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Maelstrom
Dr. Steven Collins has devoted his life to one cause: finding a way to prevent a catastrophic collision between Earth and an asteroid, like the one that killed off the dinosaurs millions of years ago. Collins spends years developing a shield—a device that uses the Earth’s own magnetic field—and finally reaches the point where he is ready to test it. But when Collins turns on his creation, he rips open a hole in time and space itself that hurls him forward in time, where he discovers to his horror that the device he created has caused the very global Armageddon he was trying to prevent. Collins now must try to undo the damage he has done as best he can. But the few surviving members of the human race are slowly dying off, a century of living under the shield taking its toll, and they cannot leave the planet to try to build a new civilization elsewhere. For just beyond the shield lurks a madman who seeks to dominate the human race or exterminate it.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2012
4 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Richard Paolinelli
84 books68 followersFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Richard Paolinelli began his writing career as a freelance writer in 1984 in Odessa, TX and gained his first fiction credit serving as the lead writer for the first two issues of the Elite Comics sci-fi/fantasy series, Seadragon. In 1991 Richard began his sports writing career at the Gallup Independent before moving on to work for the Modesto Bee, Turlock Journal, Merced Sun-Star, Tracy Press, San Mateo County Times and the San Francisco Examiner. He also served as an editor and photographer with some of the newspapers. He won the 2001 California Newspaper Publishers Association award for Best Sports Story while at the Turlock Journal.
In 2010, Richard retired as a sportswriter and decided to return to his fiction writing roots. He released two short stories - The Invited and Legacy of Death - as well as a full-length sci-fi novel, Maelstrom. In 2015, Richard completed nearly two years of research and interviews and published, From The Fields: A History of Prep Football in Turlock, California, chronicling 95 years of high school football in his hometown. One month later, the first book of the Jack Del Rio series, Reservations, was published by Oak Tree Press.
In 2016, Richard was one of a dozen authors selected to participate in, Beyond Watson, an anthology of original Sherlock Holmes stories and was one of 20 writers involved in a second Holmes Anthology, Holmes Away From Home, released in December. Perfection's Arbiter, a biography of National League Umpire, Babe Pinelli, was released on October 8th. W & B Books acquired the Jack Del Rio series and released the second book, Betrayals, in November. The remaining two books in the Jack Del Rio series will follow in 2017 & 2018.
In January of 2017, Richard returned to his science fiction roots with the release of the novel, Escaping Infinity, and will release another sci-fi novel, When The Gods Fell, on September 4, 2018.
Richard Paolinelli began his writing career as a freelance writer in 1984 in Odessa, TX and gained his first fiction credit serving as the lead writer for the first two issues of the Elite Comics sci-fi/fantasy series, Seadragon. In 1991 Richard began his sports writing career at the Gallup Independent before moving on to work for the Modesto Bee, Turlock Journal, Merced Sun-Star, Tracy Press, San Mateo County Times and the San Francisco Examiner. He also served as an editor and photographer with some of the newspapers. He won the 2001 California Newspaper Publishers Association award for Best Sports Story while at the Turlock Journal.
In 2010, Richard retired as a sportswriter and decided to return to his fiction writing roots. He released two short stories - The Invited and Legacy of Death - as well as a full-length sci-fi novel, Maelstrom. In 2015, Richard completed nearly two years of research and interviews and published, From The Fields: A History of Prep Football in Turlock, California, chronicling 95 years of high school football in his hometown. One month later, the first book of the Jack Del Rio series, Reservations, was published by Oak Tree Press.
In 2016, Richard was one of a dozen authors selected to participate in, Beyond Watson, an anthology of original Sherlock Holmes stories and was one of 20 writers involved in a second Holmes Anthology, Holmes Away From Home, released in December. Perfection's Arbiter, a biography of National League Umpire, Babe Pinelli, was released on October 8th. W & B Books acquired the Jack Del Rio series and released the second book, Betrayals, in November. The remaining two books in the Jack Del Rio series will follow in 2017 & 2018.
In January of 2017, Richard returned to his science fiction roots with the release of the novel, Escaping Infinity, and will release another sci-fi novel, When The Gods Fell, on September 4, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 30, 2019
Maelstom's subtitle could be "Every Hard Science Fiction Trope Ever In One Book That's Still A Good Read". Time travel, energy shields, apocalypse, environmental disaster, mad scientist, pulp romance, mind control, mind machine interface, mind melds, terra-forming, psychic aliens, miraculous healing alien magic, twist endings, and deus ex Marty Stu. By the end I was actually impressed by how many of them were used in a coherent way. It's like someone made a bet that it couldn't be done, and Richard P. said 'Hold my beer!'
Even with the trope whip-lash, the story is still good. It started a bit rough because I didn't feel the MC's angst on a relate-able level. I mean, I understand how you might feel bad about your science project that's going to save the planet from disaster actually being twisted and causing one. My problem was that the salesmanship on the character's self-flagellation was too heavy handed early on in the story. I didn't know him yet, so I couldn't 'feel' his sense of responsibility. Later in the book, though, I totally get it. You come to know and understand who Stephen Collins is, and you just get it. That's one of the reasons that I can say this book is a Good Read.
The only other advice I can give anyone who intends to read it, is to enjoy it for what it is. Don't over-analyze the happenstances or you'll dislocate your eyeballs when you roll them. Consider this book pulp science fiction and just enjoy it. The story is good, the characters are good, and all the tropes are fun. It's a fast read and has plenty of action to keep the pacing up. I give it 3 stars and a call it a Good Read.
Even with the trope whip-lash, the story is still good. It started a bit rough because I didn't feel the MC's angst on a relate-able level. I mean, I understand how you might feel bad about your science project that's going to save the planet from disaster actually being twisted and causing one. My problem was that the salesmanship on the character's self-flagellation was too heavy handed early on in the story. I didn't know him yet, so I couldn't 'feel' his sense of responsibility. Later in the book, though, I totally get it. You come to know and understand who Stephen Collins is, and you just get it. That's one of the reasons that I can say this book is a Good Read.
The only other advice I can give anyone who intends to read it, is to enjoy it for what it is. Don't over-analyze the happenstances or you'll dislocate your eyeballs when you roll them. Consider this book pulp science fiction and just enjoy it. The story is good, the characters are good, and all the tropes are fun. It's a fast read and has plenty of action to keep the pacing up. I give it 3 stars and a call it a Good Read.
January 20, 2015
Let me caveat this review by saying that I am not a huge reader of science fiction but am a reader with an open mind. Thankfully, I can say that being open minded has led me to a wonderful discovery in Richard Paolinelli’s book, Maelstrom. It is worth reading and I’m happy I did. The strong part of any science fiction story in my opinion is the ability to communicate a future world/thought/feeling in such a way that is accessible to the reader. What is immediately compelling about this book is the author’s ability to create a three dimensional character who sucks you into the drama as it unfolds. The events around him are not throwaway descriptions but integral to the overall integrity of the story. I was happily surprised by this. Even as a sci-fi novice, I found myself not only entertained by the story, but eager to read more. The book is a quick read, which is a testament to the author who demonstrates a skillful hand at taking the reader on an adventure he or she won’t soon forget.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews