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The Cluster Saga #2
The Void Beyond
After the collapse of the Coalition, the Inner Cluster is besieged by new and old threats. In the power vacuum left by the destruction of the skip network, a new military force called the Black Sun has taken form and is rampaging across human space. Meanwhile, old hatreds are flaring up in the Inner Cluster and threatening their social cohesion and peace. Finally, danger from the void of space has made itself known. Khalihl and Meiind must fight both the demons of human nature and the demons in their own hearts and minds if they are going to survive the storm of violence, hatred, and ignorance swirling around them.
- GenresScience Fiction
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2020
42 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 3, 2021
This classical SF story about humans colonizing the galaxy and making First contact with alien race. This is part two of the Cluster Saga and after avoiding catastrophic war between two human communities it describe threat from the void beyond ‐ the aliens and preparation for them. This book has (like the previous part one) everything one SF story needs: advanced human race, war between two sides of human communities (Red sun and Iner Cluster) and threat from aliens.
During some detailed descriptions author explores some ethical questions that are universal and timeless (spacless).
This is my assessments of this book The Void Beyond by Carlos R. Tkacz according to my 7 criteria:
1. Too long and Strenuous action - exciting and short - 4 stars
2. Boring - fun - 4 stars
3. Not difficult to read (as for non English native speaker] - 4 stars.
4. Predictable (common) - good story (unusual) - 4 stars
5. Shalow story - has a deeper meaning - 4 stars.
6. The story is mass and Unfinished - The story is clear, understandable and well rounded - 4 stars
7. Dry and uninspired style of writing - Smooth style with humorous and fun characters - 4 stars
Total 4 stars
During some detailed descriptions author explores some ethical questions that are universal and timeless (spacless).
This is my assessments of this book The Void Beyond by Carlos R. Tkacz according to my 7 criteria:
1. Too long and Strenuous action - exciting and short - 4 stars
2. Boring - fun - 4 stars
3. Not difficult to read (as for non English native speaker] - 4 stars.
4. Predictable (common) - good story (unusual) - 4 stars
5. Shalow story - has a deeper meaning - 4 stars.
6. The story is mass and Unfinished - The story is clear, understandable and well rounded - 4 stars
7. Dry and uninspired style of writing - Smooth style with humorous and fun characters - 4 stars
Total 4 stars
June 16, 2021
"For millennia, humanity had been its own greatest threat, and now, at the moment when humanity’s threat to itself was reaching a peak, there (came) a threat from the outside, from beyond humanity."
This bit of reflection - about 30% into Tkacz's 2nd Cluster Saga book - is a pretty good summary of what we deal with in this book (not a spoiler as this issue - or issues really - were all addressed in the epilogue of Book 1). And this is an amazing book that deserves in my opinion the full 5-star rating... even though it is not a book of hope, not a book of positive outlooks and not a book of any kind of vision of a future AT ALL for the human race. Still, even though my feelings are more despondent and even depressed after reading a book of ANY genre for many many years, I cannot deny that the feelings evoked are borderline overwhelming. And that's powerful stuff. I know that Tkacz's treatise - where again we take the mankind of today and project them into a galaxy-spanning space opera - will stay with me for many moons to come.
Again, what makes Tkacz's work so deft - despite once more almost drowning in self-reflection and introspection, including good, bad and very alien - is that he goes about looking at all of this in a way that applies not only to this time and space but that could easily be applied to - or honestly taken from - today's headlines. Some of his characters could be argued to be outright clichés from today's world... but are they really clichés if they are just merely so accurate in their portrayals? I will say this: Tkacz is anything but subtle in addressing the power focus of religious and patriotic fundamentalism, even putting in unhidden references to current events - and by current I do mean in the "Time of COVID-19" - throughout his text (realizing of course the timing does not line up). The book acts if you will as a treatise of many of society's ills in what has at least been my life-time, particularly those surrounding 'competing faiths' and the invariable nationalist dogma that they espouse, encourage and embrace. And in this regard, it is more than frightening to consider the threats that various actions and decisions taken during my own lifetime on this world will have for generations - or eons - to come.
