictionary and knows the meaning of words, but then things like human behavior as handshakes, hugs and the like or proverbs are really hard for her. It was interesting to see how she viewed humans and how she tried to communicate with Higgins. It also was awesome to see how the two becomes close friends quite quickly even with all the differences besides them.

There are some other side characters as well, but the focus mostly is on Higgins and Mimic. I think we'll see more of some of the side characters in future books. In fact every character we meet has some role and there aren't any characters without a purpose we meet. It worked well for this style of storytelling.

To summarize: I enjoyed this first episode of Higgins and Mimic's adventure. The episodic storytelling format really works here with the episode having a clear beginning and ending. The pace is fast with every scenes being important in some way. I liked seeing the alien Mimic adjust to human customs and seeing what she learned easily and what she struggled with. It was great to see how Mimic and Higgins become close friends quite quickly even with the differences between their species. This was the type of story I was in the mood for and I went right over to start episode 2 after this one.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but short (ends at 87%) and Higgens makes some foolish choices. 3.5 Amazon; 3.0 Goodreads

I liked Higgens well enough, but his repeated overreactions to Mimic's surprising him did get to be a bit much, and he *did* put the ship at risk, even if that part turned out okay. I suppose much of what he does is actually plausible for a socially-awkward ordinary Joe in an extraordinary circumstance, but I prefer smarter leads. As for "Mimic"/"Mimi", we haven't really learned much about "her" yet, such as what emotional connections the shapeshifters do or don't usually form. This is just the beginnings of seeking more of her kind, if there's any chance of finding them anywhere alive, since Mimic's home asteroid was unknowingly destroyed by the mining ship's standard operations. The story just doesn't feel as intense as that situation ought to make it. Secondary characters are not even very well developed beyond a few characteristics.

The editing is pretty good (I caught 5 minor errors — oh, and one iffy word choice, where I wonder whether the author realizes just how vulgar the slur he chose is, in an otherwise clean, cute read), but I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay [any more than] 99¢ for later installments, though I am curious. This was my first read from DJVB/JDV, so I don't know whether reading on is likely to satisfy me re. what was lacking here.

[Kanyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimic and the Space Engineer is a cute & fun read. A first in a brand new series, this book is a nice quick read for the person who doesn't have a lot of spare time. I had fun joining in on this adventure. I will be happily awaiting book two!

Higgens is enjoying his new job aboard a space mining vessel. While on clean-up duty he encounters an unknown alien species. He is the first human to come into contact with aliens and he can't help but feel sorry for this sad creature who only wants to find her home. When the alien starts to grow and shape-shift, Higgens embarks on an adventure of a lifetime.

I recommend this story for those who enjoy sci-fi adventurous short stories.

Final Rating: 5 Stars

[Sasani Malik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and to the point but all too short. The book ends at 87% on a Kindle reading device followed by excerpts from other books. Good writing and an interesting take on first contact. I suppose my only gripe is the length and the feeling the book was just getting started.

Will I read book two? Probably, yes. I'm interested in Higgens and Mimi enough to see what happens to them. The other characters haven't had much depth added to them yet, but I expect that happens in the following sequels.

Higgens did overreact to Mimic more often than expected considering he knew of her presence and the fact she could be shapeshifted. Perhaps he is just a jumpy fellow though.

I would like to know more about what life was like for Mimic before she came aboard the ship. For example, what sort of culture did she come from, if any?

Anyway, I see that the following books are a bit longer, so I'll likely dive into those soon. Overall a fun and relaxing read. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not going to lie I did go most of the book thinking the main character was a female. When someone say he I was a little confused. Completely my mistake there but he did a scream a lot. So yeah my bad. Also liked the British vibes coming off the main character.

Sweet, short and to the point. No unneeded fluff, no extra confusing stuff. The Author stuck to what he wanted to show and focused on that a 100%. It felt the right amount pages and made me want to read the rest of the series which is a great job done.

I just really like how Mimic was done. Was cute not going to lie. Had Disney vibes going on there until ‘it’ changed into a ‘she’.

Favourite Line: Frances wanted to dance? Well, I could dance. And I always stepped on toes when I did.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... the writing is good enough that it is worth reading. I liked the story of a shape-shifter being found on an asteroid. The story reminds me of "Acorna" by Anne McCaffrey.

I think this book has potential, but it seems more like an outline than a fully realized book. Even when one reads the sequels strung together, it still does not have the feel of a full book. Even so, the writing felt better than other authors that can write a full book that isn't as good.

So... I recommend that the author keep writing. He can only get better.

[Hannah Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet, but interesting

This is short, more of a novella. As such various chunks of narrative undertook massive leaps. A few sentences explained several days of relational development between the two main protagonists. The story followed a clear if somewhat accelerated progression.
The characters were likable but slightly two dimensional. They might get more developed further into the series, and the author does say this a short book to introduce the characters and further books will be longer.
I'm glad I read it but not sure I'll read the next one!

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting start to a new series. It is a quick, undemanding read which sets things up for the adventures of a socially inept spaceship maintenance man with a couple of geekish engineers and a shape-shifting hyper-intelligent alien. It is fairly standard sci-fi fare, but the characters are well written which raises it from 3 stars to 4. Hopefully future books in the series will have more involved plots.

[Dennis Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and well-done story. This is different than most first-contact books I've read and shows both the leading characters and the alien in both a positive and genial light. For once, we don't have the surreal, adonis space jock and an alien showing either superiority or downright intent to conquer the galaxy.

There is a warmth to the book and the reading carries you along nicely. Well recommended.

[Douglas Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought maybe because of the number of people reading it and their reviews... But alas, the "space radiation" and the fact that it is trying too hard to be funny killed this first book in the series.

Sorry, some can over look lack of prep or even the slightest desire to take writing seriously. I cannot.

Main character is very one dimensional and the crew of the mining ship just puppets. The writing shows an immaturity that shocked me. Dumping the whole series as a "forget it".

[DWR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternate title: The Idiot and the Sexy Blob of Inorganic Goo

This book was fun. And I finished it. Which took about an hour. That said, there is not much here except ridiculous caricature. There is only one lightly described character and one sentient blob. Wish I had more to say, but I don't.

[Christy deSade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a serial

Jsyk, since I somehow missed that in the description. If I were rating this as an actual book, is give it a 2 at best sure to it's brevity and lack of detail... given the serial status, I look forward to learning more about the characters and universe in future episodes.

[Éric Kasprak · Rating 4 out of 5]

As all the series by this author, the story is well paced, well written, short and exciting. I love the idea of a First Contact made by a regular Joe (spaceship janitor) and the budding partnership with the alien seems to open up many interesting possibilities. I have full confidence that the author will take full advantage of these and take us on a fun ride.

[Gareth Otton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this as it took a lot of unusual paths for a first contact story. This helped it feel original and fresh.

It was far too short though, barely even a novella. I see there's an omnibus edition out so I recommend getting that. If the other two books are this length then all 3 will be barely long enough for one novel.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

MIMIC AND THE SPACE ENGINEER is a fun introductory story about Higgins (a glorified space janitor) and Mimi (an alien who can shift/mimic any form).Higgins finds Mimi in spilled debris from a space mining accident. Now he must decide whether to turn her over to authorities as a lab specimen or help her try to find her way home.
I really enjoyed this short tale.

[Michael Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, Light, Comical Short Story

This is no book, just a short story about first contact. Ironically, the first contact is made by a janitor on a mining ship. I enjoyed everything about the stpry...except that it was short! This could be expanded into a series of novels.

[Upset · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story but way too fast paced and too short

I still give this 5 starts because the story has a good vibe and the characters seem interesting from what we see. Hopefully the next one will be a bit longer.

[Red Tide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining

Aliens come in all shapes and sizes. Some come in every shape and size. This is a great little story with much more to go.

I really like his characters and his descriptions focus on the essentials. It feels real. I think that you'll like this too.

[Steven L Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good clean fun

Proper english. Good editing. No sex, No profanity nor bloody descriptions of death and dismemberment. Yes, it's too short and is almost 'cute', but i still liked the story. Ready for the next book!

[DJay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather liked this story. It's short and to the point. No over arching issues here. The plot is that a guy finds an alien and is trying to take her home. That's about it. Not a crazy in depth story but a solid one nonetheless.

[Kandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short book about someone's first contact with an alien life force. Very interesting characters and storyline. Enjoyable.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun concept. Quick Read. Wish it was longer.

[Vicky Camp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story.

The idea is good. The characters are clear and strong. I am impressed with the politics and will enjoy reading more of the story, I am sure.

[Phil Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

Well written and well thought out. It's absolutely too much too short though. The author needed to explore both Higgins' and Mimi's past.

[Jay Ledbetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best quick read ever. Excellent writing!

Thanks for finding a unique subtext instead of same stuff over and over. Very refreshing over great subject matter much fun.

[Scott Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This was a good read. If you like science fiction, space opera you will like this book. It was short but the next book is supposed to be longer .

[Terrence Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best SyFy ever !

I have been reading SyFy since the 1950s and I haven't enjoyed anything more. That's including all the Wells, Verne, Asimov and Clark that I began with !

[Jeff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

good lead up

[Tony Fecteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of potential here with these characters. I hope we get to explore another universe with this series.