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A Funny Thing Happened on the Moon
A soulless corporation…
A risky mission…
An unexpected discovery…
Life under the thumb of the corporation is a grueling existence. Jeremy Scott is one step above an indentured servant but headed there quickly if he can’t repay the corporation for his training. Enter Theo Davenport, a rich asshole whose lack of brains and creativity keeps him from advancing in the corporation. When Theo finds Jeremy, he offers to stop his slide into servitude. In exchange, Jeremy will mount a risky mission to the Moon and give Theo all the credit.
Jeremy, along with his oddball friends Ron and Alice, risk their careers and their lives to complete the mission, but what they find on the Moon changes everything. Can Jeremy make it back to Earth safely with his discovery, or is the corporation, like always, already one step ahead of him?
A risky mission…
An unexpected discovery…
Life under the thumb of the corporation is a grueling existence. Jeremy Scott is one step above an indentured servant but headed there quickly if he can’t repay the corporation for his training. Enter Theo Davenport, a rich asshole whose lack of brains and creativity keeps him from advancing in the corporation. When Theo finds Jeremy, he offers to stop his slide into servitude. In exchange, Jeremy will mount a risky mission to the Moon and give Theo all the credit.
Jeremy, along with his oddball friends Ron and Alice, risk their careers and their lives to complete the mission, but what they find on the Moon changes everything. Can Jeremy make it back to Earth safely with his discovery, or is the corporation, like always, already one step ahead of him?
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2018
13 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Joey Rogers
8 books9 followersJoey Rogers is an enthusiast of sci-fi, video games, and all-around geekery. He’s a software developer by day in the high-tech city of Huntsville, Alabama and loves writing about what the future might hold.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 16, 2018
What did just happen?
I feel cheated. I went in expecting the main characters to travel to the moon and find something. Instead, half of this book was all about the preparation of a tiny spacecraft that would go unmanned to the moon, and even that wasn't very interesting because I didn't understand most of it; I have no inkling whether the plentiful technical aspects and explanations mentioned were sound or just made-up gibberish.
But let's backtrack a bit.
The first few chapters of A Funny Thing Happened on the Moon were so uninteresting that I would've dropped the book if I wasn't determined to figure out what the big revelation was. Usually the prologue features a future event or something unusual that compels the reader to keep going, but here we get a bland interview and the ominous mention of the corporation, which doesn't even have a name.
Then there are the characters...
I have no words with which to describe them with. One-dimensional? Flat? Uninteresting? It's something along these lines. They have no depth. I really can't put my finger on what was exactly wrong with them, all I can say is that I felt so detached while reading about them. The dialogue itself was...stilted? Unnatural? Juvenile? Again I can't pinpoint what exactly was wrong with it. The end result was that I was not invested at all in anything that happened to anyone; the whole world could've burned up and I would've been like "oh".
(There was this bit where Jeremy's thinking changed about something but the change was very abrupt and unrealistic that I don't count it as character development).
The world-building was not very convincing but some explanation was given by the end of the book. Some terms were confusing and unclear and I think a glossary or an appendix would've been greatly useful. The plot itself moved slowly and there weren't many interesting things going on, and even when a distressing event was approaching, you could probably predict it a mile away. Jeremy struck me as extremely dense and slow despite him being portrayed as resourceful and creative. And Theo was an unredeemable prick with no depth. He was simply a spoiled child who was used to getting his way by any means possible *eyeroll*.
Why 2 stars and not 1 then?
Well, because this was a surprisingly easy read, if you completely ignore all the technical bits, like I did. I wanted to know what the funny thing that happened on the moon and reading this didn't take much energy so I kept going.
The other thing is the female character, Alice, who was a VERY smart, confident, assertive person. I liked how Jeremy emphasized her intellectual prowess over her looks, which I don't see happening a lot. Ron and the other *dents* were a nice addition too.
My favourite character was Hille, a mainframe AI, who was the only character that didn't talk like a machine (Am I the only one who can see the irony in that?). She was vivacious and funny and I wish I got to see more of her!
This book has LOTS of potential. If the first half got compressed, all the many non-essential bits got removed, and the event that happened on the moon got expanded and built-upon, then this would become a much more enjoyable read. Indeed, when things finally started to get interesting, the book ended, which was really a shame.
I feel cheated. I went in expecting the main characters to travel to the moon and find something. Instead, half of this book was all about the preparation of a tiny spacecraft that would go unmanned to the moon, and even that wasn't very interesting because I didn't understand most of it; I have no inkling whether the plentiful technical aspects and explanations mentioned were sound or just made-up gibberish.
But let's backtrack a bit.
The first few chapters of A Funny Thing Happened on the Moon were so uninteresting that I would've dropped the book if I wasn't determined to figure out what the big revelation was. Usually the prologue features a future event or something unusual that compels the reader to keep going, but here we get a bland interview and the ominous mention of the corporation, which doesn't even have a name.
Then there are the characters...
I have no words with which to describe them with. One-dimensional? Flat? Uninteresting? It's something along these lines. They have no depth. I really can't put my finger on what was exactly wrong with them, all I can say is that I felt so detached while reading about them. The dialogue itself was...stilted? Unnatural? Juvenile? Again I can't pinpoint what exactly was wrong with it. The end result was that I was not invested at all in anything that happened to anyone; the whole world could've burned up and I would've been like "oh".
(There was this bit where Jeremy's thinking changed about something but the change was very abrupt and unrealistic that I don't count it as character development).
The world-building was not very convincing but some explanation was given by the end of the book. Some terms were confusing and unclear and I think a glossary or an appendix would've been greatly useful. The plot itself moved slowly and there weren't many interesting things going on, and even when a distressing event was approaching, you could probably predict it a mile away. Jeremy struck me as extremely dense and slow despite him being portrayed as resourceful and creative. And Theo was an unredeemable prick with no depth. He was simply a spoiled child who was used to getting his way by any means possible *eyeroll*.
Why 2 stars and not 1 then?
Well, because this was a surprisingly easy read, if you completely ignore all the technical bits, like I did. I wanted to know what the funny thing that happened on the moon and reading this didn't take much energy so I kept going.
The other thing is the female character, Alice, who was a VERY smart, confident, assertive person. I liked how Jeremy emphasized her intellectual prowess over her looks, which I don't see happening a lot. Ron and the other *dents* were a nice addition too.
My favourite character was Hille, a mainframe AI, who was the only character that didn't talk like a machine (Am I the only one who can see the irony in that?). She was vivacious and funny and I wish I got to see more of her!
This book has LOTS of potential. If the first half got compressed, all the many non-essential bits got removed, and the event that happened on the moon got expanded and built-upon, then this would become a much more enjoyable read. Indeed, when things finally started to get interesting, the book ended, which was really a shame.
October 1, 2018
Free for review copy, thank you so much for sharing this book!
Now we have the disclaimer out of the way it's time to talk about the book. I think I'll start with a warning, Joey is really mean, he ends the book right at a crucial moment when you're left wanting to know what happens next. The ending couldn't have been picked better though, at least from my POV as I'm dying to know what happens next.
It was a little hard to understand the values of things in the book's world but it's because I like the nitty-gritty details of a world and this book does deliver those, just not the frivolous ones I always seem to pay attention to. The pacing is spot on for most of it with only a few minor hiccups necessary for the story's flow. The world is very believable and an interesting twist on the ideas and thoughts being kicked around today by some. It is definitely an interesting take on what's in store for us and how we arrive to the point the book starts at.
The characters were a little hard for me to relate to, mostly because they live in a different world view than what I'm used to, but were completely human or real. There were tough choices, personal growth, taking risks important to them, discovering truths they lied about to themselves. It was a very believable snapshot of the lives of those people and what they had to go through to live that part of their lives.
I would highly recommend this book for it is a good read indeed. Sorry (not really) for the bad pun there. It was a very pleasurable couple of days read for me due to life interruptions. One note of caution though, to the author, more books on this series will be in high demand the more people read this one. You might want to spend the sleepless nights now and get a few more of these books out so the series can have a bit of cushion for you to breathe. -_^
Now we have the disclaimer out of the way it's time to talk about the book. I think I'll start with a warning, Joey is really mean, he ends the book right at a crucial moment when you're left wanting to know what happens next. The ending couldn't have been picked better though, at least from my POV as I'm dying to know what happens next.
It was a little hard to understand the values of things in the book's world but it's because I like the nitty-gritty details of a world and this book does deliver those, just not the frivolous ones I always seem to pay attention to. The pacing is spot on for most of it with only a few minor hiccups necessary for the story's flow. The world is very believable and an interesting twist on the ideas and thoughts being kicked around today by some. It is definitely an interesting take on what's in store for us and how we arrive to the point the book starts at.
The characters were a little hard for me to relate to, mostly because they live in a different world view than what I'm used to, but were completely human or real. There were tough choices, personal growth, taking risks important to them, discovering truths they lied about to themselves. It was a very believable snapshot of the lives of those people and what they had to go through to live that part of their lives.
I would highly recommend this book for it is a good read indeed. Sorry (not really) for the bad pun there. It was a very pleasurable couple of days read for me due to life interruptions. One note of caution though, to the author, more books on this series will be in high demand the more people read this one. You might want to spend the sleepless nights now and get a few more of these books out so the series can have a bit of cushion for you to breathe. -_^
July 2, 2018
This was truly an entertaining science fiction quick read. There was fantastic character development for several side characters and Jeremy (the main character) shows astounding courage to do the right thing while facing odds stacked so high against him.
