What do you think?
Rate this book
Anti Life #1
Anti Life
In an anarcho-capitalist future, space-based corporate settlements have replaced the State.
After receiving a distress transmission, John Alvarez, a Novos Corp mission colonel, must investigate the inexplicable happenings at research probe NC-108D.
What he and his team discover will threaten their lives and the lives of everyone they know.
The opposite of life isn't death.
After receiving a distress transmission, John Alvarez, a Novos Corp mission colonel, must investigate the inexplicable happenings at research probe NC-108D.
What he and his team discover will threaten their lives and the lives of everyone they know.
The opposite of life isn't death.
371 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2018
565 people are currently reading
492 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
April 19, 2019
“The continuum, our collective consciousness is the universe’s overdue reaction to life.”
I’m a great admirer of Allen Kuzara’s writing, both in science fiction and dystopian/post apocalyptic genres.
This installment finely written, with a great detailed world building. A high tech perfectly described. The momentum climb is deliciously unnerving, yet for every revelation and discovery we find another mystery. There are hard decisions to make, the pull of past missions or the family, old resentments must be cast aside and unite for their own survival in the newly constructed and advanced spaceship. As the pace quickened, as the end game drew near, I found myself trying to resist it. What I discovered was both compelling and terrifying at the same time. A wonderful first book of future technology, a space based society living in space stations, the corporate-government rivalry, and a rescue mission surrounded by a mysterious phenomenon. An excellent, captivating first installment. A series definitely worth reading!
I’m a great admirer of Allen Kuzara’s writing, both in science fiction and dystopian/post apocalyptic genres.
This installment finely written, with a great detailed world building. A high tech perfectly described. The momentum climb is deliciously unnerving, yet for every revelation and discovery we find another mystery. There are hard decisions to make, the pull of past missions or the family, old resentments must be cast aside and unite for their own survival in the newly constructed and advanced spaceship. As the pace quickened, as the end game drew near, I found myself trying to resist it. What I discovered was both compelling and terrifying at the same time. A wonderful first book of future technology, a space based society living in space stations, the corporate-government rivalry, and a rescue mission surrounded by a mysterious phenomenon. An excellent, captivating first installment. A series definitely worth reading!
September 13, 2023
Entertaining Sci-Fi listening 🎶🔰
This e-book novel is free on Amazon. It is book one of a three book series.
Colonel Alvarez is in charge of a mission on a new spaceship to a new place in space. They arrive at the location and everything is going wrong, very wrong. Something weird and strange has taken over the spaceship. Alvarez is the only one not effected. He sends a May Day for rescue. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of Sci-Fi fantasy space novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀👒😡😮
I listened 🎶 to this as part of box 📦 set Call of Courage a seven book box 📦 to of the first book in a series. This is novel two in the box 📦 set.
On too book three. Happy reading 📚 and have fun 🌙😀
This e-book novel is free on Amazon. It is book one of a three book series.
Colonel Alvarez is in charge of a mission on a new spaceship to a new place in space. They arrive at the location and everything is going wrong, very wrong. Something weird and strange has taken over the spaceship. Alvarez is the only one not effected. He sends a May Day for rescue. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of Sci-Fi fantasy space novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀👒😡😮
I listened 🎶 to this as part of box 📦 set Call of Courage a seven book box 📦 to of the first book in a series. This is novel two in the box 📦 set.
On too book three. Happy reading 📚 and have fun 🌙😀
November 23, 2018
Space, the final frontier, unknown, dark and deadly. Welcome to the future where space-based corporations now rule the universe. A team of NovosCorp soldiers are sent to investigate anomalies and unexplainable events at a research probe in deep space. John Alvarez will once again lead a team into the unknown, but is he ready for what they will find? With lives on the line, the fight has begun against an unknown entity that kills with impunity. In a world where antimatter exists, does true death? Was this team sent on a guaranteed suicide mission?
ANTI LIFE by Allen Kuzara is a science fiction lover’s dream or nightmare…futuristic appliances, spacewalks, and the cold, dark and endless universe will hide monsters existing in the shadows. Feel the vastness of space, the fear and determination of the team, the uncertainty of the leader and the knowledge that perhaps no one ever expected them to come back.
Hi level action, page after page! Allen Kuzara brings the future to life in terrifying detail!
I received a complimentary copy from Allen Kuzara and Instafreebie!
Publication Date: June 13, 2018
Publisher: Allen Kuzara
Genre: SCI-FI
Print Length: 284 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
ANTI LIFE by Allen Kuzara is a science fiction lover’s dream or nightmare…futuristic appliances, spacewalks, and the cold, dark and endless universe will hide monsters existing in the shadows. Feel the vastness of space, the fear and determination of the team, the uncertainty of the leader and the knowledge that perhaps no one ever expected them to come back.
Hi level action, page after page! Allen Kuzara brings the future to life in terrifying detail!
I received a complimentary copy from Allen Kuzara and Instafreebie!
Publication Date: June 13, 2018
Publisher: Allen Kuzara
Genre: SCI-FI
Print Length: 284 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 2, 2019
Bad ending
Who wants to read a story with a lousy conclusion that leaves you hanging after investing the time to read this thing!!! I
Who wants to read a story with a lousy conclusion that leaves you hanging after investing the time to read this thing!!! I
August 9, 2020
Pretty good for a first book!
June 16, 2019
My Book Review Number 180:
This review is on Anti Life, The Anti Life Series Part 1 by Allen Kuzara. This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a Sci-Fi Suspense Thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last scene.
The story opens rather ominously with Colonel John Alvarez leading a five-man crew of guerrilla fighters working for Novos Corp attacking a space elevator station run by The Global Union of Nations called Statis. Alvarez is part of the Outer-Five corporate settlements trying to enforce an embargo against Statis on Earth.
Apparently, the previous scene happened fifteen years ago. Alvarez is currently living with his wife and child and still working for Novos. However, this is his last day at work and his plans to leave work behind and travel with his wife and son is interrupted by a mysterious message received from a long distant manned probe sent to explore space. The data is corrupted and the cryptic message is the beginning of the real story.
Alvarez wants to leave work behind in retirement, but Novos has other plans. With his military background, Novos recalls him to command one more mission to find out what happened to the probe and person on board. It seems like a simple mission, but it does not turn out well for several reasons, which include the interactions of the people in his crew, the mystery of what happened to that manned probe and the discovery of a new life form. The answers are both chilling, horrific and may lead to the annihilation of all human live in the solar system.
I give this book Five Stars because the story is highly suspenseful and thrilling all the way to the end. The main characters distrust each other for good reasons as circumstances change. The plot is suspenseful, thrilling and mysterious. The dialogue and writing style are excellent. The science is realistic and original. The action and thrills keep building in intensity with a clear understanding of what might happen in the future. I look forward to reading the next book in the series from this talented Sci-Fi author.
Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.
This review is on Anti Life, The Anti Life Series Part 1 by Allen Kuzara. This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a Sci-Fi Suspense Thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last scene.
The story opens rather ominously with Colonel John Alvarez leading a five-man crew of guerrilla fighters working for Novos Corp attacking a space elevator station run by The Global Union of Nations called Statis. Alvarez is part of the Outer-Five corporate settlements trying to enforce an embargo against Statis on Earth.
Apparently, the previous scene happened fifteen years ago. Alvarez is currently living with his wife and child and still working for Novos. However, this is his last day at work and his plans to leave work behind and travel with his wife and son is interrupted by a mysterious message received from a long distant manned probe sent to explore space. The data is corrupted and the cryptic message is the beginning of the real story.
Alvarez wants to leave work behind in retirement, but Novos has other plans. With his military background, Novos recalls him to command one more mission to find out what happened to the probe and person on board. It seems like a simple mission, but it does not turn out well for several reasons, which include the interactions of the people in his crew, the mystery of what happened to that manned probe and the discovery of a new life form. The answers are both chilling, horrific and may lead to the annihilation of all human live in the solar system.
I give this book Five Stars because the story is highly suspenseful and thrilling all the way to the end. The main characters distrust each other for good reasons as circumstances change. The plot is suspenseful, thrilling and mysterious. The dialogue and writing style are excellent. The science is realistic and original. The action and thrills keep building in intensity with a clear understanding of what might happen in the future. I look forward to reading the next book in the series from this talented Sci-Fi author.
Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.
December 15, 2020
I got to about the halfway mark of this one before I gave up on it. When I skipped to the end, though, it looked like the action picks up in the second half, so if none of my issues are problems for you, it may be worth checking out.
First, I felt like there were too many lengthy info dumps and explanations of things. I didn't mind this much at first, since the world was fairly interesting (I'm a sucker for libertarian futures, whether or not I would want to live in them). However, this slowed down the action considerably and made it difficult to really get into the story.
Second, without getting into spoilers, the inciting incident wasn't all that compelling. I couldn't really tell what the danger was, and even though the characters were freaking out a bit, it wasn't at all clear what they were so afraid of.
Third (and this is a minor spoiler), the fact that they sent out a prototype spaceship without testing it first, on what was supposedly an important rescue mission, really strained credulity for me. The ship was constantly breaking down, impeding their rescue efforts, and all I could do was shake my head and wonder why. It wasn't like all their older ships weren't capable of carrying out the mission, or that the prototype was clearly superior to the older ships in a way that made it uniquely and exclusively suited for the mission.
What it really felt like was that the author needed the ship to be constantly breaking down, so he came up with an excuse for that to happen without fully thinking through all the implications. That, or this kind of bullcrap happens in the corporate world all the time, and the only reason I find it so unbelievable is because I don't have any experience working as an engineer for a faceless corporation.
With that said, the world was interesting, and I liked the parts where the main character was interacting with his family, or talking with his wife about their struggles and plans for the future. The author can clearly write interesting and compelling characters. This feels a bit like a first novel, though, so I'm interested to see what comes out from him in the next couple of years, after he's had a chance to master the craft.
First, I felt like there were too many lengthy info dumps and explanations of things. I didn't mind this much at first, since the world was fairly interesting (I'm a sucker for libertarian futures, whether or not I would want to live in them). However, this slowed down the action considerably and made it difficult to really get into the story.
Second, without getting into spoilers, the inciting incident wasn't all that compelling. I couldn't really tell what the danger was, and even though the characters were freaking out a bit, it wasn't at all clear what they were so afraid of.
Third (and this is a minor spoiler), the fact that they sent out a prototype spaceship without testing it first, on what was supposedly an important rescue mission, really strained credulity for me. The ship was constantly breaking down, impeding their rescue efforts, and all I could do was shake my head and wonder why. It wasn't like all their older ships weren't capable of carrying out the mission, or that the prototype was clearly superior to the older ships in a way that made it uniquely and exclusively suited for the mission.
What it really felt like was that the author needed the ship to be constantly breaking down, so he came up with an excuse for that to happen without fully thinking through all the implications. That, or this kind of bullcrap happens in the corporate world all the time, and the only reason I find it so unbelievable is because I don't have any experience working as an engineer for a faceless corporation.
With that said, the world was interesting, and I liked the parts where the main character was interacting with his family, or talking with his wife about their struggles and plans for the future. The author can clearly write interesting and compelling characters. This feels a bit like a first novel, though, so I'm interested to see what comes out from him in the next couple of years, after he's had a chance to master the craft.
March 5, 2019
I must have read a different book to most other reviewers.
February 14, 2019
I picked up Anti-Life recently from one of my sci-fi reading lists that was giving away free ebooks. I got some trash in the downloads I chose (they say never pick a book by it's cover, in this case it turned out to be true), but I certainly got a treasure when I read Anti-Life.
I wasn't sure what to expect at the beginning, and even reading it, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists I found. I'm not normally a science-horror reader, and this book blurs the line towards that category - but it's not all the way there either.
I did remove one star for the slow early-mid portion of the book that almost lead me to put it down - however, I'm glad I didn't.
Allen writes in a very clear manner, and if this is his first book, I think his editor deserves some praise as well. I can't remember reading many first novels, especially by indie authors, that are this well edited and put together.
Conversation feels natural, there is enough mixing in of speculative slang that the world feels real, and yet not so much that it feels contrived.
I especially liked that there was a solid amount of the "science" part of sci-fi, yet I found it still very readable.
##Possible very minor spoiler alert - so minor I didn't tick the box##
I also enjoyed some chills and frights. I'm not normally a sci-horror reader, but I really enjoyed the shivers I got when i put the book down about 85% of the way through (after the frozen fishtank scene) and realized it was the dark of night and I was more unsettled sitting in my dark living room with the fireplace on, all alone, than I'd like to have been. I went and cuddled my wife and totally didn't go to bed thinking what it would be like to wake up to someone beside me "changing". Totally didn't, not at all.
##Ok, very minor possible spoiler done##
The character development is not excessive - it would have been nice to have seen a bit more change within the main characters, but overall it was sufficient. The book takes place over a very short time span, so there isn't room for a while bunch. We do see some tidbits of past experiences malign the characters into what they are now, which is nice.
There are a few obvious trope characters throughout, but for the most part they aren't 2-dimensional to an extreme that they become annoying.
I enjoyed the brutal honesty in his afterward. As a father myself, I really felt this book speak to me several times about the realities of parenthood - even living on Novos station and being a retired Colonol doesn't change the deep down perspective of what being a parent means, at least to me. In his afterward he wrote quite frankly about what he had to do to make ends meet, and I genuinely respect that. Even more, that he managed to also write some novels and short stories during those hard times.
I wasn't sure what to expect at the beginning, and even reading it, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists I found. I'm not normally a science-horror reader, and this book blurs the line towards that category - but it's not all the way there either.
I did remove one star for the slow early-mid portion of the book that almost lead me to put it down - however, I'm glad I didn't.
Allen writes in a very clear manner, and if this is his first book, I think his editor deserves some praise as well. I can't remember reading many first novels, especially by indie authors, that are this well edited and put together.
Conversation feels natural, there is enough mixing in of speculative slang that the world feels real, and yet not so much that it feels contrived.
I especially liked that there was a solid amount of the "science" part of sci-fi, yet I found it still very readable.
##Possible very minor spoiler alert - so minor I didn't tick the box##
I also enjoyed some chills and frights. I'm not normally a sci-horror reader, but I really enjoyed the shivers I got when i put the book down about 85% of the way through (after the frozen fishtank scene) and realized it was the dark of night and I was more unsettled sitting in my dark living room with the fireplace on, all alone, than I'd like to have been. I went and cuddled my wife and totally didn't go to bed thinking what it would be like to wake up to someone beside me "changing". Totally didn't, not at all.
##Ok, very minor possible spoiler done##
The character development is not excessive - it would have been nice to have seen a bit more change within the main characters, but overall it was sufficient. The book takes place over a very short time span, so there isn't room for a while bunch. We do see some tidbits of past experiences malign the characters into what they are now, which is nice.
There are a few obvious trope characters throughout, but for the most part they aren't 2-dimensional to an extreme that they become annoying.
I enjoyed the brutal honesty in his afterward. As a father myself, I really felt this book speak to me several times about the realities of parenthood - even living on Novos station and being a retired Colonol doesn't change the deep down perspective of what being a parent means, at least to me. In his afterward he wrote quite frankly about what he had to do to make ends meet, and I genuinely respect that. Even more, that he managed to also write some novels and short stories during those hard times.
May 3, 2023
He had a reputation, a reputation that said he got things done. Give him an order, and he will get it done, but Colonel John Alvarez has retired. That is, until his corporate masters decided to reinstate his employment agreement. Yes, I said corporate masters, not a nation-state or country. Corporations had become wealthier and more diverse than a large nation or group of nations. Thus the nation-state, state-ism, fell to the corporations in a war for freedom. And therefore, a dividing line was drawn between the population of the inner three and the outer five entities that controlled significant portions of the human population. But that doesn’t tell why Colonel John Alvarez was recalled to active duty. You see, a Novo’s manned probe sent back a corrupted report that showed the solo extended mission operator break a vial of an unknown substance that was gathered off the probe’s exterior. There is not much hope for the operator, but they need to know what that substance is.
The world-building in this tale is enough to give you visualizations of where the protagonist is. The character interaction is as expected, and the background provides the motivation and source of the egos at play. In short, the interaction is very well done. This epic saga is a great series starter!
If you like science fiction filled with the unknown of possible alien contact? Military reaction to the unknown, unknown because of space exploration. Then you will like this read. I give it five stars out of five stars.
The world-building in this tale is enough to give you visualizations of where the protagonist is. The character interaction is as expected, and the background provides the motivation and source of the egos at play. In short, the interaction is very well done. This epic saga is a great series starter!
If you like science fiction filled with the unknown of possible alien contact? Military reaction to the unknown, unknown because of space exploration. Then you will like this read. I give it five stars out of five stars.
August 5, 2019
For a first book, it's not too bad. It starts off unexciting and info dump heavy, but once you get past the first couple chapters it finally gets more interesting.
I like the world building aspect of this book the best. It seems well-thought-out and interesting.
I had a bit of trouble with Dr. Brennen's insubordination because it seems to me that wouldn't normally be tolerated, especially by a veteran like John Alvarez. The only reason Alvarez tolerates it I think is because Brennen has plot armor.
The characters seem a little flat. I think the author might have spent more time on them to flesh them out, but maybe he didn't feel the need to for... Certain reasons you'll find out at the end of the book.
The pacing feels off somehow. It's a short book so maybe that was what threw me.
The revelation at the end of Part 3 was heavily foreshadowed by the book title, so it didn't surprise me, at least not completely. I went in expecting space zombies but I got something a little different.
Overall, a decent book. I feel like it's a good enough start that I want to keep tabs on the author and see what else he comes up with.
I like the world building aspect of this book the best. It seems well-thought-out and interesting.
I had a bit of trouble with Dr. Brennen's insubordination because it seems to me that wouldn't normally be tolerated, especially by a veteran like John Alvarez. The only reason Alvarez tolerates it I think is because Brennen has plot armor.
The characters seem a little flat. I think the author might have spent more time on them to flesh them out, but maybe he didn't feel the need to for... Certain reasons you'll find out at the end of the book.
The pacing feels off somehow. It's a short book so maybe that was what threw me.
The revelation at the end of Part 3 was heavily foreshadowed by the book title, so it didn't surprise me, at least not completely. I went in expecting space zombies but I got something a little different.
Overall, a decent book. I feel like it's a good enough start that I want to keep tabs on the author and see what else he comes up with.
November 22, 2024
Colonel Alvarez is in charge of a mission on a new spaceship to a new place in space. They arrive at the location and everything is going wrong. Something weird and strange has taken over the spaceship. Alvarez is the only one not effected.
The character development is not excessive - it would have been nice to have seen a bit more change within the main characters, but overall it was sufficient. The book takes place over a very short time span, so there isn't room for a while bunch. We do see some glimse of past experiences malign the characters into what they are now, which is nice and insightful.Novos station and being a retired Colonol doesn't change the deep down perspective of what being a parent means, at least to me. In his afterward he wrote quite frankly about what he had to do to make ends meet, and I genuinely respect that.
The dialogue and writing style are excellent. The science is realistic and original. The action and thrills keep building in intensity with a clear understanding of what might happen in the future. I look forward to reading the next book in the series from this talented Sci-Fi author
The character development is not excessive - it would have been nice to have seen a bit more change within the main characters, but overall it was sufficient. The book takes place over a very short time span, so there isn't room for a while bunch. We do see some glimse of past experiences malign the characters into what they are now, which is nice and insightful.Novos station and being a retired Colonol doesn't change the deep down perspective of what being a parent means, at least to me. In his afterward he wrote quite frankly about what he had to do to make ends meet, and I genuinely respect that.
The dialogue and writing style are excellent. The science is realistic and original. The action and thrills keep building in intensity with a clear understanding of what might happen in the future. I look forward to reading the next book in the series from this talented Sci-Fi author
March 9, 2019
I gave this a 2 star rating because the writing was actually pretty good, I noticed no glaring grammatical or vocabulary errors. The story itself was not worthy of the writing. The author tried quite hard at character development and succeeded with the main character, Alvarez, but the others were definitely lacking. There was no smooth transition from the building of the character to his current mission, and the entire first chapter which gave us his “background” was totally unnecessary. The main storyline was disappointing and juvenile and although the setting was outer space, and the time was in the future, it wasn’t true Science Fiction in my opinion because there was no true science. Big scary monsters that you simply can not kill have no place in modern science fiction stories, they belong back in the 1950s in a tacky movie where you can occasionally see the wires that make them move. I choose to pass on the next episode of “The Thing From Space That Wouldn’t Die”. (You need to read that last bit in that overly dramatic voice of film trailer announcer from the ‘50s)
March 20, 2019
Nice Job.
There's a whiff of Steven King here, mixed with the lightest touch of Lovecraft. Character by character, the scene's focus shifts to a single person as the story's source of tension slowly comes into view.
Some of the best described ship-board technological scenes I've seen in a long while-- not over-heavy but totally believable. You feel the chase through the ships and find yourself checking your own suit deals and oxygen levels.
In the end, survival is all that matters. And then that's not so certain either.
Writing that's crisply paced, believable characters, well described technological environments and great dialogue combine with an alien encounter that is science based yet eldritch in nature.
The sense of fear and desperation that comes from the protagonist is palpably believable and you find yourself suddenly living in his skin and gasping and sweating with him.
Loved the book, buying the two sequels now and if you're a fan of hard science fiction with a touch of abject terror, you should buy them too.
Loved the book.
There's a whiff of Steven King here, mixed with the lightest touch of Lovecraft. Character by character, the scene's focus shifts to a single person as the story's source of tension slowly comes into view.
Some of the best described ship-board technological scenes I've seen in a long while-- not over-heavy but totally believable. You feel the chase through the ships and find yourself checking your own suit deals and oxygen levels.
In the end, survival is all that matters. And then that's not so certain either.
Writing that's crisply paced, believable characters, well described technological environments and great dialogue combine with an alien encounter that is science based yet eldritch in nature.
The sense of fear and desperation that comes from the protagonist is palpably believable and you find yourself suddenly living in his skin and gasping and sweating with him.
Loved the book, buying the two sequels now and if you're a fan of hard science fiction with a touch of abject terror, you should buy them too.
Loved the book.
April 30, 2019
"A!l transits lead to Novus."
A deep space data probe was acting strangely, emitting green-blue bursts of energy, apparently at regular intervals. Just retired John Alvarez was called back from a well earned holiday with his wife and son, Adam, to investigate what was happening. He was accompanied on the mission by a small specialist team of old friend and senior biologist, Richard Brenner, Terra York, Novus' chief mechanic, and David Parker, space architect and designer of the brand new ship in which they would be travelling: the Constance. Additionally, there was a handful of soldiers who, Alvarez knew, had seen action in the previous war.
And they found the probe.
This well written and exciting S.F.story has an excellent balance of descriptive and explanatory text versus personality and action which gives an authenticity to the boo k, allowing for the explosive latter part to become that much more shocking.
An excellent beginning to the trilogy, gripping and, consequently, recommended.
A deep space data probe was acting strangely, emitting green-blue bursts of energy, apparently at regular intervals. Just retired John Alvarez was called back from a well earned holiday with his wife and son, Adam, to investigate what was happening. He was accompanied on the mission by a small specialist team of old friend and senior biologist, Richard Brenner, Terra York, Novus' chief mechanic, and David Parker, space architect and designer of the brand new ship in which they would be travelling: the Constance. Additionally, there was a handful of soldiers who, Alvarez knew, had seen action in the previous war.
And they found the probe.
This well written and exciting S.F.story has an excellent balance of descriptive and explanatory text versus personality and action which gives an authenticity to the boo k, allowing for the explosive latter part to become that much more shocking.
An excellent beginning to the trilogy, gripping and, consequently, recommended.
March 30, 2019
Very impressive plot, but with a few flaws. Spoiler alert. Stop now.
Given the powers and knowledge that the aliens have, we have already lost. They do not have to do anything but bombard the earth with an unstoppable cloud of the materials that convert all life to their collective hive form. Since the Hive mind knows all that any single member knows, they would already know where the earth is, and everything that the members of the crew that were converted knows about defenses and other matters. Additionally the economic system is unrealistic and merely puts forth a set of discredited libertarian ideas as workable. Additionally the supposed super smart scientist again does not follow reasonable scientific protocols for examining a potentially dangerous item. All in all, the supposedly "hand picked crew and engineers," all behave in very unprofessional manner. From the leader and ultimate survivor of the expedition to the lowest crew member.
Given the powers and knowledge that the aliens have, we have already lost. They do not have to do anything but bombard the earth with an unstoppable cloud of the materials that convert all life to their collective hive form. Since the Hive mind knows all that any single member knows, they would already know where the earth is, and everything that the members of the crew that were converted knows about defenses and other matters. Additionally the economic system is unrealistic and merely puts forth a set of discredited libertarian ideas as workable. Additionally the supposed super smart scientist again does not follow reasonable scientific protocols for examining a potentially dangerous item. All in all, the supposedly "hand picked crew and engineers," all behave in very unprofessional manner. From the leader and ultimate survivor of the expedition to the lowest crew member.
June 2, 2022
“Anti Life" by Allen Kuzara why or how life matters for the one(s) concerned
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was my first attempt at a novel from Allen Kuzara, who tells the story, a Science Fiction story, of an incident happening on Novos, a space colony, where a daunting message received from a remote manned stellar probe leads to sending a small group on an untested space vessel to check and resolve the issue.
As one could expect nothing works as planned and the main character Alvarez is left to find solutions to oncoming challenges, working on one problem after another with one single and simple aim, surviving.
The novel is well written with a catching atmosphere, I really enjoyed reading it, it brings a innovative twist to life, death and how the world could evolve…. . Would definitely advise reading it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was my first attempt at a novel from Allen Kuzara, who tells the story, a Science Fiction story, of an incident happening on Novos, a space colony, where a daunting message received from a remote manned stellar probe leads to sending a small group on an untested space vessel to check and resolve the issue.
As one could expect nothing works as planned and the main character Alvarez is left to find solutions to oncoming challenges, working on one problem after another with one single and simple aim, surviving.
The novel is well written with a catching atmosphere, I really enjoyed reading it, it brings a innovative twist to life, death and how the world could evolve…. . Would definitely advise reading it.
February 9, 2022
Anti Life is a horror story set in the depths of space. The hero is an ordinary man who is done with adventure and danger He wants nothing more than a quiet life with his family. Instead, he is thrust into something so alien as to be incomprehensible.
As in any good horror tale, the buildup is gradual. First he has normal frustrations, that we can all understand. Then on an outpost at the edge of known space he uncovers something so cold and alien that it is completely outside any frame of reference.
The fact that the hero is a sort of ordinary person made me wonder how well I would deal with something like this. Maybe I won’t have to find out!
This was a great read. I recommend it for any Science Fiction buff.
As in any good horror tale, the buildup is gradual. First he has normal frustrations, that we can all understand. Then on an outpost at the edge of known space he uncovers something so cold and alien that it is completely outside any frame of reference.
The fact that the hero is a sort of ordinary person made me wonder how well I would deal with something like this. Maybe I won’t have to find out!
This was a great read. I recommend it for any Science Fiction buff.
February 2, 2019
Science Fiction can be scary!
I always knew that s I-fi books could be exciting, full of adventure, amazing and interesting characters, people who cheered for and rooted against, and exciting new worlds and technology. I knew there could be computers run amok, stories where AI takes over the world, and artificial life-forms conspire against humanity to dominate the galaxy.
What I had not been exposed to before Allen Kuzara’s “Anti-Life” Series was such wonderful malevolence, such page-turning anxiety, and one of the most unique and sinister entities since we first met Darth Vader in Star Wars.
Thank you Allen!
I always knew that s I-fi books could be exciting, full of adventure, amazing and interesting characters, people who cheered for and rooted against, and exciting new worlds and technology. I knew there could be computers run amok, stories where AI takes over the world, and artificial life-forms conspire against humanity to dominate the galaxy.
What I had not been exposed to before Allen Kuzara’s “Anti-Life” Series was such wonderful malevolence, such page-turning anxiety, and one of the most unique and sinister entities since we first met Darth Vader in Star Wars.
Thank you Allen!
April 9, 2019
A space drama with multiple genres - horror, war, aliens. John Alvarez is a man driven by his sense of responsibility to his family and would do anything to take care of them. When Anti life threatens to overtake all the space stations and ultimately Earth, it is up to John to stop it - with a few unlikely allies. I normally only enjoy post-apocalyptic novels but in a way, this trilogy is exactly that because if the anti life has its way, then there would be no humanity left - just a collective consciousness. I enjoyed reading this trilogy and would recommend it, it has lots of fighting action, colourful characters, galactic battles and greedy politicians and corporations.
November 26, 2018
This was a fun book that read really fast. It starts out with full-on action, then drops down to a sedate pace only to build as the story progresses. The character development was a little bare and I don't feel like I had time to like any of the characters - though there were a couple I actively disliked.
I enjoyed Allen Kuzara's style of writing. Anyone who can make really complex sciency stuff sound believable and hold my interest has done well!
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy.
I enjoyed Allen Kuzara's style of writing. Anyone who can make really complex sciency stuff sound believable and hold my interest has done well!
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy.
January 21, 2019
Science Fiction Thriller
At first I wasn't sure about where this was going but I am glad I stuck with it. This thriller is full of hard core science yet still appeals to those like me who prefer more like space opera. Our character just can't resist the money of "one more mission" and ends up on a spine tingling fight for his life! So hang in there, it gets really great, especially after chapter nine. One star off for so much hardcore science that I almost put the book down.
At first I wasn't sure about where this was going but I am glad I stuck with it. This thriller is full of hard core science yet still appeals to those like me who prefer more like space opera. Our character just can't resist the money of "one more mission" and ends up on a spine tingling fight for his life! So hang in there, it gets really great, especially after chapter nine. One star off for so much hardcore science that I almost put the book down.
March 25, 2019
This was a really good sci-fi thriller/horror story. If you like hard core sci-fi or horror I think you would enjoy this book. It starts a little slow, but picks up the pace and once it does it doesn't stop. A team goes to investigate a probe that has been out of contact for a while. What happens there and why they are out of contact is the main story and the mystery, which I'm not going to spoil. Read the book, it's worth it. I enjoyed it a lot and bought the next one in the series because I had to know where the story goes.
June 8, 2020
This is a mind stretcher of a novel!
Disclosing that I received this novel from a group giveaway.
This novel starts out slowly for which I totally enjoyed! The author describes how governments can change due to access to space resources and a depth-wise description of what technology would be required to support it in space.
Then you get brought to the core of the novel ....... And bang - mind warp! What you thought would be a technically minded SF novel goes veering way off expected course!
Disclosing that I received this novel from a group giveaway.
This novel starts out slowly for which I totally enjoyed! The author describes how governments can change due to access to space resources and a depth-wise description of what technology would be required to support it in space.
Then you get brought to the core of the novel ....... And bang - mind warp! What you thought would be a technically minded SF novel goes veering way off expected course!
February 7, 2019
Out there
This is the story of a rescue mission that went bad. The meeting between an unknown species and humans is sort of the focus of the story. But the story line is not as important as seeing how a man misses his family and makes an attempt to get back to them. Will he be successful or not? Will the alien life form win over all of humanity? It’s an interesting read, and one that I would suggest taking the time for.
This is the story of a rescue mission that went bad. The meeting between an unknown species and humans is sort of the focus of the story. But the story line is not as important as seeing how a man misses his family and makes an attempt to get back to them. Will he be successful or not? Will the alien life form win over all of humanity? It’s an interesting read, and one that I would suggest taking the time for.
March 13, 2019
Well you see doc, I have this rash.
Okay so the story started out well enough , good characters and story line and then everyone gets infected and it all just goes south. I've never given an unfair or undeserved review. This story is okay but just the sudden change destroys all the good people and leaves one person stranded just did not sit well with me. So I will not be reading the second book in this series
Okay so the story started out well enough , good characters and story line and then everyone gets infected and it all just goes south. I've never given an unfair or undeserved review. This story is okay but just the sudden change destroys all the good people and leaves one person stranded just did not sit well with me. So I will not be reading the second book in this series
May 2, 2020
Great story, can't wait what will follow. I liked pretty much everything so far, especially "world" itself. Its kind of different "state of things" then other out of earth books. Apart from believable and enjoyable main character I was most taken by beliavability of the Fight outcome, it simply made sense. And finally somebody is taking space elevators not only as indispensable but simply as a fact.
October 5, 2018
By the middle fo the book I was flying through chapters faster and faster. I'm usually a horror fan, and I can say this book definitely kept my attention. Some moments are truly terrifying. Overall, I'm very impressed by the writing and story. It's a great book if you're a fan of genre fiction, or just plain ol' good writing.
March 2, 2019
outer space mystery drama.
a spaceman is recalled by the corporation to find out what happened to a manned probe.
He is assigned an untested new spaceship design, and the architect is coming along.
The architect knows more than he lets on, and the architect and some of the crew are taken over by non living creatures.
Story ends on a cliff hanger.
To be continued
a spaceman is recalled by the corporation to find out what happened to a manned probe.
He is assigned an untested new spaceship design, and the architect is coming along.
The architect knows more than he lets on, and the architect and some of the crew are taken over by non living creatures.
Story ends on a cliff hanger.
To be continued
March 19, 2019
Great SciFi. Fast moving, with periods of excitement. Read it all in one sitting, wanting to go on to book 2. Disappointed not to be able to find book 2 at that time. Causing me to seak 2 and 3 to finish my quest. Only been able to read bits and pieces of books 2 and 3. Too cheap to buy. (ha, ha). If there ever is a 4 I will be reading. Great author given his pressures in the past. Kudos.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews