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The Halteres Chronicles #1
Opposable
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RULE OF THUMB
The Arca Trochia, a shifty, omniscient mega-fungus two billion light years from Earth, impregnated Dr. Vanderbilt’s mind with thought spores, ideas, Sparks. The Sparks create portals allowing for instantaneous travel between the two worlds; Spires.
The first Spark told Dr. Vanderbilt to document every detail of the Arca Trochia’s home world; Halteres. The second Spark told him to attach bionic, opposable thumbs onto his cats.
PAY ATTENTION. THIS IS SERIOUS.
Dr. V thinks these ideas are his, and what he doesn’t know, will kill us all.
EARTH’S FATE COULDN’T REST IN WORSE HANDS.
Can psychotic, cyborg cats, a pyromaniac alien, the punk rock alchemist, a merc known as Lilac Vengeance, and a severed head convince the oblivious doctor that he and his cats hold the key to thwarting the imminent alien invasion?
ALIENS, PREPARE TO ABDUCT SOME LEAD.
RULE OF THUMB
The Arca Trochia, a shifty, omniscient mega-fungus two billion light years from Earth, impregnated Dr. Vanderbilt’s mind with thought spores, ideas, Sparks. The Sparks create portals allowing for instantaneous travel between the two worlds; Spires.
The first Spark told Dr. Vanderbilt to document every detail of the Arca Trochia’s home world; Halteres. The second Spark told him to attach bionic, opposable thumbs onto his cats.
PAY ATTENTION. THIS IS SERIOUS.
Dr. V thinks these ideas are his, and what he doesn’t know, will kill us all.
EARTH’S FATE COULDN’T REST IN WORSE HANDS.
Can psychotic, cyborg cats, a pyromaniac alien, the punk rock alchemist, a merc known as Lilac Vengeance, and a severed head convince the oblivious doctor that he and his cats hold the key to thwarting the imminent alien invasion?
ALIENS, PREPARE TO ABDUCT SOME LEAD.
331 pages, partial ebook
First published July 12, 2019
34 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Kirk E. Hammond
2 books3 followersKirk E. Hammond loves science fiction, cats, baseball, and writing.
Check out his website for more details.
Badass Sci Fi
Growing up in the ‘80s, he was scarred by badass sci fi movies; Re-Animator, The Evil Dead, The Thing, Robocop, Aliens, Mad Max2: The Road Warrior, and The Return of the Living Dead, just to name a few. The more gore and camp, the better.
Authors who influenced and continue to influence him include David Wong, Chuck Palahniuk, Chuck Wendig, Frank Herbert, H.P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, Christopher Moore, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
He’s a naughty boy who needs to be punished. Every twelve years, he changes careers; from biotech dish-pig, to high school science tyrant, to creator, publisher, and purveyor of lies.
He was born, raised, and lives in Colorado. He does not ski and smokes pot for research purposes only.
Check out his website for more details.
Badass Sci Fi
Growing up in the ‘80s, he was scarred by badass sci fi movies; Re-Animator, The Evil Dead, The Thing, Robocop, Aliens, Mad Max2: The Road Warrior, and The Return of the Living Dead, just to name a few. The more gore and camp, the better.
Authors who influenced and continue to influence him include David Wong, Chuck Palahniuk, Chuck Wendig, Frank Herbert, H.P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, Christopher Moore, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
He’s a naughty boy who needs to be punished. Every twelve years, he changes careers; from biotech dish-pig, to high school science tyrant, to creator, publisher, and purveyor of lies.
He was born, raised, and lives in Colorado. He does not ski and smokes pot for research purposes only.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 4, 2021
If you're down for a SciFi story that is totally and completely different, then Opposable is the book for you.
Renowned author of the popular SciFi novel, Halteres, Dr. Stanley Ivan Vanderbilt discovers that the inspiration for his bestseller did not come from within his imagination but was the result of thoughts (known as "Sparks") sent to him by an alien lifeform, the Arca Trochia, from the real-life planet of Halteres, over two billion light-years away. The Sparks with descriptions of the planet, its leaders, and people – good and bad, are the Arca Trochia's first foothold in the consciousness of humankind and spread additional thoughts in the receptive minds they found, resulting in the building of "Spires" (portals between Halteres and Earth). The Spires, once activated, would serve as a gateway to launch the invasion and conquest of Earth. Aided by his pet cyborg cats, Patton and Herbert, his best friend, Xeno – a mohawked connoisseur of illicit drugs, a sexy, kick-ass-and-I-don't-care-WHAT-your-name-is merc named Ashleigh, and one of the novel's characters-come-to-life, the fire-shooting fingertipped Sho, the heroes take off on a road trip across the southwestern US to stop the alien invasion.
The premise is bizarre. There is violence and gore. Adult situations and drug use. The first scene is positively crazy, and I kept asking myself, "What the heck is going on?!" And it is probably one of the most original, interesting, and entertaining books I've read this year. In fact, this book was perfect to close out this trainwreck known as 2020.The prose is adrenaline-fueled until the drugs kick in. The dialogue is unrelentingly fresh and funny, and I laughed and squirmed at times, but I had to keep reading. This is a road trip tale on acid. I enjoyed so many of the characters, and I don't know if I can even pick my favorite: Dr. Vanderbilt/Pops/Father – the narrator is great. His best friend, Xeno, is delightful. Patton, the large cyborg cat with thumbs, is awesome. Ashleigh and Sho are total rock stars. I even loved the CAR!
But all fangirling aside, this is a fantasy of a road trip story with the end goal of saving the Earth from an alien invasion. It takes a little getting into because the reader is dumped smack into the middle of the action (there are at least ten years of prior story you're not immediately privy to). You're going to have questions, but part of the fun of the story is the answering of these questions as the story goes along. And you never know what's going to happen next! I think it is this author's writing style and use of language that really sells this story. I will be looking for more by him, and most definitely if, as I understand, this is the start of a series.I recommend this to SciFi fans who like alien contact books and are willing to let the tale just flow around them and trust the author to get you successfully to the end and rewarded with a good story.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
October 14, 2020
This is the spoiler free review of Opposable: The Halteres Chronicles Book One. If you would like to read the spoiler full review complete with every gory action packed fight please visit https://amanjareads.com/2020/10/14/op...
Thank you so much to author Kirk E. Hammond for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for this honest review.
Opposable is the first book in The Halteres Chronicles, a very promising new science fiction series that would be perfect for fans of John Dies at the End.
The plot is a little complicated to explain without also giving spoilers. Our group of protagonists consists of some unusual characters that I really enjoyed spending time with. (In the book, probably not in real life.) There's Pops, the kind of square (at least by these standards) inventor and writer who has a sort of muse like connection to space and the secrets of the universe.
There's Xeno, his best friend and mohawk sporting drug connoisseur. Ashleigh, the hard drinking, rage filled, super badass who is going to be driving them to their destiny. Patton, a giant psychic cyborg cat who can communicate with Pops via mind power and control anyone with his ability to manipulate brain chemicals. And Sho, a Native American looking alien warrior goddess who also has mind control chemicals but ALSO can shoot fire from her fingers.
This team is on a road trip to save the world and there is absolutely no shortage of partying along the way. The author does an amazing job of introducing hard drug culture into this book without it being cringe-worthy or obnoxious. It's fun and exciting but still extremely dangerous and not for everyone, just like most drugs really are.
On a personal note, I would absolutely die for a cat who could cause me to sleep or pep the eff up on command. I need some good chemical enhancers for real, and in the form of a scary cat with opposable metal thumbs is a win win.
Opposable is fast paced and action packed. There are alien invasions and various battles throughout the entire book. Somehow there is also strong character development and really great dialogue as well. Most sci fi books give you one or the other, but Opposable has you covered.
My only complaint, because I feel like I have to give one if a book is less than 5 stars, is that it gets just a little confusing. A lot happens in this book and a lot of stuff twists and turns and isn't what you thought it was at first. It plops you down in the middle of the action and needs you to fill in some blanks along the way. Luckily, those blanks were fun to figure out so whenever I felt lost I just trusted the pages would find their way back on track.
I'm excited to read the rest of the series when it comes out. I think now that some of this universe is built the rest of the series will be smoother to read and understand. Also, this book is unpredictable and I'm very curious as to where the sequels will take the reader since the first book ended in the way that it did.
I love reading anything that is new and exciting. I compared Opposable to John Dies at the End but it is definitely not a copy. The two share some themes and in order to get people to read something they've never heard of it helps for them to associate it with something popular. I do think the books are in the same vein but Opposable is its own beast.
Any fans of outrageous action and science fiction that actually has a little science with the fiction will be happy to read Opposable, I recommend it.
Thank you so much to author Kirk E. Hammond for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for this honest review.
Opposable is the first book in The Halteres Chronicles, a very promising new science fiction series that would be perfect for fans of John Dies at the End.
The plot is a little complicated to explain without also giving spoilers. Our group of protagonists consists of some unusual characters that I really enjoyed spending time with. (In the book, probably not in real life.) There's Pops, the kind of square (at least by these standards) inventor and writer who has a sort of muse like connection to space and the secrets of the universe.
There's Xeno, his best friend and mohawk sporting drug connoisseur. Ashleigh, the hard drinking, rage filled, super badass who is going to be driving them to their destiny. Patton, a giant psychic cyborg cat who can communicate with Pops via mind power and control anyone with his ability to manipulate brain chemicals. And Sho, a Native American looking alien warrior goddess who also has mind control chemicals but ALSO can shoot fire from her fingers.
This team is on a road trip to save the world and there is absolutely no shortage of partying along the way. The author does an amazing job of introducing hard drug culture into this book without it being cringe-worthy or obnoxious. It's fun and exciting but still extremely dangerous and not for everyone, just like most drugs really are.
On a personal note, I would absolutely die for a cat who could cause me to sleep or pep the eff up on command. I need some good chemical enhancers for real, and in the form of a scary cat with opposable metal thumbs is a win win.
Opposable is fast paced and action packed. There are alien invasions and various battles throughout the entire book. Somehow there is also strong character development and really great dialogue as well. Most sci fi books give you one or the other, but Opposable has you covered.
My only complaint, because I feel like I have to give one if a book is less than 5 stars, is that it gets just a little confusing. A lot happens in this book and a lot of stuff twists and turns and isn't what you thought it was at first. It plops you down in the middle of the action and needs you to fill in some blanks along the way. Luckily, those blanks were fun to figure out so whenever I felt lost I just trusted the pages would find their way back on track.
I'm excited to read the rest of the series when it comes out. I think now that some of this universe is built the rest of the series will be smoother to read and understand. Also, this book is unpredictable and I'm very curious as to where the sequels will take the reader since the first book ended in the way that it did.
I love reading anything that is new and exciting. I compared Opposable to John Dies at the End but it is definitely not a copy. The two share some themes and in order to get people to read something they've never heard of it helps for them to associate it with something popular. I do think the books are in the same vein but Opposable is its own beast.
Any fans of outrageous action and science fiction that actually has a little science with the fiction will be happy to read Opposable, I recommend it.
August 31, 2019
Here's full disclosure. I'm not a huge fan of badass science fiction. I can live without puss, gore, and endless battles. But I am a friend and huge fan of Kirk Hammond. I am glad I read his debut novel. Never have I ever been on a wilder road trip (unless it's been that time I rode with Hunter S. Thompson on the way to Las Vegas). Hammond's landscapes are vivid, and, for a Westerner, recognizable. Characters are strange, but worth empathy. I like Xeno, the cats with their opposable thumbs, even the slime ball Ottak. The women, objectified yes, had their complications and humanity and revenge. Hammond's play with the creative process is original, too. Dr. Vanderbilt, like Hammond, had creative Sparks that made an alien world come alive.
If I read the next chronicle, I hope a few things change. Battle scenes need to be painted with a much broader stroke. Word choice and proofreading mistakes could sometimes abduct a scene. I hope that doesn't happen in the future.
If I read the next chronicle, I hope a few things change. Battle scenes need to be painted with a much broader stroke. Word choice and proofreading mistakes could sometimes abduct a scene. I hope that doesn't happen in the future.
June 7, 2020
If you downloaded the first edition for free, thank you and please read.
https://badassscifi.com/opposable/
Thanks Again!
This is a review for the second edition of Opposable released on May 3rd 2020. The first edition is riddled with errors and extraneous narrative. It took nine months to revise and edit the first edition to prepare the second edition for publication. I trimmed 20k words from the book. The eBook went from 373 to 331 pages, and the paperback went from 448 to 396. I also added appendices.
During the time I prepared the second edition, I offered the first edition for free on Amazon, and it was downloaded over 2,500 times. If the free first edition is on your list, thank you. If you're planning to review, contact me or go to my website to find out more about the second edition.
https://badassscifi.com/opposable/
Thanks Again!
December 11, 2022
I've never done hard drugs, but reading this book is pretty much what I imagine it's like. (Drugs are bad kids!).
It's really hard to describe the feel of this book, but if John Carpenter's The Thing had a love child with Mad Max, all the characters from John Dies at the End, and Pulp Fiction - whatever the hell that ends up looking like would be close to describing this book.
The story is a wild, wild ride filled with talking mutant cats, aliens, and normal - yet dysfunctional people. It ramps up immediately from the first sentence and doesn't slow down until the last.
I enjoyed the creative way the author describes scenes, how Patton communicates with the narrator (his whole rough personality too), and just how wacky this story is from start to finish.
If you're looking for something Sci-Fi, different, and unique this might be the book for you!
It's really hard to describe the feel of this book, but if John Carpenter's The Thing had a love child with Mad Max, all the characters from John Dies at the End, and Pulp Fiction - whatever the hell that ends up looking like would be close to describing this book.
The story is a wild, wild ride filled with talking mutant cats, aliens, and normal - yet dysfunctional people. It ramps up immediately from the first sentence and doesn't slow down until the last.
I enjoyed the creative way the author describes scenes, how Patton communicates with the narrator (his whole rough personality too), and just how wacky this story is from start to finish.
If you're looking for something Sci-Fi, different, and unique this might be the book for you!
October 25, 2019
Brilliantly dangerous, hilariously terrifying, disgustingly awesome, excitingly fun read! Full of Sci Fi secret twists and hidden surprises. Like On The Road meets Mad Max meets Dune!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews