Black Swan Planet

Black Swan Planet #1

by James Peters, Peter Koevari (Editor)

Raka Varoule is a second-rate investigative reporter, traveling between the twenty-seven worlds of the Galactic Empire exposing minor scandals. His big break comes when he weasels his way onto the Emperor’s personal star-cruiser to report live, across the galaxy, how the Emperor is celebrating his birthday. When he exposes the biggest scandal in galactic history, he narrowly escapes with the help of a drug runner, a dominatrix, and a monkey wearing ass-less chaps. Together, they search for an escape from the Empire; a barbarian world outside Imperial control. Then things get weird.
Black Swan Planet is a rare treat of a novel. A satirical science-fiction story told in a unique way, utilizing a variety of perspectives. This story will make you both laugh out loud and keep you guessing what will happen next. James Peters has woven a story you’ll never forget, even if you lack mnemonic implants or prescription vibrating undergarments.

Genres: Science Fiction, Comedy, Fiction

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 21, 2017

About the author

James Peters fell in love with Science Fiction at a young age, becoming hooked on the works of Asimov, Anderson, and Pohl (among many others), as well as the mixed bag of anything labeled Science Fiction on television or at the movies while growing up. While in grade school, he was given an assignment to write a journal about anything he wanted. He quickly filled the pages with a Buck Roger’s type adventure of robots, spaceships, and pew-pewing lasers, discovering his inner passion to write.
He writes with a gritty blend of character-driven action, wry humor, and social commentary that transports the reader through wild worlds of speculative fiction and fantasy. He’s known to cross the borders of different genres into new territory, along with an occasional ‘wink and nod’ to pop culture and other authors, then shock the reader with an unexpected turn of events.
Sit back, open your mind and enjoy the ride. Your adventure awaits.

Reviews

[Arthur Weissmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fine piece of science fiction and satire that uses the galactic empire to poke fun of many issues in society. I won’t say anymore so there won’t be spoilers but the book is well worth the read. I can see this being a good movie too.

[Eric Barnum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading this. It's a fast paced, fun story, with some surprise twists to it that you'd never expect. Imagine a decrepit empire "out there." Through various hi-jinx some of them come to earth and spawn some of our most fantastic conspiracy theories as well as our digital revolution, and all the things leading up to it like the space race, satellite tech, etc. Most scifi presents advanced civilizations as either omnipotent through their tech or as benign but frightening. I really liked how in this story, the Empire is every bit as you might think it would be if our current civilization advanced to their level.

The story introduced some fun concepts I have not seen in my other scifi reading and movie watching. I also play a scifi game called Traveler quite often and noticed some interesting, but unique to James' writing analogs. The tech I most enjoyed were their faster than light travel, nanotech application, criminal punishment, and evolution of other species.

If you enjoy scifi and want something with a lighter side that is still very much scifi, pick up this book and give it a try.

[Gari Strawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts with single simian.

It ends with an plenitude of primates.

The rest of the book contains, in no particular order:

A couple of married man jokes told in the hallowed grounds of the small town barber shop, the likes of which I have not heard since Rodney Dangerfield gasped his last.
A really regrettable love poem.
A great deal more poop and poop related products than one normally encounters in modern fiction.
Best last line ever!

I laughed, read passages aloud to my husband and laughed again. Well told, absurd, funny, fast paced.

[Bek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunter S Thompson meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

A humorous, epic, riotously unpredictable space romp. Filled with actions Nd sarcasm, occasionally at the same time, this book was a pleasure to read and had many laugh out loud moment. An awkward hero, a secret agent, a girl, a planet to save and an Empire to overthrow, this book was hard to put down u til the very end.

[Michelle Kunz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love That Naughty Monkey

I enjoyed this journey to 1950's Earth from a Galaxy far away. The main characters observations upon landing on this barbarian planet is so funny! An accidental quest on a spaceship borrowed from the Empire with the bad guys closing in...This will be a great movie someday. Perfect read for fans of SciFi and Satire.

[Aro · Rating 5 out of 5]

bonobo poetry !

[J.S. Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Galactic adventure with humor.
Eclectic characters are a trademark of James Peters’ novels. Marco is a clever monkey with a warped sense of humor. Raka is an investigative reporter with a talent for research and fixing electronic equipment. Maven is a beautiful spy with a secret. These characters and more are part of an entertaining galactic adventure.

Maven notes that if you simply replace the emperor, the new one won’t be much better. So, why not bring down the entire galactic empire? Parts of this book are hysterically funny! I also enjoyed the detailed discussions on space travel. Book 1 concludes the initial adventure with questions for a sequel.

[Carl Nattrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this strange read.

[Bikram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had requested and received audiobook version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is what I would call a laugh-riot of a book. Sure, there are some jokes that fell flat and some that didn't work for me, but mostly this kept me laughing throughout the book. And bonus, there's a good plot too that takes us across galaxies. Even though some times those "plots" seem to be written just for setting up a "funny" scene. The characters themselves are very well-written, which adds to the humor quotient of the book.

I've had the chance of listening to 4 different books narrated by David Swanson this month, and I loved his work in most of those. In this particular book though, his rendition was below par, compared to the other 3. Some character voices were done very good, while other accents were weird at best. It didn't distract me too much, but could've been better.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well outside of my usual genre. But, that being said, I really enjoyed the story. When I first started the book I was a little wary because the first scene, well, let's just say a lot happens. About 10% in the story line and character development deepens which made the rest of the book a fast-paced, comedic story. I don't read many sci-fi books but the ones I have read do not explore the relationship between Earth and other planets/alien technology in the quite the same way and I think it would be enjoyable for any die-hard or occasional sci-fi fan.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in return for my review

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
" A stupid plan is better than no plan at all."
This deliciously silly book is written from the point of view of one Roka Veroule, famous through the 27 planets of the Galactic Empire as an intrepid investigative reporter. But his live streamed videoing of the birthday celebrations of the Emperor exposes rather more of the Emperor than he'd anticipated, so Roka makes an hasty escape in the Emperor's own cruiser, accompanied only by a dominatrix, an Imperial drugs dealer and a nauseous and naughty chimpanzee. In a desperate bid to outwit the pursuing ships, the small crew head out of Imperial civilization in hope of disappearing to one of the barbarian worlds. And they find earth...

As well as often being hilariously funny, in a mostly slapstick and potty humour way, the action is fast paced and observations insightful. The characters are brightly colourful, like comic heros, but still have a depth and reality - very memorable. The story is pretty good, too, and the unexpected really does take the reader completely by surprise. Somehow, the talented narrator, David Swanson, is able to convey all of this in his excellent performance - his reading is fast paced, but not too fast, every protagonist has an individual and appropriate voice and he exudes a slightly satirical undertone through the entire narration.

Although very different in content, the book is reminiscent of the marvellous Harry Harrison stories in it's explosion of on page presence. I'm sure most S.F. fans would enjoy the glorious fun of Black Swan Planet which, combined with the excellently fitting narration, make this a five star audiobook. My deep thanks to the rights holder who, at my request, gifted me with a complimentary copy, via Audiobook Boom. I loved it and I know that some of the scenes will stay with me for a very long time.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is for the audiobook format.

A satirical romp through space and time.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the cover art: a blunt-smoking chimp wearing an astronaut's helmet who appeared to mock me with a sly, poo-slinging grin. Needless to say I was intrigued. It turns out to be a fantastically funny romp through space and time -- a satire full of adventure that entertained me from start to finish. Well developed characters have plenty of attitude and some surprising secrets! David Swanson lends this story a unique voice with his narration. Definitely glad I picked this one up and recommend it to anyone looking for a jolly good time!

(I requested this free review copy audiobook and voluntarily posted this unbiased review.)

[Colin Rowlands · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not familiar with this author before getting this book, but the premise seemed like an interesting one, even if at first it did seem like it might be trying a little too hard to be quirky or whacky. Thankfully, the author managed to avoid that potential pitfall quite well and without losing too much humour from the ongoing story managed to nicely add depth and personality to his main characters once they end up on a 'barbarian world' that is actually a mid 20th century Earth that obviously has no idea about the larger galactic empire around them.

On the whole, the narrator does a good job with this book, giving most characters a suitably distinctive voice, the one notable exception would be a particular accent that really didn't work very well at all.

Overall, this was an enjoyable listen and the author has created a well-realised world that I hope he returns to in subsequent books.

[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received a copy from the author. This is an excellent first effort from an up and coming author. Jim's mastery of the science fiction genre, combined with his wit and humor, make for a fun and wild romp through the galaxy. Do yourself a favor, and give this a try. And may your chaps ever be assless.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting book. I am not a die hard fan of science fiction but do like to read stories that use science or scientific knowledge to create parallel realism.
Black Swan Planet has a lot of promise. The story is cleverly knit and though I have my share of sore points with the story; generally, I believe it's a clever story and excellent for a quick light read.

On a completely different note, I couldn't help but wonder, how the concept of galactic empire and the far off barbarian planet fits to our own little Earth to the T. The big galactic empire of the West and the poor barbarian planets; the third world countries.

The story has many twists and turns and those could have taken the story to a whole new level but the only thing that lacked was the poor build up to those surprises. The story makes you want to know what happens next but it doesn't make you feel on the edge although it had a lot of potential to do so.
Perhaps the sequel will be more thrilling!

[Rob Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fast paced, funny science fiction story!
It's a fast paced, fun story, with some surprise twists to it that you'd never expect.
The story is well paced, there are many pop culture references and some fantastic conspiracy theories. Some light drug abuse and some hilarious moments.
The whole book from start to finish is a roller coaster ride of action, comedy and a little drama.
I wish to spoil nothing for you but this book is definitely worth your time and worth the read/listen.

The narration is well performed and matches the characters well. They all feel individual and there is no confusion as to who is speaking.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend that anyone wants a comedy adventure this is the book for you.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily provided this impartial review.

[Mjhancock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raka Varoule disrupts the Galactic Emperor's private birthday party, and winds up fleeing with a band of misfits, including an irritable ape. He crashlands on Earth, our earth, in around the 1950s, settles in, and realizes he has to defend his new life from Empire incursions.

This book had two major strikes against it for me, and one minor one. Let's start minor: it's a comedy book and a big part of the comedy is that monkeys and apes are funny in and of themselves. I understand this perspective as a thing that exists. It comes up often enough in a variety of forms that I accept it. But the only time it ever works for me personally is in live action or comics, where the visuals can form some part of the play. Otherwise, it's just the abstract thought of a simian, and honestly, when it comes to humour, I don't get it.

And that leads to the first major strike: this is a comedy sci fi book that wasn't very funny to me. Raka himself is a comedic straight man who veers towards "Nice Guy" vibes (though to be fair, doesn't entirely go in this direction. Fine.). The rest of the cast includes an assembly of femme fatales, apes and monkeys, colorful locals, conspiracy kooks, reefer stereotypes, and a lot of jokes about eating too much beans. The overall plot is fine for a comedic premise--you can get a lot of mileage out of a space adventure throwback, and a fish out of water alien on earth story. But the execution is vaguely amusing, often flat.

I realize part of the problem with this issue is me. My standards for speculative fiction comedy are very high, and very specific. Either I want the political satire of Terry Pratchett or J. Zachary Pike, or I want the amazing one-liners of Douglas Adams or John Swartzwelder. Peters isn't reaching either, which, to be fair, few people do.

All of that would lead to a rating of 3 stars. But the other issue is the kind of jokes. The book has multiple transphobic jokes, and that takes it from being just mediocre to actively bad. If the book had been written in the 90s or the early 2000s (and it feels like it was written in 90s honestly), I still wouldn't have liked it, but at least I'd be able to recognize it was of a piece with its times. But a 2017 book with this crap is much more gross. The first time it came up, it felt like a one-off from a bit character. I didn't like it, but I tried to move on. Then it comes up again, as a plot point and it's just bad. It's unnecessary, it's not funny, and whatever it says about Raka, given his response, it's not something that makes me care about him as a protagonist. Seriously, it reminded me of the Ace Ventura scene, and at least that has the grace of being nearly 30 years old.

I'm not saying the author is transphobic; I don't know him. But the story is, and it's not interesting to boot. I won't be seeking out the sequel.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is for the Audible version.

When I first started 'Black Swan Planet,' I was worried. The narration was odd, and it seemed like it was going to be eight hours of crude humor, drug abuse, and trying-too-hard-zaniness.

But then it surprised me.

Peters found his groove, and the story took some unexpected turns that were both interesting and deeper than the opening of the book had led me to assume. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, and stopping to go tell my wife about what had just happened (which made her laugh as well). David Swanson's narration smoothed out considerably as well, which made it all the more enjoyable.

Now, this isn't to say the book isn't without flaws. The plotting is uneven and occasionally seems to only be concerned with setting up funny/outrageous scenes (not all of which pay off), and the dialogue quality is a mixed bag. Swanson's attempts at doing voices are also a bit hit and miss (although part of this could be that fake Jamaican accents are hard to take seriously at the best of times).

This isn't the greatest book, but it is entertaining, funny, and wildly unpredictable. Despite my initial reservations, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

3.5/5

I received this a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[TempestKg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover caught my eye. Monkey in a spacesuit, smoking a fat cigar or blunt, and I wondered "could this author pull off a cover like that?"

He did. Very funny throughout, some gags hit better than others, but several LOL moments. Not for the easily offended or kids!

[Maciej Janiec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Monkey business.

[TQ White II · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid fun.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 real close to 5. Fun read

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a little while to get into it, but about 1/4 of the way through it picked up for me. Really enjoyed it. There were a few places that started to lull but overall great. Narration was excellent.

[Nicolas Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poop jokes.
Poop jokes as far as the eye can see.
And what isn't poop jokes is pot head humour.
Pass.

[Si Clarke]

DNF at 21%

I’d already found racism, misogyny, and ableism. This morning, I encountered homophobia and transphobia.

It’s well-written and it’s an interesting story. But it’s a big nope from me.

[John Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and silly book. Lots of action and odd jokes and nothing to be taken very seriously, but well written and interesting.

[Jlarule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid sci-fi and many laugh out loud moments, along with several "did I just read what I think I read, yes, yes I did"! Looking forward to the sequel, as promised in the author's profile.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Black Swan Planet” is a unique, interesting, and entertaining take on the satirical science fiction genre. The book is written by James Peters and the audiobook edition is very well narrated by David Swanson. Let me say that it was the cover art, consisting of a chimpanzee in an astronaut suit, that drew me to listen to this book; and I’m glad I did. I like satire and I like science fiction, so it only makes sense that I would enjoy this book, but I almost did not. If you enjoy books like “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”, you may find this book to your liking. The most difficult part is getting past the first few chapters, and once you do, you will be rewarded with an amazing journey. Once completed, you will forget the early parts and almost believe that you finished a different book entirely. Yes, this book is a gem hidden in some rather hard stone. But once inside, you will not be disappointed.

Satire is often a very fine line and it is not something that is easy to pull off. In some ways it is even more difficult in the science fiction genre because of its readers loyalty. Most either hate satire or they love it. It makes me think of the many satire movies such as Blazing Saddles or Airplane! At times this book’s satire felt over the top, but that was mostly early on during the story setup. While listening to the first few chapters of the audiobook, I nearly set it aside as the story seemed to be obsessively focused around crude humor, drug use, sexual subject matter, and just overly zany antics. I continued listening in a hope that things would change, and if not, it would be discarded to my Did Not Finish (DNF) pile. I believe I can count on one hand the books I have abandoned to this fate. There was a point while listening when the story began to open up like a blooming flower and it became difficult for me to put it down. I asked myself, “what just happened?” The story was going in one direction and it did a one hundred and eighty degree turn and took off. It was like a starship engaging its lightspeed engines, and we were off.

I think what really made me enjoy this book, once the author found his path, was that it had a fair number of emotional scenes which helped to balance out the continuous flow of humor. The author did a good job if telling the story from different perspectives and angles which also added to its depth. At times, the book felt like a blending of the movies Star Wars and Spaceballs. You have your stereotypical hero, an evil empire, a princes or queen, and the somewhat trusty sidekick. The author does a good job of sprinkling elements of the story throughout the book, but like any good mystery, they all come together in the end, and you never saw it coming. Even though at times the humor seemed over the top, there were aspects of what I would call smart humor making me laugh out loud. All of this was wrapped in a story that also was unpredictable and contained quite a few twists and turns. Even though the characters themselves felt like two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, a few were complex and memorable.

The audiobook’s narration by David Swanson was impressive for someone that has only a few titles to his name on Audible; at the time of this review. His ability to clearly voice distinct characters along with various accents was spot on. I do not remember any issues with the production or audio quality. The audio was consistent and did not have any noticeable audio artifacts that needed to be edited out.

For parents or younger readers, this book contains a hefty amount of sex, drugs, and crude adult humor. I would in no way recommend it for younger audiences. This book really is intended for mature readers and even many of those may be blushing at some of the subject matter covered. The book includes some religious satire what may offend some, however I do not think this was the author’s intention. If you are at all offended by any of the above, I recommend you find a different book to listen too.

In summary, for a book I was about to discard to my Did Not Finish (DNF) bin, Black Swan Planet gets recognition for being a book that surprised me the most. The story and the author’s ability to lower the level of satire made for a fun and enjoyable listen. It is not the type of book I would listen to all the time, but Mr. Peters makes me think twice when I feel like giving up too early on any book. For those who are going to listen to the book, I leave you with one thing. Beans, beans, and more beans…

[Al Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book, I didn't care for the wrap up ending, I'm sure the author thought that tying up the loose ends was necessary.