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The Belt #1
Entanglement
**You can run but you can’t hide — not even in space.**
Commander Scott McNabb, of the science vessel Hermes, is three years into a five-year-long survey of the asteroid belt. It’s an excruciatingly dull mission, yet it keeps him far away from his debts and the agencies that are chasing him down.
But his fortunes change, along with the other four crew, when they discover a derelict spaceship in orbit around a binary asteroid. Scott’s share of the salvage bounty would be enough to clear his name and start a new life. All they have to do is retrieve an item of cargo and return it to Ceres.
It should be simple.
However, the cargo happens to be an experimental quantum device lost while en route to Europa, and ownership of this technology could fundamentally change the balance of power within the solar system. Now that word is out of its discovery, the Hermes finds itself being hunted down by those who want to take possession of this device, including the very people Scott has spent so much time and effort hiding from.
And there's not a damn thing he can do about it.
But Scott is getting pretty tired of running away. If he wants any hope of a new life, then he’s going to have to stand up and fight for it, even if that means endangering himself and his crew. Yet, after a lifetime of running and hiding, Scott’s not sure if he has what it takes—maybe he really is just one of life’s perpetual losers. Then again, there is a deep river of rage welling up inside him, born out of a lifetime of countless accumulated injustices, each one inching him ever closer to the edge—and this could be the one that finally makes him snap.
About Entanglement:
The story is set a few centuries into the future where humanity has colonized most of the inner solar system. The asteroid belt (The Belt) is now a hive of mining activity and ships ply the trade routes to Earth and Mars. The technology depicted is, for the most part, what I consider to be technically plausible, although I do stretch it a little with quantum entanglement. That said, you won’t need a calculator or a slide-rule to enjoy the story.
Commander Scott McNabb, of the science vessel Hermes, is three years into a five-year-long survey of the asteroid belt. It’s an excruciatingly dull mission, yet it keeps him far away from his debts and the agencies that are chasing him down.
But his fortunes change, along with the other four crew, when they discover a derelict spaceship in orbit around a binary asteroid. Scott’s share of the salvage bounty would be enough to clear his name and start a new life. All they have to do is retrieve an item of cargo and return it to Ceres.
It should be simple.
However, the cargo happens to be an experimental quantum device lost while en route to Europa, and ownership of this technology could fundamentally change the balance of power within the solar system. Now that word is out of its discovery, the Hermes finds itself being hunted down by those who want to take possession of this device, including the very people Scott has spent so much time and effort hiding from.
And there's not a damn thing he can do about it.
But Scott is getting pretty tired of running away. If he wants any hope of a new life, then he’s going to have to stand up and fight for it, even if that means endangering himself and his crew. Yet, after a lifetime of running and hiding, Scott’s not sure if he has what it takes—maybe he really is just one of life’s perpetual losers. Then again, there is a deep river of rage welling up inside him, born out of a lifetime of countless accumulated injustices, each one inching him ever closer to the edge—and this could be the one that finally makes him snap.
About Entanglement:
The story is set a few centuries into the future where humanity has colonized most of the inner solar system. The asteroid belt (The Belt) is now a hive of mining activity and ships ply the trade routes to Earth and Mars. The technology depicted is, for the most part, what I consider to be technically plausible, although I do stretch it a little with quantum entanglement. That said, you won’t need a calculator or a slide-rule to enjoy the story.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
October 25, 2019
Entanglement is the first book in The Belt trilogy, written by Gerald M. Kilby. It is a space opera about a science ship captain named Scott McNabb, and his crew of 4, and their experiences following a lucky run in with a derelict space ship carrying a piece of cutting edge quantum technology. Unfortunately, everyone in the solar system appear to want this piece of technology, and McNabb and his crew are in for a hard time trying to evade getting killed, while still ensuring that the device doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
The book was okay written, with a fine story that was overall quite coherent. A good mix of action and non-action, which made the story presented with a good flow to it. A relatively short story but well contained, and it ended with a fine setup for the sequel. Dialogs were okay, but not too profound. I did find a bit lack of descriptive prose, to really create a setting and set the mood for the reader. Some parts were greatly described, others lacking.
The author did have a tendency to do info dumps, with sections of way too much show and not tell, which I could have been without. There were also a parts where there were too much technobabble, and meta science explanations, while most other parts were pure space opera. Either stick to science fiction and skip the long science-y explanations, or make a hardcore science story where everything more or less stands up to the real world. This book is a good (Bad!) example of how plot McGuffins can be used by adding ‘quantum’ to it, similar to how “mutation” was the carrier of science fiction books 20 years ago. You give a pseudo science explanation of how a thing works, slaps “QUANTUM” on to it, and call it a day.
Unfortunately, while the story was fine as such, it was also very superficial and generic. There’s the slightest hints of political intrigue and developments of technofobia, along with information on a previous nuclear war that changed the political spectrum, yet this is always just used to set an undertone and is never developed at all, which is a real pity. I felt like the story was really just scratching the surface of a potential much deeper and complex story, which I really would have liked to see. Our main protagonist is the cliché space captain that doesn’t believe in himself, with a cliché crew of misfits that just randomly happens to run into a MacGuffin that sets thing underway. If it had actually set things up for a deeper and complex story it would have been fine, but when the books just develops to be “Bring McGuffin to good guys, fight bad guy, the end”, then I would have liked quite a bit more.
The same lack of depth was also felt for the characters, as they were quite undeveloped and without almost any background. The main character is unsure of himself, is just there to earn money because of an implausible backstory, and has no skills whatsoever (At least, we’re never told). One of the other characters is even mentioned early as never saying anything, and that turned out to be true, because I can’t remember the character doing anything at all in the book! I assume she was just there because her role is needed in book 3 of The Belt trilogy (Where she is also speaking all the time, which of course is completely contradictory to what we are told in this book). Our main protagonist of course also, completely out of nowhere, falls madly in love with another member of the crew. I guess this was another setup for the sequel where it is needed, but to me it felt extremely forced and I actually laughed out loud when it happened because there was no setup. The sequel also tells us that they actually didn’t like each other before the story in the book, so why they are now suddenly madly in love makes it even more strange. And then we have the death of yet another crew member, and out of nowhere this character is suddenly and old and trusted friend of the protagonist, and he mourns a lot due to the loss. Overall the book comes of as missing a lot of backstory and depth, and since it was so short to begin with, I really felt that it could easily have added some additional background to flesh out things.
