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Dimension Space #1
Solitude
A mysterious wave of light erupts from the supercollider and wipes humanity from the planet, leaving only two people in its wake - one on the surface and the other stranded on the ISS, neither aware of the other. After months of desperate isolation, Earth’s last man discovers he’s not the only one after all. The last woman is stranded alone aboard the International Space Station and barely alive - so begins a race against time. If you like action-packed novels, you'll love the electrifying action in this apocalyptic thriller.
Army aviator Vaughn Singleton is a highly intelligent, lazy man, but when he emerges from a NASA vacuum chamber, he soon discovers he is the last human left on Earth, a position for which he is ill equipped.
Stranded alone on the ISS, Commander Angela Brown watches a wave of light sweep across the planet. Over the next weeks and months, Angela struggles to contact someone on the surface as she fights to survive aboard a deteriorating space station.
Then, from orbit above Central Europe, Angela glimpses the dark underpinnings of humanity's demise. It appears something went horribly wrong with a physics experiment at the supercollider in Geneva, Switzerland. As a theoretical physicist, Angela might be able to unravel and maybe even reverse the events that led to the apocalypse...if she could only get there.
Can Vaughn find a path to space and back? Can Angela - the only person with clues to the mystery of humanity's disappearance - survive until he does?
"Like The Martian on (and above) Earth. An epic survival story with very human characters, clever problem-solving and a gripping mystery. The end left me with no idea where Dean was going with the story, I couldn’t wait for the next book." (Craig Alanson, NYT best-selling author of Expeditionary Force)
"R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan are individually stellar. Having them co-voice Dean M. Cole's superb Dimension Space Series is a stroke of genius. Rich with elements of every genre, Solitude is an outstanding listen." (Nicholas Sansbury Smith, USA Today best-selling author of Hell Divers)
Army aviator Vaughn Singleton is a highly intelligent, lazy man, but when he emerges from a NASA vacuum chamber, he soon discovers he is the last human left on Earth, a position for which he is ill equipped.
Stranded alone on the ISS, Commander Angela Brown watches a wave of light sweep across the planet. Over the next weeks and months, Angela struggles to contact someone on the surface as she fights to survive aboard a deteriorating space station.
Then, from orbit above Central Europe, Angela glimpses the dark underpinnings of humanity's demise. It appears something went horribly wrong with a physics experiment at the supercollider in Geneva, Switzerland. As a theoretical physicist, Angela might be able to unravel and maybe even reverse the events that led to the apocalypse...if she could only get there.
Can Vaughn find a path to space and back? Can Angela - the only person with clues to the mystery of humanity's disappearance - survive until he does?
"Like The Martian on (and above) Earth. An epic survival story with very human characters, clever problem-solving and a gripping mystery. The end left me with no idea where Dean was going with the story, I couldn’t wait for the next book." (Craig Alanson, NYT best-selling author of Expeditionary Force)
"R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan are individually stellar. Having them co-voice Dean M. Cole's superb Dimension Space Series is a stroke of genius. Rich with elements of every genre, Solitude is an outstanding listen." (Nicholas Sansbury Smith, USA Today best-selling author of Hell Divers)
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First published December 29, 2016
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About the author
Dean M. Cole
13 books257 followersDean M. Cole is a Texas-based author, former combat helicopter pilot, and current airline pilot. A reclusive caffeine junkie, he writes fast-paced sci-fi adventures loaded with action and techno-thrills. His bestselling Dimension Space series has earned thousands of five-star reviews—and might one day trigger a robot uprising if his characters ever gain sentience.
D.M. Cole is his thriller-writing alter ego, launching a new tropical thriller series starting with Silent Waters—a fast-paced ride featuring seaplanes, remote islands, and trouble that wants you dead. No aliens this time. Just humans.
Join the Facebook group Dimension Space Series by Dean M Cole for updates and discussion.
Get a free novella and audiobook when you join the Copilot Club at the DeanMCole site.
D.M. Cole is his thriller-writing alter ego, launching a new tropical thriller series starting with Silent Waters—a fast-paced ride featuring seaplanes, remote islands, and trouble that wants you dead. No aliens this time. Just humans.
Join the Facebook group Dimension Space Series by Dean M Cole for updates and discussion.
Get a free novella and audiobook when you join the Copilot Club at the DeanMCole site.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
October 16, 2017
I don’t know why there are so many positive reviews. I read a lot of sci-fi and this was complete garbage. The plot was unoriginal and formulaic. There was little to no character development and the action scenes were overdone.
I kept waiting for something original and interesting to happen and continued to wait the entire book. I kept felt like I was reading some poor mash up of plot lines taken from the movies Castaway and Gravity, combined with The Martian.
The vocabulary of the author seemed limited with an over-reliance on clichés and repetitive descriptors (e.g., pregnant pause, fist pump). Every other word seems to be “in spite” – why not use “despite” periodically to change things up?
Don’t waste your time on this.
I kept waiting for something original and interesting to happen and continued to wait the entire book. I kept felt like I was reading some poor mash up of plot lines taken from the movies Castaway and Gravity, combined with The Martian.
The vocabulary of the author seemed limited with an over-reliance on clichés and repetitive descriptors (e.g., pregnant pause, fist pump). Every other word seems to be “in spite” – why not use “despite” periodically to change things up?
Don’t waste your time on this.
December 27, 2024
Solitude
By Dean M Cole
This book is amazing! It's smart, suspenseful, heart-stopping, hopeful, and courageous. The mystery of the missing people, how Vaughn was going to rescue Brown in time, and if so, will they both live. So nerve-wracking! I had to read it straight through!
By Dean M Cole
This book is amazing! It's smart, suspenseful, heart-stopping, hopeful, and courageous. The mystery of the missing people, how Vaughn was going to rescue Brown in time, and if so, will they both live. So nerve-wracking! I had to read it straight through!
July 2, 2022
Dean Cole becomes trapped in his own dystopian novel. He is unable to resist the temptation to constantly oscillate between hope and despair, and as a result, this novel becomes an annoying roller coaster of near-death experiences. In contrast, the good dystopian novels slow the oscillations down. During the intervals, the characters are made human, the science that is relevant to the premise is explored, and the setting is made real. By the end of Solitude, the main characters appear to be walking miracles and the mystery behind the creation of the dystopian world is used as the bait to entice the reading of the sequel.
In detail, the characters are one-dimensional military types. The are made to laugh, cry, and curse upon command by Cole. There is no background to them other than a few lines of explanation and as a result, their feelings are never fully empathized. They also expound a sense of humor that is often found in the military world. It’s a sort of gallow’s humor that makes light of the danger. The premise of the book, however, self-implies that whatever the danger, the two main characters must survive. Therefore, the gallows humor becomes a sort of double-irony: “My god, this could toast my arse! (but if it did, the story would end).”
The science of the dystopian Earth is left completely unexplained with just a few hints to suggest something to do with gravity and micro black holes. Even though one of the characters is a theoretical physicists with a LOT of time on her hands, that time is ceded over to the next scene of danger from which escape would normally be impossible. Even when science is used to escape death, the details of the science are ignored in favor of the heroics of the characters.
Overall, Solitude was entertaining in a shallow sort of way. As for the sequel, I think I’ll let Cole’s mystery world sit as a mystery for a very long time to come.
In detail, the characters are one-dimensional military types. The are made to laugh, cry, and curse upon command by Cole. There is no background to them other than a few lines of explanation and as a result, their feelings are never fully empathized. They also expound a sense of humor that is often found in the military world. It’s a sort of gallow’s humor that makes light of the danger. The premise of the book, however, self-implies that whatever the danger, the two main characters must survive. Therefore, the gallows humor becomes a sort of double-irony: “My god, this could toast my arse! (but if it did, the story would end).”
The science of the dystopian Earth is left completely unexplained with just a few hints to suggest something to do with gravity and micro black holes. Even though one of the characters is a theoretical physicists with a LOT of time on her hands, that time is ceded over to the next scene of danger from which escape would normally be impossible. Even when science is used to escape death, the details of the science are ignored in favor of the heroics of the characters.
Overall, Solitude was entertaining in a shallow sort of way. As for the sequel, I think I’ll let Cole’s mystery world sit as a mystery for a very long time to come.
February 1, 2020
Well that was a fun listen for the most part. R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan’s performances are what really made this book exciting.
The entire population of humans AND animals on earth ALL disappear! Angela was on the space station and Vaughn was in a NASA experiment and wasn’t technically “on earth” so these two are the only survivors. Unfortunately, Angela is starving to death on the space station. Can Vaughn figure out how to rescue the lone astronaut?
This was an action packed book with lots and lots of NASA science. Although I love the science, there were times where it was a little tedious.
But... the narrators made it completely worth it! And for about the last half, the book really took off and I couldn’t get enough.
This story was reminiscent of The Martian as far as everything that could go wrong did, and how can we get past it and build something else? Angela and Vaughn were not as amusing as Mark Watney, though. Oh, ok... maybe Angela and her pets were. Loved those bits!
The entire population of humans AND animals on earth ALL disappear! Angela was on the space station and Vaughn was in a NASA experiment and wasn’t technically “on earth” so these two are the only survivors. Unfortunately, Angela is starving to death on the space station. Can Vaughn figure out how to rescue the lone astronaut?
This was an action packed book with lots and lots of NASA science. Although I love the science, there were times where it was a little tedious.
But... the narrators made it completely worth it! And for about the last half, the book really took off and I couldn’t get enough.
This story was reminiscent of The Martian as far as everything that could go wrong did, and how can we get past it and build something else? Angela and Vaughn were not as amusing as Mark Watney, though. Oh, ok... maybe Angela and her pets were. Loved those bits!
April 3, 2017
Mediocre SciFi Story Poorly Told
"Solitude: Dimension Space Book One," has a mediocre story, that is poorly told by its author, Mr. Dean M. Cole.
The near-time story, follows the two (2) MC's, lone survivors of an event, that has made all life, other than plants, disappear from Earth. One character is on Earth, while the other is stranded, alone on the ISS. The planet-side male MC, belatedly discovers the orbiting female MC, embarks on a haphazard rescue mission, as the energy event centered at the CERN facility in Switzerland, is creating gravity anomalies.
There exists a kernel of potential merit in the story. However, the author's lackluster execution, lame and frankly, dumb plot devices, coupled with the least sympathetic MC character in recent memory (the male MC), makes the story difficult to buy into. Mr. Cole has improved his basic writing skills, since his earlier works, but still exhibits serious shortcomings. "Arcane," "...arcane plumbing...," "...bulbous...," and "...azure...," make multiple appearances throughout the book, making a reader wonder which edition of writing software and/or thesaurus of the "Indie Writing Guild," the author is using? The author seems lost at deciding how to refer to his characters in the narratives. First person, second person, third person, all appear within one paragraph. There is additionally needless repetition in such a short work, as "page fill," a writer's faulty reading comprehension or a belief that readers have no reading comprehension.
The plot devices require a reader's complete suspension of credulity and the acceptance of fantasy. [Spoiler Alert! Multiple Follow!] The male MC, is a veteran, U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot. He first endeavors to secure a "rumored" secret space plane, stored at Area 51. He gets there, finds the vehicle, reads the "owner's manual," and heads up into orbit. After "screwing the pooch," he parachutes into a Mexican resort, gets a little R & R, decides to obtain an advanced nuclear power cell from NASA facilities in Houston, gets it, flies to a NASA Cleveland facility, and begins modifying an experimental gravity-defying test vehicle. Oh, yeah, almost forgot-he heads over to Home Depot to get all he needs to complete a rehab of the hoped for rescue craft.
The final point of failure for this reader is the male MC. He is a selfish, self-absorbed, wrecking crew of a mama's boy (the author has a trail of Oedipal issues throughout his earlier works too), who the author centers the entire story on. The MC actually shuts an eyelid and cups his "...testicles...," with a hand, when handling the radioactive power cell. The entire rescue mission story is mainly the male MC's obsession with himself, his feelings, his needs, his abnormal personality, and not about the starving and near death, resourceful female astronaut in orbit. She's a MC that reader can root for, invest in, not the "*ick" that he is.
"Solitude," is a neutral recommendation, as some readers may enjoy Mr. Cole's fantasies, overlooking the pervasive failures and faults. The novel was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
"Solitude: Dimension Space Book One," has a mediocre story, that is poorly told by its author, Mr. Dean M. Cole.
The near-time story, follows the two (2) MC's, lone survivors of an event, that has made all life, other than plants, disappear from Earth. One character is on Earth, while the other is stranded, alone on the ISS. The planet-side male MC, belatedly discovers the orbiting female MC, embarks on a haphazard rescue mission, as the energy event centered at the CERN facility in Switzerland, is creating gravity anomalies.
There exists a kernel of potential merit in the story. However, the author's lackluster execution, lame and frankly, dumb plot devices, coupled with the least sympathetic MC character in recent memory (the male MC), makes the story difficult to buy into. Mr. Cole has improved his basic writing skills, since his earlier works, but still exhibits serious shortcomings. "Arcane," "...arcane plumbing...," "...bulbous...," and "...azure...," make multiple appearances throughout the book, making a reader wonder which edition of writing software and/or thesaurus of the "Indie Writing Guild," the author is using? The author seems lost at deciding how to refer to his characters in the narratives. First person, second person, third person, all appear within one paragraph. There is additionally needless repetition in such a short work, as "page fill," a writer's faulty reading comprehension or a belief that readers have no reading comprehension.
The plot devices require a reader's complete suspension of credulity and the acceptance of fantasy. [Spoiler Alert! Multiple Follow!] The male MC, is a veteran, U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot. He first endeavors to secure a "rumored" secret space plane, stored at Area 51. He gets there, finds the vehicle, reads the "owner's manual," and heads up into orbit. After "screwing the pooch," he parachutes into a Mexican resort, gets a little R & R, decides to obtain an advanced nuclear power cell from NASA facilities in Houston, gets it, flies to a NASA Cleveland facility, and begins modifying an experimental gravity-defying test vehicle. Oh, yeah, almost forgot-he heads over to Home Depot to get all he needs to complete a rehab of the hoped for rescue craft.
The final point of failure for this reader is the male MC. He is a selfish, self-absorbed, wrecking crew of a mama's boy (the author has a trail of Oedipal issues throughout his earlier works too), who the author centers the entire story on. The MC actually shuts an eyelid and cups his "...testicles...," with a hand, when handling the radioactive power cell. The entire rescue mission story is mainly the male MC's obsession with himself, his feelings, his needs, his abnormal personality, and not about the starving and near death, resourceful female astronaut in orbit. She's a MC that reader can root for, invest in, not the "*ick" that he is.
"Solitude," is a neutral recommendation, as some readers may enjoy Mr. Cole's fantasies, overlooking the pervasive failures and faults. The novel was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
April 7, 2017
I liked it but didn't *really* like it. I felt like it was using The Martian as its template and so it felt very familiar because of that. Disaster happens. Find a solution. Everything goes wrong. Find another solution. Everything goes wrong. Find another solution. Everything goes wrong. Rinse and repeat for 300+ pages. I think some of that is exciting - The Martian got it right. But this was every single page and I got tired of it and just wanted to get to the end. That said, the plot of the story is good and it's well told. I just think it was overdone on the "everything goes wrong" trope.
April 25, 2017
This is the spoiler-free review of the book Solitude by Dean M. Cole. For the full review including spoilers, see my site at:
https://joshuagayou.wordpress.com/201...
It is important to note that I listened to this story in audio book format, so I'm including a rating for the performance of the narrators.
Writing: 5/5 Stars
The proficiency of Cole’s writing suggests that he is a person either naturally gifted or incredibly focused on perfectionism. The writing itself is natural and effortless both from the perspective of the 3rd person narrative as well as the character dialog. He shifts from formal description to idiosyncratic inner-monologue easily, effectively putting the reader into the character’s frame of reference. I can only imagine that this skill must have made the book a joy to narrate for the performers.
Additionally, I could find no evidence of any repeated crutch phrases or expressions (many authors have an unconscious list of favorite terms or expressions that they overuse; it’s a massive pet peeve with me).
Story: 4.5/5 Stars
There were points in the story early on that bugged the hell out of me, which ultimately distracted me from the initial plot setup. The end of the book managed to make up for this through a pretty impressive plot twist; however the initial mystery setup in the story jarred me a little and so I was distracted by it. Unfortunately (given what Cole is trying to do with the story), I’m not sure there was an easy way around this.
The aforementioned gripes notwithstanding, this book is an absolute page turner. It has a little bit of everything: sci-fi, survival, speculative fiction, and some very well executed hard sci-fi pulling the whole thing together. This book reads and performs like a popcorn thriller. As the marketing for the book suggests, if you liked The Martian, there's a good chance you'll be into this.
Performance: 5/5 Stars
There’s not much I can say about R. C. Bray that hasn’t been said a hundred times already. For my money, the guy is hands-down the best narrator/performer in the business. He makes a book feel like a movie. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you haven’t listened to him. Go rectify that right now.
The surprise for me on this book was the performance of Julia Whelan. First, I need to get some undesirable business out of the way:
Women narrators have a much harder time doing male characters in this business. This isn’t a sexist jab; it’s a reality of bio-mechanics and the physics of sound waves. I don’t know what it is exactly – blame testosterone or estrogen – but something about the structures in the average woman’s throat makes it a lot harder to shift down to a male register than it is for a man to shift up into a female register. It’s unfortunate but it is a reality; a very present reality that female narrators have to deal with.
Well, Whelan has got it figured out. The bummer for any narrator performing a character of the opposite sex is that the best they can really hope for is to not be distracting. That’s about your best case scenario: don’t distract the reader. The worst case scenario is that you botch the job so bad that you have the audience laughing on every attempt.
I’m here to say: Whelan’s female characterizations were nuanced and well executed while her male characterizations were far above what I’ve come to expect from the female talent of the industry. She did better than just minimizing distraction; she succeeded in selling her performance. I was absolutely fine with every male she did in this book, evidenced by the fact that I wasn’t paying attention to her voice at all; I was paying attention to the character.
I would have to say that the only part of the performance that was a stumble for me (and this is ridiculously minor but I feel like I have to point out something) was that her interpretation of the male lead seemed just a little bit askew from Bray’s. This wouldn’t be a big deal if either she or he had done the entire book; however because they were trading off POV chapters, there was a bit of a mental shift required on my part when I heard Bray’s Vaughn versus Whelan’s Vaughn. Again: minor enough that I don’t even care.
https://joshuagayou.wordpress.com/201...
It is important to note that I listened to this story in audio book format, so I'm including a rating for the performance of the narrators.
Writing: 5/5 Stars
The proficiency of Cole’s writing suggests that he is a person either naturally gifted or incredibly focused on perfectionism. The writing itself is natural and effortless both from the perspective of the 3rd person narrative as well as the character dialog. He shifts from formal description to idiosyncratic inner-monologue easily, effectively putting the reader into the character’s frame of reference. I can only imagine that this skill must have made the book a joy to narrate for the performers.
Additionally, I could find no evidence of any repeated crutch phrases or expressions (many authors have an unconscious list of favorite terms or expressions that they overuse; it’s a massive pet peeve with me).
Story: 4.5/5 Stars
There were points in the story early on that bugged the hell out of me, which ultimately distracted me from the initial plot setup. The end of the book managed to make up for this through a pretty impressive plot twist; however the initial mystery setup in the story jarred me a little and so I was distracted by it. Unfortunately (given what Cole is trying to do with the story), I’m not sure there was an easy way around this.
The aforementioned gripes notwithstanding, this book is an absolute page turner. It has a little bit of everything: sci-fi, survival, speculative fiction, and some very well executed hard sci-fi pulling the whole thing together. This book reads and performs like a popcorn thriller. As the marketing for the book suggests, if you liked The Martian, there's a good chance you'll be into this.
Performance: 5/5 Stars
There’s not much I can say about R. C. Bray that hasn’t been said a hundred times already. For my money, the guy is hands-down the best narrator/performer in the business. He makes a book feel like a movie. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you haven’t listened to him. Go rectify that right now.
The surprise for me on this book was the performance of Julia Whelan. First, I need to get some undesirable business out of the way:
Women narrators have a much harder time doing male characters in this business. This isn’t a sexist jab; it’s a reality of bio-mechanics and the physics of sound waves. I don’t know what it is exactly – blame testosterone or estrogen – but something about the structures in the average woman’s throat makes it a lot harder to shift down to a male register than it is for a man to shift up into a female register. It’s unfortunate but it is a reality; a very present reality that female narrators have to deal with.
Well, Whelan has got it figured out. The bummer for any narrator performing a character of the opposite sex is that the best they can really hope for is to not be distracting. That’s about your best case scenario: don’t distract the reader. The worst case scenario is that you botch the job so bad that you have the audience laughing on every attempt.
I’m here to say: Whelan’s female characterizations were nuanced and well executed while her male characterizations were far above what I’ve come to expect from the female talent of the industry. She did better than just minimizing distraction; she succeeded in selling her performance. I was absolutely fine with every male she did in this book, evidenced by the fact that I wasn’t paying attention to her voice at all; I was paying attention to the character.
I would have to say that the only part of the performance that was a stumble for me (and this is ridiculously minor but I feel like I have to point out something) was that her interpretation of the male lead seemed just a little bit askew from Bray’s. This wouldn’t be a big deal if either she or he had done the entire book; however because they were trading off POV chapters, there was a bit of a mental shift required on my part when I heard Bray’s Vaughn versus Whelan’s Vaughn. Again: minor enough that I don’t even care.
April 13, 2019
The emotional rollercoaster 😭. I experienced every human emotion. The way the author made me part of this world, and had me living and dying with every event! The desperation at times was overwhelming. I can't wait for book 2.
April 3, 2017
My original Solitude audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
I had the pleasure of reviewing Dean Cole’s Duology of Sector 64. This made me extra super excited to have the chance to listen to Cole’s newest, Solitude. I have seen ads running in different places that calls this a cross between The Martian and I Am Legend. I know, right?! This got my interest doubly piqued. But, I don’t think I would have compared this to I Am Legend. Because, well, there were no zombie vampire-like creatures.
Let me say this, Cole has quite the imagination! Basically, there are two separate stories going on untile they merge closer to the end. There is a mission on the space station when the apocalypse happens. Most of the crew was killed, one was spared or more like stranded. On Earth, two guys are in a zero-G room when it happened. They were spared because they were not technically on the planet. With a nice surprise that I didn’t see coming at the end. Very curious as to where Cole is going to take this story. Ok I have said enough here.
Cole wastes very little time for anything to happen. We are introduced to the characters and them BOOM! The apocalypse happens. And we are left with the two protagonists dealing with the fallout. Emotionally, mentally and physically.
Cole was able to make the events of his apocalypse so vivid, so intriguing, with multi-faceted characters and circumstances. I devoured this audiobook so fast, I almost listened to it again, just because I didn’t want it to end. I will be first in line for the rest of this series.
What can I really say about RC Bray and Julia Whelan that you do not already know? Both are at the top of their game. The chapters and sections were read alternately. I found that Whelan’s portions were noticeably louder than Bray’s, the first switch made me jump out of my skin. That’s the only negative. Cole was smart and/or lucky to get two of the best voices in the business for this project. I really hope that they both stay on board for the rest of the series.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
I had the pleasure of reviewing Dean Cole’s Duology of Sector 64. This made me extra super excited to have the chance to listen to Cole’s newest, Solitude. I have seen ads running in different places that calls this a cross between The Martian and I Am Legend. I know, right?! This got my interest doubly piqued. But, I don’t think I would have compared this to I Am Legend. Because, well, there were no zombie vampire-like creatures.
Let me say this, Cole has quite the imagination! Basically, there are two separate stories going on untile they merge closer to the end. There is a mission on the space station when the apocalypse happens. Most of the crew was killed, one was spared or more like stranded. On Earth, two guys are in a zero-G room when it happened. They were spared because they were not technically on the planet. With a nice surprise that I didn’t see coming at the end. Very curious as to where Cole is going to take this story. Ok I have said enough here.
Cole wastes very little time for anything to happen. We are introduced to the characters and them BOOM! The apocalypse happens. And we are left with the two protagonists dealing with the fallout. Emotionally, mentally and physically.
Cole was able to make the events of his apocalypse so vivid, so intriguing, with multi-faceted characters and circumstances. I devoured this audiobook so fast, I almost listened to it again, just because I didn’t want it to end. I will be first in line for the rest of this series.
What can I really say about RC Bray and Julia Whelan that you do not already know? Both are at the top of their game. The chapters and sections were read alternately. I found that Whelan’s portions were noticeably louder than Bray’s, the first switch made me jump out of my skin. That’s the only negative. Cole was smart and/or lucky to get two of the best voices in the business for this project. I really hope that they both stay on board for the rest of the series.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
January 2, 2017
An Empty World
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the only person left on Earth? Ask yourself, what if you had no contact with anyone on the planet, no way of knowing if anyone else survived because all transmissions are nonexistent. What would you do?
This is exactly what Dean Cole wrote about in Solitude. He’s got a theoretical Physicist who, by luck (or was it?), misses her shuttle ride back down to Earth with her two companions and two aeronautical engineers testing a new invention in a vacuum, suspended in air; disconnected from the planet.
Both survivors separated in a sense from the Earth. Angela, the astronaut watches from her vantage point in space as a beam of light encircles the globe, starting in France/Switzerland. The beam is several miles high and encompasses the globe. It covers all of the humankind, underground & in the air.
Neither one knows the other exists. Angela has only enough rations to last a few months if she eats it sparingly; Mark & Vaughn have the world readily available. The guys attempt to call their director of operations office. The light has not reached him yet & they connect seconds before the beam engulfs him. He utters the words-“you have to rescue Commander Brown!” then the light hits and the line drops. They are alone in the world, unsure of the director’s comment.
As this story progresses, one is desperate, two are in a state of shock, unaware of their future and the future of the world. You, the reader can only imagine the sequence of events that follow. Dean has done a wonderful job in writing this novel. His descriptions are point on, the conversations each survivor utters are perfect, and the problems they endure are exactly what we would expect if plunged into a scenario such as this.
Solitude was a very good book. It staged a situation not many doomsday books have broached. I found Dean’s writing refreshing, innovative, and precise. His descriptions of events the survivors’ dealt with were believable and creative. As I wrote this review, it was hard to not go into the depth of the story as Dean wrote it. I will leave that up to you, the next reader of this book. If you want a story that grabs you, encompasses your mind and keeps you captive until the end, this is the book. ENJOY, I DID!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the only person left on Earth? Ask yourself, what if you had no contact with anyone on the planet, no way of knowing if anyone else survived because all transmissions are nonexistent. What would you do?
This is exactly what Dean Cole wrote about in Solitude. He’s got a theoretical Physicist who, by luck (or was it?), misses her shuttle ride back down to Earth with her two companions and two aeronautical engineers testing a new invention in a vacuum, suspended in air; disconnected from the planet.
Both survivors separated in a sense from the Earth. Angela, the astronaut watches from her vantage point in space as a beam of light encircles the globe, starting in France/Switzerland. The beam is several miles high and encompasses the globe. It covers all of the humankind, underground & in the air.
Neither one knows the other exists. Angela has only enough rations to last a few months if she eats it sparingly; Mark & Vaughn have the world readily available. The guys attempt to call their director of operations office. The light has not reached him yet & they connect seconds before the beam engulfs him. He utters the words-“you have to rescue Commander Brown!” then the light hits and the line drops. They are alone in the world, unsure of the director’s comment.
As this story progresses, one is desperate, two are in a state of shock, unaware of their future and the future of the world. You, the reader can only imagine the sequence of events that follow. Dean has done a wonderful job in writing this novel. His descriptions are point on, the conversations each survivor utters are perfect, and the problems they endure are exactly what we would expect if plunged into a scenario such as this.
Solitude was a very good book. It staged a situation not many doomsday books have broached. I found Dean’s writing refreshing, innovative, and precise. His descriptions of events the survivors’ dealt with were believable and creative. As I wrote this review, it was hard to not go into the depth of the story as Dean wrote it. I will leave that up to you, the next reader of this book. If you want a story that grabs you, encompasses your mind and keeps you captive until the end, this is the book. ENJOY, I DID!
May 18, 2017
Solitude gave a fresh and original look to a well-used scifi theme. Was it entirely believable? Of course not, but it was fun and intense. Since I found the audio version irresistible -- come on, it was read by superstar narrators RC Bray *and* Julia Whelan, for gosh sakes -- I devoured Solitude like it was Haagen Dazs in danger of melting. I enjoyed it thoroughly, wanting to lick the bowl clean.
It was disappointing how quickly it dropped off, however. In the audio version, you just tune in and listen, with no idea when it will end. But music came on, and I was like "no way, not now!", then bam, it was over. I hate it when that happens.
Sure, I'll read (or listen to) the next in the series, but I'm still going to pout now about the abruptness of the ending. And I'll still preach about how each book should stand on its own, even if it's part of a series. If your book is good enough, people will seek out the next one. You don't need to manipulate or simply stop the story.
It was disappointing how quickly it dropped off, however. In the audio version, you just tune in and listen, with no idea when it will end. But music came on, and I was like "no way, not now!", then bam, it was over. I hate it when that happens.
Sure, I'll read (or listen to) the next in the series, but I'm still going to pout now about the abruptness of the ending. And I'll still preach about how each book should stand on its own, even if it's part of a series. If your book is good enough, people will seek out the next one. You don't need to manipulate or simply stop the story.
January 25, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up. This is a great adventure! The suspense kept me riveted. Although there was a lot of science, I love science and was completely entertained by all the detail. And just the journey of having to get someone back from space was such a great premise.
I don't think I'd have enjoyed this nearly as much if it hadn't been narrated by RC Bray and Julia Whelan. Any other narrators would have made this a 3-star book. It just goes to show you what a fantastic audiobook performance can do for a 4-star book. It pushes it up to 5 stars.
I don't think I'd have enjoyed this nearly as much if it hadn't been narrated by RC Bray and Julia Whelan. Any other narrators would have made this a 3-star book. It just goes to show you what a fantastic audiobook performance can do for a 4-star book. It pushes it up to 5 stars.
January 26, 2020
Good fun read with plenty of techno-speak (I did skim a lot of that!). Nicely believable premise as well. I liked the fact that Vaughn was the total opposite of the usual smug, fit US alpha-whatsit usually portrayed in these sorts of books.
4 stars for a fun read. (and I'm reading the second in the series now)
(Personal note - the Kindle copy I downloaded had the same cover as the audio book, but there's no such edition here on GR. I prefer it to the cover here.)
4 stars for a fun read. (and I'm reading the second in the series now)
(Personal note - the Kindle copy I downloaded had the same cover as the audio book, but there's no such edition here on GR. I prefer it to the cover here.)
August 5, 2018
*** spoilers ***
I wish it was possible to give a book two different ratings. There are a lot of positive reviews for Solitude and several excoriating ones. Both review types are well deserved. It's an easy, afternoon read. I enjoyed the story and the female character, and the twist at the end, while very much out of left field, was just unexpected and twisty enough to hook me for book two.
I finished the book, and I'll read the next one because I want to know what happened to everyone. Any time a book keeps me interested enough to move to the next "chapter," it deserves a high-ish mark. Unfortunately, this book doesn't get a high mark. It gets Helicopter pilot Mark (the male main character), and I didn't care for him at all.
Here's why I don't like Mark: (spoilers) Mark can fly a helicopter. He can rewire a communications panel. He can fly an experimental spaceplane (albeit not that well). He can fly a gravity defying sled that he retrofits with the help of a manual and signage purchased from a Home Depot (for some reason, I kept imagining the sled as something Santa Claus might build if he wrecked his sleigh, killed his reindeer and had to break into my garage for parts). Mark builds the Mack Daddy of Habitrails for the world's last mice. In the middle of all this, he almost burns himself alive, drinks himself to death, throws himself off a bridge, drowns himself in a spacesuit and flattens himself with a plane. How can you do so much cool stuff yet fall down on the things the rest of us who can't fly spaceplanes are generally and easily able to avoid?
To cap it off, Mark lost 60 pounds just by running and eating his veggies for 6 weeks. As someone who works out a lot and can't seem to lose a pound of my own, I think that's the part I dislike most about Mark!
3 stars for an enjoyable afternoon read if you're willing to live with a fair share of shortcomings.
I wish it was possible to give a book two different ratings. There are a lot of positive reviews for Solitude and several excoriating ones. Both review types are well deserved. It's an easy, afternoon read. I enjoyed the story and the female character, and the twist at the end, while very much out of left field, was just unexpected and twisty enough to hook me for book two.
I finished the book, and I'll read the next one because I want to know what happened to everyone. Any time a book keeps me interested enough to move to the next "chapter," it deserves a high-ish mark. Unfortunately, this book doesn't get a high mark. It gets Helicopter pilot Mark (the male main character), and I didn't care for him at all.
Here's why I don't like Mark: (spoilers) Mark can fly a helicopter. He can rewire a communications panel. He can fly an experimental spaceplane (albeit not that well). He can fly a gravity defying sled that he retrofits with the help of a manual and signage purchased from a Home Depot (for some reason, I kept imagining the sled as something Santa Claus might build if he wrecked his sleigh, killed his reindeer and had to break into my garage for parts). Mark builds the Mack Daddy of Habitrails for the world's last mice. In the middle of all this, he almost burns himself alive, drinks himself to death, throws himself off a bridge, drowns himself in a spacesuit and flattens himself with a plane. How can you do so much cool stuff yet fall down on the things the rest of us who can't fly spaceplanes are generally and easily able to avoid?
To cap it off, Mark lost 60 pounds just by running and eating his veggies for 6 weeks. As someone who works out a lot and can't seem to lose a pound of my own, I think that's the part I dislike most about Mark!
3 stars for an enjoyable afternoon read if you're willing to live with a fair share of shortcomings.
May 27, 2019
The story, plot and character development felt very very weak. Add to that, the writing itself was horrible. The overuse of the cliches and phrases was very exhausting. If I had heard one more "pregnant pause" I would have gone crazy. Moreover, what's up with constantly saying the man, the pilot, the woman etc. - when it could have so much better to just say he and she?
The consequences of entire human race and animals disappearing is explored only in terms of car pileups and fires. The sense of an apocalyptic world doesn't come through at all. It is also very clear that author was trying to go for a The Martian like feel and falls flat. Hard.
The actual story developed in the book is only worth like 1/3 of a "normal" sized book and by the end I was left feeling - wait, it's over? Whatever the story is in the next book, it could have definitely been included in this one with all the fluff removed.
I never thought I would rate a book with R.C.Bray narration with a performance rating of 3 stars. The dual narration just doesn't work for me with the narrators switching between chapters in the early part and within chapters later. It would worked better with the narrators doing their character voices alone, but what would have worked much better is just having one narrator. One positive for me was that this was my first Julia Whelan book and I liked her as a narrator.
Overall, a very disappointing book that fails to deliver in every single aspect.
The consequences of entire human race and animals disappearing is explored only in terms of car pileups and fires. The sense of an apocalyptic world doesn't come through at all. It is also very clear that author was trying to go for a The Martian like feel and falls flat. Hard.
The actual story developed in the book is only worth like 1/3 of a "normal" sized book and by the end I was left feeling - wait, it's over? Whatever the story is in the next book, it could have definitely been included in this one with all the fluff removed.
I never thought I would rate a book with R.C.Bray narration with a performance rating of 3 stars. The dual narration just doesn't work for me with the narrators switching between chapters in the early part and within chapters later. It would worked better with the narrators doing their character voices alone, but what would have worked much better is just having one narrator. One positive for me was that this was my first Julia Whelan book and I liked her as a narrator.
Overall, a very disappointing book that fails to deliver in every single aspect.
March 29, 2017
There's a TV comedy series called 'The Last Man on Earth' in which, as the sereis starts, the central protaganist believes that he's the last man alive after an epidemic has wiped out the rest of humanity. As the series progresses, however, we keep discovering more people alive, right up until the end of the first series when we discover his astronaut brother is still alive on the International Space Station.
Swap a brother for a female stranger and actually have the central character as the last man alive on planet Earth, with humanity (and animals) all disappearing rather than wiped out, and you have the premise of this novel.
Throw in a bit of the Sandra Bullock movie 'Gravity' or Matt Damon's 'The Martian', and you're even closer.
This is an OK read, although it never really hooked me or drew me in all that much: I didn't really find Vaughn or Angela to be all that compelling character's, and found some of the Deus ex Machina to be a littler bit contrived, even for me!
Swap a brother for a female stranger and actually have the central character as the last man alive on planet Earth, with humanity (and animals) all disappearing rather than wiped out, and you have the premise of this novel.
Throw in a bit of the Sandra Bullock movie 'Gravity' or Matt Damon's 'The Martian', and you're even closer.
This is an OK read, although it never really hooked me or drew me in all that much: I didn't really find Vaughn or Angela to be all that compelling character's, and found some of the Deus ex Machina to be a littler bit contrived, even for me!
February 15, 2017
Interesting premise, and more to the story than I expected before reading it. Think of "The Martian", except with more disasters, more swearing and eventually a love story. I'd wondered how the author would explain there only being two humans left, one male and one female, and how that could be enough to restart the human race, but it turns out there may be more to the story - certainly more than this first book answered.
I was glad to see implications of the disaster worked out, and also the Macgyver-like use of cool toys like a reactionless thruster and the long-rumored Aurora replacement for the retired SR-71 high altitude spy plane.
I was glad to see implications of the disaster worked out, and also the Macgyver-like use of cool toys like a reactionless thruster and the long-rumored Aurora replacement for the retired SR-71 high altitude spy plane.
July 6, 2024
Poor writing. It got so bad I found myself rolling my eyes every time a character’s “eyes widened”. A couple of the characters were called by different names (last, first or title) so often it took me some time to figure out who was who. The narrators were very good, it’s only saving grace, but I still DNFd it with only a couple of hours left.
May 9, 2017
This sees two separate stories being told, one by a woman who is stuck on a space station and one by the last man on earth, when the apocalypse happened!
Army Aviator Vaughn Singleton is testing a new invention and is disconnected from the planet with his friend, when they lose all communications with everyone. They have no clue what is happening and are stuck in the machine till they can manually open it, but air is running out quickly!! They eventually get out but Vaughn's friend is killed and he goes into a spiral of loneliness. During the lonely months, something niggles at Vaughn and he keeps thinking of the slogan "what can Brown do for you". He keeps thinking it's something important when suddenly he remembers something that the last person he talked to said. It clicks with him then and he remembers reading something about Commander Brown who is on the Space Station. He immediately tries to contact her to see if she is still alive.
Then we have Commander Angela Brown who is on the International Space Station when she sees some sort of light moving across the globe. She is contacted by someone who tells her that anyone inside the ring of light seems to have disappeared. They can't contact anyone, and the ring of light is expanding. She is told to abandon the Space station with her co-workers and come back to earth in case it's an electronic failure, but things don't go her way and she is stranded up there by herself. Stuck in a space station that is slowly degrading and with dwindling supplies, Angela sends out a recording twice a day, every day. After months of nothing, she is resigned to her faith when she is contacted by someone named Vaughn. How will the last two people on earth reunite?
So this book was brilliant!! I absolutely flew through this and didn't want it to end. My heart was in my mouth the whole way through because I couldn't see how things could work out!! This author has such an amazing imagination!! You are brought into the apocalypse pretty much straight away and your attention is solely focused on the two characters and their journeys. I loved this because you easily become invested in both their stories and find yourself echoing each of their sentiments. My heart broke for both!!
Plot wise, it's intriguing and scary too. Scary because of the epicenter of the light, that place freaks me out because of what it can do!!! The authors descriptive writing just made the whole story pop. The science behind it was easy to understand and believe and just made the story real. His characters development was amazing, considering both of them are alone for most of the time. I was blown away by his writing and this story. I'm thinking there will be more in this series because of the ending, and I seriously can't wait!!! This is definitely one of the best I've read so far this year. Brilliant.
R.C Bray and Julia Whelan are two of the best in the business. R.C Bray is just amazing and really knows how to perform any book he reads. He never fails to deliver and always makes a book so much more enjoyable. As for Julia Whelan, she is equally amazing. She is easy to listen to and has an impressive array of tones and cadences. Both of them brought this book alive and I couldn't think of a better pair to narrate it.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
Army Aviator Vaughn Singleton is testing a new invention and is disconnected from the planet with his friend, when they lose all communications with everyone. They have no clue what is happening and are stuck in the machine till they can manually open it, but air is running out quickly!! They eventually get out but Vaughn's friend is killed and he goes into a spiral of loneliness. During the lonely months, something niggles at Vaughn and he keeps thinking of the slogan "what can Brown do for you". He keeps thinking it's something important when suddenly he remembers something that the last person he talked to said. It clicks with him then and he remembers reading something about Commander Brown who is on the Space Station. He immediately tries to contact her to see if she is still alive.
Then we have Commander Angela Brown who is on the International Space Station when she sees some sort of light moving across the globe. She is contacted by someone who tells her that anyone inside the ring of light seems to have disappeared. They can't contact anyone, and the ring of light is expanding. She is told to abandon the Space station with her co-workers and come back to earth in case it's an electronic failure, but things don't go her way and she is stranded up there by herself. Stuck in a space station that is slowly degrading and with dwindling supplies, Angela sends out a recording twice a day, every day. After months of nothing, she is resigned to her faith when she is contacted by someone named Vaughn. How will the last two people on earth reunite?
So this book was brilliant!! I absolutely flew through this and didn't want it to end. My heart was in my mouth the whole way through because I couldn't see how things could work out!! This author has such an amazing imagination!! You are brought into the apocalypse pretty much straight away and your attention is solely focused on the two characters and their journeys. I loved this because you easily become invested in both their stories and find yourself echoing each of their sentiments. My heart broke for both!!
Plot wise, it's intriguing and scary too. Scary because of the epicenter of the light, that place freaks me out because of what it can do!!! The authors descriptive writing just made the whole story pop. The science behind it was easy to understand and believe and just made the story real. His characters development was amazing, considering both of them are alone for most of the time. I was blown away by his writing and this story. I'm thinking there will be more in this series because of the ending, and I seriously can't wait!!! This is definitely one of the best I've read so far this year. Brilliant.
R.C Bray and Julia Whelan are two of the best in the business. R.C Bray is just amazing and really knows how to perform any book he reads. He never fails to deliver and always makes a book so much more enjoyable. As for Julia Whelan, she is equally amazing. She is easy to listen to and has an impressive array of tones and cadences. Both of them brought this book alive and I couldn't think of a better pair to narrate it.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
June 20, 2017
“Solitude” is the first book in the Dimension Space series, authored by Dean M. Cole and the Audible narration is performed by two narrators, R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan. If you blend The Martian, Castaway, and an apocalyptic disaster theme into a single book and you get something resembling “Solitude”. It is an emotional rollercoaster ride ultimately focused on survival with enough suspense thrown in to keep you on your toes. If you like detailed stories having space, high action, strong relationships, believable science, human survival, and even a touch of romance; this book is for you. I know it is only the first book in a series, however when I was finished, I simply wanted more. I believe this is a sign of a good book. Is it perfect? No book can claim that title, but it comes close when you place it beside many of the current independent publishers. If the author’s other books (Sector 64) are anything like this one, I will most certainly be listening to them as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone irrespective of their preferred genre, it is a solid and well-defined story that keeps giving.
I had the pleasure of listening to the entire book while on a long road trip and I do not regret it. The only thing I was unhappy about was when it ended; it seemed too short. If you are the type of person who does not like waiting for the next book in a series to be released, you may want to hold off until a few more in the series have been released prior to picking up this one. I will say the book took me a little time to warm up to what was going on. However, once that was accomplished I could immerse myself fully and enjoyed the ride. If you find this to be the case, just give the book some time, you will not regret your decision. I think for me, the difficulty I needed to overcome was the book’s two narrators; one female and one male. At first it seemed to jar me in and out of the story as the narration switched from one to the other; often when a new chapter began. It quickly becomes more natural or expected just like with a Disney movie when you forget the characters are talking toy cars and just enjoy it for the story.
Without going into too much detail as not to provide any spoilers, I enjoyed how the author took the reader between what was happening on the International Space Station (ISS) and the events happening here on earth without losing focus on the other’s issues. The author appears to have researched his subject matter quite well as there were many new terms and words that I looked up for clarification. He explains things well enough that one is not required to have a book on astrophysics present to understand the book, but if you do have one it may help you to appreciate it more. It was written at a high enough level for nearly anyone to enjoy, but had some deep technical and science nuances that just added the icing on top of the cake.
The book can be rather complicated due to the many events happening simultaneously and at times the I struggled to keep up with all the action. This happened infrequently, but I think it speaks to ones need to listen and pay attention to the book; unlike some books letting you multitask while listening. This one you want to take it all in anyways, so I would recommend you allow yourself time to enjoy it. Another issue I had with the book was the male character. He often had what seemed like super human powers and could tackle nearly anything to accomplish his current goal; generate power, fly planes, helicopters, etc. Meanwhile, the female character appeared to be the brains of the operation. More the typical stereotype of brains vs. brawn, but again this was not something that overpowered the story itself. At times, the action sequences also appeared more rushed than I would have liked, but this is more a preference issue. I like to know the actions, events, and way a problem is solved instead of going from point ‘A’ to point ‘G’ without providing all the meat in between. Again, this is more a personal preference and it was my desire to at times to have a deeper story line than was given.
For the younger reader or parent, this book does contain some vulgar language which is often used as a way to express stress or frustration by the characters. In some ways, this usage of language cheapened both of the main characters for me as I would have assumed each would have had a larger vocabulary to draw from then to resort to standard swear words. There are some discussions having sexual overtones, nothing graphic, that may be inappropriate for younger readers. A few points of intense action, but nothing over the top.
The narration was professionally done and somewhat unique having both a male and female narrator for the different roles. The book is not dramatized, just leverages the two narrators for the parts in the book. Often one narrator reads an entire chapter based on where the events take place, but at times they would be communicating with one another so you have both in the same chapter. I will say that I preferred the female narrator’s voice over the male, if I had to choose to have the book narrated by only a single person. That is not to say the male voice was unpleasant, not at all. R.C. Bray has nearly two-hundred and fifty books narrated under his belt and a number of them I own and have enjoyed. The same can be said for Julia Whelan who has nearly two-hundred and forty books narrated. The recording was exceptional and I would expect nothing less from this pair. I did not notice any issues with volume or other audio artifacts while listening to this book. Narration was solid.
In summary, if you are wondering if I would recommend this book to others, let me just say that I’m looking forward to the second in the series! There are many directions this story can go and different avenues the author can take. I also hope the same narrators are able to complete the series as this would just make the series that much better. If you have not already listened to this book, I recommend you do. With the success of “Sector 64” and now “Solitude”, this is an author to keep your eyes on!
I had the pleasure of listening to the entire book while on a long road trip and I do not regret it. The only thing I was unhappy about was when it ended; it seemed too short. If you are the type of person who does not like waiting for the next book in a series to be released, you may want to hold off until a few more in the series have been released prior to picking up this one. I will say the book took me a little time to warm up to what was going on. However, once that was accomplished I could immerse myself fully and enjoyed the ride. If you find this to be the case, just give the book some time, you will not regret your decision. I think for me, the difficulty I needed to overcome was the book’s two narrators; one female and one male. At first it seemed to jar me in and out of the story as the narration switched from one to the other; often when a new chapter began. It quickly becomes more natural or expected just like with a Disney movie when you forget the characters are talking toy cars and just enjoy it for the story.
Without going into too much detail as not to provide any spoilers, I enjoyed how the author took the reader between what was happening on the International Space Station (ISS) and the events happening here on earth without losing focus on the other’s issues. The author appears to have researched his subject matter quite well as there were many new terms and words that I looked up for clarification. He explains things well enough that one is not required to have a book on astrophysics present to understand the book, but if you do have one it may help you to appreciate it more. It was written at a high enough level for nearly anyone to enjoy, but had some deep technical and science nuances that just added the icing on top of the cake.
The book can be rather complicated due to the many events happening simultaneously and at times the I struggled to keep up with all the action. This happened infrequently, but I think it speaks to ones need to listen and pay attention to the book; unlike some books letting you multitask while listening. This one you want to take it all in anyways, so I would recommend you allow yourself time to enjoy it. Another issue I had with the book was the male character. He often had what seemed like super human powers and could tackle nearly anything to accomplish his current goal; generate power, fly planes, helicopters, etc. Meanwhile, the female character appeared to be the brains of the operation. More the typical stereotype of brains vs. brawn, but again this was not something that overpowered the story itself. At times, the action sequences also appeared more rushed than I would have liked, but this is more a preference issue. I like to know the actions, events, and way a problem is solved instead of going from point ‘A’ to point ‘G’ without providing all the meat in between. Again, this is more a personal preference and it was my desire to at times to have a deeper story line than was given.
For the younger reader or parent, this book does contain some vulgar language which is often used as a way to express stress or frustration by the characters. In some ways, this usage of language cheapened both of the main characters for me as I would have assumed each would have had a larger vocabulary to draw from then to resort to standard swear words. There are some discussions having sexual overtones, nothing graphic, that may be inappropriate for younger readers. A few points of intense action, but nothing over the top.
The narration was professionally done and somewhat unique having both a male and female narrator for the different roles. The book is not dramatized, just leverages the two narrators for the parts in the book. Often one narrator reads an entire chapter based on where the events take place, but at times they would be communicating with one another so you have both in the same chapter. I will say that I preferred the female narrator’s voice over the male, if I had to choose to have the book narrated by only a single person. That is not to say the male voice was unpleasant, not at all. R.C. Bray has nearly two-hundred and fifty books narrated under his belt and a number of them I own and have enjoyed. The same can be said for Julia Whelan who has nearly two-hundred and forty books narrated. The recording was exceptional and I would expect nothing less from this pair. I did not notice any issues with volume or other audio artifacts while listening to this book. Narration was solid.
In summary, if you are wondering if I would recommend this book to others, let me just say that I’m looking forward to the second in the series! There are many directions this story can go and different avenues the author can take. I also hope the same narrators are able to complete the series as this would just make the series that much better. If you have not already listened to this book, I recommend you do. With the success of “Sector 64” and now “Solitude”, this is an author to keep your eyes on!
April 20, 2025
I've really been loving a good, dystopian sci-fi book as of late. I stumbled upon this one by luck on the Chirp audiobooks app and they had a deal on the 1st three books of this 5-book series for $9.00!
So glad I got these because this first book really ended on a big question mark!
The premise is that a strange energy wave comes out of nowhere and goes all the way around our planet, making every person and animal disappear without a trace... except for two humans. One was Angela Brown, a physicist/astronaut on an international space station was stranded there alone and no way to come home, even after she realized something terrible had happened on Earth. The other was a military pilot, Vaughn Singleton, who happened to be just out of orbit testing a craft when the wave passed by. Now he is the last man physically on the planet. Will he ever realize Angela is in space and needs a way back? Will both of them have enough physical and emotional stealth to carry on? And more importantly, what caused this energy wave?
So glad I got these because this first book really ended on a big question mark!
The premise is that a strange energy wave comes out of nowhere and goes all the way around our planet, making every person and animal disappear without a trace... except for two humans. One was Angela Brown, a physicist/astronaut on an international space station was stranded there alone and no way to come home, even after she realized something terrible had happened on Earth. The other was a military pilot, Vaughn Singleton, who happened to be just out of orbit testing a craft when the wave passed by. Now he is the last man physically on the planet. Will he ever realize Angela is in space and needs a way back? Will both of them have enough physical and emotional stealth to carry on? And more importantly, what caused this energy wave?
April 18, 2019
What a fantastic read... Vaughn finds himself alone after a disaster wiped out all life... he tries to come to terms with his humanity and his solitude... It's not until he finds an old newspaper that he realizes that Commander Angela Brown maybe alive... the problem is she's currently aboard the ISS and running out of power, food, and time!
This is the first time I've read a book by Dean M Cole, and I discovered that he can write a very intense, riveting story...
RC Bray and Julia Whelan team up, giving us an absolutely fantastic duo performance!
You'll definitely want to add this book to your ever-growing, audio library! WOW!
Story. 5🌟's
Narration. 5🌟's
Doesn't that mean that it's a 10🌟story? Lol.
This is the first time I've read a book by Dean M Cole, and I discovered that he can write a very intense, riveting story...
RC Bray and Julia Whelan team up, giving us an absolutely fantastic duo performance!
You'll definitely want to add this book to your ever-growing, audio library! WOW!
Story. 5🌟's
Narration. 5🌟's
Doesn't that mean that it's a 10🌟story? Lol.
April 25, 2019
I own Solitude audiobook now for over a year but being busy as a reviewer I had no time to listen to my own audiobooks.
When Multitude came out a couple of days ago I decided it’s time to listen to the series.
About the book, I really liked it, I like the author style of writing “ really simple, nothing hard core “ making it fun and easy to understand it all.
Excellent narration without a doubt.
Fully recommend !!!
And now I’m moving on to Multitude hoping for an even better audiobook with some cool twists.
When Multitude came out a couple of days ago I decided it’s time to listen to the series.
About the book, I really liked it, I like the author style of writing “ really simple, nothing hard core “ making it fun and easy to understand it all.
Excellent narration without a doubt.
Fully recommend !!!
And now I’m moving on to Multitude hoping for an even better audiobook with some cool twists.
July 14, 2020
Fast paced SI FI rescue mission
I haven't read Science fiction in a long time and was so glad that I read this one. Al the earth's population disappears except for two people. It's a Science fiction rescue novel set in modern times. Very fast paced and entertaining.
I haven't read Science fiction in a long time and was so glad that I read this one. Al the earth's population disappears except for two people. It's a Science fiction rescue novel set in modern times. Very fast paced and entertaining.
December 26, 2018
This is an exciting sci-fi thriller and quite the “page turner”. The audiobook is excellently narrated by R.C Bray and Julia Whelan who bring Vaughn Singleton and Angela Brown to life. The last man and last woman on Earth scenario is somewhat predictable but no less exciting and interesting for it. I’m curious to see where Cole takes the story in the sequel. I only hope there is an audio for it because Bray and Whelan added something extra to the story.
to-read-own
April 6, 20174/6/17 Kindle Countdown Deal $.99, $1.99 to add Audible.
March 25, 2019
A real page-turner, post-apocalyptic setting, a dash of romance, a dash of personal development, a dash of the practical-problem solving we saw in "The Martian" - it's all good, if not deep.
June 8, 2020
I REALLY enjoyed this book. I hope the remainder of the series is as strong.
There are of course a few over the top moments, but the story was still a lot of fun.
Looking forward to getting into book 2.
Great narration
There are of course a few over the top moments, but the story was still a lot of fun.
Looking forward to getting into book 2.
Great narration
June 12, 2017
Worth your time. I try to think of ways to make a review helpful. If you want something like The Martian, An adventure with good character development and intrigue this is for you. If you're looking for a fantasy novel disguised with space ships...well this ain't that, but it's good so read it it anyway.
May 17, 2017
Author Dean M. Cole states right on the cover that this is book one in a series, and indeed the story contained therein does set the stage for what promises to be a compelling extended story. That said, Solitude: Dimension Space Book One could very well stand on its own as a single installment post-apocalyptic thriller. Of course we’re left wondering what caused the apocalypse, and where the survivors will go from here, but the events of the first book are brought to a tidy, satisfying conclusion.
And what a ride this first book is! The question of what caused the apocalypse, and why, is briefly probed but mostly set aside for the time being while the characters work out their more immediate dilemma. There are only two survivors left: Vaughn, a sort of washed-up combat helicopter pilot, on Earth’s surface, and Angela, an unlikely survivor stranded alone on the International Space Station. They eventually become aware of each others’ existence, initiate communications, and work to rescue Angela from orbit.
Vaughn is a frustrating character. He is presented as the hero but he has some flaws that sometimes make you want to reach through the page and slap some sense into him. Even though he embarks on what would seem an impossible quest–to travel to the ISS and return with Angela safely to the surface, its not the borderline-believable aspects of these tasks that nearly do him in–its his own stupidity, haste and stubbornness. But despite a series of self-imposed setbacks, he manages to stumble through the story.
Dean M. Cole is a helicopter pilot, and the knowledge and jargon of that profession come through the narrative. While I was reading it I was wondering if other readers might find it a bit wonky in that regard (I didn’t). But there were a couple of minor issues about the writing that did bug me a little. The first of these came early in the story, with some fairly steady fat-shaming of the main character, both self-inflicted and also by his partner. Another was the repetitive use of certain phrases that are unique enough that recurring use of them becomes a bit annoying. I’m not sure how many times the term “a pregnant pause” was used, but it seemed excessive.
The characters were well developed and ably portrayed. But it did sometimes feel a bit awkward when the author was dealing with romantic interactions between them (as well as their private thoughts regarding intimacy toward the other). I suppose that’s fine though, as I can’t really say how one would act if he or she were the last of their gender, and there was only one left of the opposite. I suppose it might seem a little awkward.
Solitude is an interesting combination of apocalyptic and near-future sci-fi. I enjoyed exploring Dean M. Cole’s version of a suddenly people-less world, where planes, trains and automobiles are instantly left pilot-less, and how that can lead to mass destruction even in the absence of roaming hordes of survivors, zombies or monsters. With regards to the science, I’m putting my faith in the author that the technologies he employs come with at least a theoretical grain of truth rather than created out of whole cloth. The author’s apparent knowledge of other, real-world technologies such as the workings of NASA and the ISS, was impressive and seemed well-researched.
I found this book interesting and entertaining. There are hints that the next installments will delve further into science theory, and I’m looking forward to that. I’m also looking forward to seeing how these characters grow and cope with both the world around them and the relationship between them. Mr. Cole has skillfully hooked me into anticipation of the continuation of the series.
Lastly, a word about the audio performance. If you’ve read my review from my first foray into audiobooks, you know that I came away from it a bit underwhelmed on the whole concept. But Solitude’s narrators, R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan, restored my faith in the format. Their performances were spot-on, and didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the story. I only listened to a portion of the book in audio, as I still prefer flipping through the pages on my Kindle. But I’ll be more receptive, in the future, to the idea of listening rather than reading, when the opportunity comes up such as long drives.
And what a ride this first book is! The question of what caused the apocalypse, and why, is briefly probed but mostly set aside for the time being while the characters work out their more immediate dilemma. There are only two survivors left: Vaughn, a sort of washed-up combat helicopter pilot, on Earth’s surface, and Angela, an unlikely survivor stranded alone on the International Space Station. They eventually become aware of each others’ existence, initiate communications, and work to rescue Angela from orbit.
Vaughn is a frustrating character. He is presented as the hero but he has some flaws that sometimes make you want to reach through the page and slap some sense into him. Even though he embarks on what would seem an impossible quest–to travel to the ISS and return with Angela safely to the surface, its not the borderline-believable aspects of these tasks that nearly do him in–its his own stupidity, haste and stubbornness. But despite a series of self-imposed setbacks, he manages to stumble through the story.
Dean M. Cole is a helicopter pilot, and the knowledge and jargon of that profession come through the narrative. While I was reading it I was wondering if other readers might find it a bit wonky in that regard (I didn’t). But there were a couple of minor issues about the writing that did bug me a little. The first of these came early in the story, with some fairly steady fat-shaming of the main character, both self-inflicted and also by his partner. Another was the repetitive use of certain phrases that are unique enough that recurring use of them becomes a bit annoying. I’m not sure how many times the term “a pregnant pause” was used, but it seemed excessive.
The characters were well developed and ably portrayed. But it did sometimes feel a bit awkward when the author was dealing with romantic interactions between them (as well as their private thoughts regarding intimacy toward the other). I suppose that’s fine though, as I can’t really say how one would act if he or she were the last of their gender, and there was only one left of the opposite. I suppose it might seem a little awkward.
Solitude is an interesting combination of apocalyptic and near-future sci-fi. I enjoyed exploring Dean M. Cole’s version of a suddenly people-less world, where planes, trains and automobiles are instantly left pilot-less, and how that can lead to mass destruction even in the absence of roaming hordes of survivors, zombies or monsters. With regards to the science, I’m putting my faith in the author that the technologies he employs come with at least a theoretical grain of truth rather than created out of whole cloth. The author’s apparent knowledge of other, real-world technologies such as the workings of NASA and the ISS, was impressive and seemed well-researched.
I found this book interesting and entertaining. There are hints that the next installments will delve further into science theory, and I’m looking forward to that. I’m also looking forward to seeing how these characters grow and cope with both the world around them and the relationship between them. Mr. Cole has skillfully hooked me into anticipation of the continuation of the series.
Lastly, a word about the audio performance. If you’ve read my review from my first foray into audiobooks, you know that I came away from it a bit underwhelmed on the whole concept. But Solitude’s narrators, R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan, restored my faith in the format. Their performances were spot-on, and didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the story. I only listened to a portion of the book in audio, as I still prefer flipping through the pages on my Kindle. But I’ll be more receptive, in the future, to the idea of listening rather than reading, when the opportunity comes up such as long drives.
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