In "The Void Beyond", the moral struggles faced are not told by the previous 3 protagonists - after all, Raasch died rather heroically saving the New Mecca homeworld - but we still spend a lot of time with Meiind and Khalihl while introducing new players (if one can be called that). In addition, the stakes have been raised as we're not just looking at the extinction possibilities being sought not by the same megalomaniac of book 1 (or at least not yet I suspect) but of a different one, perhaps no less blood-thirsty than his predecessor - as well as the obvious new threat from unknown and inconceivable sources. "What to do, what to do" then makes up the crux of the plotting, as we get no closer to a solution in any way. As in the first book, the answers are found not either easily nor particularly quickly in terms of what to do just to make it to the next day, let alone the future of mankind.
To emphasise - and of course without wanting to spoil anything - I will say again that this book is very well written and plotted... but it is not uplifting by any stretch of the imagination. If anything its like reading a space opera written by Franz Kafka. Honestly, I'm at a bit of a loss as I don't know what to make of that and am left to wonder what conclusion(s) I should be drawing. Perhaps it is a belief that the following hypothesis - which I could not find on the internet so I assume it is a creation of the author :
(referencing the Bringham Hypothesis) “Yessir,” Khalihl recalled the idea from her days in the Academy. “The idea was, essentially, that a major existential threat from outside of humanity could, possibly, heal political, ideological, and social divisions in humanity. That such a threat could, if navigated correctly, lead to a single human politic for the first time in history.”
Perhaps it is this proposal that is somehow supposed to make up for the depressing view of humanity I'm left with after closing the last page of book 2 (and reading the brief preview provided of book 3). Personally I'd summarize my counter-hypothesis as "humans will never ever learn until it is far too late". Now to see in Chapter 3 how that comes to bear...
This bit of reflection - about 30% into Tkacz's 2nd Cluster Saga book - is a pretty good summary of what we deal with in this book (not a spoiler as this issue - or issues really - were all addressed in the epilogue of Book 1). And this is an amazing book that deserves in my opinion the full 5-star rating... even though it is not a book of hope, not a book of positive outlooks and not a book of any kind of vision of a future AT ALL for the human race. Still, even though my feelings are more despondent and even depressed after reading a book of ANY genre for many many years, I cannot deny that the feelings evoked are borderline overwhelming. And that's powerful stuff. I know that Tkacz's treatise - where again we take the mankind of today and project them into a galaxy-spanning space opera - will stay with me for many moons to come.
Again, what makes Tkacz's work so deft - despite once more almost drowning in self-reflection and introspection, including good, bad and very alien - is that he goes about looking at all of this in a way that applies not only to this time and space but that could easily be applied to - or honestly taken from - today's headlines. Some of his characters could be argued to be outright clichés from today's world... but are they really clichés if they are just merely so accurate in their portrayals? I will say this: Tkacz is anything but subtle in addressing the power focus of religious and patriotic fundamentalism, even putting in unhidden references to current events - and by current I do mean in the "Time of COVID-19" - throughout his text (realizing of course the timing does not line up). The book acts if you will as a treatise of many of society's ills in what has at least been my life-time, particularly those surrounding 'competing faiths' and the invariable nationalist dogma that they espouse, encourage and embrace. And in this regard, it is more than frightening to consider the threats that various actions and decisions taken during my own lifetime on this world will have for generations - or eons - to come.
In "The Void Beyond", the moral struggles faced are not told by the previous 3 protagonists - after all, Raasch died rather heroically saving the New Mecca homeworld - but we still spend a lot of time with Meiind and Khalihl while introducing new players (if one can be called that). In addition, the stakes have been raised as we're not just looking at the extinction possibilities being sought not by the same megalomaniac of book 1 (or at least not yet I suspect) but of a different one, perhaps no less blood-thirsty than his predecessor - as well as the obvious new threat from unknown and inconceivable sources. "What to do, what to do" then makes up the crux of the plotting, as we get no closer to a solution in any way. As in the first book, the answers are found not either easily nor particularly quickly in terms of what to do just to make it to the next day, let alone the future of mankind.
To emphasise - and of course without wanting to spoil anything - I will say again that this book is very well written and plotted... but it is not uplifting by any stretch of the imagination. If anything its like reading a space opera written by Franz Kafka. Honestly, I'm at a bit of a loss as I don't know what to make of that and am left to wonder what conclusion(s) I should be drawing. Perhaps it is a belief that the following hypothesis - which I could not find on the internet so I assume it is a creation of the author :
(referencing the Bringham Hypothesis) “Yessir,” Khalihl recalled the idea from her days in the Academy. “The idea was, essentially, that a major existential threat from outside of humanity could, possibly, heal political, ideological, and social divisions in humanity. That such a threat could, if navigated correctly, lead to a single human politic for the first time in history.”
Perhaps it is this proposal that is somehow supposed to make up for the depressing view of humanity I'm left with after closing the last page of book 2 (and reading the brief preview provided of book 3). Personally I'd summarize my counter-hypothesis as "humans will never ever learn until it is far too late". Now to see in Chapter 3 how that comes to bear...
May 24, 2020
This was a GoodReads giveaway of a Kindle ebook. In anticipation of winning this free book, I decided to purchase and read ebook #1 in this saga. I wanted to give book #2 the best setup for success.
This book is somewhat independent of book #1. But perhaps that has more to do with the fact that there is not all than much going on in book #1. I don't think it would have hurt me if I had skipped book #1. And following suit, book #2 is long on development and short on action. I would have liked a little less setup and a lot more action.
This book had a good ending point. It did not feel like the middle story of a trilogy. But alas, for me, the experience is too slow. I don't see myself waiting with baited breath for the next installment.
Now go find your next GoodReads.
This book is somewhat independent of book #1. But perhaps that has more to do with the fact that there is not all than much going on in book #1. I don't think it would have hurt me if I had skipped book #1. And following suit, book #2 is long on development and short on action. I would have liked a little less setup and a lot more action.
This book had a good ending point. It did not feel like the middle story of a trilogy. But alas, for me, the experience is too slow. I don't see myself waiting with baited breath for the next installment.
Now go find your next GoodReads.
January 27, 2021
This is a great SciFi novel.
I’ve always loved space-faring stories of futuristic worlds and intergalactic travel. This book rates pretty high in my opinion. Well written with a good flow. Although I really enjoy more detailed focus of colonists on strange new planets, this saga presented an engaging, immersive depiction of the way humans seem to always take their personal beliefs too far.
I’ve always loved space-faring stories of futuristic worlds and intergalactic travel. This book rates pretty high in my opinion. Well written with a good flow. Although I really enjoy more detailed focus of colonists on strange new planets, this saga presented an engaging, immersive depiction of the way humans seem to always take their personal beliefs too far.
March 27, 2020
I didn't read the first book in this trilogy, so picked up the backstory throughout this book. It was an interesting read, but maybe with a bit too much lecturing on humanity's failings. There was quite a bit of philosophy and religion as well. I'm not sure how I feel about this book, I probably need some time to process my thoughts more.
October 7, 2022
Keep reading the next in the series
Just finished book 3 of The Cluster Saga I can thoroughly recommend them. Can’t wait for the final installment. Great story with some very deep issues and insight carefully hidden behind the facade of sci-fi. Loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. So good that some of them could be real. Got to encourage a new author.
Just finished book 3 of The Cluster Saga I can thoroughly recommend them. Can’t wait for the final installment. Great story with some very deep issues and insight carefully hidden behind the facade of sci-fi. Loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. So good that some of them could be real. Got to encourage a new author.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews