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The Expanding Universe, Volume 3
Twenty-five talented authors. One incredible science fiction collection.
The universe is expanding and these are some of its stories. Worlds where invasions are apocalyptic and space empires are in peril. Travel vast distances. Explore and discover. Learn that space is tragically unforgiving, but wonderful. The universe is beyond our understanding... or is it?
A Language Barrier by Craig Martelle
Language isn't the only thing that can bring humans and aliens together.
Weaponized Math by Jonathon P. Brazee
Staff Sergeant Grace Medicine Crow, United Federation Marine Corps sniper guards a well-known secret to her success.
To Catch a King by Mike Kraus
One ship, one crew and more trouble than they bargained for.
Skeleton Crew by Mikey Campling
It takes a million moving parts to send a starship across the galaxy, but only one mistake to bring it crashing down.
Epiphany by Andrew Dobell
Dains first mission as a special forces Wraith isn't as simple as it sounds.
The Achenaen Reception by Richard Fox
Security for the wedding of a merchant prince and his mysterious fiancée grows complicated as the bride's family has a very different notion of matrimony.
The Trophy by B.C. Kellogg
An unlikely ally forces an Imperial soldier to reconsider his allegiance during a bloody invasion.
Blood and Treasure by Terry Mixon
The Terran Empire's best brings the hammer down.
Dreadnought by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
How does a starship deal with death? A tale of life, AI, and Old Earth poetry.
Save the Scientist by J.A. Cipriano and Conner Kressley (mistakenly credited as Connor inside)
When a research vessel crash lands on a bug-infested planet, only Infinity Marine Mark Ryder is close enough to save them in time.
Severance by C.C. Ekeke
One brutal act of sabotage throws a day of celebration between two star-spanning governments into chaos.
Across the Galactic Pond by Christian Kallias
Kevin's encounter with a dying alien propels him into the midst of an intergalactic war.
Catalyst by Lisa Blackwood and S.M. Schmitz
When Catalyst sustains heavy damage from a rogue AI attack, the Spire warship's only chance for survival lies in an outlaw telepath.
Wrenching Free by Zen DiPietro
Wren can fix anything mechanical. But can she fix her own life?
Fugitives' Gamble by T.M. Catron
Smuggler Captain Rance Cooper must decide which is worse-getting sent home to get married or fighting off hordes of angry pirates.
One Last Job by Amy DuBoff
Thom's simple delivery contract takes an unexpected turn when he discovers the cargo is far from legal.
Maybe Now the Stars Will Shine by Michael La Ronn
Stuck on an icy planet, in a warehouse, with only her wits and a few bullets, Agent Devika Sharma must rescue twelve innocent people before criminals transport them to the next galaxy as human slaves.
Ice Field by Scott Moon
Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Humann must evacuate a mixed team of civilians and soldiers before nightmare creatures drag them below the ice.
The Next Level by Thomas J. Rock
A three-man digital insertion drop team is infiltrating a deep space Russian weapons R&D station when a malfunction cripples their ship leaving the team stranded, and the ship’s AI goes missing. Reed Wilson is the only one equipped to look for the Ai-too bad he’s not a soldier.
Save the Queen by Emily Walker
Spence has the chance to prove he's a real hero to the galaxy, but the Queen of Pop won't make it easy.
Alas, Thudonia by Bill Patterson
To whom does she owe her allegiance her ancestors or the man who would take her away from a future disaster?
Exiled by Chris Fox
Mankind's outer colonies are quietly disappearing and Commander Nolan is ordered to find out why.
Voyage of the Dog-Propelled Starship by Robert Jeschonek
Dogs are man's best friend, but dogs' best friends are something else entirely...
Assault on Tarja by M.D. Cooper
Venus may stand, but Tarja must fall.
The Piayan Job by Laura Martone and Daniel Martone
One conniving high priest. A handful of pirates. Toss in dashes of deceit for mayhem and misadventure in the galaxy.
Final Intelligence by Kevin O. McLaughlin (credited as Kevin McLaughlin)
Investigating a derelict starship turns out to be anything but what it seems.
In the Shadows by Danny A. Brown
Can a rogue planet be home to both the explorers who found it, and its inhabitants?
LZ New Birth by J.R. Handley
No one's ever found glory hiding in a bunker.
The universe is expanding and these are some of its stories. Worlds where invasions are apocalyptic and space empires are in peril. Travel vast distances. Explore and discover. Learn that space is tragically unforgiving, but wonderful. The universe is beyond our understanding... or is it?
A Language Barrier by Craig Martelle
Language isn't the only thing that can bring humans and aliens together.
Weaponized Math by Jonathon P. Brazee
Staff Sergeant Grace Medicine Crow, United Federation Marine Corps sniper guards a well-known secret to her success.
To Catch a King by Mike Kraus
One ship, one crew and more trouble than they bargained for.
Skeleton Crew by Mikey Campling
It takes a million moving parts to send a starship across the galaxy, but only one mistake to bring it crashing down.
Epiphany by Andrew Dobell
Dains first mission as a special forces Wraith isn't as simple as it sounds.
The Achenaen Reception by Richard Fox
Security for the wedding of a merchant prince and his mysterious fiancée grows complicated as the bride's family has a very different notion of matrimony.
The Trophy by B.C. Kellogg
An unlikely ally forces an Imperial soldier to reconsider his allegiance during a bloody invasion.
Blood and Treasure by Terry Mixon
The Terran Empire's best brings the hammer down.
Dreadnought by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
How does a starship deal with death? A tale of life, AI, and Old Earth poetry.
Save the Scientist by J.A. Cipriano and Conner Kressley (mistakenly credited as Connor inside)
When a research vessel crash lands on a bug-infested planet, only Infinity Marine Mark Ryder is close enough to save them in time.
Severance by C.C. Ekeke
One brutal act of sabotage throws a day of celebration between two star-spanning governments into chaos.
Across the Galactic Pond by Christian Kallias
Kevin's encounter with a dying alien propels him into the midst of an intergalactic war.
Catalyst by Lisa Blackwood and S.M. Schmitz
When Catalyst sustains heavy damage from a rogue AI attack, the Spire warship's only chance for survival lies in an outlaw telepath.
Wrenching Free by Zen DiPietro
Wren can fix anything mechanical. But can she fix her own life?
Fugitives' Gamble by T.M. Catron
Smuggler Captain Rance Cooper must decide which is worse-getting sent home to get married or fighting off hordes of angry pirates.
One Last Job by Amy DuBoff
Thom's simple delivery contract takes an unexpected turn when he discovers the cargo is far from legal.
Maybe Now the Stars Will Shine by Michael La Ronn
Stuck on an icy planet, in a warehouse, with only her wits and a few bullets, Agent Devika Sharma must rescue twelve innocent people before criminals transport them to the next galaxy as human slaves.
Ice Field by Scott Moon
Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Humann must evacuate a mixed team of civilians and soldiers before nightmare creatures drag them below the ice.
The Next Level by Thomas J. Rock
A three-man digital insertion drop team is infiltrating a deep space Russian weapons R&D station when a malfunction cripples their ship leaving the team stranded, and the ship’s AI goes missing. Reed Wilson is the only one equipped to look for the Ai-too bad he’s not a soldier.
Save the Queen by Emily Walker
Spence has the chance to prove he's a real hero to the galaxy, but the Queen of Pop won't make it easy.
Alas, Thudonia by Bill Patterson
To whom does she owe her allegiance her ancestors or the man who would take her away from a future disaster?
Exiled by Chris Fox
Mankind's outer colonies are quietly disappearing and Commander Nolan is ordered to find out why.
Voyage of the Dog-Propelled Starship by Robert Jeschonek
Dogs are man's best friend, but dogs' best friends are something else entirely...
Assault on Tarja by M.D. Cooper
Venus may stand, but Tarja must fall.
The Piayan Job by Laura Martone and Daniel Martone
One conniving high priest. A handful of pirates. Toss in dashes of deceit for mayhem and misadventure in the galaxy.
Final Intelligence by Kevin O. McLaughlin (credited as Kevin McLaughlin)
Investigating a derelict starship turns out to be anything but what it seems.
In the Shadows by Danny A. Brown
Can a rogue planet be home to both the explorers who found it, and its inhabitants?
LZ New Birth by J.R. Handley
No one's ever found glory hiding in a bunker.
- GenresScience Fiction
706 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2017
92 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Craig Martelle
324 books7,876 followersVisit Craig's web page, craigmartelle.com for the latest posts and updates or find him on Facebook, Author Craig Martelle. Send an email to craig@craigmartelle.com to join his mailing list for the latest on new releases, information on old releases, and anything related to his books.
I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.
I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.
No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.
We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.
Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.
I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.
I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.
No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.
We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.
Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 15, 2018
I feel a little badly rating this entire book (with like 25 stories) on the basis of one solitary novelette that's been nominated for a Nebula award but, Goodreads, that's what you get when you systematically rip away the stand-alone review spaces for notable short fiction. :p
This 3 star review is for "Weaponized Math" by Jonathan P. Brazee. Since it's currently up for a Nebula, you can read it free online right here (or download a PDF copy at the link in my FanLit review). Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, of the United Federation Marine Corps, is an experienced sniper with more kills than anyone else in her platoon. One of the things that makes Gracie so good at her job is her dedicated use of memorization of potential target ranges and other details, in combination with her rifle scope’s firing AI, to mathematically reduce her reaction time between shots.
Gracie is breaking in a new spotter, Lance Corporal Christopher “Rabbit” Irving, and their current mission ― providing security and surveillance for a meeting between a major and the local village commissioners on some distant planet ― seems a good training opportunity. It appears to be a safe, routine mission, but the village suddenly erupts into violence, and now the platoon members’ lives are on the line.
"Weaponized Math" is a straightforward military SF adventure. Jonathan Brazee is a retired Marine colonel, and the details of a military mission going south certainly ring true. This novelette emphasizes the military values of loyalty and honor, but I didn’t see any real subtleties or deeper meaning in the story. It’s a decent tale, with a minority woman as the main character, but I’m mystified as to why members of the SFWA singled out this particular novelette for a Nebula nomination.
This 3 star review is for "Weaponized Math" by Jonathan P. Brazee. Since it's currently up for a Nebula, you can read it free online right here (or download a PDF copy at the link in my FanLit review). Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, of the United Federation Marine Corps, is an experienced sniper with more kills than anyone else in her platoon. One of the things that makes Gracie so good at her job is her dedicated use of memorization of potential target ranges and other details, in combination with her rifle scope’s firing AI, to mathematically reduce her reaction time between shots.
Gracie is breaking in a new spotter, Lance Corporal Christopher “Rabbit” Irving, and their current mission ― providing security and surveillance for a meeting between a major and the local village commissioners on some distant planet ― seems a good training opportunity. It appears to be a safe, routine mission, but the village suddenly erupts into violence, and now the platoon members’ lives are on the line.
"Weaponized Math" is a straightforward military SF adventure. Jonathan Brazee is a retired Marine colonel, and the details of a military mission going south certainly ring true. This novelette emphasizes the military values of loyalty and honor, but I didn’t see any real subtleties or deeper meaning in the story. It’s a decent tale, with a minority woman as the main character, but I’m mystified as to why members of the SFWA singled out this particular novelette for a Nebula nomination.
December 23, 2017
The Expanding Universe 3 - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Craig Martelle is one of many unbelievable authors in his anthology of sci-fi stories covering the extremes of space and adventure that rival Star Trek, Star Wars and even Doctor Who in the variety of situations, planets, aliens et al they meet in each of the book's fantastic Space Opera par excellence - amazing...you'll love it!! (and the price too).
My favourite is Skeleton Crew by Mikey Campling.
Technical Bridge Assistant Nathan Joffe and Reserve Navigation Assistant Simon Parkins are on the otherwise deserted bridge of the ship Pharaon, Captained by Alistair Coverack.
When a contamination alarm sounds, what is the emergency? What does Joffe find when he enters the CGA bay? What does he do about it?
Why does the Captain go to Parkins' cabin - and who was the previous inhabitant?
Why is Joffe sent to the sick bay? Will his condition result in the ship's destruction?
What happens when the Pharaon's crew reaches the surface of V536?
Thought short this tale is certainly not sickly sweet, despite the element of romance. You'll enjoy this and the many other tales without a doubt - don't hesitate to get your copy today!
Craig Martelle is one of many unbelievable authors in his anthology of sci-fi stories covering the extremes of space and adventure that rival Star Trek, Star Wars and even Doctor Who in the variety of situations, planets, aliens et al they meet in each of the book's fantastic Space Opera par excellence - amazing...you'll love it!! (and the price too).
My favourite is Skeleton Crew by Mikey Campling.
Technical Bridge Assistant Nathan Joffe and Reserve Navigation Assistant Simon Parkins are on the otherwise deserted bridge of the ship Pharaon, Captained by Alistair Coverack.
When a contamination alarm sounds, what is the emergency? What does Joffe find when he enters the CGA bay? What does he do about it?
Why does the Captain go to Parkins' cabin - and who was the previous inhabitant?
Why is Joffe sent to the sick bay? Will his condition result in the ship's destruction?
What happens when the Pharaon's crew reaches the surface of V536?
Thought short this tale is certainly not sickly sweet, despite the element of romance. You'll enjoy this and the many other tales without a doubt - don't hesitate to get your copy today!
December 18, 2017
kindle unlimited, not really in the mood for space opera just now, been reading {comedy} space opera, but saw this had finally released and wanted to see what Campling was up to,though did recognize couple of other names, not being in mood for certain genre it felt like more of a 4 or 4 1/2 but I know by now my mood would swing back around if was in the mood so went ahead with the 5
collection includes new and unique stories, and as number indicates there are 2 others of this type, which I also have already read and reviewed how ever far back it was
collection includes new and unique stories, and as number indicates there are 2 others of this type, which I also have already read and reviewed how ever far back it was
October 29, 2018
This was a very interesting book containing different stories by different authors dealing with the military aspects of space and science fiction. The stories were exceptionally well written, action factual and believable, and the characters three dimensional and we'll thought out.
October 2, 2020
A lot of really fun stories in this book
This was a fun collection of stories. Some are likely part of fun series, others stood well as stand alone stories. I recommend it if you like space or sci if theme stories.
This was a fun collection of stories. Some are likely part of fun series, others stood well as stand alone stories. I recommend it if you like space or sci if theme stories.
November 16, 2018
Good read
Liked the stories, but got bored with some that were very similar. Others were well worth reading on my tablet
Liked the stories, but got bored with some that were very similar. Others were well worth reading on my tablet
July 14, 2020
It was okay.
Read
April 27, 2018I didn't mean to inter this, I already read it and reviewed it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews