ICARUS: A GOD IN THE MACHINE SHORT STORY

by Cole Martyn

Discover the explosive secrets of Project Icarus, the doomed Sovereign plan that set in motion the events of God in the Machine. Voltaire, drunk on his own hubris and fresh from victory against the Ronin, embarks upon an audacious plan that will seal the Sovereign's control of the planet. But even the mighty Voltaire is not prepared for what awaits him in the depths of the Earth. 

Set ten years before God in the Machine, Icarus is the first in a series of short stories set in the God in the Machine universe. 

19 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2021

About the author

Cole Martyn spent his childhood lost in the magical worlds of Tolkien, Herbert and Lucas. He discovered the joy of writing at an early age but took over twenty years before finally sitting down to write the science fiction series he had always wanted to read.

He lives in the UK, with his wife, young children, and an ever growing collection of Star Wars memorabilia.

God in the Machine is his debut novel.

www.godinthemachine.co.uk

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icarus is a short story prequel to the novel God in the Machine and the title certainly gives a pretty good hint that there's certainly an element of hubris at play here as Darth Vader, sorry Voltaire, descends upon a giant drill at a secret base towards a planetary core. Though just how secret a base featuring a gigantic drill capable of reaching the centre of a planet can be who knows.

Icarus works okay as a standalone short story meant to play into the events of a larger novel without being too confusing and it does give a decent sense of Voltaire's personality but the ending certainly lacks payoff without context from the series.

[David Arrowsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tasty little morsel

Loved this. I really enjoyed God In The Machine and this little supplementary vignette didn't disappoint. The writing was smooth and pacy and I loved the major Star Wars, Darth Vader vibes of this character and his back story. It feels like you're watching a deleted scene from a special edition DVD, or part of an extended director's cut. I grabbed this as a free download - bargain.

[Tanweer Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch Sci-Fi short story, masterfully written.

Am looking forward to reading God in the Machine by Cole Martyn. Thought I'd try out this short story (set before that novel) first.

So glad I did.

Very reminiscent of Star Wars and Dune. Recommended to lovers of both Sci-Fi and fantasy.

[Steve J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short story, but it’s all action. Explains the backstory around Project Icarus from the first God in the Machine novel.

I throughly enjoyed this look into Voltaire’s mindset and it did change my view on the character. Interested to see where Martyn takes this series.

[Susana Imaginário · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read God in the Machine, this short story is the cherry on top, otherwise it's a great introduction to the fantastic world Cole Martyn created. I thoroughly enjoyed it.