Transition

by Erik A. Otto

From the author of Detonation (named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2018) comes Transition, a 16,000 word science fiction short story set in an enclosed city that is besieged by an endless war. It follows Alder and Lena, who both want a family. Their only option is to have lacrotic children; precious gifts that come with an expiry date. They struggle to maintain hope and dream of escaping to the stars as the transition looms ever closer.

45 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2019

About the author

Erik A. Otto is a former healthcare industry executive, now turned science fiction author. His works include A Toxic Ambition, Detonation, Proliferation, Falcon Fire, and the Tale of Infidels series. Detonation has been named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2018, and is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for 2018. More information about his novels can be found at the following link:

https://www.erik-a-otto.com/eaonovels/

Erik's works of fiction expose the impact of cultural and technological themes on society in a number of futuristic and otherworldly settings. He focuses on delivering intricate plotting, engaging characters and action-driven story telling to immerse the reader in thought-provoking events and circumstances.

In addition to writing, Erik is currently serving as the Managing Director of Ethagi Inc., an organization dedicated to promoting the safe and ethical use of artificial general intelligence technologies. He lives in Victoria, BC, with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Hugo S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci-fi at its bes!!!

The novel's title does not beg for much but once I started reading it I could not stop, my only complaint perhaps if I were to be honest is that it's too short, it left me wanting more I feel that it could've gone on just a tad further but as short as it is I enjoyed it very much--well done!

[Angela Lambkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard book to set aside till you have finished reading it.

The suspense.
Foranyone who enjoys a Sci-fi futuristic way one might be able to adopt children.
I enjoyed this and found it difficult not to return back to this story when I had to take breaks from it because I am a writer of Sci-fi but using animals as my top main characters instead.

[Alicia Grez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable science-fiction short story. The plot was well thought out and very well written. Unfortunately it was too short for me to truly attach to any of the characters, especially Lena. I would have liked more detail on the development of the lacrotic children, Remi and Ben. I would have also enjoyed more back story related to the war. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, which tied all curious clips of the story line together. I found myself wanting more when Lena had her episode and was carried off by the medics. Lastly, I was admittedly moved by the final moments between Alder and Remi, it brought home the importance of protecting Remi and Ben from the truth about transition. I plan on re-reading this in the future to capture any details I may have over looked. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Note: I received a copy of this by way of a Goodreads giveaways.

[Kevin Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written book that could be read in one sitting. The only problem I had with it is that I wanted more! I wanted to learn more about the characters and their background and the stuff that happens before the war but how much can I expect from such a short read? In the end of it all I really enjoyed the book and hope to see more in the future!


P.S. I'm still not sure what lacrotic means.

[Frank Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking, but took some getting into.

This short book has been sitting on my to-read list for a while. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it, but I can see why it took so long to get to the top. At heart it is a scientific mystery story, which leaves the reader to puzzle out what is going on, and what it all means, both for the characters and for humanity as a whole. A frustrating puzzle, to be sure, but one which was worth solving in the end.

[Joan Lloyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, I didn't get it. I kept reading, it's very short, hoping it would all make sense. It didn't