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A Distant Moon
When wrecking your spaceship was the best part of your day, you know you’ve got problems.
All Reg wanted to do was pick up some scrap metal and return to his unhappy home on the overcrowded planet of Skriff. But eking out an existence in the unforgiving emptiness of space takes a turn for the worse when his ship loses power and sends him and his robot Raul crashing to the surface of the far-flung MO-1038-5. And that’s the high point of their day.
A Distant Moon is the intriguing prequel novella to the Sentience trilogy. If you like interplanetary tales and unlikely heroes with a bit of humor, then you’ll love this fast-paced space adventure.
Buy A Distant Moon today. Unexpected enemies await!
- GenresScience Fiction
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2018
83 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 14, 2019
Sometimes I feel that novelettes can be a waste of time, then something like "A Distant Moon" comes along and blows me right out of the water.
Fast pace and nonstop. Interesting characters, a robot that is more complicated than originally thought and our hero space captain that doesn't stay down for long. So, really, why does the story have to end so soon.
I will be looking for more work by Deleo.
oh yeah, if it wasn't clear, I liked to story... a lot
Fast pace and nonstop. Interesting characters, a robot that is more complicated than originally thought and our hero space captain that doesn't stay down for long. So, really, why does the story have to end so soon.
I will be looking for more work by Deleo.
oh yeah, if it wasn't clear, I liked to story... a lot
March 25, 2019
A Distant Moon is a story of a man named Reg and his robot Raul, who upon the first word in the story we learn are in a ship having multiple problems - all at once. You meet both characters in the first chapter and from there you watch one issue after another issue occur. The story itself is fast paced where no issue lingers in the air very long until another one identifies itself. So, if when reading you worry Reg will be in "Situation A" too long - don't. Just turn to next chapter and then you'll find there's a whole new issue to worry about. Poor Reg - he really wasn't having a good day.
Every author's writing style is different (as it should be), so it was chapter 2 when I truly started settling into the story and by chapter 3 and 4 I was hooked and interested into knowing where this story was taking us.
As mentioned, there are 2 main characters: Reg and Raul. I found both to be interesting, but had my eye on Raul starting in chapter 3. I recommend this book if you need something quick and fun and look forward to the Sentience trilogy when they are published.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Every author's writing style is different (as it should be), so it was chapter 2 when I truly started settling into the story and by chapter 3 and 4 I was hooked and interested into knowing where this story was taking us.
As mentioned, there are 2 main characters: Reg and Raul. I found both to be interesting, but had my eye on Raul starting in chapter 3. I recommend this book if you need something quick and fun and look forward to the Sentience trilogy when they are published.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
September 11, 2019
I had fun reading this book. The main character is a selfish jerk, but that added to the fun, for me. I also enjoyed the plot twists—I thought I knew just where the story was headed, but I was wrong! I think there will be a sequel, which I will read.
As for the prose, it’s serviceable, a little repetitive some places, but fine for the kind of novel this is: entertainment.
So if you want to be entertained by a lost-in-space sci fi adventure, this is your book!
As for the prose, it’s serviceable, a little repetitive some places, but fine for the kind of novel this is: entertainment.
So if you want to be entertained by a lost-in-space sci fi adventure, this is your book!
February 17, 2019
Sci-fi Adventure🚀💫 Begins Here!
The space💫 adventures of Reg🐺🔫🔪, an ex military pilot🚀, and a slightly dishonest trader, begin here with this prequel novella to the Sentience Trilogy! Reg🐺🔫🔪 gets in one mishap after another, even losing his Robot, Raul, after crash landing on an uninhabited moon.
ARC Received from Hidden 💎Gems
I also got the book with KU.
This is a fun book, the story reminded me of the joy I had when first seeing Star Wars way back in the 70's. This book brought out those same feelings in me. We have a down and out anti-hero who gets in one scrape after another, but somehow always comes out on top in the end!
Short and enticing, this book makes me want to read the series!
The space💫 adventures of Reg🐺🔫🔪, an ex military pilot🚀, and a slightly dishonest trader, begin here with this prequel novella to the Sentience Trilogy! Reg🐺🔫🔪 gets in one mishap after another, even losing his Robot, Raul, after crash landing on an uninhabited moon.
ARC Received from Hidden 💎Gems
I also got the book with KU.
This is a fun book, the story reminded me of the joy I had when first seeing Star Wars way back in the 70's. This book brought out those same feelings in me. We have a down and out anti-hero who gets in one scrape after another, but somehow always comes out on top in the end!
Short and enticing, this book makes me want to read the series!
November 12, 2018
A Distant Moon by Erik Deleo is the prequel to his Sentience trilogy. The novella introduces ex-fighter pilot Reg and his trusty robot sidekick RAUL (an unimaginative name for the mechanoid’s trade name Robotic Assistance Unit Limited) as they crash land on an uninviting and uninhabited moon. The narrative sets a frenetic pace as Reg struggles to survive in a less than friendly atmosphere and his robot unaccountably disappears. Severely injured and barely clinging to life, he is astonished to be rescued by creatures that would normally not hesitate to snuff out what little is left of his life force. But has he been dragged from the frying pan to be unceremoniously tossed onto the fire? And where the hell is RAUL?
In his short prequel, Erik Deleo launches you straight into an action-packed storyline which keeps the pace moving at almost light speed right up to the last page. A Distant Moon is classic science fiction of the Star Wars variety where you will meet strange aliens and fly in fast spacecraft which will do battle with heavily-armed cruisers. Reg is a well-described, believable central character, maybe a little gung-ho and reckless but none the worse for that, and RAUL an enigmatic robot, destined to play a pivotal part in the continuing series. The plot is well-constructed with several twists to keep one’s curiosity alive and attention engaged. I greatly enjoyed A Distant Moon - a worthy addition to the genre, and look forward to reading the stories that follow in the author’s Sentience trilogy.
In his short prequel, Erik Deleo launches you straight into an action-packed storyline which keeps the pace moving at almost light speed right up to the last page. A Distant Moon is classic science fiction of the Star Wars variety where you will meet strange aliens and fly in fast spacecraft which will do battle with heavily-armed cruisers. Reg is a well-described, believable central character, maybe a little gung-ho and reckless but none the worse for that, and RAUL an enigmatic robot, destined to play a pivotal part in the continuing series. The plot is well-constructed with several twists to keep one’s curiosity alive and attention engaged. I greatly enjoyed A Distant Moon - a worthy addition to the genre, and look forward to reading the stories that follow in the author’s Sentience trilogy.
February 18, 2019
I got this book from an ARC program and I gotta say I liked it.
It's been a while since I've read the sci-fi even though I love sci-fi movies and tv shows. And this was a good welcome back into the genre. It was fast paced and easy to read. And it's a great introduction to the following series.
I loved the plot twist and I loved how it opens the questions and posibilities for the future. Would love to know how the writer handles the rest :)
It's been a while since I've read the sci-fi even though I love sci-fi movies and tv shows. And this was a good welcome back into the genre. It was fast paced and easy to read. And it's a great introduction to the following series.
I loved the plot twist and I loved how it opens the questions and posibilities for the future. Would love to know how the writer handles the rest :)
November 9, 2018
Fast Paced Exciting Read
Loved the action and the humor. This looks to be a good series -- one Ithink I'll follow to the end.
Loved the action and the humor. This looks to be a good series -- one Ithink I'll follow to the end.
January 31, 2019
Good Read
Human and robot interacting in very interesting ways. This story is fast paced and holds your interest. Worth the read.
Human and robot interacting in very interesting ways. This story is fast paced and holds your interest. Worth the read.
May 16, 2019
A bit off my trek but I did like it
It was an interesting tale of the perfect sci-fi generalities with its humans, aliens, driods and ships as well as interplanetary travel, fans of sci-fi should give this a look
It was an interesting tale of the perfect sci-fi generalities with its humans, aliens, driods and ships as well as interplanetary travel, fans of sci-fi should give this a look
October 25, 2018
Nice little tale!
This little novelette was enjoyable. Interesting characters and unique dialogue. Not big on actual physics but hey, it's a story. I'll be watching for future works y this Author!
This little novelette was enjoyable. Interesting characters and unique dialogue. Not big on actual physics but hey, it's a story. I'll be watching for future works y this Author!
October 27, 2018
Excellent novella & Series start.
I was surprised by this book. I love it funny with the right mix of comedy and drama. A new fan!
I was surprised by this book. I love it funny with the right mix of comedy and drama. A new fan!
December 2, 2018
Reg wrecks his spaceship on a distant moon and everything that could go wrong goes wrong.
Quite an entertaining read. Apparently it's part of a series. Haven't read the rest.
Quite an entertaining read. Apparently it's part of a series. Haven't read the rest.
February 12, 2019
A glorified book trailer. Meh at best. Neither exciting nor compelling.
The first thing to clear up here is the byline of a "sci-fi novella" which serves as a "prequel novella" to a future series. I would argue this is less of a novella and more of a glorified book trailer, complete with cliff-hanger ending. The story does not feel anywhere close to a story that stands alone, even taking its length into account. I understand the purpose of prequels are to convince you to buy the rest of the series, but this was a bit ridiculous in my opinion.
Taking that into account, there are a number of things which I found lacking in this story that direct relate to this issue. The story does not have either the pacing nor depth/"completeness" I would expect in a stand-alone short story or novella. Instead, it reads more like the first 10K words of a novel, which it is not. So some of my critiques may be a bit harsh if you consider this story to be purely an extension of another, yet-to-be-published book.
That out of the way, let's talk about the main character: Reg Shar. To me, Reg felt like a white-washed Malcolm Reynolds. A down-on-his-luck ex-military fighter pilot turned interstellar smuggler with military competence, a bit of a swagger, and decidedly gray morals, there was nothing about Reg Shar to distinguish him from the dozen other generic male leads we've all read before. There was also no sign of any character development, although we didn't have a great chance to get to know him. He wasn't unpleasant, but I ended the novella completely indifferent over whether or not he survived. Which is especially bad because he was the only real character of note in the whole novella, as Raul the robot had very little time to shine.
As for plot and pacing, the whole thing is structured around trying survive a tragic power failure of the ship while in orbit of a (supposedly--we know how these things go) uninhabited moon. There's certain death at every turn with Reg only just barely managing to scrape by time after time and I wasn't stressed, excited, or feeling suspenseful the entire time. Despite the character's clear panic on several occasions, there was no sense of tension for me. And since the whole plot was basically just one bad thing after another being heaped upon poor Reg, it ended up being very reactionary, with things happening to the main character, rather than because of or with or whatever.
There were also a couple of flashback scenes which weren't marked in any kind of way (getting into or out of them) which completely disrupted the flow of the narrative. Yes, some of the information in them was important (spoiler? Sorry?), but it could've been introduced in a better fashion. Particularly because this was all supposed to feel suspenseful.
Another plot-ish thing that bothered me: Reg is severely wounded at one point in the novella, and while the descriptions of his injury and subsequent treatment are not particularly…graphic, there was still enough to make my stomach turn and I'm not easily grossed out.
Onto setting, possibly the make-or-break for sci-fi and fantasy: At least there wasn't made-up science mumbo-jumbo.
Before you actually begin the story, there's a page explaining "Galactic Standard Time" (GST, of course) with a chart explaining the terms they use to express the passage of time. Not only are they all roughly equivalent to Earth's, but the names are all so close I don't understand why the author even bothered renaming them, since there didn't appear to be any attempt made to rename anything else, including various acronyms like HUD.
The descriptions of the ships and technology were fine; definitely leaning more towards current spaceflight tech and Battlestar Galactica than Star Trek. The only real thing that stuck out to me about it--aside from the robots, of course--was that apparently ships are piloted with joysticks, like some kinds of fighter planes. Yup, joysticks.
There were a number of aliens discussed in the novella, none of which bear mentioning. All were rather shallow, serving more as plot devices than characters, let alone rich peoples with culture.
In summary: I don't think the novella was poorly written, and while I found neither the main character nor the plot to be particularly gripping and the setting lackluster at best, I could see how they might improve given time to grow over the course of a full-length novel or series.
But as an even mostly self-contained story? I wish time was something you could get a refund for. The only thing this novella has going for it in my opinion is "action-packed"
The first thing to clear up here is the byline of a "sci-fi novella" which serves as a "prequel novella" to a future series. I would argue this is less of a novella and more of a glorified book trailer, complete with cliff-hanger ending. The story does not feel anywhere close to a story that stands alone, even taking its length into account. I understand the purpose of prequels are to convince you to buy the rest of the series, but this was a bit ridiculous in my opinion.
Taking that into account, there are a number of things which I found lacking in this story that direct relate to this issue. The story does not have either the pacing nor depth/"completeness" I would expect in a stand-alone short story or novella. Instead, it reads more like the first 10K words of a novel, which it is not. So some of my critiques may be a bit harsh if you consider this story to be purely an extension of another, yet-to-be-published book.
That out of the way, let's talk about the main character: Reg Shar. To me, Reg felt like a white-washed Malcolm Reynolds. A down-on-his-luck ex-military fighter pilot turned interstellar smuggler with military competence, a bit of a swagger, and decidedly gray morals, there was nothing about Reg Shar to distinguish him from the dozen other generic male leads we've all read before. There was also no sign of any character development, although we didn't have a great chance to get to know him. He wasn't unpleasant, but I ended the novella completely indifferent over whether or not he survived. Which is especially bad because he was the only real character of note in the whole novella, as Raul the robot had very little time to shine.
As for plot and pacing, the whole thing is structured around trying survive a tragic power failure of the ship while in orbit of a (supposedly--we know how these things go) uninhabited moon. There's certain death at every turn with Reg only just barely managing to scrape by time after time and I wasn't stressed, excited, or feeling suspenseful the entire time. Despite the character's clear panic on several occasions, there was no sense of tension for me. And since the whole plot was basically just one bad thing after another being heaped upon poor Reg, it ended up being very reactionary, with things happening to the main character, rather than because of or with or whatever.
There were also a couple of flashback scenes which weren't marked in any kind of way (getting into or out of them) which completely disrupted the flow of the narrative. Yes, some of the information in them was important (spoiler? Sorry?), but it could've been introduced in a better fashion. Particularly because this was all supposed to feel suspenseful.
Another plot-ish thing that bothered me: Reg is severely wounded at one point in the novella, and while the descriptions of his injury and subsequent treatment are not particularly…graphic, there was still enough to make my stomach turn and I'm not easily grossed out.
Onto setting, possibly the make-or-break for sci-fi and fantasy: At least there wasn't made-up science mumbo-jumbo.
Before you actually begin the story, there's a page explaining "Galactic Standard Time" (GST, of course) with a chart explaining the terms they use to express the passage of time. Not only are they all roughly equivalent to Earth's, but the names are all so close I don't understand why the author even bothered renaming them, since there didn't appear to be any attempt made to rename anything else, including various acronyms like HUD.
The descriptions of the ships and technology were fine; definitely leaning more towards current spaceflight tech and Battlestar Galactica than Star Trek. The only real thing that stuck out to me about it--aside from the robots, of course--was that apparently ships are piloted with joysticks, like some kinds of fighter planes. Yup, joysticks.
There were a number of aliens discussed in the novella, none of which bear mentioning. All were rather shallow, serving more as plot devices than characters, let alone rich peoples with culture.
In summary: I don't think the novella was poorly written, and while I found neither the main character nor the plot to be particularly gripping and the setting lackluster at best, I could see how they might improve given time to grow over the course of a full-length novel or series.
But as an even mostly self-contained story? I wish time was something you could get a refund for. The only thing this novella has going for it in my opinion is "action-packed"
March 23, 2019
Good novella
Action robot and adventure do a good read for any slow days or loveless weekend nights . Recommend with humor in mind
Action robot and adventure do a good read for any slow days or loveless weekend nights . Recommend with humor in mind
February 1, 2019
This was a good read; however, the cliffhanger ending ruined it for me. My rating went from 8/10 (4 stars) to 5/10 (2 stars) because of that cliffhanger ending. In my opinion, there is a better way to build interest in your next book(s), even if you're writing a Space Opera. Just write compelling (stand-alone) stories with memorable characters and situations that evolve from book to book. Your readers will flock to buy your next book. For this author, I'll keep in mind, once burned...(cliffhanger ending)
February 17, 2019
It's a meh SciFi adventure. I didn't dislike it, but I wouldn't recommend it, hence two stars.
The main character's perspective is very predictable and the writing around his experience is also very predictible, which makes for a little bit of an annoying read. This made it so that I'd often ended up trying to read faster to get to the point of the scene or section.
The idea behind the plot - or behind it's conclusion at least - is interesting enough, but there's not much about the way it pans out that feels real. The writing lacks details of experience, or at least details of technical objects/surroundings. Instead there's lots of belabored drama from the main character's perspective which comes across as repetitive sentences or paragraphs I could have just skipped.
Note: I got this book for free for my review
The main character's perspective is very predictable and the writing around his experience is also very predictible, which makes for a little bit of an annoying read. This made it so that I'd often ended up trying to read faster to get to the point of the scene or section.
The idea behind the plot - or behind it's conclusion at least - is interesting enough, but there's not much about the way it pans out that feels real. The writing lacks details of experience, or at least details of technical objects/surroundings. Instead there's lots of belabored drama from the main character's perspective which comes across as repetitive sentences or paragraphs I could have just skipped.
Note: I got this book for free for my review
February 18, 2019
Interesting series
Suspend your disbelief and just enjoy it. The story is interesting and I like the characters. I don't like the time units used because I don't remember what they mean and see no useful purpose in using them. But that is minor. I have a hard time accepting that he is crawling around with a broken back and arm and doesn't suffer permanent damage. Dumb! So ignore these little things and just enjoy the story.
Suspend your disbelief and just enjoy it. The story is interesting and I like the characters. I don't like the time units used because I don't remember what they mean and see no useful purpose in using them. But that is minor. I have a hard time accepting that he is crawling around with a broken back and arm and doesn't suffer permanent damage. Dumb! So ignore these little things and just enjoy the story.
