Showdown

The Galactic Cold War #1.5

by Dan Moren

The job was supposed to be straightforward: find an Illyrican scientist and make sure he didn’t make his way back to the Imperium. But Commonwealth operative Simon Kovalic knows nothing ever goes to plan. So, when a duplicitous bounty hunter lives up to his reputation, Kovalic’s ready—just maybe not ready enough.
Now he and his team must get offworld, before their enemies catch up with them…

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Space Opera

23 pages, ebook

Published December 31, 2019

About the author

Dan Moren is the author of the supernatural detective novel All Souls Lost, as well as the popular Galactic Cold War series of sci-fi spy novels. His work has also appeared in, among other places, The Boston Globe, PopSci.com, Fast Company, and Macworld, where he formerly served as a senior editor.

A two-time Jeopardy! champion and regular panelist on the Parsec-award-winning geek culture podcast The Incomparable, Dan also co-hosts tech podcasts Clockwise and The Rebound, as well as writing and hosting the nerdy game show Inconceivable! He lives with his family in Somerville, MA, where he is never far from a twenty-sided die.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Pilot Error, I was overjoyed to discover Dan Moren had published a short story in The Galactic Cold War.

This was a fun peek into the Special Projects Team in operation between The Bayern Agenda and the upcoming Aleph Extraction. It gives us fantastic banter between Kovalic and Nat, as well as another crazy problem solving idea by Eli.

I could read these all day.

Can't wait for the Aleph Extraction!

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short (22 pages) story from a universe I haven’t explored before. Moren plunges us into a deadly showdown between a “Commonwealth operative” named Simon Kovalic and a double-crossing bounty hunter, followed by a desperate escape into space. It was a fun read. Decent writing, good pacing, although too short for much character development -- it seems like a good advertisement for the longer series of which it’s a part. (“Book” 1.5, apparently.)

6/10 (3 stars)

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sci-fi short read. Simon Kovalic's on a mission to grab an Illyrican scientist and make sure he didn’t make his way back to the Imperium. But, of course, other bounty hunters are in his path. With the help of his crew, he makes it back to the ship only to go through another harrowing situation.

Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Scary. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

[Synful · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I like these quick short stories with these characters. They're much more exciting than, well, the 2 books I've read so far. A nice get-away scene with someone important who ties into the story of the ship invention from the previous 2 books. Hopefully some tightening of the writing happens in Book "2" (3) of this series.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I got a kick out of this short adventure for the stars of the Caledonian Gambit/The Bayern Agenda (The Galactic Cold War series). I enjoyed the author's note of where the story came from, too. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series.

[Paul Bachner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve already read the Aleph Extraction, but I really enjoyed this opportunity to revisit the team and enjoy their repartee and unique problem solving processes. It’s a great quick diversion if you are enjoying the Galactic Cold War series.

[Julian Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short

Excellent short story and my first taste of the Galactic Cold War series. Loved the characters and will be back for more.

[Jefrois · Rating 1 out of 5]

NO idea what’s going on here and I just quit.

In my opinion, a terrible book and terrible writing.

Awful

I quit right away.

[Chet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another chapter length short story from the series. A bit more humor than the first short story.

[Brad Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

need backstory

This was my first Don Moren read. The missed a lot of back story that would have been helpful. Read the background first.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book with plenty of action. A lot of dialogue to fill in spots. Fast paced.

[Josh Ferrara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying these short stories mixed in between the novels of the Galactic Cold War series. A great example of a small mission for the crew, and it builds some good character depth before jumping into the next novel.

Definitely recommend reading these. Also, this one would be a good starting spot if you’re curious about the series!