This is very much a science fiction piece. There is lots of technical jargon sprinkled throughout the piece. I don’t know anything about how rockets or their engines are made so I have no clue as to if any of it was accurate. What I do know is that the information was presented in such a way that when I was reading, it seemed to make sense. There was a logic path that the reader was taken down to show the protagonists were taking the proper steps. Now when I started reading this, I didn’t have a mindset of “Oh I must make sure everything works accordingly with actual physics”. To be honest, I do not care if it does as long as the rules within the universe the author creates are not contradicted. Joey Rogers did a good job of making it to where I never thought “wait, I thought he said that wouldn’t work earlier” or anything along those line.
As for the plot itself, I really enjoyed seeing the way the story developed. One minute, fate would help them line everything up and the next moment disaster would strike. About half the time, my guess for what would happen next would be wrong. It stayed fresh and not over predictable. My only real complaint is the lack of backstory with the ‘bad guy’. He felt a little too cliche, but it didn’t distract too much.
All in all, if you want to experience a futuristic world where corporations have taken things way too far and see how humanity still seems to thrive, this is a good choice.
This is very much a science fiction piece. There is lots of technical jargon sprinkled throughout the piece. I don’t know anything about how rockets or their engines are made so I have no clue as to if any of it was accurate. What I do know is that the information was presented in such a way that when I was reading, it seemed to make sense. There was a logic path that the reader was taken down to show the protagonists were taking the proper steps. Now when I started reading this, I didn’t have a mindset of “Oh I must make sure everything works accordingly with actual physics”. To be honest, I do not care if it does as long as the rules within the universe the author creates are not contradicted. Joey Rogers did a good job of making it to where I never thought “wait, I thought he said that wouldn’t work earlier” or anything along those line.
As for the plot itself, I really enjoyed seeing the way the story developed. One minute, fate would help them line everything up and the next moment disaster would strike. About half the time, my guess for what would happen next would be wrong. It stayed fresh and not over predictable. My only real complaint is the lack of backstory with the ‘bad guy’. He felt a little too cliche, but it didn’t distract too much.
All in all, if you want to experience a futuristic world where corporations have taken things way too far and see how humanity still seems to thrive, this is a good choice.
January 30, 2019
Excellent read !
The book has a major dysyopian capitalism vibe, which it works with really well. And the evolution of the main characters views is well written.
Overall I really liked the story, and the scientific principles it is based on seem sound to me (though I'm just a bioinfirmatician so no advanced grasp of physics.)
The dents are an interesting view on a negative evolution of society that actually isn't as far fetched as it seems ( the social credit system China has adopted seems like a step in this direction ).
I think it would have been interesting to get some information as to how the public had been convinced so effectively dents were just property, and know if it was just The corporation, or all the corporations, who treated them as such.
I do think there could have been more development towards the end of the book, once they visited the moon, as the book pretty much breezed through the implications, right to the ending and then stopped.
I wanted to know a bit about the plan to save his friends !
Did he become overlord of earth using his new Grey Goo like AI ? ;)
Did he forget to make a plan and then get captured and retired ? XD
How does his frickin date go ?!?
I just feel like the end was too abrupt. One of the final chapters is pretty much two pages !
But yeah, other than that the book had me hooked from the beginning !
Excellent work !
The book has a major dysyopian capitalism vibe, which it works with really well. And the evolution of the main characters views is well written.
Overall I really liked the story, and the scientific principles it is based on seem sound to me (though I'm just a bioinfirmatician so no advanced grasp of physics.)
The dents are an interesting view on a negative evolution of society that actually isn't as far fetched as it seems ( the social credit system China has adopted seems like a step in this direction ).
I think it would have been interesting to get some information as to how the public had been convinced so effectively dents were just property, and know if it was just The corporation, or all the corporations, who treated them as such.
I do think there could have been more development towards the end of the book, once they visited the moon, as the book pretty much breezed through the implications, right to the ending and then stopped.
I wanted to know a bit about the plan to save his friends !
Did he become overlord of earth using his new Grey Goo like AI ? ;)
Did he forget to make a plan and then get captured and retired ? XD
How does his frickin date go ?!?
I just feel like the end was too abrupt. One of the final chapters is pretty much two pages !
But yeah, other than that the book had me hooked from the beginning !
Excellent work !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2019
When I looked at this book to read, I thought that it would be a book just about a trip to the moon. I was wrong, but in quite a good way. It is set over 100 years after the moon landings, governments failed and corporations reign supreme. Jeremy is looking for a way to become point positive and sets his goal to the moon. Every other resource is set to Mars, he continues despite every attempt to block him doing so. Despite being shut down, and potentially forever being in debt to the corporation he puts his project into action thanks to Theo (rich asshole) providing funding for him to go to the moon. He forms a team with Ron and Alice who help build his rocket to get to the moon. Even after his project is ready to go Theo strikes again to cause more trouble than his worth but Jeremy really does see what really happened on the moon. It does leave you with a few loose end questions that could lead to a second book.
December 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the style of Andy Weir, tech heavy and with great characters.
Jeremy Scott has his lunar rocket project abruptly cancelled by the soulless corporation he works for. He has a week to try and complete it in secret to prove that it will be a success. Classic David and Goliath. Along the way he gets help from his friends Alice and Ron as well as a super sassy AI called Hildegard. The characters are well written and I was really rooting for Jeremy to complete his project.
I used to work in a university lab and so I found the hierarchy system for acquiring lab space hilarious, it reminded me of post-docs who turf out postgrads who in turn turf out undergrads!!
Overall it was a great read and I will definitely look out for more work by Joey Rogers.
Jeremy Scott has his lunar rocket project abruptly cancelled by the soulless corporation he works for. He has a week to try and complete it in secret to prove that it will be a success. Classic David and Goliath. Along the way he gets help from his friends Alice and Ron as well as a super sassy AI called Hildegard. The characters are well written and I was really rooting for Jeremy to complete his project.
I used to work in a university lab and so I found the hierarchy system for acquiring lab space hilarious, it reminded me of post-docs who turf out postgrads who in turn turf out undergrads!!
Overall it was a great read and I will definitely look out for more work by Joey Rogers.
January 31, 2019
This is the book for science fiction fans, and there is a little gift for the conspiracy theorists too.
The book is set in the future, a hundred years or so and centers around an average man who just wants to get ahead in the brutal, bleak, point driven corporation.
It is an interesting read, though it starts a bit slowly - kinda took time to get to the juicy bits. The ending is adequate, not very remarkable. In some places, the technical jargon is a bit much and unnecessary, and the story line blurs - that may be me though.
However, the book is wonderful, has short chapters that make it easy to read. It is a fresh take on the fact that even in a society that abolishes government, the same greed and cruelty prevails and that there will still be people who would go against this...people who will care.
The book is set in the future, a hundred years or so and centers around an average man who just wants to get ahead in the brutal, bleak, point driven corporation.
It is an interesting read, though it starts a bit slowly - kinda took time to get to the juicy bits. The ending is adequate, not very remarkable. In some places, the technical jargon is a bit much and unnecessary, and the story line blurs - that may be me though.
However, the book is wonderful, has short chapters that make it easy to read. It is a fresh take on the fact that even in a society that abolishes government, the same greed and cruelty prevails and that there will still be people who would go against this...people who will care.
October 29, 2018
A fun book about a future world, where everyone is owned by corporations by varying degrees. Nobody seems to really care about the forced indentiture or slave like conditions. There are no freedom fighters.
The main character Jeremy starts out soulless and only interested in his own advancement. He uses people with no regard for the consequences.
But when his own future is threatened he starts to fight back. Along the way he learns a few lessons and begins to see his world very differently.
He carries off a successful heist, space journey, and discovers world shattering knowledge.
I wish the book was longer and explored more what actually happened on the moon.
The main character Jeremy starts out soulless and only interested in his own advancement. He uses people with no regard for the consequences.
But when his own future is threatened he starts to fight back. Along the way he learns a few lessons and begins to see his world very differently.
He carries off a successful heist, space journey, and discovers world shattering knowledge.
I wish the book was longer and explored more what actually happened on the moon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2019
A pretty engaging book. The plot is well written and I love the futuristic world and environment that being materialized in this book. As for the character, the development is strong and I do love when the characters coming up from different backgrounds. But I am quite devastating with the ending. It left me with a few questions unanswered. I need to know what happened in that solo exploration, I also need to know if there is a feelings developed between Jeremy and Alice? I need to know...
But still, this is an entertaining and fun read. A great book for sci-fi fans. It may got a few scientific terminology that quite slowing you down. But you still can understand the whole story.
But still, this is an entertaining and fun read. A great book for sci-fi fans. It may got a few scientific terminology that quite slowing you down. But you still can understand the whole story.
March 12, 2019
Wow!! What a great story!!
Jeremy’s project has been shutdown by the corporation and he is desperate to prove to them that he can launch a rocket to the moon. If he fails, he won’t be able to repay his point debt and risks becoming an indentured servant. I loved everything about this book!! It was well written with engaging characters and a great storyline. I started reading and I did not want to stop. The ending left me wanting more. I hope this book is made into a movie one day. Give it a try!! I think you will like it.
Jeremy’s project has been shutdown by the corporation and he is desperate to prove to them that he can launch a rocket to the moon. If he fails, he won’t be able to repay his point debt and risks becoming an indentured servant. I loved everything about this book!! It was well written with engaging characters and a great storyline. I started reading and I did not want to stop. The ending left me wanting more. I hope this book is made into a movie one day. Give it a try!! I think you will like it.
April 9, 2019
The book is easy to read and the chapters are quite short so it's easier to get drawn into the story. I enjoyed the story, it was entertaining and the shorter chapters meant the story could progress more quickly. The genre is a science-fiction/dystopian crossover. I expected the story to have more about what actually happened on the moon rather than the build up to the mission and the ending felt rushed with too many unanswered questions. But it is certainly a must read for sci-fi fans.
October 5, 2018
I really loved this book. It is futuristic, is centered around science and math, and space travel. This book is packed with adventure and it was a really easy read. You have to love and hate the cast of characters, each unique in their own way.
My favorite part of the book was the camaraderie between the dents. It ended up saving the main character Jeremy on more than one occasion.
My favorite part of the book was the camaraderie between the dents. It ended up saving the main character Jeremy on more than one occasion.
December 24, 2018
I love fiction though I can't imagine living the life Jeremy lived.No sense of identity,everything you do is under scrutiny and it might not be good enough.He prepared to go to the moon,taking very big risks,can't move freely,put other's lives in jeopardy and one killed,for what?We never get to hear what really happens in the moon.I hope a sequel is on the way.
January 7, 2019
This is equal parts entertaining and easy to read. It really surprised me with the way the story goes unexpected places. Really recommend to anyone that is looking for a original dystopian world.
July 25, 2020
The Year is 2120, Corporations call the shots, transportation as we know now has been upgraded to Tubular trains and points happens to be the new money.
A funny thing happened on the moon features a young man, Jeremy Scott going against the norm by embarking on a project to go the moon after the apollo landings hoax in 1969.
Although the project was eventually cancelled by the corporation, Jeremy was determined to accomplish his project.
One engine at a time with the help from friends, strangers and does Jeremy succeeded, only to be shocked about his discovery of what happened on the moon.
A funny thing happened on the moon is a classic sci-fi highlighting betrayal, discrimination, extraterrestrials and conspiracies.
I surely do hope there's a sequel to this cos guess what!?! I don't quite get the funny thing that happened on the moon.
A funny thing happened on the moon features a young man, Jeremy Scott going against the norm by embarking on a project to go the moon after the apollo landings hoax in 1969.
Although the project was eventually cancelled by the corporation, Jeremy was determined to accomplish his project.
One engine at a time with the help from friends, strangers and does Jeremy succeeded, only to be shocked about his discovery of what happened on the moon.
A funny thing happened on the moon is a classic sci-fi highlighting betrayal, discrimination, extraterrestrials and conspiracies.
I surely do hope there's a sequel to this cos guess what!?! I don't quite get the funny thing that happened on the moon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2019
Joey Rogers has developed a fun sci-fi book for true sci-fi fans. Built in a world nearly 100 years in the future Jeremy is desperate to get a shutdown project off the ground and prove to the corporation it works, but he learns they really don’t want him to complete it. There is a secret on the moon.
I enjoyed the book even though it took some time to get going and the incredibly short chapters made me feel like I was watching an hour long show on TV rather than a movie. Otherwise there is a fun story in here especially for those sci-fi fans.
I enjoyed the book even though it took some time to get going and the incredibly short chapters made me feel like I was watching an hour long show on TV rather than a movie. Otherwise there is a fun story in here especially for those sci-fi fans.
June 20, 2019
It has to be said from the beginning: Joey Rogers knows his stuff, and by that I mean that he envisioned perfectly what he's written in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Moon", he practically lived in that dystopean future in which corporates have taken over, and we've all been assigned specific tasks to do for them.
In his depiction of this future world, Rogers not only criticizes corporate life, and how wealth rules over reason and intelligence, but also mixes science with conspiracy theories in regards to one of the most stellar bodies in our sky, while also being the closest and, certainly, one of the most mysterious: the Moon.
Jeremy, one of the engineers employed by Corporate, has developed an efficient vehicle to travel to the Moon and explore it; Corporate doesn't really care for the Moon, and has set its sight on travelling to Mars. In consequence, and at the very beginning of the book, Jeremy's Moon project is cancelled and he's told he'll be relocated within a few days. Rumiating his fate, he meets with Ron, an "indentured" who works in the same facility; it's from this chapter and on that the author offers all kind of details about how things work in that future of his, bringing much credit to his imagination.
Even though the story brings several Physics concepts into it, Rogers writes ellegantly and his prose is fluent, very clearly laying out details that make the reading progress easily. Science is used when needed, and I have to say that his human interactions are genuine, transforming the story into one of redemption as Jeremy grows closer to Ron and his colleagues in his quest to have his project travel to our satellite. The romance element is also deftly managed through an enigmatic character (Alice) whose intentions are quite clear, or so we think, from the start, but takes a turn later on, throwing very interesting wrenches along.
Artificial Intelligence is involved, and robots, and holographics, and a lot of elements that become familiar as we read on.
The only observation I might make about the book is its title: it's only when we're beyond the middle of the book that attention is directed to the Moon.
I won't spoil the "funny thing" that happens on the Moon, but let me assure you that ties in nicely with all that Jeremy has to face and, hopefully, leaves room for a sequel (or perhaps a prequel?).
So, in closing, thank you, Joey Rogers, for sharing with us an entertaining story that leaves us wanting more because, after all, isn't that what every author aspires to?
Very well written, Joey.
Thanks for sharing.
In his depiction of this future world, Rogers not only criticizes corporate life, and how wealth rules over reason and intelligence, but also mixes science with conspiracy theories in regards to one of the most stellar bodies in our sky, while also being the closest and, certainly, one of the most mysterious: the Moon.
Jeremy, one of the engineers employed by Corporate, has developed an efficient vehicle to travel to the Moon and explore it; Corporate doesn't really care for the Moon, and has set its sight on travelling to Mars. In consequence, and at the very beginning of the book, Jeremy's Moon project is cancelled and he's told he'll be relocated within a few days. Rumiating his fate, he meets with Ron, an "indentured" who works in the same facility; it's from this chapter and on that the author offers all kind of details about how things work in that future of his, bringing much credit to his imagination.
Even though the story brings several Physics concepts into it, Rogers writes ellegantly and his prose is fluent, very clearly laying out details that make the reading progress easily. Science is used when needed, and I have to say that his human interactions are genuine, transforming the story into one of redemption as Jeremy grows closer to Ron and his colleagues in his quest to have his project travel to our satellite. The romance element is also deftly managed through an enigmatic character (Alice) whose intentions are quite clear, or so we think, from the start, but takes a turn later on, throwing very interesting wrenches along.
Artificial Intelligence is involved, and robots, and holographics, and a lot of elements that become familiar as we read on.
The only observation I might make about the book is its title: it's only when we're beyond the middle of the book that attention is directed to the Moon.
I won't spoil the "funny thing" that happens on the Moon, but let me assure you that ties in nicely with all that Jeremy has to face and, hopefully, leaves room for a sequel (or perhaps a prequel?).
So, in closing, thank you, Joey Rogers, for sharing with us an entertaining story that leaves us wanting more because, after all, isn't that what every author aspires to?
Very well written, Joey.
Thanks for sharing.
August 23, 2019
What a fantastic little book! I could have followed these characters in this plot (extended of course to show us what happened after the "Funny Thing Happened On The Moon") for another 500 pages. Alas, all good things must come to an end.
Other reviews have focused on the plot, so I won't do that. I will say that this story is fast moving, compelling, and extremely well-written. There is not one wasted word. The science is interesting and new to me, and explained clearly. There are a lot of plot points that I wanted the author to go on a long "frolic and detour" so that those points could be more deeply revealed, but of course the author didn't need to do that in order to tell the story he wanted to tell.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a space-related story that is a little off the beaten path yet really a neat little tale.
I will be following Mr. Rogers' future writings with great interest.
Other reviews have focused on the plot, so I won't do that. I will say that this story is fast moving, compelling, and extremely well-written. There is not one wasted word. The science is interesting and new to me, and explained clearly. There are a lot of plot points that I wanted the author to go on a long "frolic and detour" so that those points could be more deeply revealed, but of course the author didn't need to do that in order to tell the story he wanted to tell.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a space-related story that is a little off the beaten path yet really a neat little tale.
I will be following Mr. Rogers' future writings with great interest.
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August 23, 2019Ok here is my brief review of book.
1. As the book is about sci-fi topic there really should be some cover images or something similar to keep the reader engaged and to provide an imagination seed for the whole scenes to be visualized (about various launch facilities, drone bays, high tech displays etc)
2. I like the personality of Jeremy as he really was an ambitious person and wanted to make his dream of flying to moon come true.
3. There was some redundancy when it comes to various aspects of engine simulation and moving back and forth between various departments. It’s hard to keep track without strong mental effort or visual cues.
4. Ending was on a hopeful and positive note which is encouraging and good thing.
Overall rating will be 7/10.
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1. As the book is about sci-fi topic there really should be some cover images or something similar to keep the reader engaged and to provide an imagination seed for the whole scenes to be visualized (about various launch facilities, drone bays, high tech displays etc)
2. I like the personality of Jeremy as he really was an ambitious person and wanted to make his dream of flying to moon come true.
3. There was some redundancy when it comes to various aspects of engine simulation and moving back and forth between various departments. It’s hard to keep track without strong mental effort or visual cues.
4. Ending was on a hopeful and positive note which is encouraging and good thing.
Overall rating will be 7/10.
◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◻️◻️◻️
April 26, 2019
I found the first half of this book was slow but I am glad I stuck with it. There was a lot of technical information that seemed repetitive. About the middle of the book the characters were developed enough and the action started moving a lot quicker. I was surprised by the ending which pleased me. I enjoy books that I can see the ending but I like the surprises. It makes me want to buy a sequel if available.
PS: Forgot to say I got a free copy of this book to review (which made no difference to my opinion).
PS: Forgot to say I got a free copy of this book to review (which made no difference to my opinion).
January 14, 2019
An interesting premise speculating what we have in store if we continue allow the corporations to run unchecked. Twists and turns a plenty made for a quick, enjoyable read.
January 15, 2019
Interesting premise and a very entertaining read!
May 19, 2020
The story got me hooked right away. It was a fluid reading with a clear plot and each of the characters had a solid purpose within the story. The author envisions a distant future in which corporations rule the world and get to establish a semi-slavery system in which people who failed to pay back the investment made for their training become indentured to the corporation they work for. Jeremy, our main character, is on the brink to become an indenture after his moon project got canceled by the corporation because its attention centered more toward Mars and the colonization of it. As a last resort, Jeremy accepts a proposition by the incompetent Theo Davenport, whose father is the corporation's CEO, by which the latter gets to share credits with Jeremy in exchange for financing the project. Jeremy comes across as a self-centered individual obsessed with climbing the ladder's corporation, avoiding all kinds of socialization.
May 12, 2020
Sci-fi book and the moon is a common combination still, I like sci-fi books. Each book comes up with a new idea or concept. Some are very illogical and funny but who knows that concept might be useful in future. A Funny Thing Happened on the Moon also came up with such some new concepts.
Joey Rogers used his writing skills to sketch a sci-fi, but his love for video game peep in.
We are moving towards where mainly two sects exist in our society, one will be corporate bosses and the second one will be their servants. And I give full points to the author for perfectly pointing towards this social evil. From start to end the writer stick to his subject and focused only on the storyline. It's a quick read and I like to keep this book in my read again shelf.
Joey Rogers used his writing skills to sketch a sci-fi, but his love for video game peep in.
We are moving towards where mainly two sects exist in our society, one will be corporate bosses and the second one will be their servants. And I give full points to the author for perfectly pointing towards this social evil. From start to end the writer stick to his subject and focused only on the storyline. It's a quick read and I like to keep this book in my read again shelf.
September 20, 2020
This book is surprisingly entertaining, although you should be warned about the excessive technical lingo that weakens suspension of disbelief.
I found the portrayal of corporate America on the Space Age a little disturbing, but quite plausible and funny.
It leaves you with a sense of wonder about our near future and the possibility of freedom from corporate control on a hostile but captivating environment.
I found the portrayal of corporate America on the Space Age a little disturbing, but quite plausible and funny.
It leaves you with a sense of wonder about our near future and the possibility of freedom from corporate control on a hostile but captivating environment.
July 9, 2022
Fun read with characters both likable and frustrating. Loved the premise of the story and development of three main characters, Jeremy, Ron, and Alice, who move from self centered to awareness of others. The work is mostly fast paced and action packed.
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August 26, 2024Dnf'd, i thought i was getting facts and proof that we didnt in fact go to the moon and instead a got a story telling about people doing projects??? Make it make sense
June 13, 2020
It's a nice book overall
It tells the story of a man's struggle to escape being indentured and also do something everyone said was impractical on the side.
It starts out quite dull, then gets interesting over the course of the book.
I love how I could relate to the characters especially Jeremy whose greatest fear is not succeeding and becoming a dent
The ending left me wanting more.
It tells the story of a man's struggle to escape being indentured and also do something everyone said was impractical on the side.
It starts out quite dull, then gets interesting over the course of the book.
I love how I could relate to the characters especially Jeremy whose greatest fear is not succeeding and becoming a dent
The ending left me wanting more.
Read
February 21, 2019A Funny Thing Happened on the Moon doesn’t start out so funny. A senior trainee, Jeremy Scott, is about to be told that his project, proving that it is easy and cheap to fly to the Moon, is being cancelled without a justification. And the Moon has been his obsession for years - mainly because no one has been there, period. The Apollo landings were all a hoax and that has been the accepted wisdom for decades. But Jeremy thinks there is some worth in the mineral resources on the moon, enough to make the corporation see his project as a success and grant him full-time employee status. Now he is being told he has one week to close it down and join another project in progress - which is akin to professional suicide because no other project will want him at this point.
But there is a loophole of sorts - he can complete whatever was in his project plan for the week. And his project was close enough to launch; all he needed was help with a few things. First, he needed to fabricate his engine “ring”, the propulsion units that were already sending humans to Mars. Enter Ron Newcomb, an indentured or “dent”. Similar to a manual laborer, Ron worked the machines that used a 3D printer-type process to create the rings. Ron was a cheerfully positive person, despite being born a dent and in point-debt beyond all hope of repaying. But he was willing to help Jeremy with his moonshot because Jeremy treated him as a human, and not some kind of pariah or nobody. Second he needed support to get the materials to make his engine rings, a very expensive proposition. Enter Theodor Rufus Davenport VII, the son of the corporation CEO but also a trainee in need of a successful project to advance in the corporation. Theo is grudgingly willing to foot the cost of the resources at the price of being credited on a successful project. And Theo knows enough to believe that Jeremy’s project would be a success, but he also wants the project modified to not just fly to the Moon - but also return. We soon learn that Theo is tricky and Jeremy will need help handling him. And that leads to the final major character in our story, Alicia Porchetta. Alicia is beautiful, of course, but also something of a genius at mathematics, which is what Jeremy needs to review and confirm his flight pattern and calculations. Alicia is also more worldly than Jeremy and serves to counteract tricks that Theo uses to take all credit for the project. She is also in love with Jeremy because he treats her like a normal person - mostly because he is so focused on his project and eliminating his point debt that he really has no time for normal human feelings.
With our character set complete, Jeremy, Ron and Alicia race against the clock (and a conniving Theo), to get his moonshot launched. Along the way they also encounter a super AI agent with a lazy personality, a sense of humor and a desire to study Zen. (Which makes me wonder if any AI could develop a sense of humor and a desire to study Zen.)
Ultimately the project is launched and it is successful, landing without mishap in the Lacus Felicitatis (Lake of Happiness) area. And there it discovers an anomaly, but to tell about that anomaly would give away the ending, so I will leave that to the reader to discover…
Mr. Rogers has written a sly, witty, easy to read book that, even though more character development would be appreciated, is worth your time. There are several references to classic sci-fi series, a poke at the gullibility of some in today’s world and just enough of a hint at the end to make me wonder when the next volume of this story will appear.
But there is a loophole of sorts - he can complete whatever was in his project plan for the week. And his project was close enough to launch; all he needed was help with a few things. First, he needed to fabricate his engine “ring”, the propulsion units that were already sending humans to Mars. Enter Ron Newcomb, an indentured or “dent”. Similar to a manual laborer, Ron worked the machines that used a 3D printer-type process to create the rings. Ron was a cheerfully positive person, despite being born a dent and in point-debt beyond all hope of repaying. But he was willing to help Jeremy with his moonshot because Jeremy treated him as a human, and not some kind of pariah or nobody. Second he needed support to get the materials to make his engine rings, a very expensive proposition. Enter Theodor Rufus Davenport VII, the son of the corporation CEO but also a trainee in need of a successful project to advance in the corporation. Theo is grudgingly willing to foot the cost of the resources at the price of being credited on a successful project. And Theo knows enough to believe that Jeremy’s project would be a success, but he also wants the project modified to not just fly to the Moon - but also return. We soon learn that Theo is tricky and Jeremy will need help handling him. And that leads to the final major character in our story, Alicia Porchetta. Alicia is beautiful, of course, but also something of a genius at mathematics, which is what Jeremy needs to review and confirm his flight pattern and calculations. Alicia is also more worldly than Jeremy and serves to counteract tricks that Theo uses to take all credit for the project. She is also in love with Jeremy because he treats her like a normal person - mostly because he is so focused on his project and eliminating his point debt that he really has no time for normal human feelings.
With our character set complete, Jeremy, Ron and Alicia race against the clock (and a conniving Theo), to get his moonshot launched. Along the way they also encounter a super AI agent with a lazy personality, a sense of humor and a desire to study Zen. (Which makes me wonder if any AI could develop a sense of humor and a desire to study Zen.)
Ultimately the project is launched and it is successful, landing without mishap in the Lacus Felicitatis (Lake of Happiness) area. And there it discovers an anomaly, but to tell about that anomaly would give away the ending, so I will leave that to the reader to discover…
Mr. Rogers has written a sly, witty, easy to read book that, even though more character development would be appreciated, is worth your time. There are several references to classic sci-fi series, a poke at the gullibility of some in today’s world and just enough of a hint at the end to make me wonder when the next volume of this story will appear.
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