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Pod Fifteen
Ellis Osako is piloting the Redhawk across deep space with nothing but an AI and a cargo hold full of dead bodies for company. To distract himself from the seemingly endless journey, he spends his time trying to guess the identities of the dead around him and drinking away the memories of his tragic past. Until he finds the woman in Pod Fifteen, and Ellis is forced to face his demons and the fact that he may no longer be alone.
64 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2018
5 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Philip Harris
34 books57 followersPhilip Harris is a speculative fiction author and video game developer. Originally born near Oxford, England, he now lives on the West Coast of Canada where he spends his days developing video games and his nights writing speculative fiction - anything from horror to science fiction to fantasy.
His first publication, Letter From a Victim, appeared in the award winning magazine, Peeping Tom, in 1995. Since then he has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies including Garbled Transmissions, So Long, and Thanks for All The Brains and James Ward Kirk's Best of Horror 2013.
He has also worked as security for Darth Vader.
His science fiction novel, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet is a homage to the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials has just been released.
You can find free fiction and his blog at his website.
His first publication, Letter From a Victim, appeared in the award winning magazine, Peeping Tom, in 1995. Since then he has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies including Garbled Transmissions, So Long, and Thanks for All The Brains and James Ward Kirk's Best of Horror 2013.
He has also worked as security for Darth Vader.
His science fiction novel, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet is a homage to the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials has just been released.
You can find free fiction and his blog at his website.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 4, 2018
Great sci-fi story
Enjoyed this one a lot. Stories that keep you guessing
and all is not quite as it seems are fun. This would have
been a great script for an episode of The Outer Limits.
Ready for some Killer Z action now.
Enjoyed this one a lot. Stories that keep you guessing
and all is not quite as it seems are fun. This would have
been a great script for an episode of The Outer Limits.
Ready for some Killer Z action now.
May 10, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
What happened in pod 15? Ellis is the pilot of a spaceship traveling to a planet where people of all worlds are buried. He is alone with only his artificial intelligent ship computer, and bodies of the dead. The time he spends alone is filled with the reminiscence of his past where his young daughter is killed in an accident.
Ellis wanders into the hold where one Pod 15, which contains the remains of a girl that reminds him of his daughter. Dreaming of his loss and sorrow, he can’t keep out of the hold and returns often to view the young woman. He steps over the line and orders the AI to open the pod. Once opened, the action is unrelenting in its ability to create a very spooky atmosphere. Mr. Harris knows how to build tension and horror. His well-developed characters and images make his tale come to life. I am very pleased I was not on a spaceship!
What happened in pod 15? Ellis is the pilot of a spaceship traveling to a planet where people of all worlds are buried. He is alone with only his artificial intelligent ship computer, and bodies of the dead. The time he spends alone is filled with the reminiscence of his past where his young daughter is killed in an accident.
Ellis wanders into the hold where one Pod 15, which contains the remains of a girl that reminds him of his daughter. Dreaming of his loss and sorrow, he can’t keep out of the hold and returns often to view the young woman. He steps over the line and orders the AI to open the pod. Once opened, the action is unrelenting in its ability to create a very spooky atmosphere. Mr. Harris knows how to build tension and horror. His well-developed characters and images make his tale come to life. I am very pleased I was not on a spaceship!
August 19, 2018
I was reminded of the first line of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' whilst I read this short story - 'Is this real life, is this just fantasy?' - why? That's just the musical way my mind works, sorry.
This is an ideal scenario of what happens when a lonely human mind is left to its own devices with only dead bodies in pods to focus on. Playing I-Pod makes a change from I-Spy, I suppose. What you try to hide are the very things that come to the fore.
Is there any(body) else on board? Is there actually a talking computer? Is he dreaming and lying at death's door somewhere? As Johnny Nash once sang, 'There Are More Questions Than Answers' - even after reading the story three times.
Lots of tension and a great build-up make a good story, well written. I won a paper copy in a competition run by the author. I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed, and all opinions are my own.
This is an ideal scenario of what happens when a lonely human mind is left to its own devices with only dead bodies in pods to focus on. Playing I-Pod makes a change from I-Spy, I suppose. What you try to hide are the very things that come to the fore.
Is there any(body) else on board? Is there actually a talking computer? Is he dreaming and lying at death's door somewhere? As Johnny Nash once sang, 'There Are More Questions Than Answers' - even after reading the story three times.
Lots of tension and a great build-up make a good story, well written. I won a paper copy in a competition run by the author. I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed, and all opinions are my own.
July 18, 2018
I've read this story a couple of times now in collections, one of them an issue Canyons of the Damned. Reading this more than once is a good idea, because there is the question. Is it real, or is it all in the character's head?
Well, it just can't be real, obviously, and this character is pretty messed up, poor guy. Of course it's all his imagination. Isn't it?
Philip Harris is very good at combining SF and horror, and this short is a great example of that. He's also good at misdirection, and this short is a fine example of that too. I'm not even certain the computer is real.
Read and enjoy.
Well, it just can't be real, obviously, and this character is pretty messed up, poor guy. Of course it's all his imagination. Isn't it?
Philip Harris is very good at combining SF and horror, and this short is a great example of that. He's also good at misdirection, and this short is a fine example of that too. I'm not even certain the computer is real.
Read and enjoy.
May 18, 2024
❤️😲Excellent discovery!
Aboard the spaceship Redhawk, pilot Ellis was playing a game and trying to find the deceased man's first name, then trying to guess the cause of his death.
With each answer, the computer won...
Tired, he turned off the game and asked Lisa, the ship's AI, to confirm the remaining time of the journey...
>>>>
An excellent discovery for this exciting science fiction short story, overflowing with mystery and unexpected events until the last page!
I highly recommend !
Aboard the spaceship Redhawk, pilot Ellis was playing a game and trying to find the deceased man's first name, then trying to guess the cause of his death.
With each answer, the computer won...
Tired, he turned off the game and asked Lisa, the ship's AI, to confirm the remaining time of the journey...
>>>>
An excellent discovery for this exciting science fiction short story, overflowing with mystery and unexpected events until the last page!
I highly recommend !
February 12, 2024
great read!
I saw this was a short story and figured I could finish it before drifting off to sleep. However, now my heart is racing and so is my mind. Love this writers style- it grabbed me from the get go and I could see the setting crystal clear in my mind. Will definitely be reading more from this author!
I saw this was a short story and figured I could finish it before drifting off to sleep. However, now my heart is racing and so is my mind. Love this writers style- it grabbed me from the get go and I could see the setting crystal clear in my mind. Will definitely be reading more from this author!
December 31, 2024
Pod Fifteen
Sci-Fi
Philip Harris
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ • ɢʀɪᴇꜰ • ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ •
I really liked this book but it left me with so many unanswered questions.
I liked Ellis as a character. It was obvious that he was struggling and that he had lost someone close to him.
The world building was limited but it was still interesting and I enjoyed the interactions between Ellis and Lisa, the AI.
The pacing was good and the author did a nice job of making certain scenes feel very creepy.
After Ellis made his discovery, I did keep waiting for the plot to go in the "it was all a dream" direction but it never did, which I was a little surprised about.
I liked the ending, especially the sense of urgency but it left me confused. I wanted to know more and to have certain things explained, but it never happened.
I'd definitely read a sequel if there was one.
Sci-Fi
Philip Harris
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ • ɢʀɪᴇꜰ • ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ •
I really liked this book but it left me with so many unanswered questions.
I liked Ellis as a character. It was obvious that he was struggling and that he had lost someone close to him.
The world building was limited but it was still interesting and I enjoyed the interactions between Ellis and Lisa, the AI.
The pacing was good and the author did a nice job of making certain scenes feel very creepy.
After Ellis made his discovery, I did keep waiting for the plot to go in the "it was all a dream" direction but it never did, which I was a little surprised about.
I liked the ending, especially the sense of urgency but it left me confused. I wanted to know more and to have certain things explained, but it never happened.
I'd definitely read a sequel if there was one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews