From the Ruins

by Keith Silvas

Five hundred years have passed since the a nuclear holocaust that rendered Earth toxic and uninhabitable. Android Raymond-tz48 is the only occupant of a forgotten city. He spends his days serving the memory of his long deceased masters, pondering the meaning of his existence, and wondering if life remains elsewhere on the planet. One day he reinterprets the programming that has kept him imprisoned in a cycle of meaningless servitude and sets out in search of life and a new master. What he finds is not the romanticized group of survivors in a peaceful society he had hoped for, but something far more sinister. Omega Seki, the final outpost of human civilization, is a cyberpunk metropolis steeped in vice and run by a corrupt government. Now Raymond must decide whether following his programming to serve society means becoming a cog in the wheel of tyranny or standing against it.

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2018

About the author

Keith Silvas has been making up characters and telling stories about them for most of his life. He published his first book, From the Ruins, in 2018. Keith is an artist that has done illustrations for his own books as well as for other authors. His other notable hobbies include singing, gaming, working out, and occasionally acting.

If you like fantasy, you can also listen to his serial podcast: Path of Legends, available on Apple and Google.

Reviews

[Martina Schumacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

So i got a free copy of this book from the Author to review on my Instagram account. He even signed it with my name and everything.

At first i was glad that it was only 65 Pages long, because so far the books i have gotten for free were just ok. I know this seems really rude, because hey i got them for free, and i know i am really glad that authors put their trust in me, but i am sorry, i cannot like every book out there.

But to the more important part, after reading this book, i am very dissapointed it is only 65 pages long. But in a good way. It was an amazing adventure that reminded me a lot of iRobot and the 5th Element. The characters were realistic and very well written. The universe i just loved and would read a million books about. And except for one moment ( You know which!!! ), I was completely in awe with this book. There was no moment where it dragged on, or it seemed (in the possibilites of scifi) unrealistic. No moments where i questioned the characters behaviors. I read it in one sitting. Thank you so very much for this book!!! I love it! I will recommend it to any and everyone that likes action and scifi as much as i do.

If Keith ever decides to write more books in this universe, or write some prequals or sequals I will be really excited to read them.

[Jeff Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the beginning up until the very end as it's a very smooth read all the way through. I never found a segment where I felt bored or scenes dragged on, it had a great pace about it. If there is anything to be disappointed about, it's the fact that this book isn't long enough. I could have kept going had there been more material.

Though not the author's intent, I'm sure, I couldn't help but picture Data (from Star Trek) whenever I pictured Raymond lol. There is so much sadness to his novel but plenty of space for joy, even if brief. Though in a post-apocalyptic world, such joy can only be temporary anyway, so I totally agree with all that's happened. There was one particular scene which broke my heart...the author knows which scene I'm talking about *points finger*.

I liked the depiction of what a post-apocalyptic world would look like, especially the character design. It gave me a Blade Runner sort of vibe in one aspect and a...a...I can't think another film to cross-reference but honestly, that's great as it gives it such a unique/distinguished atmosphere.

Another thing I can say that I enjoyed was there was no stupid clichés, no time wasting. I was half expecting some "why would you do that??" moments or "don't just stand there!" but nope, it was free of all that and I didn't beat my head against a wall once. It was disappointing that my journey into this world was cut so short but that's not a negative comment at all, I'd love to read more.

I hope there is a continuation or a sequel, I'm all for it if there is. Otherwise, I look forward to reading more of Keith's work, thanks for this great read! ****5/5****

Now I just need to buy the album that goes along with it!

[dave cornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Android chooses his destiny

I really enjoyed this story of an Android Rising above his programming and questioning his mission, and wisely choosing right from wrong. He made better choices than most people would! The writing was solid, the characters believable, and the plot moved steadily forward, definitely a satisfying read. The story ends on a message of Hope for our future.

[Bailey Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading From the Ruins!

My best piece of advice for potential readers is to not be put off by the slow start. Although I didn't dislike how the book started in retrospect, it was hard to say from the beginning whether or not the author was going to take it places. But things did pick up, more characters were introduced, and the story builds to a satisfying climax and conclusion.

The world was fascinating and reminded me very much of the Bethesda Fallout games at times. I especially liked reading about the supporting characters and their backstories, along with the struggles that they go through throughout the book. In my opinion, building and conveying their struggles in a very raw and effective manner was the author's strongest suit.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I basically have zero experience with reading sci-fi, so my review is written as a fan of reading books generally.

Raymond-tz48 is an android who has been alone for 500 years. He has been performing his same duties every single day for those 500 years, even though his family is long gone, but he would like to find another family to serve. He finds a loophole in his programming that allows him to leave the house in search of a new society. He discovers a dystopian city called Omega Seki. Instead of finding a new family, the “Boss” of the city finds him. What ensues is not quite what Raymond had in mind for his life of service.

I love the way the author describes the city and the colorful characters; I was able to place myself in the setting and be part of their conversations. This is just a novella, but the author made me feel a wide range of emotions for all the characters. I particularly felt empathy and heartbreak for one of them. Even though this is a dystopian fiction, it did not read like the typical dystopian novel. The author made it original, but you will have to read it to see how because I cannot give anything away!

I am kind of pleased that I came to this book late so I didn’t have to wait 5 years for the next book!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author for a review. I’m so glad I said yes when he reached out! This book was beautiful from the first page. I was immediately swept into the story and its realistic characters. The details were just vivid enough for me to have a clear picture of this world without being monotonous. I found myself wishing that it was a full story and not a short novella. The ending was perfect for the story and left the future up to the imagination of the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

[high_on_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first science fiction novel that I was interested in reading. I'm very happy I like it🙂 It was a slow beginning for me but once I was going I couldn't put it down until the end. The character were very well written and realistic so it was very easy to fall in love with the story. The only disappointment for me was that the book needs to be bigger 😋 So it will be lovely if the author decides to write a sequal or two.

[Larissa Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

'From the Ruins' was such a fun story to read. It had a bit of a slow start, but when it got its footing it took off. I have never read a book in a day until this one, honestly, I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and could visualize each scene as described. What a fun book to read. I loved it! I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves SyFy.

[Ariana Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but very interesting! I read the book in only a couple hours at most, and only stopped when I needed to even then to go to work. The story is compelling and makes one think and wonder about what makes a person a person, and what different futures society can have based on it's choices and morals/values. Full of intrigue and passion, it made me feel for all the characters. With beautiful descriptions throughout, the ending had my crying and now I need more! I'm glad I got both books together, because I'm starting the second right away!

[Greg Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read that packs a whole lot of character development and world building into a small package. Can’t wait for the 2nd!