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Seeds of War #1
Invasion
"Invasion!" That's what retired Marine Lieutenant General Colby Edison calls it when his farm is overrun by a horde of alien plants, leafy gremlin-like creatures that begin systematically destroying first his crops and then his home. And not just his farm, but all the surrounding farms as well. The relentless plants have apparently killed his neighbors, and clearly he and his dog Duke are next. But as a retired Marine, Colby has resources and skills not shared by other farmers on the newly terraformed agricultural world of Vasquez and soon he is bringing the fight to the invaders.
Except. . . who is really invading whom? High in orbit above Vasquez, a sentient vegetable studies the planet it had seeded and sculpted centuries before, laying it out as world-sized garden. Now, returning to inspect the progress of its work, it finds its art has been tainted by the intrusion of crop grids, farm buildings, and people, all of which must be purged if the garden is to endure.
When two species clash, only one will survive.
Former psychology professor Lawrence M. Schoen and retired Marine Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee join forces in this first volume of the SEEDS OF WAR trilogy, pitting Marine against Gardener, with the fate of all of humanity hanging in the balance.
Except. . . who is really invading whom? High in orbit above Vasquez, a sentient vegetable studies the planet it had seeded and sculpted centuries before, laying it out as world-sized garden. Now, returning to inspect the progress of its work, it finds its art has been tainted by the intrusion of crop grids, farm buildings, and people, all of which must be purged if the garden is to endure.
When two species clash, only one will survive.
Former psychology professor Lawrence M. Schoen and retired Marine Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee join forces in this first volume of the SEEDS OF WAR trilogy, pitting Marine against Gardener, with the fate of all of humanity hanging in the balance.
- GenresScience FictionAliens
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2018
126 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence M. Schoen
129 books233 followersLawrence M. Schoen holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, is a past Astounding, Hugo, and Nebula, nominee, twice won the Cóyotl award for best novel, founded the Klingon Language Institute, and occasionally does work as a hypnotherapist specializing in authors’ issues. He is a chimeric cancer survivor.
His science fiction includes many light and humorous adventures of a space-faring stage hypnotist and his alien animal companion. Other works take a very different tone, exploring aspects of determinism and free will, generally redefining the continua between life and death. Sometimes he blurs the funny and the serious. Lawrence lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife and their dog.
His science fiction includes many light and humorous adventures of a space-faring stage hypnotist and his alien animal companion. Other works take a very different tone, exploring aspects of determinism and free will, generally redefining the continua between life and death. Sometimes he blurs the funny and the serious. Lawrence lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife and their dog.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 29, 2023
This story seemed to be very heavily influenced by The Day of the Triffids, but It did start to veer away from that story towards the end. I liked that we were able to see from the perspective of "The Gardener" and that although this was military sci-fi, it was not completely gung-ho. There is the possibility that humans were not the innocent victim attacked by a hostile alien entity of this story.
October 19, 2018
I almost didn’t write this review. I am or was a big fan of Jonathan P. Brazee and his very interesting United Federation Marine Corps books. Those are well written and very interesting military science fiction. I don’t know who Lawrence M. Schoen is and problem won’t be reading much of his writing if this is an example. The two writers together managed to put together a really horrible ebook.
If anyone is remotely familiar with “The Day of the Triffids” then they will know all about this book. That book and the movie it produced were classics, horrible, but classics. This book won’t every fall in that category.
Story goes that some disgraced Marine Corps General was retired or exiled to this agricultural planet. It has nothing on it but food crops. Everything is automated so there’s not much need for even a human to be around, but that’s where this guy lives with his adopted dog. He talks to his ag AI all day and the ag AI tells him everything is running just fine. Crops that are ready for harvest, get harvested, shuttled to the planet’s rail launch system and shot through a warp-gate back to some where around Mars. Again, I’m not sure why the retired General is even here.
Then some of the plants start attacking his crops. Soon, all his crops and all the crops on the planet are being attacked. The General has to fight back and when he does, he obviously attracts the attention of these hostile plants. The hostile plants aren’t very hardy, but when they grab ahold of something, they can usually absorb it until whatever it is disintegrates. Anyway, the General fights he way over to the planets launch complex only to find out that it to has been attacked and there’s only one lonely female still trying to keep things operating. He teams up with her which was a mistake since she’s gone off the deep-end seeing so many of her fellow workers killed by these plants.
You eventually get to meet the alien plant entity who’s orbiting this planet trying to figure out why it’s been infected by something he’s not familiar with. He’s the one who sent is own plants down to cleanse the planet once again so he can plant his own crops. He’s not very bright nor is he much of an enemy and the General would have found that out if it wasn’t for the stupid female.
Ok, you can read this if you want. I’ve had enough. Why in the world Mr. Brazee got tied into this series, and yeah, it appears to be a series, is beyond me. I think the whole story is pretty stupid. Of course, that’s my opinion and you certainly don’t have to like it.
If anyone is remotely familiar with “The Day of the Triffids” then they will know all about this book. That book and the movie it produced were classics, horrible, but classics. This book won’t every fall in that category.
Story goes that some disgraced Marine Corps General was retired or exiled to this agricultural planet. It has nothing on it but food crops. Everything is automated so there’s not much need for even a human to be around, but that’s where this guy lives with his adopted dog. He talks to his ag AI all day and the ag AI tells him everything is running just fine. Crops that are ready for harvest, get harvested, shuttled to the planet’s rail launch system and shot through a warp-gate back to some where around Mars. Again, I’m not sure why the retired General is even here.
Then some of the plants start attacking his crops. Soon, all his crops and all the crops on the planet are being attacked. The General has to fight back and when he does, he obviously attracts the attention of these hostile plants. The hostile plants aren’t very hardy, but when they grab ahold of something, they can usually absorb it until whatever it is disintegrates. Anyway, the General fights he way over to the planets launch complex only to find out that it to has been attacked and there’s only one lonely female still trying to keep things operating. He teams up with her which was a mistake since she’s gone off the deep-end seeing so many of her fellow workers killed by these plants.
You eventually get to meet the alien plant entity who’s orbiting this planet trying to figure out why it’s been infected by something he’s not familiar with. He’s the one who sent is own plants down to cleanse the planet once again so he can plant his own crops. He’s not very bright nor is he much of an enemy and the General would have found that out if it wasn’t for the stupid female.
Ok, you can read this if you want. I’ve had enough. Why in the world Mr. Brazee got tied into this series, and yeah, it appears to be a series, is beyond me. I think the whole story is pretty stupid. Of course, that’s my opinion and you certainly don’t have to like it.
August 16, 2018
I've met both Jonathan Brazee and Lawrence M. Schoen, the authors at various events. I have to say I found the idea that they had collaborated on a novella (which is what this is) a bit surprising. Surprising enough that I decided to take a chance on this book. I'm glad I did.
The novella opens with a dream sequence in which retired Marine Lieutenant General Colby Edison is losing a space battle due to logistical and equipment failures. Turns out he uncovered corruption in the military and was punished for it by being exiled to a out-of-the-way farming planet. It's not a spoiler to tell you that said planet suddenly gets overrun with hostile and mobile plants, forcing the general to improvise a solution.
I found the character of Colby Edison to be entertaining and believable. I also found the book to be a fast-paced adventure with an entertaining alien. I highly recommend it, and have already bought book 2 in the series.
The novella opens with a dream sequence in which retired Marine Lieutenant General Colby Edison is losing a space battle due to logistical and equipment failures. Turns out he uncovered corruption in the military and was punished for it by being exiled to a out-of-the-way farming planet. It's not a spoiler to tell you that said planet suddenly gets overrun with hostile and mobile plants, forcing the general to improvise a solution.
I found the character of Colby Edison to be entertaining and believable. I also found the book to be a fast-paced adventure with an entertaining alien. I highly recommend it, and have already bought book 2 in the series.
June 30, 2022
Good shorter story in book format
This was a good story, the only problem is it finished too quick for me. Granted the concept was fully covered and with so few main characters,there is only so much you can do before you get to the end of the first book, but I would have loved to see more details and story, lucky for me there is a bit more in books two and three, so on to those next. If you like a quick read with lots of action, this is the book for you. I recommend it even if it left me wanting more enough to suddenly buy the next two books to read.
This was a good story, the only problem is it finished too quick for me. Granted the concept was fully covered and with so few main characters,there is only so much you can do before you get to the end of the first book, but I would have loved to see more details and story, lucky for me there is a bit more in books two and three, so on to those next. If you like a quick read with lots of action, this is the book for you. I recommend it even if it left me wanting more enough to suddenly buy the next two books to read.
July 8, 2018
This is an enjoyable story. It is the first book of a series.
This reminds me of giant insects movies from the 1950's, and the insect movies like Swarm. Only this is about plants attacking mankind. Man has colonized planets, and one of them is being attacked by plants. This has a lot of action. I look forward to the next book.
This reminds me of giant insects movies from the 1950's, and the insect movies like Swarm. Only this is about plants attacking mankind. Man has colonized planets, and one of them is being attacked by plants. This has a lot of action. I look forward to the next book.
October 30, 2022
Fertilizer
Author tells a gardener story. One gardener wants to fertilize its garden with the planet, other one says not on my watch. Reader should enjoy the short fast moving thriller to see who becomes plant food.
Author tells a gardener story. One gardener wants to fertilize its garden with the planet, other one says not on my watch. Reader should enjoy the short fast moving thriller to see who becomes plant food.
May 1, 2024
This is a really good fun read! A good mix of apocalyptic & fantasy, a good adventure, lightly amusing at times! It kept my interest start to finish & I did read it incredibly quickly! Always a positive sign for a story! I do recommend for all that like this mix of genres.
November 30, 2025
Beware the vegetables
A Marine general cashiered by corrupt politicians, a berserk maintenance tech, a terraformed farm planet on the edge of nowhere and and a sentient, hostile vegetable
A Marine general cashiered by corrupt politicians, a berserk maintenance tech, a terraformed farm planet on the edge of nowhere and and a sentient, hostile vegetable
July 11, 2019
Not for me
Love all this author’s books except this one. Just did not work for me. Just found the story didn’t work for me.
Love all this author’s books except this one. Just did not work for me. Just found the story didn’t work for me.
September 20, 2025
Wow
I will never look at plants the same way again. This book definitely took me on an unexpected journey that I can't wait to continue.
I will never look at plants the same way again. This book definitely took me on an unexpected journey that I can't wait to continue.
Read
July 16, 2018Enjoyable book with a cashiered space Marine general turned farmer using the tools he has available when Alien plant beings invade this planet. I can't wait to find out what he will find out next.
February 20, 2019
this novel is age approved for people who read novels for fun and profit because this author likes to have his books read by people who appreciate books.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews