Jane: The 816 Chronicles

by Steve Stred

Hope. What lengths would you go to, when all you have is hope? For Jane, known medically as 816, that is all she has. She hopes to be free one day, free from the torture, the captivity and the loneliness. She wants to be free, with her best friend Penny, known medically as 815, experiencing life outside of their caged walls.

The 816 Chronicles is a story about ‘a being’ discovering the world and people around her. A being discovering that sometimes situations and people are completely outside of her control, but still doing their best to look towards the positive, even when it becomes apparent, that what you see, isn’t always what you get.

101 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2018

About the author

An award-winning author, Steve Stred lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with his wife and son.

Known for his novels, ‘Mastodon,’ ‘Churn the Soil,’ and his series ‘Father of Lies’ where he joined a cult on the dark web for four years, his work has been described as haunting, bleak and is frequently set in the woods near where he grew up. He’s been fortunate to appear in numerous anthologies with some truly amazing authors.

His novel ‘Mastodon’ will be translated into Czech and Italian over the next few years.

His novel 'Churn the Soil' won the Best Horror Novel award in the 2024 Indieverse Awards.

His novel 'Mastodon' and his novella' Sacrament' were both nominated for Splatterpunk Awards.

He is represented by Kodie Van Dusen at The Rights Factory and Alec Frankel at Independent Artist Group.

Outside of writing, Steve received his Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology from the University of the Fraser Valley in 2008, and became a Certified Canadian Pedorthist in 2013.

Reviews

[Kim Napolitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught me immediately from page one! I dream like sequence when you are introduced to Penny and Jane 815 and 816. At first, I was thinking they were aliens that had been caught for testing and torture but soon you realize they are genetically created test tube creatures, the end result of The Creator for her own evil use. What The Creator didn’t expect is feeling, intelligent beings that want freedom. Beautifully written, painful to bear what they suffer at the hands of a mad scientist, you beg for a good ending. No spoilers so read and experience this story for yourself. You will be happy you did! Steve Stred is an amazing author, put him on the top your list!

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique story. At the beginning I thought I knew what it was about but it turned out I had no idea! I liked the character Jane at once, felt her pain, the horrors she was put through, and the good that was part of her.

Then Rose’s character enters the picture which eventually leads Jane to sacrifice herself so Rose can live. I really enjoyed the way the author joined all three women together. I experienced many emotions while reading this, but what it came down to was the reader is left with the feeling of hope and of course, love. I believe that was this author’s point! Great story!

[Aiden Merchant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read three or four of Steve's books, and I think the 816 Chronicles might be my favorite so far. Though it is a science fiction story, it feels based more heavily in drama than anything else. You care about the characters, you feel for what they have been put through (even Rose's father, who you dislike in his introduction, but feel sympathy toward in his backstory later), and want to see them overcome their dark situations. There's a lot of compassion behind the 816 Chronicles, even when things are tense and a little unsettling. The structure is also unique, in the sense that the timeline jumps around a bit, and gives you insight from different angles. Some people may not like this, but I've personally done it in previous books myself, and enjoy that "here's the main story, but let's take a step back a moment and see how this came to be" setup. So, despite some of the spotty writing and a few corny moments, I really enjoyed this short novel. I think science fiction may be a genre Steve should visit more often, because he has the chops for dramatic storytelling, as well as the interest to make things exciting when necessary to push along the theatrics.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept

It was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up midway through. It was interesting as I never read anything like it and would have definitely enjoyed it more but the writing is still raw. But i firmly believe over time the author has the potential to write some great books. Maybe even pave the way for more “alien” horror.

[Amanda Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated immediately, as is usually the case with Steve Stred's books. The story gives just enough away to keep you interested while holding back just enough to keep you wanting more. I have to know more about Jane. I could read 15 more books about her and love every one.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to pick a one-word description, I’d have to say “beautiful”, in spite of - or because of - all that the characters endure.

Happy Belated birthday to Steve Stred’s wife! In honor of her birthday, Steve made several of his eBooks free (lucky us) 😁. JANE was the first of those, and of Steve’s work period, that I’ve read. The first of the chronicles was brutal, but it also gives us a nice glimpse at the artistry of this new world, albeit with broad strokes. Each subsequent chronicle broadens the scope of the story and setting, while fleshing out existing characters and adding a few more to the mix. By the time I finished the epilogue of the final book in this collection, the main characters had secured a place in my heart.

[Freddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommend by a friend thought I would give this a go although not my usual thing.

I enjoyed it but thought it was a bit bonkers, I didn’t really get what it was all about in truth.

However it was well written and moved along nicely.

I do think if it had been any longer I would have not finished it.