The spaceship is an old trashy one, but for some reason it has a state of the art artificial intelligence, and sent to the middle of nowhere to do a simple science survey, which I found hard to believe. That being said, I liked the inclusion of this artificial intelligence, as it added a bit of complexity into the crew of the space ship.
The ending climax was also over way too fast. I had expected a good build up to a fight with the bad guys, but well… That was over quickly.
I listened to the audiobook version, and the book was narrated by Steven Jay Cohen. In general he did a fine job (as usual, I must point out!), although I did find his voice quite flat for this reading, which made it somewhat uninteresting and forgettable. He was quite good at doing different voices though, which was nice.
Overall this was an okay science fiction adventure, and fortunately not too long, given my many points of critique. If you want something relatively short and easy to follow, this may be a good pick. But if you are looking for something with a deep plot, a complex setting, and interesting characters, you need to look elsewhere.
I received this audiobook for free in return for a review. I have no affiliation with the author, the narrator, the publisher, or their pets (Although I am sure the latter are quite nice!).
The book was okay written, with a fine story that was overall quite coherent. A good mix of action and non-action, which made the story presented with a good flow to it. A relatively short story but well contained, and it ended with a fine setup for the sequel. Dialogs were okay, but not too profound. I did find a bit lack of descriptive prose, to really create a setting and set the mood for the reader. Some parts were greatly described, others lacking.
The author did have a tendency to do info dumps, with sections of way too much show and not tell, which I could have been without. There were also a parts where there were too much technobabble, and meta science explanations, while most other parts were pure space opera. Either stick to science fiction and skip the long science-y explanations, or make a hardcore science story where everything more or less stands up to the real world. This book is a good (Bad!) example of how plot McGuffins can be used by adding ‘quantum’ to it, similar to how “mutation” was the carrier of science fiction books 20 years ago. You give a pseudo science explanation of how a thing works, slaps “QUANTUM” on to it, and call it a day.
Unfortunately, while the story was fine as such, it was also very superficial and generic. There’s the slightest hints of political intrigue and developments of technofobia, along with information on a previous nuclear war that changed the political spectrum, yet this is always just used to set an undertone and is never developed at all, which is a real pity. I felt like the story was really just scratching the surface of a potential much deeper and complex story, which I really would have liked to see. Our main protagonist is the cliché space captain that doesn’t believe in himself, with a cliché crew of misfits that just randomly happens to run into a MacGuffin that sets thing underway. If it had actually set things up for a deeper and complex story it would have been fine, but when the books just develops to be “Bring McGuffin to good guys, fight bad guy, the end”, then I would have liked quite a bit more.
The same lack of depth was also felt for the characters, as they were quite undeveloped and without almost any background. The main character is unsure of himself, is just there to earn money because of an implausible backstory, and has no skills whatsoever (At least, we’re never told). One of the other characters is even mentioned early as never saying anything, and that turned out to be true, because I can’t remember the character doing anything at all in the book! I assume she was just there because her role is needed in book 3 of The Belt trilogy (Where she is also speaking all the time, which of course is completely contradictory to what we are told in this book). Our main protagonist of course also, completely out of nowhere, falls madly in love with another member of the crew. I guess this was another setup for the sequel where it is needed, but to me it felt extremely forced and I actually laughed out loud when it happened because there was no setup. The sequel also tells us that they actually didn’t like each other before the story in the book, so why they are now suddenly madly in love makes it even more strange. And then we have the death of yet another crew member, and out of nowhere this character is suddenly and old and trusted friend of the protagonist, and he mourns a lot due to the loss. Overall the book comes of as missing a lot of backstory and depth, and since it was so short to begin with, I really felt that it could easily have added some additional background to flesh out things.
The spaceship is an old trashy one, but for some reason it has a state of the art artificial intelligence, and sent to the middle of nowhere to do a simple science survey, which I found hard to believe. That being said, I liked the inclusion of this artificial intelligence, as it added a bit of complexity into the crew of the space ship.
The ending climax was also over way too fast. I had expected a good build up to a fight with the bad guys, but well… That was over quickly.
I listened to the audiobook version, and the book was narrated by Steven Jay Cohen. In general he did a fine job (as usual, I must point out!), although I did find his voice quite flat for this reading, which made it somewhat uninteresting and forgettable. He was quite good at doing different voices though, which was nice.
Overall this was an okay science fiction adventure, and fortunately not too long, given my many points of critique. If you want something relatively short and easy to follow, this may be a good pick. But if you are looking for something with a deep plot, a complex setting, and interesting characters, you need to look elsewhere.
I received this audiobook for free in return for a review. I have no affiliation with the author, the narrator, the publisher, or their pets (Although I am sure the latter are quite nice!).
April 27, 2022
This one started out with promise but gradually devolved into a meaningless traipse across the asteroid belt. It's a weak play or riff off the Expanse. There was potential for an interesting look at AI or quantum intelligences, but they ended up as simply mildly smart computers. The characters never act directly, but simply react to circumstances around them.
November 4, 2022
Honestly, I was really hoping this would be a good series. After just reading a previous sci-fi (amazing and true to it’s science and with explanations at the end for us plebeians), this is just hard to sit through. I know this book was rated lower than the other books in the series, but I have yet to be let down by a book series that is at least 4 stars on goodreads. This series is for sure my first disappoint. The character development is lackluster and the plot is so very ... expected. Just bummed overall and wish I had not invested time and money.
February 23, 2025
Generic and disappointing. I picked this up because it was lauded as a solid entry in my favorite sub-genre: hard sci-fi.
The plot was extremely basic and laughably implausible. Without too many spoilers, the main character is at the edge of the solar system running away from his personal problems only to stumble upon the most important invention in the history of mankind which, as he finds out, was invented by his father. There’s an interplanetary population spread out across the entire solar system and this schmuck unwittingly finds his father’s life’s work? Give me a break.
The science is more utilized as a way of throwing around a few buzzwords like “quantum” and “qubits” rather than by presenting anything intriguing.
Overall, this was a quick and easy read but I can’t recommend it unless you’re looking for a mindless space adventure.
The plot was extremely basic and laughably implausible. Without too many spoilers, the main character is at the edge of the solar system running away from his personal problems only to stumble upon the most important invention in the history of mankind which, as he finds out, was invented by his father. There’s an interplanetary population spread out across the entire solar system and this schmuck unwittingly finds his father’s life’s work? Give me a break.
The science is more utilized as a way of throwing around a few buzzwords like “quantum” and “qubits” rather than by presenting anything intriguing.
Overall, this was a quick and easy read but I can’t recommend it unless you’re looking for a mindless space adventure.
April 27, 2024
Have 6 book set purchased for $9.99 on July 2, 2023. Interesting space opera, with a bit of alien intrigue and AI involvement, and gangster types, and pirate types involved as well.
November 26, 2025
“What the heck does that mean?” “It means trouble. Lots of trouble.”
Opening round in a multi-book space opera series with so many Star Trek parallels that Kilby should owe royalties to the estate of Gene Roddenberry. Supposed hard science fiction, though like most SF authors Kilby flunks elementary orbital dynamics.
For the first time in the entire three years this crew had been together, they had started to feel like a team—actually, more than that: they felt to [redacted] like family, and he liked that feeling.
Like Captain Kirk, the cheesy protagonist is a self-absorbed emotionally-stunted twit. The cause of his angst is revealed as the story progresses. One character’s hyper-vision requires him to wear a wraparound visor permanently attached to his skull (apologies to Star Trek NG) yet doesn’t directly interface to the ship’s sensors. Similarly, readers may wonder why an exotic quantum, as opposed to artificial, intelligence resides on a near-derelict exploration craft? That answer shows up late in the story.
“I don't know which I'm more afraid of: the armada of armed ships chasing us down, or riding around the solar system with a sentient QI.”
Since this is a blatant space opera series, don’t expect any kind of closure at the end of this (and probably not the next) installment. That said, Kilby tied off one plot line and chummed the water for more. It’s all good, clean fun: popcorn for the SF-inclined mind. (My edition had different cover art.)
Yet in the end, his continued existence in the solar system was down to Miranda risking her own life to save him from his reckless stupidity. Her words, not his.
Opening round in a multi-book space opera series with so many Star Trek parallels that Kilby should owe royalties to the estate of Gene Roddenberry. Supposed hard science fiction, though like most SF authors Kilby flunks elementary orbital dynamics.
For the first time in the entire three years this crew had been together, they had started to feel like a team—actually, more than that: they felt to [redacted] like family, and he liked that feeling.
Like Captain Kirk, the cheesy protagonist is a self-absorbed emotionally-stunted twit. The cause of his angst is revealed as the story progresses. One character’s hyper-vision requires him to wear a wraparound visor permanently attached to his skull (apologies to Star Trek NG) yet doesn’t directly interface to the ship’s sensors. Similarly, readers may wonder why an exotic quantum, as opposed to artificial, intelligence resides on a near-derelict exploration craft? That answer shows up late in the story.
“I don't know which I'm more afraid of: the armada of armed ships chasing us down, or riding around the solar system with a sentient QI.”
Since this is a blatant space opera series, don’t expect any kind of closure at the end of this (and probably not the next) installment. That said, Kilby tied off one plot line and chummed the water for more. It’s all good, clean fun: popcorn for the SF-inclined mind. (My edition had different cover art.)
Yet in the end, his continued existence in the solar system was down to Miranda risking her own life to save him from his reckless stupidity. Her words, not his.
June 16, 2019
I am a hard-SF fanatic and while this did address my love for Quantum ideas, there was just a hint of Indiana Jones that the main character seemed to draw on, that seemed incongruous with the my seriousness of the quantum. Lost a star because of it. Nonetheless, the story was engaging with no dull spots, characters believable, a few twists that led me to the next in the serious. I do like Gerald's writing style and honestly, the worlds could have been fleshed out a bit more. Good read though and do recommend it...
May 6, 2025
Not bad, but the writing was a little choppy, the characters consistently made dumb decisions, and there weren't really any twists.
June 5, 2025
I enjoyed the book! I like the story and I’m curious where it is going. I feel like book 1 was a lot of set up for the rest of the series. However, I did not enjoy it enough that I’m going to skip book 2 to the top of my TBR.
November 1, 2025
3.5 stars. Fast to read and entertaining.
July 31, 2022
Entanglement by Gerald Kilby takes place several centuries from now when the asteroid belt is being heavily mined. We follow the crew of the Hermes, a science vessel on a five-year mission to survey the belt. They investigate a derelict spaceship carrying a device that will make superluminal communication possible. Everybody wants it. It is an all-too-familiar riff on The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey. If asteroids are being mined in large numbers, should a survey be necessary? Would it require a manned mission? Why does it take five years? Star Trek? 3 stars.
May 17, 2022
Entertaining Sci-Fi Thriller
This is the first book in a continuing series. The book ends at a natural break in the narrative but there is much left of the storyline to be resolved in future novels.
The Hermes is a space station that has been converted into a survey vessel. A craft built for over a hundred now houses 5 humans, which is possible because the Hermes is administered by a Quantum Intelligence (QI), Aria. QIs are a vast step beyond AIs as they have reached true sentience. Aria is as much a main character as the humans on board Hermes.
The Hermes has been slowly piloting through the outer system belt, surveying asteroids for useful materials that will help the human race for many years to come. Humanity has left Earth but they have not yet left the solar system, held back by technology and the constant wars of Earth. When the Hermes encounters a derelict ship in the middle of the belt, they are instructed to retrieve one container from the hold and return to their home base at Ceres immediately. This mysterious cargo attracts the attention of every political and economic power in the system and none of them care if they have to destroy The Hermes to retrieve it.
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure initially but I got drawn in pretty quickly as things progressed pretty fast once the characters were initially introduced. My initial hesitation was caused by the MMC, Scott, the mission commander. He seemed disengaged and lazy, which he was, but once I knew why I was a bit more inclined to like him. The longer the book went on, the more engaged Scott became with his crew and their joint mission. Out of the other members of the crew we really only get to know Miranda, a little. Miranda is the second in command and an ex-marine. She has a quick temper and is not inclined to patience, but she is brave and determined. She and Scott start out quite antagonistic towards each other and it is only as the events around them start to effect them do they start to understand each other a little more, which enables them to work together in some sort of harmony. The other members of the crew we know very little about at the end of the book, which indicates to me that they also have stories to tell about why they ended up in the dullest jobs in the solar system.
I really enjoyed the world-building for this story. It captured the essence of what could happen as mankind starts the journey into the stars, before they resolve the problems on Earth. It shows a largely unregulated solar system that has no way of working out problems short of firing weapons at each other.
The plot is interesting at kept me engaged and entertained throughout. I’m intrigued as to where the plot is going to go next as this storyline is unpredictable, which makes me happy. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m looking forward to getting to know his work better in the future.
This is the first book in a continuing series. The book ends at a natural break in the narrative but there is much left of the storyline to be resolved in future novels.
The Hermes is a space station that has been converted into a survey vessel. A craft built for over a hundred now houses 5 humans, which is possible because the Hermes is administered by a Quantum Intelligence (QI), Aria. QIs are a vast step beyond AIs as they have reached true sentience. Aria is as much a main character as the humans on board Hermes.
The Hermes has been slowly piloting through the outer system belt, surveying asteroids for useful materials that will help the human race for many years to come. Humanity has left Earth but they have not yet left the solar system, held back by technology and the constant wars of Earth. When the Hermes encounters a derelict ship in the middle of the belt, they are instructed to retrieve one container from the hold and return to their home base at Ceres immediately. This mysterious cargo attracts the attention of every political and economic power in the system and none of them care if they have to destroy The Hermes to retrieve it.
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure initially but I got drawn in pretty quickly as things progressed pretty fast once the characters were initially introduced. My initial hesitation was caused by the MMC, Scott, the mission commander. He seemed disengaged and lazy, which he was, but once I knew why I was a bit more inclined to like him. The longer the book went on, the more engaged Scott became with his crew and their joint mission. Out of the other members of the crew we really only get to know Miranda, a little. Miranda is the second in command and an ex-marine. She has a quick temper and is not inclined to patience, but she is brave and determined. She and Scott start out quite antagonistic towards each other and it is only as the events around them start to effect them do they start to understand each other a little more, which enables them to work together in some sort of harmony. The other members of the crew we know very little about at the end of the book, which indicates to me that they also have stories to tell about why they ended up in the dullest jobs in the solar system.
I really enjoyed the world-building for this story. It captured the essence of what could happen as mankind starts the journey into the stars, before they resolve the problems on Earth. It shows a largely unregulated solar system that has no way of working out problems short of firing weapons at each other.
The plot is interesting at kept me engaged and entertained throughout. I’m intrigued as to where the plot is going to go next as this storyline is unpredictable, which makes me happy. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m looking forward to getting to know his work better in the future.
January 18, 2023
Full on stereotypical scenes and mediocre characters. For a sci fi enthusiast, there is not much here. The plot has holes and the whole story is... Well... Not interesting.
-- SPOILERS BELOW --
My remarks in addition/aside above:
- you have quantum intelligences that can talk to each other thru the space (althow slowly, but still) yet there is one that somehow cannot connect to others, thus this one creates a MIRACLE device for communication... Why could it just not create a normal communication device in the first place? :)
- if the cargo is SOOOOO god damn precious that tens of spaceships start to track it, howcome anyone has not been looking for it. After all, it took only 20+ days to get to nearest populated area from the location of it...
- if some state/planet wants to be neutral, pls take a look at Switzerland. No, it does not mean that you will not have an army. To be neutral means that you can be stronger than any army.... So scientistic community on "Europa" should not have survived at all if they could be threatened and obliterated by one cannon.
- the allmighty space agency that wants to have "personal revenge" on some no-life decendant... really? now, maybe we will get to the reasons for this in the next book (unfortunately, i will not be reading this), but if you set up your plot not feasible in the first place... It's not going to work. Having the main character trying to clear his fathers legacy and thus being stuck in the loop would be good enough - and would be much more plausible. (Eg. "Oh not another Scott to deal with... Why do we have to stumble upon these guys.")
-- END OF SPOILERS --
Yeah, its simple to judge others after they have done HUUGE work. But I am still sci fi enthusiast and I want more GOOD QUALITY books :)
So I hope mr Kilby or other authors will find some elements helpful for their next projects :)
-- SPOILERS BELOW --
My remarks in addition/aside above:
- you have quantum intelligences that can talk to each other thru the space (althow slowly, but still) yet there is one that somehow cannot connect to others, thus this one creates a MIRACLE device for communication... Why could it just not create a normal communication device in the first place? :)
- if the cargo is SOOOOO god damn precious that tens of spaceships start to track it, howcome anyone has not been looking for it. After all, it took only 20+ days to get to nearest populated area from the location of it...
- if some state/planet wants to be neutral, pls take a look at Switzerland. No, it does not mean that you will not have an army. To be neutral means that you can be stronger than any army.... So scientistic community on "Europa" should not have survived at all if they could be threatened and obliterated by one cannon.
- the allmighty space agency that wants to have "personal revenge" on some no-life decendant... really? now, maybe we will get to the reasons for this in the next book (unfortunately, i will not be reading this), but if you set up your plot not feasible in the first place... It's not going to work. Having the main character trying to clear his fathers legacy and thus being stuck in the loop would be good enough - and would be much more plausible. (Eg. "Oh not another Scott to deal with... Why do we have to stumble upon these guys.")
-- END OF SPOILERS --
Yeah, its simple to judge others after they have done HUUGE work. But I am still sci fi enthusiast and I want more GOOD QUALITY books :)
So I hope mr Kilby or other authors will find some elements helpful for their next projects :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2020
I am reviewing the three books of The Belt series altogether, as this reads as a seamless story.
The first instalment (Entanglement) is a decent read, if not very original at least quite a genuine space opera. It's a solar system story, a sub-genre which I particularly like, it has a competent sci-fi approach overall and, despite character development and dialogues are rather basic, it reads quite nicely. Three stars.
The second one (Entropy) is weaker, very thin plot, lots of bang-bang kiss-kiss which, yeah, happens to take place in the space but could really be anywhere. Here I also started growing annoyed with the self-righteous, pompous A.I./Q.I. Two stars.
The last piece of the trilogy (Evolution) is a strong deviation from the first two: the space opera angle, already diluted in book 2, here completely evaporates as this is a post apocalyptic story set on earth. Clearly in this last instalment the story is loosing energy and momentum, as I did...DNF before the end. One star.
Gerald M. Kilby confirms here the impression I took away from reading some others of his books: the stories are not bad, they are just not great stories and, more importantly, they are not very original stories. Colony Mars reminds a lot Red/Green/Blue Mars by Kim Stanely Robinson. The Belt reminds a lot The Expanse by S.A.Corey. Just they are not better...
The first instalment (Entanglement) is a decent read, if not very original at least quite a genuine space opera. It's a solar system story, a sub-genre which I particularly like, it has a competent sci-fi approach overall and, despite character development and dialogues are rather basic, it reads quite nicely. Three stars.
The second one (Entropy) is weaker, very thin plot, lots of bang-bang kiss-kiss which, yeah, happens to take place in the space but could really be anywhere. Here I also started growing annoyed with the self-righteous, pompous A.I./Q.I. Two stars.
The last piece of the trilogy (Evolution) is a strong deviation from the first two: the space opera angle, already diluted in book 2, here completely evaporates as this is a post apocalyptic story set on earth. Clearly in this last instalment the story is loosing energy and momentum, as I did...DNF before the end. One star.
Gerald M. Kilby confirms here the impression I took away from reading some others of his books: the stories are not bad, they are just not great stories and, more importantly, they are not very original stories. Colony Mars reminds a lot Red/Green/Blue Mars by Kim Stanely Robinson. The Belt reminds a lot The Expanse by S.A.Corey. Just they are not better...
Read
May 6, 2020Listened to on Audible during April 2020 - the height of the Covid-19 restrictions.
This is a continuation of my recent interest in Sci-Fi/Fantasy during this time of crisis - when my concentration will not quite allow me my usual wider reading interests.
This is a very juicy space adventure set at a time when Humans have expanded their reach within the solar system but have not (yet) met any intelligent alien human life. In spite of huge advances in technology humanity has not shaken off any of its baser elements- greed, inequality and various hidden agendas abound. Indeed it seems that mankind has exported all of its problems as it has expanded beyond earth.
But we are rooting for the plucky crew of the Space Exploration Station Aries. All of them have their baggage - but their bond provides each of them with reserves of the best of human traits - bravery, resourcefulness and the willingness to risk ans sacrifice for each other.
There is an interesting plot involving advancements in AI and QI (quantum intelligence) faster than light communication. The various artificial intelligence's seem to have motivations more humane than those of many of the people in the story. Indeed they often seem to be the "better angels" guiding and protecting their chosen humans and the choices that face them.
I'm already looking forward to the rest of the series.
This is a continuation of my recent interest in Sci-Fi/Fantasy during this time of crisis - when my concentration will not quite allow me my usual wider reading interests.
This is a very juicy space adventure set at a time when Humans have expanded their reach within the solar system but have not (yet) met any intelligent alien human life. In spite of huge advances in technology humanity has not shaken off any of its baser elements- greed, inequality and various hidden agendas abound. Indeed it seems that mankind has exported all of its problems as it has expanded beyond earth.
But we are rooting for the plucky crew of the Space Exploration Station Aries. All of them have their baggage - but their bond provides each of them with reserves of the best of human traits - bravery, resourcefulness and the willingness to risk ans sacrifice for each other.
There is an interesting plot involving advancements in AI and QI (quantum intelligence) faster than light communication. The various artificial intelligence's seem to have motivations more humane than those of many of the people in the story. Indeed they often seem to be the "better angels" guiding and protecting their chosen humans and the choices that face them.
I'm already looking forward to the rest of the series.
August 21, 2019
A fun read...
I enjoyed the read as a light and fun read. There were no great twists and there were many well-used SF tropes but it was still decent. The human characters were a little flat but I liked the development of the QIs.
I enjoyed the read as a light and fun read. There were no great twists and there were many well-used SF tropes but it was still decent. The human characters were a little flat but I liked the development of the QIs.
July 9, 2023
I’m not exactly what the title of the book is supposed to mean with relation to this story. We’re on a routine survey mission taking us into the central astroid belt of the Solar System. Our ship is the *Hermes*, commanded by Commander Scott McNabb. He’s not an exactly dynamic commander, spending most of his time in his cabin. The ship is usually ran by the ship AI or rather QI, Aria. She usually has to remind her crew that she is a Quantum Intelligence and not just some Artificial Intelligence. That makes her almost sentient, but no one knows for sure.
Our other crew is Flight Officer Miranda Lee, Ship’s Engineer Cyrus Sanato and Dr. Steph Rayman, Ship’s Medical Doctor and lastly, Rick Marantz, former asteroid miner. They are at least involved in what they are supposed to do much more so than Commander McNabb. Why he is this way is a long story that you’ll get into during this book. It has to do with his Father and the Dyrell Labs. Still, the QI, Aria, has notified the commander that his presence is required on the bridge.
Scott manages to get himself out of bed and eventually stumbles to the bridge where the rest of his crew have already arrived and are busy doing their jobs. Scott asks the QI again why she woke him. She tells him that she has spotted another ship. That’s kind of unusual, but there could be asteroid miners floating around although seeing one in close proximity would be usual. They are pretty far into the belt and pretty far from everything else. Still, Aria says that the ship she has detected appears to be a derelict! Now, that gets Commander McNabb’s attention. Any derelict space ship could and would be considered salvage. He asks Aria to see if she can identify it.
The only information she has says it’s classified. That’s a little strange, but if it is derelict and no crew is alive aboard, his salvage claim will still be valid. The QI has notified Ceres HQ and they are awaiting more information. It eventually arrives. Ceres HQ which is paying for the five-year mission the Hermes is currently on, says that the ship is an Earth ship, “Bad Zheng”. Being an Earth ship, that raised the salvage value that much higher. Scott had told his crew about this potential big payday, but then they received more information from Ceres HQ. They were told to rendezvous with the derelict, board it and recover a specific cargo container. They were then to head back to Ceres at their fast speed. Their five-year mission had come to a screeching halt.
That didn’t really bother Scott or the crew, although they wanted to make sure they got paid for the full mission, but even if they just brought back this one cargo container, they still retained salvage rights tot he ship, classified or not. So, they got close to the derelict and were able to retrieve the mysterious container. It looked nothing like a normal shipping container and there didn’t appear to be anyway to open it. What they also soon found out was this container did contain something that was of great value when it was lost on its way to Europa.
That value hadn’t diminished one bit and while Scott and his crew hadn’t been talking to anyone except Ceres HQ, some how the information that they had this storage container had gotten out. Their trip back to Ceres HQ just got a whole lot more difficult. There suddenly appeared numerous other parties that wanted the container and they were not necessarily going to pay to get it. The Hermes soon was in a whole lot of trouble and eventually got hi-jacked by an unknown ship with a powerful plasma weapon. The Hermes was unarmed so it wasn’t much of a contest. The unknown ship headed off, but Aria was kind of able to track it and it appeared to be going to Neo City.
So, all the crew of the Hermes had to do was go to Neo City and retrieve their stolen cargo. Piece of cake, right? Not even close. So, this is where everything leads. The story is very interesting and has a lot of scientific stuff that adds well to the story. You’ll find out that Earth has had Armageddon, but at least not everyone was living on Earth when that took place. Now the place is one big corporation or more like seven big corporations one of which is Dyrell Labs.
This particular book is part of a six-book package I got from Amazon. Since each book is about the usual length of single books, I’m going to write my reviews on each one as I read them. I’ve already gotten started on Book 2, “Entropy”, and will probably continue reading all the books, in a row, maybe. Good reading to you.
Our other crew is Flight Officer Miranda Lee, Ship’s Engineer Cyrus Sanato and Dr. Steph Rayman, Ship’s Medical Doctor and lastly, Rick Marantz, former asteroid miner. They are at least involved in what they are supposed to do much more so than Commander McNabb. Why he is this way is a long story that you’ll get into during this book. It has to do with his Father and the Dyrell Labs. Still, the QI, Aria, has notified the commander that his presence is required on the bridge.
Scott manages to get himself out of bed and eventually stumbles to the bridge where the rest of his crew have already arrived and are busy doing their jobs. Scott asks the QI again why she woke him. She tells him that she has spotted another ship. That’s kind of unusual, but there could be asteroid miners floating around although seeing one in close proximity would be usual. They are pretty far into the belt and pretty far from everything else. Still, Aria says that the ship she has detected appears to be a derelict! Now, that gets Commander McNabb’s attention. Any derelict space ship could and would be considered salvage. He asks Aria to see if she can identify it.
The only information she has says it’s classified. That’s a little strange, but if it is derelict and no crew is alive aboard, his salvage claim will still be valid. The QI has notified Ceres HQ and they are awaiting more information. It eventually arrives. Ceres HQ which is paying for the five-year mission the Hermes is currently on, says that the ship is an Earth ship, “Bad Zheng”. Being an Earth ship, that raised the salvage value that much higher. Scott had told his crew about this potential big payday, but then they received more information from Ceres HQ. They were told to rendezvous with the derelict, board it and recover a specific cargo container. They were then to head back to Ceres at their fast speed. Their five-year mission had come to a screeching halt.
That didn’t really bother Scott or the crew, although they wanted to make sure they got paid for the full mission, but even if they just brought back this one cargo container, they still retained salvage rights tot he ship, classified or not. So, they got close to the derelict and were able to retrieve the mysterious container. It looked nothing like a normal shipping container and there didn’t appear to be anyway to open it. What they also soon found out was this container did contain something that was of great value when it was lost on its way to Europa.
That value hadn’t diminished one bit and while Scott and his crew hadn’t been talking to anyone except Ceres HQ, some how the information that they had this storage container had gotten out. Their trip back to Ceres HQ just got a whole lot more difficult. There suddenly appeared numerous other parties that wanted the container and they were not necessarily going to pay to get it. The Hermes soon was in a whole lot of trouble and eventually got hi-jacked by an unknown ship with a powerful plasma weapon. The Hermes was unarmed so it wasn’t much of a contest. The unknown ship headed off, but Aria was kind of able to track it and it appeared to be going to Neo City.
So, all the crew of the Hermes had to do was go to Neo City and retrieve their stolen cargo. Piece of cake, right? Not even close. So, this is where everything leads. The story is very interesting and has a lot of scientific stuff that adds well to the story. You’ll find out that Earth has had Armageddon, but at least not everyone was living on Earth when that took place. Now the place is one big corporation or more like seven big corporations one of which is Dyrell Labs.
This particular book is part of a six-book package I got from Amazon. Since each book is about the usual length of single books, I’m going to write my reviews on each one as I read them. I’ve already gotten started on Book 2, “Entropy”, and will probably continue reading all the books, in a row, maybe. Good reading to you.
November 1, 2020
I received this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
Entanglement is book one in The Belt series, written by Gerald M. Kilby and narrated by Steven Jay Cohen. It follows Commander Scott McNabb and his crew. The characters are full of personality, the story is entertaining and there are plenty of twists and turns. Although it remains somewhat simplistic and shallow throughout, it makes for an engrossing adventure. And Cohen is the perfect narrator for the job.
Over the course of the roughly six and a half hour book, Scott and his crew explore new regions, run from bandits and fight for survival, He commands the Hermes, and his crew includes a washed up marine, a doctor, an engineer, a mechanic and a Quantum Intelligence (AI). The characters are all unique and vibrant. They regularly spar with Scott, and they never take an order without sharing their opinions. Although the relationships between each character are certainly compelling, Scott is the only one who gets a solid backstory. Despite this, Aria, the Quantum Intelligence, is the strongest character in the book. She aides the crew in various ways, and her dialogue and convictions are fascinating. Her banter with the crew is excellent. The story itself moves quickly enough to remain interesting. The crew travels to the edges of the galaxy on a search and retrieve mission. Following a few setbacks, they travel to two distinct locations. Although it can seem somewhat predictable, Kilby tells a fresh story here.
Cohen is the perfect narrator for Entanglement. He speaks clearly and moves at a comfortable pace. His sentences flow in a rhythmic pattern, and he knows how to convey emotion. Kilby uses "said" frequently throughout the book to point to the speaker in each passage. However, Cohen uses a unique tone for each character, which makes this seem redundant. He does a great job with every aspect of his narration, and I'm eager to hear more of his work.
Kilby's written a fun, action-packed adventure. His characters are believable and likable, and his story never gets boring or convoluted. He does a fine job preparing the reader for book two, Cohen adds to the experience by using voices that expertly match characters and emotions that fit each situation. Overall, I highly recommend Entanglement.
Entanglement is book one in The Belt series, written by Gerald M. Kilby and narrated by Steven Jay Cohen. It follows Commander Scott McNabb and his crew. The characters are full of personality, the story is entertaining and there are plenty of twists and turns. Although it remains somewhat simplistic and shallow throughout, it makes for an engrossing adventure. And Cohen is the perfect narrator for the job.
Over the course of the roughly six and a half hour book, Scott and his crew explore new regions, run from bandits and fight for survival, He commands the Hermes, and his crew includes a washed up marine, a doctor, an engineer, a mechanic and a Quantum Intelligence (AI). The characters are all unique and vibrant. They regularly spar with Scott, and they never take an order without sharing their opinions. Although the relationships between each character are certainly compelling, Scott is the only one who gets a solid backstory. Despite this, Aria, the Quantum Intelligence, is the strongest character in the book. She aides the crew in various ways, and her dialogue and convictions are fascinating. Her banter with the crew is excellent. The story itself moves quickly enough to remain interesting. The crew travels to the edges of the galaxy on a search and retrieve mission. Following a few setbacks, they travel to two distinct locations. Although it can seem somewhat predictable, Kilby tells a fresh story here.
Cohen is the perfect narrator for Entanglement. He speaks clearly and moves at a comfortable pace. His sentences flow in a rhythmic pattern, and he knows how to convey emotion. Kilby uses "said" frequently throughout the book to point to the speaker in each passage. However, Cohen uses a unique tone for each character, which makes this seem redundant. He does a great job with every aspect of his narration, and I'm eager to hear more of his work.
Kilby's written a fun, action-packed adventure. His characters are believable and likable, and his story never gets boring or convoluted. He does a fine job preparing the reader for book two, Cohen adds to the experience by using voices that expertly match characters and emotions that fit each situation. Overall, I highly recommend Entanglement.
February 27, 2019
Review originally published at: http://www.lomeraniel.com/audiobookre...
The crew of the Hermes has a change of luck when they find a derelict vessel with a valuable and mysterious cargo. Scott McNabb and his four companions are instructed to take this cargo to a specific location but more parties are interested and will fight and even kill for it. The story is set in a distant future in which humanity has conquered the Solar System and AI's are a part of people's daily lives.
This space opera has been quite refreshing. It is an action-packed quest with a couple of twists and surprises along the way. I like when characters in a book are more than what they seem at first, and this is the case of captain McNabb. The rest of the characters are not so developed, but they play important roles in the story. There is also the AI of the ship, or more specifically, Quantum Intelligence, a special and evolved kind of AI.
It was a very entertaining story with some original elements that made it unique. I am curious about what they will find in Europa, and how the characters and story will evolve. I'm definitely listening to the rest of the series.
Steven Jay Cohen brought the characters to life with masterful interpretations. I always enjoy Cohen's narrations, because he knows how to transmit the characters' feelings, making them matter, and trapping me in the story.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The crew of the Hermes has a change of luck when they find a derelict vessel with a valuable and mysterious cargo. Scott McNabb and his four companions are instructed to take this cargo to a specific location but more parties are interested and will fight and even kill for it. The story is set in a distant future in which humanity has conquered the Solar System and AI's are a part of people's daily lives.
This space opera has been quite refreshing. It is an action-packed quest with a couple of twists and surprises along the way. I like when characters in a book are more than what they seem at first, and this is the case of captain McNabb. The rest of the characters are not so developed, but they play important roles in the story. There is also the AI of the ship, or more specifically, Quantum Intelligence, a special and evolved kind of AI.
It was a very entertaining story with some original elements that made it unique. I am curious about what they will find in Europa, and how the characters and story will evolve. I'm definitely listening to the rest of the series.
Steven Jay Cohen brought the characters to life with masterful interpretations. I always enjoy Cohen's narrations, because he knows how to transmit the characters' feelings, making them matter, and trapping me in the story.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
January 5, 2020
I hesitated before giving this five stars because I haven't quite finished it, and five stars should not be so easily awarded, but I have a feeling I have discovered something special. I might also be a touch slow on the uptake because it was not until reading this page on Goodreads.com that I recognised the author uses the initial M. for his middle name, and I am now wondering if Gerald M. Kilby writes non SiFi titles and omits that middle M. from the covers of such books, because there is more than hint of Iain M. Banks about Mr Kilby's writing style. The most obvious comparison with Iain M. Banks are the QIs (Quantum Intelligence) which communicate with each other with a dry humour reminiscent of Iain M. Banks Ship Minds. No one is going to fill the hole left by the desperately sad, and early, demise of Iain Banks, but I am hoping.... really hoping... that Gerald M. Kilby might eventually come close.
At this point I almost decided to revise my five star rating to four stars, because this is not as well written as any of the 'Culture World' books. The characters need a bit more fleshing out, and the story lines need to be a bit more 'out there', but I am pleased as heck to have discovered this author, and I have everything crossed hoping he gets ever closer to Iain M. Banks with his writing.
At this point I almost decided to revise my five star rating to four stars, because this is not as well written as any of the 'Culture World' books. The characters need a bit more fleshing out, and the story lines need to be a bit more 'out there', but I am pleased as heck to have discovered this author, and I have everything crossed hoping he gets ever closer to Iain M. Banks with his writing.
September 4, 2025
Can you say The Expanse?
Whether the author considers it a compliment, or not, this book is essentially this author’s attempt to write a book in the same space (sic.) as The Expanse (series). Intra-solar system conflict between factions, a ne’er-do-well crew on a somewhat “borrowed” spaceship, improbable distances covered too-quickly (with a less-convincing propulsion solution), shoot ‘em ups & situation escaped where the heroes improbably get away, a woman as the “tough guy”, and a crew leader who mostly wants to do the right thing but profit a little bit along the way..
Unfortunately, whether it is just because The Expanse explored that space so well, or this author isn’t as good as James S.A. Cory, this book felt a little flat to me, sufficiently so that I’m not inclined to proceed on with the next book in the series. It was fine, it was a page turner, but … not going on.
Whether the author considers it a compliment, or not, this book is essentially this author’s attempt to write a book in the same space (sic.) as The Expanse (series). Intra-solar system conflict between factions, a ne’er-do-well crew on a somewhat “borrowed” spaceship, improbable distances covered too-quickly (with a less-convincing propulsion solution), shoot ‘em ups & situation escaped where the heroes improbably get away, a woman as the “tough guy”, and a crew leader who mostly wants to do the right thing but profit a little bit along the way..
Unfortunately, whether it is just because The Expanse explored that space so well, or this author isn’t as good as James S.A. Cory, this book felt a little flat to me, sufficiently so that I’m not inclined to proceed on with the next book in the series. It was fine, it was a page turner, but … not going on.
June 17, 2019
This is a good believable sci fi story. Good characters also. I will read books two and three. The story is about a research vessel that discovers a derelict ship that had been lost for a long while. The crew is directed to retrieve an item from the ship and bring it back to Earth. But pirates high-jack their ship and take the item. So the crew decided to follow the trail of the pirates and take the item back. They do so and then are pursued by about a dozen ships that want to take the item. There is a fight for the item when the ship gets to its destination, Europa.
The story presents a different type artificial intelligence called Quantum intelligence which is far superior to regular artificial intelligence. Interesting concept and the basis for moving to books two and three.
The story presents a different type artificial intelligence called Quantum intelligence which is far superior to regular artificial intelligence. Interesting concept and the basis for moving to books two and three.
July 19, 2024
This is the first book in a very fun space opera series concerning the crew of the Hermes, who get embroiled in political fighting after they recover a mysterious quantum machine from an abandoned ship. This quantum machine would permit faster than light communications, a valuable commodity indeed. This is a relatively dysfunctional crew with a captain who would rather avoid his crew and responsibilities to the greatest degree an who lets management of the ship up to the Quantum Intelligence on the ship, Aria. Danger brings the crew together and they rise to the occasion. Well written, good characters with sufficient failings to make them feel fully human, and a believable story line kept my interest keen. This is more like the Expanse series, with harder science surrounding a purely human/political conflict. The Quantum Intelligence is wonderful.
April 28, 2023
What can go wrong with salvaging a derelict space freighter?
It has been a long time since I read a space based sci-fi thriller, and in the case of Entanglement I listened to a review copy of the audiobook version narrated by Seven Jay Cohen I received from Bookfunnel and chose to provide my review. Entanglement was a welcome change of pace in my reading/listening entertainment- the story grabbed my interest as soon as the crew found the derelict spacecraft. From that point on the story was filled with action, plenty of twists not to mention intrigue. The cast of characters including the quantum intelligences make for a motley crew who are quite entertaining and easy to like. Steven Cohen does an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life.
It has been a long time since I read a space based sci-fi thriller, and in the case of Entanglement I listened to a review copy of the audiobook version narrated by Seven Jay Cohen I received from Bookfunnel and chose to provide my review. Entanglement was a welcome change of pace in my reading/listening entertainment- the story grabbed my interest as soon as the crew found the derelict spacecraft. From that point on the story was filled with action, plenty of twists not to mention intrigue. The cast of characters including the quantum intelligences make for a motley crew who are quite entertaining and easy to like. Steven Cohen does an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life.
June 16, 2021
What a great storyline. To have the moon Ceres as your base. To have a scientific and peaceful community on Europa. Human settlements on Earth, Mars and in the Belt. Neo City, on the other hand is quite a different kettle. Then for the crew of the scientific survey vessel Hermes to find an old derelict out amongst the Belt, carrying on board a Quantum Intelligence that can provide real time communication from one end of the galaxy to the other. Now everyone is out trying to catch up to the Hermes and relieve them of their salvage. I just love story concepts like this and can't wait to start the second book in this series.
April 11, 2023
Excellent story about a crew working on a mundane science project out in the belt (surprise, surprise) and their finding and salvaging a mysterious piece of cargo.
I don't want to take the chance of giving away any further details of this incredibly entertaining, gripping story. I can't recommend this book too highly for people who enjoy the SciFi genre.
Kilby's Colony Mars series was so well written and adventurous throughout and having read only the first in this series, The Belt, I am hooked and now in the middle of book 2, Entropy, and can't believe I'm wasting time writing this when I could be reading.
I don't want to take the chance of giving away any further details of this incredibly entertaining, gripping story. I can't recommend this book too highly for people who enjoy the SciFi genre.
Kilby's Colony Mars series was so well written and adventurous throughout and having read only the first in this series, The Belt, I am hooked and now in the middle of book 2, Entropy, and can't believe I'm wasting time writing this when I could be reading.
August 21, 2025
This is the first book in a series of books about Commander Scott McNabb and his crew. They are three years into a dull five-year survey of the asteroid belt aboard the science vessel Hermes when they stumble upon a derelict spaceship orbiting a binary asteroid that contains an experimental quantum device originally bound for Europa. This discovery turns their quiet mission into a high-risk chase, as powerful factions realize the device could upend power dynamics across the colonized solar system. It is a pretty fast paced and enjoyable read where the author did a good job of thinking about the dynamics of the solar system politics.
July 6, 2020
This was a fun adventure with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing where we were going. I liked the characters and the QI was brilliant. There are hints at the wider Universe beyond and what is going on, without it going in to too much detail. I can’t really say that there’s anything amazingly original here, but it told a decent story that kept me entertained and the story is complete by the end of the book, with a hint of things to come. I might even pick up the next one somewhere down the line. It's enjoyable sci-fi.
July 28, 2025
I’ve read all of the Belt books, skipping pages looking for the next plot event buried in the boring dialogue and descriptions. A few interesting ideas.
Like all of Kilby’s books, repetitive and derivative. Kept having to skip over repeated descriptions of places and plot points. Often found myself thinking I was reading Star Wars or Star Trek fan fic. Characters were an amalgam of characters from those shows, and not very believable. So many plot points were completely unrealistic. I can suspend disbelief but….too much
Like all of Kilby’s books, repetitive and derivative. Kept having to skip over repeated descriptions of places and plot points. Often found myself thinking I was reading Star Wars or Star Trek fan fic. Characters were an amalgam of characters from those shows, and not very believable. So many plot points were completely unrealistic. I can suspend disbelief but….too much
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