February 24, 2019
Synopsis:
Reg is having a really bad day. Wrecked space ships, physical injuries, flesh eating parasites, killer robots. Yep, a really, really bad day.
Review:
A gruesomely inventive novella that reads as a prequel to robot space war. I might be tempted to read the next book, except I really hate Raul.
Reg is having a really bad day. Wrecked space ships, physical injuries, flesh eating parasites, killer robots. Yep, a really, really bad day.
Review:
A gruesomely inventive novella that reads as a prequel to robot space war. I might be tempted to read the next book, except I really hate Raul.
November 23, 2019
Crazy Romp to Setup a Series
Reg and Raul are strange bedfellows at the start and we quickly learn there is a lot that we don’t know. The action is pretty continuous and relies on some plot twists that are almost incredulous. However, it holds together well enough to keep your interest.
The end is a cliff hanger that promises a lot of fun and adventure to come.
Reg and Raul are strange bedfellows at the start and we quickly learn there is a lot that we don’t know. The action is pretty continuous and relies on some plot twists that are almost incredulous. However, it holds together well enough to keep your interest.
The end is a cliff hanger that promises a lot of fun and adventure to come.
March 21, 2019
Okay
Average or better novella setting up the forthcoming series. Probably YA but read by a grumpy old man. Author substituted made up words for second, minute, day etc. Plot ok, characters ok.
Average or better novella setting up the forthcoming series. Probably YA but read by a grumpy old man. Author substituted made up words for second, minute, day etc. Plot ok, characters ok.
June 6, 2019
Very 'actiony', with rather improbable situations and escapes, but fun. Interesting premise with Raul - and might want to read on in the series if I didn't have such a huge 'to read' list. Liked - but didn't love.
October 25, 2019
Prequel only
Quick little take. I suppose you can't expect much from a short book, I wasn't disappointed.
Not for true sci fi fans, a few too many liberties taken with physics.
The characters have potential but I'm not inclined, based on this reading, to buy more.
Quick little take. I suppose you can't expect much from a short book, I wasn't disappointed.
Not for true sci fi fans, a few too many liberties taken with physics.
The characters have potential but I'm not inclined, based on this reading, to buy more.
February 3, 2019
Short book..good plot line of a mans AI rebells against him but tried to save and and give him money but the idiot doesn’t want it!
May 23, 2021
Great storyline
Easy reading and great story. Reg is no prissy guy and Raul is rather interesting even if he doesn't know he is more like Reg than he thinks.
Easy reading and great story. Reg is no prissy guy and Raul is rather interesting even if he doesn't know he is more like Reg than he thinks.
September 4, 2021
A Distant Moon is the intriguing prequel novella to the Sentience trilogy. If you like interplanetary tales and unlikely heroes with a bit of humor, then you’ll love this fast-paced space adventure.
September 15, 2023
A fun quick read. It needed some editing and I was surprised to find a “light switch” on a ship. I liked Raul but not Reg though the two had a lot in common.
May 16, 2019
Fast read
An okay story. Raul was the best developed character, while Reg seemed a little flat. Interesting enough plot, but need just a little more.
An okay story. Raul was the best developed character, while Reg seemed a little flat. Interesting enough plot, but need just a little more.
February 19, 2019
Somewhat promising precursor to a real story
A Distant Moon is an interesting setup for what I assume will be a much larger story, acting as a setup for the protagonist and another major character, probably the antagonist. And therein lies the problem. As a novella, there is very little space to work with to create an interesting character arc and spending a lot of the time setting the scene of not just the universe, but the characters themselves, making it somewhat lacklustre and unfilling.
This aside, the writing is ok. It's a lot of stuff happening, definitely adventure focused, but the core of a reasonably decent series lies hidden within. It will be interesting to see where the story goes, particularly around the conflict, as what was presented in the novella won't be compelling enough to drive a series. Hopefully, the full series doesn't rely on this as an entry point and readers can just jump into book one.
A Distant Moon is an interesting setup for what I assume will be a much larger story, acting as a setup for the protagonist and another major character, probably the antagonist. And therein lies the problem. As a novella, there is very little space to work with to create an interesting character arc and spending a lot of the time setting the scene of not just the universe, but the characters themselves, making it somewhat lacklustre and unfilling.
This aside, the writing is ok. It's a lot of stuff happening, definitely adventure focused, but the core of a reasonably decent series lies hidden within. It will be interesting to see where the story goes, particularly around the conflict, as what was presented in the novella won't be compelling enough to drive a series. Hopefully, the full series doesn't rely on this as an entry point and readers can just jump into book one.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews