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Time Crawlers
Alien Invasion, Dark Artificial Intelligence, Time-Travel, High-Tech Mythology, Djinn Folklore, Telekinetics, and life-consuming Cosmic Entities are some major themes in this book which has six tightly-knit, fast-paced Sci-Fi stories.
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon
The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.
2. Death by Crowd
The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?
3. Genie
He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.
4. Time Crawlers
There are individuals who exist in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….
5. Eclipse
No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?
6. The Cave
The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon
The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.
2. Death by Crowd
The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?
3. Genie
He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.
4. Time Crawlers
There are individuals who exist in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….
5. Eclipse
No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?
6. The Cave
The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2018
40 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Varun Sayal
8 books274 followersVarun Sayal writes high voltage superhero action adventure novels. If you like superhero stories with riveting action sequences, you will love these books:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
December 20, 2025
Unexpectedly Delightful!
Sayal writes six short stories centered around alternate universes. The range from funny to thought-provoking to outright ludicrous (in a good way!). Without further ado:
Eclipse
Our narrator is among the elite 'Knowers' - the only ones able to track down and eliminate 4D aliens (The Fordans). The Fordans completely blend in with the general population thus making the Knowers' jobs extremely difficult. Our narrator will have to face the toughest decision possible during the latest hunt.
'They' arrived very slowly and blended in very smoothly.
Death by Crowd
In a world where the dark net has become commonplace, "performers" are able to sell their deaths via pay-per view. We listen in on an interview with the sinister creator of this wildly popular web series. I really liked the way Sayal portrayed such a wildly evil world - this one definitely worked for me!
"Give me some rough numbers, how much do these performers sell their death for?"
Genie
This hilarious negotiation has to be read to be truly appreciated - suffice to say, Genies have updated their systems to include clauses written in legalese.
"Hey, you're a ... a genie ... My life is all set now, sir ... Huh... you're a woman..."
"You are one sexist son of a bitch."
Time Crawlers
Another interview story, this time about "time crawlers" and how the exists in every-day society. I wish this one wasn't pure dialogue. That being said, I did enjoy it (especially that ending - wow!).
"They actually experience time as bent tubes, or zig-zagging tunnels..."
The Cave
Short, sweet and entertaining. Just goes to show that sometimes it's better not to go poking the metaphorical bear in the cave. This was also told mostly through dialogue (like the previous two) and while it kind of worked, I think it would have benefited from some background details/actions.
"All of them went in this cave and never came out."
Nark-Astra
This one wasn't quite as gripping as the other ones but it still had some good moments. Sayal expertly combined Indian mythology with the future but I feel like I needed more than a rudimentary background to fully appreciate what he wrote.
"Death is a very easy solution for the problem of your sins."
I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review
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February 18, 2019
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have no connection to Varun Sayal.
This is an excellent collection of 6 short stories. There are a mix of darkness, humour, belief, science fiction/fact, religious mythology, and conspiracy theories. Each story is different and shows a different side of Varun's imagination.
The Hell weapon. A loan warrior walks out to face an army of thousands, carrying a bow and arrows. Despite the old school sounding weaponry this future technology enhanced by "magic". What is magic but unexplained science. The story also contains a warning of the price and corruption of the path to vengeance.
Death By Crowd. I would rename this "An Interview with the Devil". On the Darknet people's darkest desires are available for a price. Here we see an interview of one remorseless and conscienceless peddler. The scary thing of this story is how much of the science is available today and As schooling as the story is, it probably could be happening today on the real world broadcast in dark cyberspace.
The Genie. This is a great humorous story, strategically well places to cut through the darkness of the last story. It show Varun's since of humour. I great sarcastic twist on terms and conditions. As well as a different way of looking at Genies.
Time crawlers. Is knowledge a gift or a curse? I bit of a twist of the reincarnation mythology. I can't day too much without giving away a spoiler.
Eclipse. You know the truth, or do you? This a choose your side story. Again a great twist at the end.
The Cave. When everything seem hopeless you have to turn to a higher power. Another great story.
For my each of the short stories was a five star on its on its own for different reasons. This was a great debut book I can't wait to see what is next.
This is an excellent collection of 6 short stories. There are a mix of darkness, humour, belief, science fiction/fact, religious mythology, and conspiracy theories. Each story is different and shows a different side of Varun's imagination.
The Hell weapon. A loan warrior walks out to face an army of thousands, carrying a bow and arrows. Despite the old school sounding weaponry this future technology enhanced by "magic". What is magic but unexplained science. The story also contains a warning of the price and corruption of the path to vengeance.
Death By Crowd. I would rename this "An Interview with the Devil". On the Darknet people's darkest desires are available for a price. Here we see an interview of one remorseless and conscienceless peddler. The scary thing of this story is how much of the science is available today and As schooling as the story is, it probably could be happening today on the real world broadcast in dark cyberspace.
The Genie. This is a great humorous story, strategically well places to cut through the darkness of the last story. It show Varun's since of humour. I great sarcastic twist on terms and conditions. As well as a different way of looking at Genies.
Time crawlers. Is knowledge a gift or a curse? I bit of a twist of the reincarnation mythology. I can't day too much without giving away a spoiler.
Eclipse. You know the truth, or do you? This a choose your side story. Again a great twist at the end.
The Cave. When everything seem hopeless you have to turn to a higher power. Another great story.
For my each of the short stories was a five star on its on its own for different reasons. This was a great debut book I can't wait to see what is next.
August 17, 2018
This is a book kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A collection of 6 interesting short stories. I like the originality and the author tallent, but I'm a big book kind of girl. I like my books bigger then 400 pages. All in all the author has potential.
Thank you Varun for trusting me!
A collection of 6 interesting short stories. I like the originality and the author tallent, but I'm a big book kind of girl. I like my books bigger then 400 pages. All in all the author has potential.
Thank you Varun for trusting me!
March 8, 2020
Time Crawlers by Varun Sayal is a sci-fi book. There are six stories of parallel universe. This book is full of infinite possibilities. All the stories were different, but the core was the same. Something happening in the parallel universe, but their realities are different from our world in so many ways.
Let's talk about the six stories -
1. Eclipse - "Tomorrow is a luxury no-one has."
We have seen in movies that aliens attack our planet and the government tries to hide the presence of those creatures. This story told us that aliens living among us for a very long time. We are so distracted by world affairs that we didn't even notice their presence. According to this story, Aliens are the one who changes the climate of our planet and guides monkeys to civilization. But they have weaknesses too which is used by humans to destroy them.
2. Death by Crowd - "All other species on this planet are simplistic, natural intelligence; they grow and learn at a limited pace, their evolution is gradual and well checked by nature. But we humans have grown unchecked."
This story is a part of the interview over the black site about crypto-currency and the live show where people burn themselves. A hacker which is considered as an alien because no one ever saw him/her. This story focuses on Artificial Intelligence just like the movie Matrix. We humans don't know about our past clearly. This story left readers with a question of our existence. We are the one who creates AI or what if we are the AI?
3. Genie - "I never heard of a female genie in any of the stories.
Genie - You are one sexist son of a bitch."
A man named Marco, lost in a jungle finds an old oil lamp. Suddenly, a female genie appears in front of him. The conversation between the two of them is funny and fascinating. We never thought of a female genie, how sad. But the author's imagination is on the next level. This story told us that we humans always abuse the gifts we receive. The lamp is considered a high-tech communication device that creates a momentary wormhole. The genie appears in nanoseconds from another planet.
4. Time Crawlers - "Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music."
This story is based on time travel. A person can co-exist in two moments at the same time. They experience multiple moments of time and can easily switch from one period to another at will. Who are they? Humans? Aliens? Strange humans? Those people who know about them are called time-readers. This story told a very different aspect of time travel.
5. The Cave - "External senses may lie to you, but your brain always senses the true picture."
The story starts when highly trained seventeen soldiers were found dead in a cave. Soon they realized that it's not just a cave, but an ancient warship. The dark lord of that ship which is a type of bacteria feeds on energy. They called a telekinetic, Kaaljeevi who is a living teleporter to save the planet. This story brings a scientific aspect of our planet.
6. The Hell Weapon - "There is no such thing as magic. It's all science."
The story is a perfect blend of scientific inventions and Indian mythology. It is about taking revenge. We heard the stories from Mahabharata and Ramayan, where bow and arrow can create mass destruction. What if those weapons are high-tech voice-guided weapons? This story is about nuclear warfare techniques and lethal weapons.
The author did very well in his debut book. It's a short read. One can finish it in one sitting. The approach towards the story is subtle. The stories are intriguing, convincing, and fascinating. There is a mix of humor and darkness. It is thought-provoking. I would recommend this book to those who like science fiction, these short stories are perfect for everyone.
Read more - https://www.bookscharming.com
Let's talk about the six stories -
1. Eclipse - "Tomorrow is a luxury no-one has."
We have seen in movies that aliens attack our planet and the government tries to hide the presence of those creatures. This story told us that aliens living among us for a very long time. We are so distracted by world affairs that we didn't even notice their presence. According to this story, Aliens are the one who changes the climate of our planet and guides monkeys to civilization. But they have weaknesses too which is used by humans to destroy them.
2. Death by Crowd - "All other species on this planet are simplistic, natural intelligence; they grow and learn at a limited pace, their evolution is gradual and well checked by nature. But we humans have grown unchecked."
This story is a part of the interview over the black site about crypto-currency and the live show where people burn themselves. A hacker which is considered as an alien because no one ever saw him/her. This story focuses on Artificial Intelligence just like the movie Matrix. We humans don't know about our past clearly. This story left readers with a question of our existence. We are the one who creates AI or what if we are the AI?
3. Genie - "I never heard of a female genie in any of the stories.
Genie - You are one sexist son of a bitch."
A man named Marco, lost in a jungle finds an old oil lamp. Suddenly, a female genie appears in front of him. The conversation between the two of them is funny and fascinating. We never thought of a female genie, how sad. But the author's imagination is on the next level. This story told us that we humans always abuse the gifts we receive. The lamp is considered a high-tech communication device that creates a momentary wormhole. The genie appears in nanoseconds from another planet.
4. Time Crawlers - "Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music."
This story is based on time travel. A person can co-exist in two moments at the same time. They experience multiple moments of time and can easily switch from one period to another at will. Who are they? Humans? Aliens? Strange humans? Those people who know about them are called time-readers. This story told a very different aspect of time travel.
5. The Cave - "External senses may lie to you, but your brain always senses the true picture."
The story starts when highly trained seventeen soldiers were found dead in a cave. Soon they realized that it's not just a cave, but an ancient warship. The dark lord of that ship which is a type of bacteria feeds on energy. They called a telekinetic, Kaaljeevi who is a living teleporter to save the planet. This story brings a scientific aspect of our planet.
6. The Hell Weapon - "There is no such thing as magic. It's all science."
The story is a perfect blend of scientific inventions and Indian mythology. It is about taking revenge. We heard the stories from Mahabharata and Ramayan, where bow and arrow can create mass destruction. What if those weapons are high-tech voice-guided weapons? This story is about nuclear warfare techniques and lethal weapons.
The author did very well in his debut book. It's a short read. One can finish it in one sitting. The approach towards the story is subtle. The stories are intriguing, convincing, and fascinating. There is a mix of humor and darkness. It is thought-provoking. I would recommend this book to those who like science fiction, these short stories are perfect for everyone.
Read more - https://www.bookscharming.com
January 19, 2021
Multiverse
Time Crawlers is a highly unique book of 6 stories that take us on a morally challenging and spellbinding ride through high-tech worlds and encounters that shock, terrify and enthral us. Varun hasn’t written stories with subtle moral messages, the moral core of the stories are explicit and dominate the context. Each has a theme of advanced science and technology in multiple universes and we wonder, are we are being exposed to the scenario that the more advanced we become with technology, the more we relinquish our hold on an ethical and moral society.
Nark-Astra, The Hell Weapon
Hatred and revenge can be blinding and when Prayaschakit comes for Dushtminhas, seeking revenge for brutalising and killing his family, he is armed with advanced deadly sci-fi weapons. If necessary will he use the ultimate hell weapon which will ensure death to everyone including his target, himself and all the innocents, what will his moral conscience allow him to do?
Death by Crowd
Delivered as an interview the discussion focuses on the darknet and a pay-per-view spectacle whereby participants are doused in jet fuel and set alight, and watched by millions until they are burnt to death. The owner of the game also owns the cryptocurrency which viewers use to purchase viewing rights. Is the owner human or an Artificial Intelligence entity? There is a great theory proposed on what constitutes humanity:
Genie, Time Crawlers and The Cave
Are delivered as a discourse between two characters and really challenge our perception of reality, the universe and time. There are some lovely twists in the stories.
Eclipse
Aliens that exist in the four dimensions have surreptitiously conquered the human race taking all positions of power and influence. The masses (humans) are controlled without their knowledge and fed direction as appropriate. Sound familiar? They feed off human emotions, and with so many wars, crimes, conflicts and broken hearts, humans are inherently and perpetually unsatisfied and hugely emotional.
This is a very well written and creative book with different structures to each story that deserves praise for their refreshing imagination. The stories delivered as a dialogue between two characters are very well written and manage to convey a supernatural and inquisitive theme. I love an author that trusts the reader to complete or finish their stories although some just end more abruptly than I liked.
I really enjoyed these short stories particularly the backdrop of high-tech, biotech and AI technology, which resonated with me on how this is evolving. I would like to thank Varun Sayal for a free copy of his book in return for an honest review.
Time Crawlers is a highly unique book of 6 stories that take us on a morally challenging and spellbinding ride through high-tech worlds and encounters that shock, terrify and enthral us. Varun hasn’t written stories with subtle moral messages, the moral core of the stories are explicit and dominate the context. Each has a theme of advanced science and technology in multiple universes and we wonder, are we are being exposed to the scenario that the more advanced we become with technology, the more we relinquish our hold on an ethical and moral society.
Nark-Astra, The Hell Weapon
Hatred and revenge can be blinding and when Prayaschakit comes for Dushtminhas, seeking revenge for brutalising and killing his family, he is armed with advanced deadly sci-fi weapons. If necessary will he use the ultimate hell weapon which will ensure death to everyone including his target, himself and all the innocents, what will his moral conscience allow him to do?
Death by Crowd
Delivered as an interview the discussion focuses on the darknet and a pay-per-view spectacle whereby participants are doused in jet fuel and set alight, and watched by millions until they are burnt to death. The owner of the game also owns the cryptocurrency which viewers use to purchase viewing rights. Is the owner human or an Artificial Intelligence entity? There is a great theory proposed on what constitutes humanity:
“Human beings are not the biological evolutionary species that we think we are. We are an advanced AI embedded in a simple biological wrapper.”
Genie, Time Crawlers and The Cave
Are delivered as a discourse between two characters and really challenge our perception of reality, the universe and time. There are some lovely twists in the stories.
Eclipse
Aliens that exist in the four dimensions have surreptitiously conquered the human race taking all positions of power and influence. The masses (humans) are controlled without their knowledge and fed direction as appropriate. Sound familiar? They feed off human emotions, and with so many wars, crimes, conflicts and broken hearts, humans are inherently and perpetually unsatisfied and hugely emotional.
This is a very well written and creative book with different structures to each story that deserves praise for their refreshing imagination. The stories delivered as a dialogue between two characters are very well written and manage to convey a supernatural and inquisitive theme. I love an author that trusts the reader to complete or finish their stories although some just end more abruptly than I liked.
I really enjoyed these short stories particularly the backdrop of high-tech, biotech and AI technology, which resonated with me on how this is evolving. I would like to thank Varun Sayal for a free copy of his book in return for an honest review.
August 6, 2018
I have read Scifi novels either as whole books or box set. This genre needs space to get developed, because you need to explain age/time for which the story was conceptualized, technologies of the age, geographical/astrological information, science (only a few of the authors try it, others just assume it fantasy genre and leave it) So when I saw this book was collection of 6 short stories, I was confused about how an author is gonna do all these things in a few pages. Well, I added the book to my kindle shopping list.
As per Forward of this book, there are millions of universe in parallel to each other. And millions of civilization thriving in each of these universes. The stories, covered in this book, are for those places where space-time travel is possible. Each story is based on one of the controversial scientific mystique concept starting from alien intrusion in culture, telepathy, telekinetics to time travel.
Four reasons why you should read this book
1) In love with sci-fi concept - The author has taken the time to explain his imagination of sci-fi concepts to readers with whatever scientific bases available without killing interest that too within 100 pages.
2) Action Packed Drak Theme - If you love to read some sci-fi war stories, you have stories for you. If you want to read some dark theme stories they are also present in the book.
3) To the point Description - No rubbish.
4) Light Read - Yes you can finish it in one sitting. But can give your imagination to another level for the next few days.
I personally feel that Varun has just given seeds for testing. Whichever story gets more feedback, he should make a full-fledged book on that topic. I would really love to read a full-fledged novel on "The Cave" and "Nark-Astra"
Detailed Book Review - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
Author Interview Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
As per Forward of this book, there are millions of universe in parallel to each other. And millions of civilization thriving in each of these universes. The stories, covered in this book, are for those places where space-time travel is possible. Each story is based on one of the controversial scientific mystique concept starting from alien intrusion in culture, telepathy, telekinetics to time travel.
Four reasons why you should read this book
1) In love with sci-fi concept - The author has taken the time to explain his imagination of sci-fi concepts to readers with whatever scientific bases available without killing interest that too within 100 pages.
2) Action Packed Drak Theme - If you love to read some sci-fi war stories, you have stories for you. If you want to read some dark theme stories they are also present in the book.
3) To the point Description - No rubbish.
4) Light Read - Yes you can finish it in one sitting. But can give your imagination to another level for the next few days.
I personally feel that Varun has just given seeds for testing. Whichever story gets more feedback, he should make a full-fledged book on that topic. I would really love to read a full-fledged novel on "The Cave" and "Nark-Astra"
Detailed Book Review - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
Author Interview Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
January 28, 2019
Book Reviewed by Julie on www.whisperingstories.com
‘Time Crawlers’ is the first offering from Varun Sayal. It consists of six diverse sci-fi stories, concentrating on parallel universes and artificial intelligence.
The short story format is I believe the most difficult discipline to write and indeed to review. There is little time for descriptions, scene setting, misdirection or character development, so the author is relying on immediate impact to engage the reader.
I enjoyed the mix of emotions along with the moral messages and the author’s cynical sideswipe at aspects of our own world. I particularly liked the idea that the concept of magic is actually just unexplained science.
The first story ‘Nark-Astra – The Hell Weapon’’ is action-packed and sets the bar quite high for the subsequent tales. My particular favourite is the dark and disturbing ‘Death by Crowd’ as I fear just such a scenario could actually happen! After that, I appreciated the humour of ‘The Genie’ which is an excellent counterbalance to the previous story; definitely a salutary lesson in taking time to read terms and conditions before committing to anything!
Several of the stories are written in conversational format and read rather like a play script. This technique works reasonably well but the dialogue needs to be snappy to keep the reader’s interest. One of the stories has similarities to a full length novel I reviewed last year, which was a shame because the twist would have been excellent if I hadn’t come across it previously.
Varun Sayal has a vivid imagination and I think this collection of stories will appeal to its target audience. I confess to getting rather confused at times but overall enjoyed the book. At 100 pages it can be read in a couple of sittings. I think this author shows promise for the future and award four stars.
‘Time Crawlers’ is the first offering from Varun Sayal. It consists of six diverse sci-fi stories, concentrating on parallel universes and artificial intelligence.
The short story format is I believe the most difficult discipline to write and indeed to review. There is little time for descriptions, scene setting, misdirection or character development, so the author is relying on immediate impact to engage the reader.
I enjoyed the mix of emotions along with the moral messages and the author’s cynical sideswipe at aspects of our own world. I particularly liked the idea that the concept of magic is actually just unexplained science.
The first story ‘Nark-Astra – The Hell Weapon’’ is action-packed and sets the bar quite high for the subsequent tales. My particular favourite is the dark and disturbing ‘Death by Crowd’ as I fear just such a scenario could actually happen! After that, I appreciated the humour of ‘The Genie’ which is an excellent counterbalance to the previous story; definitely a salutary lesson in taking time to read terms and conditions before committing to anything!
Several of the stories are written in conversational format and read rather like a play script. This technique works reasonably well but the dialogue needs to be snappy to keep the reader’s interest. One of the stories has similarities to a full length novel I reviewed last year, which was a shame because the twist would have been excellent if I hadn’t come across it previously.
Varun Sayal has a vivid imagination and I think this collection of stories will appeal to its target audience. I confess to getting rather confused at times but overall enjoyed the book. At 100 pages it can be read in a couple of sittings. I think this author shows promise for the future and award four stars.
March 29, 2019
“There is no such thing as magic. It’s all science. The part of science that you don’t understand will always look like magic to you.” - great quote.
Book has a lot of interesting scientific theories grouped in six short stories. One was very funny, one was dark and gruesome. One was about some moral choices, one about time readers, one about alien and one about spaceship. I enjoyed all six of them :)
Author obviously has his own point of view on universe and parallel worlds which actually I seem to agree with.
Book has a lot of interesting scientific theories grouped in six short stories. One was very funny, one was dark and gruesome. One was about some moral choices, one about time readers, one about alien and one about spaceship. I enjoyed all six of them :)
Author obviously has his own point of view on universe and parallel worlds which actually I seem to agree with.
August 22, 2018
Read this book
Are you looking for a good science fiction short stories? I would recommend the book Time Crawlers by Varun Sayal. The science fiction is outstanding with the creativity. It gets really deep.
The stories are more than just about aliens and robots, etc. These stories come alive in these six short stories. It like this book gives you a chance to see these things in a new enlightenment. I like how the stories make you not want to put it down.
I am only giving it four stars for some parts were hard for me to follow. I also wish the title was shorter. Regardless, I would recommend this book to anyone who like science fiction and anyone wanting to try science fiction.
Are you looking for a good science fiction short stories? I would recommend the book Time Crawlers by Varun Sayal. The science fiction is outstanding with the creativity. It gets really deep.
The stories are more than just about aliens and robots, etc. These stories come alive in these six short stories. It like this book gives you a chance to see these things in a new enlightenment. I like how the stories make you not want to put it down.
I am only giving it four stars for some parts were hard for me to follow. I also wish the title was shorter. Regardless, I would recommend this book to anyone who like science fiction and anyone wanting to try science fiction.
July 25, 2019
This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
“The part of science that you don’t understand will always look like magic to you.”
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon ★★★★
2. Death by Crowd1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon ★★★★
3. Genie ★★★
4. Time Crawlers ★★★
5. Eclipse ★★
6. The Cave ★★★
🌟 I don’t read much short stories as I found I prefer longer ones with more developed worlds and characters. The author approached me to review this book in a very excellent way and I couldn’t say no! I am going to be honest as usual in my review though.
🌟 As you can see above, I left a star rating for each of the short stories but I am going to speak about them all together in this review.
🌟 The writing is good, I find Sci-Fi a little hard to read because there is usually info dump and weird terminology. I didn’t have this problem with this book! I found the language simple and easy to follow which is great!
🌟 I loved how we were just thrown into the worlds but it did not feel weird! I felt like I already knew the world and that probably was my favorite thing. Some of the stories had great story lines and some were Meh but overall I enjoyed the book.
🌟 Summary and Prescription: I think this is a very great place for someone who is willing to get into the genre. The writing is good and simple yet entertaining. I think I am willing to try a full novel by the author next.
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
“The part of science that you don’t understand will always look like magic to you.”
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon ★★★★
2. Death by Crowd1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon ★★★★
3. Genie ★★★
4. Time Crawlers ★★★
5. Eclipse ★★
6. The Cave ★★★
🌟 I don’t read much short stories as I found I prefer longer ones with more developed worlds and characters. The author approached me to review this book in a very excellent way and I couldn’t say no! I am going to be honest as usual in my review though.
🌟 As you can see above, I left a star rating for each of the short stories but I am going to speak about them all together in this review.
🌟 The writing is good, I find Sci-Fi a little hard to read because there is usually info dump and weird terminology. I didn’t have this problem with this book! I found the language simple and easy to follow which is great!
🌟 I loved how we were just thrown into the worlds but it did not feel weird! I felt like I already knew the world and that probably was my favorite thing. Some of the stories had great story lines and some were Meh but overall I enjoyed the book.
🌟 Summary and Prescription: I think this is a very great place for someone who is willing to get into the genre. The writing is good and simple yet entertaining. I think I am willing to try a full novel by the author next.
September 19, 2018
⭐️4 stars⭐️
I really enjoyed this!
A great collection of short stories, with Genie probably being my favorite of the six, and I really liked the interview/dialogue thing going on in most of them. The science parts were kinda tricky to follow at times but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book.
★Big thanks to Varun Sayal for a copy of his book.★
M: Okay, for my third wish I want you to grant me one thousand wishes.
G: Invalid request.
M: Seriously now?
I really enjoyed this!
A great collection of short stories, with Genie probably being my favorite of the six, and I really liked the interview/dialogue thing going on in most of them. The science parts were kinda tricky to follow at times but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book.
★Big thanks to Varun Sayal for a copy of his book.★
September 9, 2018
A collection of six short science fiction stories. The stories concern parallel universes, aliens, and technology.
The stories:
1. “Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon” – Apocalyptic revenge using high-tech weapons.
2. “Death by Crowd” – A disturbing darknet world and artificial intelligence.
3. “Genie” – A guy meets a genie, and gets a quick intro to parallel universes and technology.
4. “Time Crawlers” – Time travel and those who know about it.
5. “Eclipse” – Aliens amongst us.
6. “The Cave” – An apocalyptic alien presence.
An imaginative and engaging collection. Several of the stories use dialogue, in fact, some were all dialogue. I enjoyed the humor used in some of the stories. “Genie” was an especially humorous story. Overall, a good collection of short stories. “Death by Crowd” and “Time Crawlers” were my favorites. A quick, fun read for fans of sci-fi.
I received a PDF of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The stories:
1. “Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon” – Apocalyptic revenge using high-tech weapons.
2. “Death by Crowd” – A disturbing darknet world and artificial intelligence.
3. “Genie” – A guy meets a genie, and gets a quick intro to parallel universes and technology.
4. “Time Crawlers” – Time travel and those who know about it.
5. “Eclipse” – Aliens amongst us.
6. “The Cave” – An apocalyptic alien presence.
An imaginative and engaging collection. Several of the stories use dialogue, in fact, some were all dialogue. I enjoyed the humor used in some of the stories. “Genie” was an especially humorous story. Overall, a good collection of short stories. “Death by Crowd” and “Time Crawlers” were my favorites. A quick, fun read for fans of sci-fi.
I received a PDF of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2018
Time Crawlers by Bar in Sayal is a book I requested and the review is voluntary. The book is a handful of short science fiction and fantasy stories. There was one 4 star story and the rest I felt were all 5 stars. They were very unique stories. I think Death By Crowd was my favorite although it was very dark. It was a story that wouldn't surprise me in this day and age! I also liked the humorous story Genie!
August 4, 2018
Science fiction, the one frontier where there are no limits to the “what ifs” and where a tiny seed can plant a bumper crop of creative thinking by a reader even after the story has ended.
TIME CRAWLERS by Varun Sayal is a fascinating and varied collection of short stories that are like those seeds, because: WHAT IF?
Parallel universes, human-like beings on other worlds, aliens among us, wish granting genies, why not? Who can say there aren’t universes running alongside the one we exist in? It isn’t like we really know what the human brain is capable of, let alone the brains of others. Sit back, open your mind and enjoy the worlds and words of Varun Sayal, I did!
Each story is like a complete thought with just enough room to continue on our own path! Some are mildly entertaining, some are wickedly fascinating and some deserve an entire book of their own! Each is unique and well-written with their own atmosphere.
If you like science fiction, these short stories are like the perfect sampler of the power of imagination! Besides, who is to say there isn’t at least a grain of truth here?
I received a complimentary copy from Varun Sayal!
Publication Date: June 13, 2018
Publisher: Varun Sayal
Genre: Science Fiction Short Stories
Print Length: 100 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
TIME CRAWLERS by Varun Sayal is a fascinating and varied collection of short stories that are like those seeds, because: WHAT IF?
Parallel universes, human-like beings on other worlds, aliens among us, wish granting genies, why not? Who can say there aren’t universes running alongside the one we exist in? It isn’t like we really know what the human brain is capable of, let alone the brains of others. Sit back, open your mind and enjoy the worlds and words of Varun Sayal, I did!
Each story is like a complete thought with just enough room to continue on our own path! Some are mildly entertaining, some are wickedly fascinating and some deserve an entire book of their own! Each is unique and well-written with their own atmosphere.
If you like science fiction, these short stories are like the perfect sampler of the power of imagination! Besides, who is to say there isn’t at least a grain of truth here?
I received a complimentary copy from Varun Sayal!
Publication Date: June 13, 2018
Publisher: Varun Sayal
Genre: Science Fiction Short Stories
Print Length: 100 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
October 21, 2018
Reading these stories reminds me of the tv series 'Twilight zone', I was watching as a child. I liked some of the stories more then others. It's a mix of horror, science-fiction and comedy. Great reading!
February 6, 2019
Okay i don’t know how to review this book.......
~
I’d like to say kudos to the author for writing such a creative 6-story book. Your creativity and imagination is beyond me.
I think Nark Astra is the most interesting story for me because i’ve seen the concept of the story in some tv series that i’ve watched and it’s also like Resident Evil-ish. Not entirely the same, but its got the gist. I’m talking about the bio chemical weapon that sounds like a smart bullet that was created for the military so they have an edge for when they go to war. Then victims of the weapon turn into flesh eating zombies, or undead stuff like that.
Also, i like the life lesson at the end of this story. Where he chose to be the bigger person instead of wanting to accomplish his revenge. He let the guru take over the consequence for his enemy which is the same with us humans. Instead of us wishing other people or our “enemies” harm, we let God decide their fate.
•
Now were done with the good part, here’s the bad. I honestly did not like, even a little bit, the Death by Crowd. I know it’s fiction, but its disturbing as hell (for me, anyway). It felt like i was reading a serial killer’s mind where i could feel his/her joy in watching people die. I mean, the story is about people watching other people die for entertainment. THAT’S DISTURBING. Even if SS (creator of the entertainment show in the book) said that these are people who are in the process of dying caused by terminal illnesses, it is still horrible. Disturbing is disturbing.
•
Author provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. THANK YOU.
~
I’d like to say kudos to the author for writing such a creative 6-story book. Your creativity and imagination is beyond me.
I think Nark Astra is the most interesting story for me because i’ve seen the concept of the story in some tv series that i’ve watched and it’s also like Resident Evil-ish. Not entirely the same, but its got the gist. I’m talking about the bio chemical weapon that sounds like a smart bullet that was created for the military so they have an edge for when they go to war. Then victims of the weapon turn into flesh eating zombies, or undead stuff like that.
Also, i like the life lesson at the end of this story. Where he chose to be the bigger person instead of wanting to accomplish his revenge. He let the guru take over the consequence for his enemy which is the same with us humans. Instead of us wishing other people or our “enemies” harm, we let God decide their fate.
•
Now were done with the good part, here’s the bad. I honestly did not like, even a little bit, the Death by Crowd. I know it’s fiction, but its disturbing as hell (for me, anyway). It felt like i was reading a serial killer’s mind where i could feel his/her joy in watching people die. I mean, the story is about people watching other people die for entertainment. THAT’S DISTURBING. Even if SS (creator of the entertainment show in the book) said that these are people who are in the process of dying caused by terminal illnesses, it is still horrible. Disturbing is disturbing.
•
Author provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. THANK YOU.
September 7, 2018
Pretty solid, I really liked the meaning of the stories, but the writing was sometimes a little bit off or a little bit hard because
No really, sometimes it was a little bit hard to follow the plot because of all the information dump, but I mean... that's a pretty common thing in scifi. Hard to find a way to work around this.
Thanks to the author for giving me a free arc in exchange for a honest review!
No really, sometimes it was a little bit hard to follow the plot because of all the information dump, but I mean... that's a pretty common thing in scifi. Hard to find a way to work around this.
Thanks to the author for giving me a free arc in exchange for a honest review!
February 10, 2019
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion of the book in general.
First off, I owe an apology to the author for taking a while to review this collection. Your patience has been greatly appreciated. Now off to discuss the short stories that are in this collection. There were 6 short stories that covered different science fiction or fantasy themes in some way. I’ve read similar themes at different points, but the writing style of the author came through and made me eager to read more.
I wrote some points that I felt when I finished reading each short story. They're not super detailed as they are short stories and I don't want to give away spoilers for those who read them. Here they are:
Nark-Astra 4 stars Such a deep story about choices made in one’s life that affect themselves and others.
Death by Crowd 3 stars (Fine but not super entertaining. Read a similar concept before.)
Genie 3.5 stars (Funny and amusing read with some good scientific answers about how Genies do things.
Time Crawlers 3.75 so much scientific explanations that I felt smarter reading it until I remembered it wasn't real lolz. Not everyone will like it as it can get confusing. Such nice characters too.
Eclipse 4.5 Honestly, I wouldn't mind a book on this story alone. It was super interesting.
The Cave was my favorite story in this collection. It was perfect and I want more! I'm so happy to have read it as I loved the characters especially Kaalajeevi.
This short story collection was a fun read. There were a few missing or misspelled words but nothing that distracted me from the plots. That’s being super nit picky though. If you want a variety of stories then I think a reader would enjoy this collection. I’ve got my favorites from this collection and hope others feel the same way.
First off, I owe an apology to the author for taking a while to review this collection. Your patience has been greatly appreciated. Now off to discuss the short stories that are in this collection. There were 6 short stories that covered different science fiction or fantasy themes in some way. I’ve read similar themes at different points, but the writing style of the author came through and made me eager to read more.
I wrote some points that I felt when I finished reading each short story. They're not super detailed as they are short stories and I don't want to give away spoilers for those who read them. Here they are:
Nark-Astra 4 stars Such a deep story about choices made in one’s life that affect themselves and others.
Death by Crowd 3 stars (Fine but not super entertaining. Read a similar concept before.)
Genie 3.5 stars (Funny and amusing read with some good scientific answers about how Genies do things.
Time Crawlers 3.75 so much scientific explanations that I felt smarter reading it until I remembered it wasn't real lolz. Not everyone will like it as it can get confusing. Such nice characters too.
Eclipse 4.5 Honestly, I wouldn't mind a book on this story alone. It was super interesting.
The Cave was my favorite story in this collection. It was perfect and I want more! I'm so happy to have read it as I loved the characters especially Kaalajeevi.
This short story collection was a fun read. There were a few missing or misspelled words but nothing that distracted me from the plots. That’s being super nit picky though. If you want a variety of stories then I think a reader would enjoy this collection. I’ve got my favorites from this collection and hope others feel the same way.
March 2, 2019
Nark-Astra, The Hell Weapon:
One cannot deny how Varun Sayal had woven mythology and science fiction in such a short story. The vividness of the imagery is a joy to read. It tells a story of revenge and forgiveness to let go into a bigger and better future ahead.
trigger warning and content: rape, genocide, murder, and war themes.
Death by Crowd was very likely to play out as a Black Mirror episode. It made me think of Fifteen Million Merits. Though, this one is the opposite. People here are voluntary goes in to be the laughing stock or the entertainment and would be paid for one’s life.
Like any science fiction to read it’ll rattle and provoke a man’s train of thought and beliefs with the events. The story here is told in a very conversational manner; specifically an interview format. I think it’ll be a cool audiobook.
trigger warning and content: torture and possibility of self-harming
Genie:
Third time’s the charm, I liked the mixture of mythology and sci-fi. However, I find the characterization here contradictory in ways. It felt like a glimpse, a post-credit in a movie rather a short story that compels one to enjoy. It did deliver great humor and witty banter, and points, dealing with genies and the intricacies of a wish.
Time Crawlers:
I was looking forward to this one most since it is closest to the overall title. But I felt myself looking over matters in the story. Like static on a TV. I see it but it’s not there yet.
Eclipse:
It could have been a captivating story, it turned out to be an anti-climatic one, I thought it will walk the reader through more vivid imagery of the other species, aliens, foreign entities. It completely cuts out the part where it should lay out more for the reader.
It did have some minimal action with the futuristic armory and weapons.
The Cave:
It was monotonous I didn’t like the last one. It felt flat. I read it out loud, to make it more exciting for me. I tried and tried. It was not for me.
It is told in a script-like story, where the actions were described and the lines are said by the characters in it; separated completely in format. There was telekinesis, traveling through loopholes, like light speed in star wars but by an enigmatic and mythological goddess of some sort? Bound by a promise that would protect or end them if not met.
Disclosure: Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor I received any monetary compensation for doing this review.
More Time Crawlers • Instagram • Twitter
One cannot deny how Varun Sayal had woven mythology and science fiction in such a short story. The vividness of the imagery is a joy to read. It tells a story of revenge and forgiveness to let go into a bigger and better future ahead.
trigger warning and content: rape, genocide, murder, and war themes.
Death by Crowd was very likely to play out as a Black Mirror episode. It made me think of Fifteen Million Merits. Though, this one is the opposite. People here are voluntary goes in to be the laughing stock or the entertainment and would be paid for one’s life.
Like any science fiction to read it’ll rattle and provoke a man’s train of thought and beliefs with the events. The story here is told in a very conversational manner; specifically an interview format. I think it’ll be a cool audiobook.
trigger warning and content: torture and possibility of self-harming
Genie:
Third time’s the charm, I liked the mixture of mythology and sci-fi. However, I find the characterization here contradictory in ways. It felt like a glimpse, a post-credit in a movie rather a short story that compels one to enjoy. It did deliver great humor and witty banter, and points, dealing with genies and the intricacies of a wish.
Time Crawlers:
I was looking forward to this one most since it is closest to the overall title. But I felt myself looking over matters in the story. Like static on a TV. I see it but it’s not there yet.
Eclipse:
It could have been a captivating story, it turned out to be an anti-climatic one, I thought it will walk the reader through more vivid imagery of the other species, aliens, foreign entities. It completely cuts out the part where it should lay out more for the reader.
It did have some minimal action with the futuristic armory and weapons.
The Cave:
It was monotonous I didn’t like the last one. It felt flat. I read it out loud, to make it more exciting for me. I tried and tried. It was not for me.
It is told in a script-like story, where the actions were described and the lines are said by the characters in it; separated completely in format. There was telekinesis, traveling through loopholes, like light speed in star wars but by an enigmatic and mythological goddess of some sort? Bound by a promise that would protect or end them if not met.
Disclosure: Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor I received any monetary compensation for doing this review.
More Time Crawlers • Instagram • Twitter
October 21, 2018
3.41/5
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Thank You so much to Varun Sayal for the opportunity!
This was a good alternate universe short stories collection. I liked some more than others but in general they were all pretty unique and some even very scary if you think about them.
It’s a super fast read that I was able to squeeze during this weekend and it was very helpful considering I’m a couple of books behind my reading challenge.
Nark-Astra // ★★★/5
___
Death By Crowd // ★★★★★/5
___
Genie // ★★★★/5
___
Time Crawlers // ★★.75/5
___
Eclipse // ★★★.25/5
___
The Cave // ★★.5/5
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Thank You so much to Varun Sayal for the opportunity!
This was a good alternate universe short stories collection. I liked some more than others but in general they were all pretty unique and some even very scary if you think about them.
It’s a super fast read that I was able to squeeze during this weekend and it was very helpful considering I’m a couple of books behind my reading challenge.
Nark-Astra // ★★★/5
___
Death By Crowd // ★★★★★/5
___
Genie // ★★★★/5
___
Time Crawlers // ★★.75/5
___
Eclipse // ★★★.25/5
___
The Cave // ★★.5/5
November 2, 2018
Time careless is my first sci-fic read and I really loved it. This is the Book kindly provide by the author in exchange of honest review. This book is a quick read with a collection of six interesting short stories. Its all about Time traveling, Aliens and many more. If you’re looking for a good sci-fic book I would recommend this book.
August 3, 2018
I received this e-book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
It is a collection of 6 short stories, It is so difficult to say a sci-fi story in a few pages but the author did it. It was interesting and easy to read, Though I had problems with the narrative style, the writing itself was interesting enough to not let me go. I finished it in a couple hours, I like the way the author justify the myths.
All the stories had potential, but unfortunately, all of these couldn’t utilize it. Most of the stories are dark and creepy. Some stories were overloaded with too many details and over drama, I know there should be drama and details but when the story itself is of 20 pages it feels more and the other problem was jargons, It just gives me vibes sometimes that I am reading textbooks.
Genie is my favourite it was Hillarious 😁
Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon 🌟🌟
The Cave 🌟🌟.5
Genie 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Death by Crowd 🌟🌟🌟
Time Crawlers 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Eclipse 🌟🌟🌟
It is a collection of 6 short stories, It is so difficult to say a sci-fi story in a few pages but the author did it. It was interesting and easy to read, Though I had problems with the narrative style, the writing itself was interesting enough to not let me go. I finished it in a couple hours, I like the way the author justify the myths.
All the stories had potential, but unfortunately, all of these couldn’t utilize it. Most of the stories are dark and creepy. Some stories were overloaded with too many details and over drama, I know there should be drama and details but when the story itself is of 20 pages it feels more and the other problem was jargons, It just gives me vibes sometimes that I am reading textbooks.
Genie is my favourite it was Hillarious 😁
Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon 🌟🌟
The Cave 🌟🌟.5
Genie 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Death by Crowd 🌟🌟🌟
Time Crawlers 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Eclipse 🌟🌟🌟
September 22, 2018
What is the best thing about a short story? It’s short!
Short stories allow the reader to think and choose their own conclusion and that’s what I like best about them. They keep the readers guessing and everyone is free to choose their own ending. There isn’t a concrete end to the story and that leads to myriad possibilities.
Although I am a Science enthusiast, I don’t read Science Fiction as much as I probably should. One of the major reasons I stay away from Sci-fi is the fact that I get super critical about the technical aspects of the book. I actually make it a point to go back and research the concepts. I get so caught up in the Science that I forget that it is indeed Fiction and that I’ve not been given the supreme responsibility of dissecting the book.
Honestly, this really takes away from the reading experience and just doesn’t translate as a fun time. This is a primary reason for me giving up on the genre thanks to my mental hang-ups. When I received a copy of this book, I wanted to read this so I could let go of this mental block in my head. I’m glad I did because this book has immense potential and I would not have wanted to miss out on something like it.
This book is a collection of stories that have successfully blended concepts of Science, Mythology, and Dystopia. There are open-ended conclusions that lead to interesting philosophical implications. This book has 6 short stories in all and each deals with a different aspect of Science fiction. There are stories about alien life, a dystopian future, high-tech warfare, etc.
I really enjoyed the variety of topics dealt with in the book. The stories talk about different things and the writing was interesting too. I am going to talk about each story because an overview wouldn’t do this justice.
1. Nark-Astra
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
The premise is really interesting. The Nark Astra (Hell Weapon) is basically a biological warfare tool. This was right up my alley since I enjoy reading about scientific accomplishments in Mythology. I remember, my high school Physics teacher told us that many popular scientific findings have a basis in mythological texts and I have been fascinated by the topic ever since. This story was a blend of Science Fiction and Mythology and it was quite intriguing. Honestly, I’d be happy to read a full-length version of it. Being a bioscience junkie, I enjoyed the technical aspects of the Nark-Astra. Its viral component is described in a manner that is scientifically accurate and I re-read the description because it sounded fascinating. The effects of the weapon are similar to the concept of a zombie epidemic. There are other weapons mentioned and I was intrigued by the description of each. Pretty smart ideas for modern weapons, but I’m really glad that the moral lesson about not using weapons at all, was also driven home.
2. Death By Crowd
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
This story highlights exactly how much the human race is being consumed by voyeurism. With the advent of reality TV and the strengthening of the art of gossip mongering, it seems that with each passing day, our need to consume sensational content just keeps growing. This story is a futuristic depiction of humankind where depravity has reached an all-time high. All bets are off and everything has a price tag attached. Even death sells. And what pays for all of this, you ask? Cryptocurrency! The technology is super-advanced with ultra HD systems for constant streaming so that the viewers do not miss a single second of a person burning to his death. This world is horrifying. Short for cash? Cannot support your family? Set fire to yourself and perish. Don’t worry, your pay-check will be sent to your family. Your loss isn’t as important as getting all that cash!
I had a sickening feeling while reading this. After a while, it started to seem like a very real possibility that something like this might happen in the however distant future. With this story, the author has put forward ideas that ignite the reader’s imagination and bring one face to face with an uncomfortable reality. All of this might actually happen someday.
I’m getting terribly philosophical about this particular story but I was having a discussion with a friend on the increase in voyeuristic tendencies among people today and the long-winded discussion finally came to the conclusion that anything can sell as long as there’s someone willing to buy it. Sex, drugs, even death.
3. Genie
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
Compared to the other stories, this was shorter and more of a conversation between two individuals. Marco rubs a lamp and meets a genie. It’s a woman, by the way (serious I Dream of Jeannie flashbacks right there), and she is pretty annoyed at being disturbed. I loved how snarky she was. I mean, who wouldn’t be frustrated at being summoned in the middle of the day? Plus when the person is an idiot who keeps asking questions, ignoring the perfectly good genie manual right there. A joke was made of the fact that nobody ever reads the Terms and Conditions and I just nodded my head and muttered, “Same”. This was breezier than others and was pretty amusing.
4. Time Crawlers
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
This was a very interesting take on time travel and its many possibilities. It is a conversation between a Historical Scientist, someone who keeps tabs on Time Crawlers, people who can travel in time and exist in multiple time periods at the same time, and an interviewer. Some interesting historical examples of people we know have been used here and it is said that some famous people are possible time crawlers. The ending was shocking and I really liked the direction it took. Fantastic.
5. Eclipse
Rating- 3 of 5 stars
This was about the existence and integration of alien life in modern society and its possible implications. Extra-terrestrial life has established themselves in society and they seem to have taken up positions of power. Some people have evolved with the power to see this otherworldly life and are trying to ensure a wipe-out of this species. I can’t really say much without divulging critical information, so I’m going to stop here. This has a bit of an open-ended conclusion and I would have liked to have some more information on it. The ending felt a little abrupt and there wasn’t a clear-cut direction for the story to go in.
6. The Cave
Rating- 3 of 5 stars
The armed forces have discovered a cave that seems to have something eerie going on inside it. Whoever goes inside the cave doesn’t come back out and all surveillance tools fail inside the cave. There seems to be an otherworldly entity inside the cave that is absorbing a lot of energy, leading to an energy crisis. To remedy the situation, backup is called for and the story ends with a conclusion of what finally happens in the cave. I would have liked something more in this story. I had sort of hyped it up in my mind and this fell short in comparison. Not a bad attempt though.
Pros:
*The wide variety of stories catering to the differing tastes of Sci-fi enthusiasts.
*Not a lot of technical jargon and the language is lucid.
*One of the biggest perks of this book was the fact that it was short and considering my current schedule, I could easily fit it during short breaks.
Cons:
*This book had some typos and grammatical errors that were just a little bothersome.
Overall, this book was a good attempt in the Sci-fi genre. It brings something new to the table and is entertaining, amusing, and thought-provoking too. Kudos to the author for coming up with the ideas for this book. I would definitely stay tuned for his future works.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Short stories allow the reader to think and choose their own conclusion and that’s what I like best about them. They keep the readers guessing and everyone is free to choose their own ending. There isn’t a concrete end to the story and that leads to myriad possibilities.
Although I am a Science enthusiast, I don’t read Science Fiction as much as I probably should. One of the major reasons I stay away from Sci-fi is the fact that I get super critical about the technical aspects of the book. I actually make it a point to go back and research the concepts. I get so caught up in the Science that I forget that it is indeed Fiction and that I’ve not been given the supreme responsibility of dissecting the book.
Honestly, this really takes away from the reading experience and just doesn’t translate as a fun time. This is a primary reason for me giving up on the genre thanks to my mental hang-ups. When I received a copy of this book, I wanted to read this so I could let go of this mental block in my head. I’m glad I did because this book has immense potential and I would not have wanted to miss out on something like it.
This book is a collection of stories that have successfully blended concepts of Science, Mythology, and Dystopia. There are open-ended conclusions that lead to interesting philosophical implications. This book has 6 short stories in all and each deals with a different aspect of Science fiction. There are stories about alien life, a dystopian future, high-tech warfare, etc.
I really enjoyed the variety of topics dealt with in the book. The stories talk about different things and the writing was interesting too. I am going to talk about each story because an overview wouldn’t do this justice.
1. Nark-Astra
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
The premise is really interesting. The Nark Astra (Hell Weapon) is basically a biological warfare tool. This was right up my alley since I enjoy reading about scientific accomplishments in Mythology. I remember, my high school Physics teacher told us that many popular scientific findings have a basis in mythological texts and I have been fascinated by the topic ever since. This story was a blend of Science Fiction and Mythology and it was quite intriguing. Honestly, I’d be happy to read a full-length version of it. Being a bioscience junkie, I enjoyed the technical aspects of the Nark-Astra. Its viral component is described in a manner that is scientifically accurate and I re-read the description because it sounded fascinating. The effects of the weapon are similar to the concept of a zombie epidemic. There are other weapons mentioned and I was intrigued by the description of each. Pretty smart ideas for modern weapons, but I’m really glad that the moral lesson about not using weapons at all, was also driven home.
2. Death By Crowd
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
This story highlights exactly how much the human race is being consumed by voyeurism. With the advent of reality TV and the strengthening of the art of gossip mongering, it seems that with each passing day, our need to consume sensational content just keeps growing. This story is a futuristic depiction of humankind where depravity has reached an all-time high. All bets are off and everything has a price tag attached. Even death sells. And what pays for all of this, you ask? Cryptocurrency! The technology is super-advanced with ultra HD systems for constant streaming so that the viewers do not miss a single second of a person burning to his death. This world is horrifying. Short for cash? Cannot support your family? Set fire to yourself and perish. Don’t worry, your pay-check will be sent to your family. Your loss isn’t as important as getting all that cash!
I had a sickening feeling while reading this. After a while, it started to seem like a very real possibility that something like this might happen in the however distant future. With this story, the author has put forward ideas that ignite the reader’s imagination and bring one face to face with an uncomfortable reality. All of this might actually happen someday.
I’m getting terribly philosophical about this particular story but I was having a discussion with a friend on the increase in voyeuristic tendencies among people today and the long-winded discussion finally came to the conclusion that anything can sell as long as there’s someone willing to buy it. Sex, drugs, even death.
3. Genie
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
Compared to the other stories, this was shorter and more of a conversation between two individuals. Marco rubs a lamp and meets a genie. It’s a woman, by the way (serious I Dream of Jeannie flashbacks right there), and she is pretty annoyed at being disturbed. I loved how snarky she was. I mean, who wouldn’t be frustrated at being summoned in the middle of the day? Plus when the person is an idiot who keeps asking questions, ignoring the perfectly good genie manual right there. A joke was made of the fact that nobody ever reads the Terms and Conditions and I just nodded my head and muttered, “Same”. This was breezier than others and was pretty amusing.
4. Time Crawlers
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
This was a very interesting take on time travel and its many possibilities. It is a conversation between a Historical Scientist, someone who keeps tabs on Time Crawlers, people who can travel in time and exist in multiple time periods at the same time, and an interviewer. Some interesting historical examples of people we know have been used here and it is said that some famous people are possible time crawlers. The ending was shocking and I really liked the direction it took. Fantastic.
5. Eclipse
Rating- 3 of 5 stars
This was about the existence and integration of alien life in modern society and its possible implications. Extra-terrestrial life has established themselves in society and they seem to have taken up positions of power. Some people have evolved with the power to see this otherworldly life and are trying to ensure a wipe-out of this species. I can’t really say much without divulging critical information, so I’m going to stop here. This has a bit of an open-ended conclusion and I would have liked to have some more information on it. The ending felt a little abrupt and there wasn’t a clear-cut direction for the story to go in.
6. The Cave
Rating- 3 of 5 stars
The armed forces have discovered a cave that seems to have something eerie going on inside it. Whoever goes inside the cave doesn’t come back out and all surveillance tools fail inside the cave. There seems to be an otherworldly entity inside the cave that is absorbing a lot of energy, leading to an energy crisis. To remedy the situation, backup is called for and the story ends with a conclusion of what finally happens in the cave. I would have liked something more in this story. I had sort of hyped it up in my mind and this fell short in comparison. Not a bad attempt though.
Pros:
*The wide variety of stories catering to the differing tastes of Sci-fi enthusiasts.
*Not a lot of technical jargon and the language is lucid.
*One of the biggest perks of this book was the fact that it was short and considering my current schedule, I could easily fit it during short breaks.
Cons:
*This book had some typos and grammatical errors that were just a little bothersome.
Overall, this book was a good attempt in the Sci-fi genre. It brings something new to the table and is entertaining, amusing, and thought-provoking too. Kudos to the author for coming up with the ideas for this book. I would definitely stay tuned for his future works.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 1, 2018
Time Crawler is a science fiction based short story collection.
✔ It has 6 stories which are based on Artificial Intelligence ,Wars in Parallel Universe , Mythology , etc. .
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✔ I am not a fan of Science Fiction books. But in contrast to that I love sci- fic Movies which actually involve Extraterrestrial life forms.But when I came to know about this book written by an Indian Author Varun Sayal ( @varunsayal ) so, I looked forward to read. .
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✔The cover looks so very interesting.Also I like short stories so I got a kindle copy of it.The stories are short , to the point , has good in depth descriptions , more over the ornamental classic style of writing by the author was impressive.
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. ✔Writing sci - fi is not at all an easy task , you need to have vivid imagination as well as some good logic and knowledge which Author has done deeply.
.
. ✔If you like Sci- fi , go for it. I am sure you will like the variety present in this kindle book.💯
.
✔ It has 6 stories which are based on Artificial Intelligence ,Wars in Parallel Universe , Mythology , etc. .
.
✔ I am not a fan of Science Fiction books. But in contrast to that I love sci- fic Movies which actually involve Extraterrestrial life forms.But when I came to know about this book written by an Indian Author Varun Sayal ( @varunsayal ) so, I looked forward to read. .
.
✔The cover looks so very interesting.Also I like short stories so I got a kindle copy of it.The stories are short , to the point , has good in depth descriptions , more over the ornamental classic style of writing by the author was impressive.
.
. ✔Writing sci - fi is not at all an easy task , you need to have vivid imagination as well as some good logic and knowledge which Author has done deeply.
.
. ✔If you like Sci- fi , go for it. I am sure you will like the variety present in this kindle book.💯
.
April 23, 2020
I received this book from the author in return for an honest review.
First of all I wanna say I'm not a big fan of collections with short stories.
Anyway, the aspect that I liked most about this book was the unpredictability of his stories, as each has its own story that starts and ends in a matter of few pages, leaving the reader with many questions to look for.
This thing reminded me Black Mirror.
Genies, parallel universes and aliens, who we are to give the right answer?
First of all I wanna say I'm not a big fan of collections with short stories.
Anyway, the aspect that I liked most about this book was the unpredictability of his stories, as each has its own story that starts and ends in a matter of few pages, leaving the reader with many questions to look for.
This thing reminded me Black Mirror.
Genies, parallel universes and aliens, who we are to give the right answer?
April 25, 2019
I received an e-copy in exchange for a honest review.
When Varun messaged me on Instagram if I wanted to try his short stories collection, I said yes.
I want to read more sci-fi, so I thought this was a great start.
This short stories collection has 6 different stories in it.
Nark-Astra
I gave this story 2 stars, it was okay, but all those difficult names made it hard to follow and made me forget which character was who.
Death by crowd
Normally I don't shy away from horrific stories, but this one was just too much for me so I gave it 1 star
Genie
This was by far my favorite story of the collection. Genie is such a hilarious story that I gave it 4 stars
Time Crawlers
I tried to understand this story, but didn't work out for me anyway, so 1 star
Eclipse
This story was just not my thing. This is my second story with creatures blending in on earth, but I don't like it! 1 star
The Cave
I really liked this story! Also creatures helping creatures from another planet, that sounds really cool! I gave it 3 stars
So that makes it an average of 2 stars. At least I liked 2 stories, but unfortunately the rest just wasn't for me.
When Varun messaged me on Instagram if I wanted to try his short stories collection, I said yes.
I want to read more sci-fi, so I thought this was a great start.
This short stories collection has 6 different stories in it.
Nark-Astra
I gave this story 2 stars, it was okay, but all those difficult names made it hard to follow and made me forget which character was who.
Death by crowd
Normally I don't shy away from horrific stories, but this one was just too much for me so I gave it 1 star
Genie
This was by far my favorite story of the collection. Genie is such a hilarious story that I gave it 4 stars
Time Crawlers
I tried to understand this story, but didn't work out for me anyway, so 1 star
Eclipse
This story was just not my thing. This is my second story with creatures blending in on earth, but I don't like it! 1 star
The Cave
I really liked this story! Also creatures helping creatures from another planet, that sounds really cool! I gave it 3 stars
So that makes it an average of 2 stars. At least I liked 2 stories, but unfortunately the rest just wasn't for me.
July 29, 2018
Got a free Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This one is a different from the ones I usually go for but I'm glad I got it. I might've missed it but it's great that I was lucky enough to read it.
"Time Crawlers" is a set of 5 short stories revolving around sci-fi, alien invasion, AI, human mind, it's complexities and such themes.
The style of writing is a breath of fresh air and the book as whole consists of all those thoughts a person usually ponder over while free. But what sets it apart from such thoughts is the amount of efforts that have been put in thinking over every aspect of those theories.
My favourite one was "Death By Crowd".
Personally, I felt it finished tad bit too soon for my liking. Would've loved to read more of it.
Definitely suggest it to all the young adults and everyone who has a taste for it.
4 honest to God, mind opening stars..
This one is a different from the ones I usually go for but I'm glad I got it. I might've missed it but it's great that I was lucky enough to read it.
"Time Crawlers" is a set of 5 short stories revolving around sci-fi, alien invasion, AI, human mind, it's complexities and such themes.
The style of writing is a breath of fresh air and the book as whole consists of all those thoughts a person usually ponder over while free. But what sets it apart from such thoughts is the amount of efforts that have been put in thinking over every aspect of those theories.
My favourite one was "Death By Crowd".
Personally, I felt it finished tad bit too soon for my liking. Would've loved to read more of it.
Definitely suggest it to all the young adults and everyone who has a taste for it.
4 honest to God, mind opening stars..
Read
September 21, 2018Stories
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon: The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.
My views – I like books which amalgamate Hindu mythology with sci-fi. I sincerely believe that all the new space stories discovered have been foretold in our old lost tales. I loved the way author Varun Sayal has brought technology to mythology, and that uplifted an old tale of vengeance and penance. This story to me felt complete.
2. Death by Crowd: The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?
My views – A good concept which dealt with evolution of man. It overrules Darwinism, and that made so many possibilities come alive for me. The story was supposed to be gruesome and shocking at the need for gore and violence by humans. But it just spoke of an interview. A good concept but lacked the force.
3. Genie: He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.
My views – This was slightly humorous at the way genie has terms and conditions and clauses in granting wishes. Again could have had a surprising end.
4. Time Crawlers: There are individuals who existing in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….
My views – This story could have been done much better, but I just skim read it.
5. Eclipse: No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?
My views – Another story which had a different shapeshifter/alien/multi-dimensional concept. I wanted it to be fleshed out well. I suppose I have to wait for an eclipse for that to happen.
6. The Cave: The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.
My views – This didn’t attract me at all, it tried to ramp up sci-fi with space travel at the speed of light and telekinesis. And a mythical woman. But for me, it just fell flat.
Overall, the concepts were good, but the delivery lacked its pitch. These didn’t feel like stories, but short snippets with sci-fi and technology. It should have packed a punch, hitting me hard with its ending lines, but it didnt. Nevertheless, a good try!!
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon: The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.
My views – I like books which amalgamate Hindu mythology with sci-fi. I sincerely believe that all the new space stories discovered have been foretold in our old lost tales. I loved the way author Varun Sayal has brought technology to mythology, and that uplifted an old tale of vengeance and penance. This story to me felt complete.
2. Death by Crowd: The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?
My views – A good concept which dealt with evolution of man. It overrules Darwinism, and that made so many possibilities come alive for me. The story was supposed to be gruesome and shocking at the need for gore and violence by humans. But it just spoke of an interview. A good concept but lacked the force.
3. Genie: He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.
My views – This was slightly humorous at the way genie has terms and conditions and clauses in granting wishes. Again could have had a surprising end.
4. Time Crawlers: There are individuals who existing in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….
My views – This story could have been done much better, but I just skim read it.
5. Eclipse: No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?
My views – Another story which had a different shapeshifter/alien/multi-dimensional concept. I wanted it to be fleshed out well. I suppose I have to wait for an eclipse for that to happen.
6. The Cave: The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.
My views – This didn’t attract me at all, it tried to ramp up sci-fi with space travel at the speed of light and telekinesis. And a mythical woman. But for me, it just fell flat.
Overall, the concepts were good, but the delivery lacked its pitch. These didn’t feel like stories, but short snippets with sci-fi and technology. It should have packed a punch, hitting me hard with its ending lines, but it didnt. Nevertheless, a good try!!
June 9, 2019
I'm torn between 2.5 and 3.
RTC
UPDATE
This book was offered to be by the author to read and review honestly, all of my thoughts and opinions are purely my own.
Okay so my life’s kind of a mess right now so excuse the late review.
I read this a while ago and I remember vividly how I felt about it.
Reading it was an enjoyable experience, I didn’t dislike or hate any of the stories, but they didn’t really captivate me, I had to push through them all.
I found some notes I wrote down while I was reading it and one of my main issues with so many fantasy and sci-fi books is the unnecessary long and complicated names that could’ve been replaced easily with something I can actually read let alone pronounce.
The world building is exquisite, I really enjoyed the science of it all but the stories are lacking so many elements.
I don’t want to dive deeper into my analysis in case my memory fails me and end up bashing the author for something he didn’t do.
But I found something interesting in my notes that could sum it all up: when I read a really good sci-fi or fantasy book I found myself believing in that story and in those worlds, when I’m fully aware that it is entirely fiction. And I didn’t feel that way with this book, I think that’s the missing piece
RTC
UPDATE
This book was offered to be by the author to read and review honestly, all of my thoughts and opinions are purely my own.
Okay so my life’s kind of a mess right now so excuse the late review.
I read this a while ago and I remember vividly how I felt about it.
Reading it was an enjoyable experience, I didn’t dislike or hate any of the stories, but they didn’t really captivate me, I had to push through them all.
I found some notes I wrote down while I was reading it and one of my main issues with so many fantasy and sci-fi books is the unnecessary long and complicated names that could’ve been replaced easily with something I can actually read let alone pronounce.
The world building is exquisite, I really enjoyed the science of it all but the stories are lacking so many elements.
I don’t want to dive deeper into my analysis in case my memory fails me and end up bashing the author for something he didn’t do.
But I found something interesting in my notes that could sum it all up: when I read a really good sci-fi or fantasy book I found myself believing in that story and in those worlds, when I’m fully aware that it is entirely fiction. And I didn’t feel that way with this book, I think that’s the missing piece
Read
October 9, 2018A super collection of stories, some better than others (as you would expect), I am so glad I have read these stories, Sci Fi from another perspective - Fabulous!
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