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Tiny Planet Filled With Liars: a Fleet Eternal story
How do you survive a problem like Fleet Eternal?
The Interviewer knows.
"a brilliant new sci-fi voice"
"bitingly funny, desperately sad"
"the book is freaking marvelous"
—Amazon reviewers
Life in the Unified Fiduciary Dominion is tough even at the best of times, and nobody's seen those for decades.
Now, beleaguered citizens suffer under never-ending automated siege, their entire lives reduced to toiling for the Board, a cabal of corporate bloodlines jostling for political influence and military profit. Below, grimy streets and ramshackle neighborhoods are crawling with working plebs and indentured families. Scattered around the planet, enormous palace skyscrapers stand as bitter reminders of the Board's extravagant rule.
And looming above them all, Fleet Eternal: faceless, voiceless, vicious assault force of unfathomable strength. For generations, Fleet has appeared in orbit every month, on the month, to attack the Alpha Vector Defense Corps with overwhelming firepower. Fortunately, a mere .01% kill rate triggers automatic retreat—if defenders can destroy the alien vessels fast enough. But when Crowley Vanderbilt, greedy Board scion, starts meddling with tactical plans that have survived decades of battle, more than 16,000 lives are lost in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly the security of the entire system is in doubt for the first time in generations, despite the storied reputation of Admiral Seersa Kudaibergen, whose desperate attempts to hold the Corps and its legendary Divisions together might be faltering at the worst possible time.
Now the Interviewer, mysteriously wealthy, ex-military, and armed with an official Cert of investigation that forces anybody to answer their questions, must partner with Madame Zhou, cantankerous Ruby District doyenne, and Bartimus Caldwell, whiz-kid sensor scry, to unravel this orbital conspiracy before it's too late, then issue a declassified report that could bring the UFD to its knees.
But first they'll have to survive long enough to finish writing the damn thing.
__________
"filled with drama, humor and hope" ★★★★ MMGood Book Reviews
"splashes of gritty action ... a shockingly creative sci-fi future" ★★★★½ SPReview
"the perfect intersection of phenomenal world-building and character creation" ManyBooks
"unique, sharp parlance ... what results is a true masterpiece of storytelling" ★★★★★ ReadersFavorite
The Interviewer knows.
"a brilliant new sci-fi voice"
"bitingly funny, desperately sad"
"the book is freaking marvelous"
—Amazon reviewers
Life in the Unified Fiduciary Dominion is tough even at the best of times, and nobody's seen those for decades.
Now, beleaguered citizens suffer under never-ending automated siege, their entire lives reduced to toiling for the Board, a cabal of corporate bloodlines jostling for political influence and military profit. Below, grimy streets and ramshackle neighborhoods are crawling with working plebs and indentured families. Scattered around the planet, enormous palace skyscrapers stand as bitter reminders of the Board's extravagant rule.
And looming above them all, Fleet Eternal: faceless, voiceless, vicious assault force of unfathomable strength. For generations, Fleet has appeared in orbit every month, on the month, to attack the Alpha Vector Defense Corps with overwhelming firepower. Fortunately, a mere .01% kill rate triggers automatic retreat—if defenders can destroy the alien vessels fast enough. But when Crowley Vanderbilt, greedy Board scion, starts meddling with tactical plans that have survived decades of battle, more than 16,000 lives are lost in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly the security of the entire system is in doubt for the first time in generations, despite the storied reputation of Admiral Seersa Kudaibergen, whose desperate attempts to hold the Corps and its legendary Divisions together might be faltering at the worst possible time.
Now the Interviewer, mysteriously wealthy, ex-military, and armed with an official Cert of investigation that forces anybody to answer their questions, must partner with Madame Zhou, cantankerous Ruby District doyenne, and Bartimus Caldwell, whiz-kid sensor scry, to unravel this orbital conspiracy before it's too late, then issue a declassified report that could bring the UFD to its knees.
But first they'll have to survive long enough to finish writing the damn thing.
__________
"filled with drama, humor and hope" ★★★★ MMGood Book Reviews
"splashes of gritty action ... a shockingly creative sci-fi future" ★★★★½ SPReview
"the perfect intersection of phenomenal world-building and character creation" ManyBooks
"unique, sharp parlance ... what results is a true masterpiece of storytelling" ★★★★★ ReadersFavorite
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Published November 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 30, 2020
A complicated Science Fiction/Philosophy/Economics novel, TINY PLANET FILLED WITH LIARS is related as an ongoing, later compiled, investigation. In a "future" where Corporations rule and Greed reigns supreme in the global economy, Truth has long since collapsed at the wayside. But as "The Investigator" announces, when liars lie so extensively, eventually they circle back around to the truth. It just remains to parse that truth from all the foundational lies, rather essential in a future where an undying alien fleet [Fleet Eternal] renders constant unremitting siege.
July 8, 2022
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by author through Hidden Gems ARC Program in exchange for a fair and honest review
Tiny Planet Filled With Liars is set in a world where a fleet of alien ships known only as Fleet Eternal attack every month. The inhabitants of the Unified Fiduciary Dominion are defended by a Board of rich politicians who care more for profit than they do for the lives of the people they're supposed to protect.
The story follows The Interviewer, once a member of the Alpha Defense Corps, now a reporter with the exclusive right to investigate rising casualties and whispers of conspiracy after the February attack. The story is presented as a Report, with some chapters being presented as transcripts of recorded interviews. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think of the book and I found myself lost and bored very soon, but once I finally started understanding what was going on, I realized the book was deeper than I had thought at first.
I was initially wary of the characters, thinking they were flat and overdone (in that once the author gave them a personality, he stuck to that so rigidly that they just became boring and predictable) and that they'd drag my review down to three or even two stars, but by the end, I found that wasn't the case at all. The characters sneak up on you in ways you don't expect. I started out hating some of them, but they keep developing in the background until I find they've actually grown on me. The narrator, for example, seemed to me at first to be an insipid reporter, looking for nothing more than the next big Headline article. On the contrary, though, he was a strong, perceptive voice. The plot was quite interesting as well, but it wasn't exactly resolved and left me with a lot more questions than answers. What is Fleet Eternal? Where does it come from? Is there sentient life behind it? How does this new world, the star system of Jupiter, fit into our universe and where are we? We don't see much of the world, besides the Defense Corps, but it's definitely a world I'd love to see explored further. I believe this is planned to be a series, though I am unsure if the other books will be direct sequels or just set in the same world, and I can't wait for the next book.
If you're a parent trying to find suitable books for their children, though, I wouldn't recommend this one. There's quite a bit of sexual talk, though no actual sex scenes or even fade-to-blacks and lot of f-words thrown around. If you're old enough to be fine with that then this is a great read and I'd highly recommend it!
Tiny Planet Filled With Liars is set in a world where a fleet of alien ships known only as Fleet Eternal attack every month. The inhabitants of the Unified Fiduciary Dominion are defended by a Board of rich politicians who care more for profit than they do for the lives of the people they're supposed to protect.
"I knew the Board didn't care that thousands were dead. It cared that they'd died unprofitably."
The story follows The Interviewer, once a member of the Alpha Defense Corps, now a reporter with the exclusive right to investigate rising casualties and whispers of conspiracy after the February attack. The story is presented as a Report, with some chapters being presented as transcripts of recorded interviews. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think of the book and I found myself lost and bored very soon, but once I finally started understanding what was going on, I realized the book was deeper than I had thought at first.
I was initially wary of the characters, thinking they were flat and overdone (in that once the author gave them a personality, he stuck to that so rigidly that they just became boring and predictable) and that they'd drag my review down to three or even two stars, but by the end, I found that wasn't the case at all. The characters sneak up on you in ways you don't expect. I started out hating some of them, but they keep developing in the background until I find they've actually grown on me. The narrator, for example, seemed to me at first to be an insipid reporter, looking for nothing more than the next big Headline article. On the contrary, though, he was a strong, perceptive voice. The plot was quite interesting as well, but it wasn't exactly resolved and left me with a lot more questions than answers. What is Fleet Eternal? Where does it come from? Is there sentient life behind it? How does this new world, the star system of Jupiter, fit into our universe and where are we? We don't see much of the world, besides the Defense Corps, but it's definitely a world I'd love to see explored further. I believe this is planned to be a series, though I am unsure if the other books will be direct sequels or just set in the same world, and I can't wait for the next book.
If you're a parent trying to find suitable books for their children, though, I wouldn't recommend this one. There's quite a bit of sexual talk, though no actual sex scenes or even fade-to-blacks and lot of f-words thrown around. If you're old enough to be fine with that then this is a great read and I'd highly recommend it!
November 30, 2020
I'm definitely going to need to read this one again. Often funny and exciting, deeply touching a few times. Maybe even a little revolutionary at the end. There are a lot of themes to unpack here, but it's so well written I won't mind doing it again. Plenty here for fans of scifi (military or not), drama/comedy and political/legal mysteries I'd say. I think 2020 needed this book, I'm glad it exists. Can't wait to see what the author has waiting next.
January 23, 2021
A slightly difficult book to review, mainly because it is a particularly difficult one to describe. Not that Stephen isn’t a good author – he is intelligent, laugh out loud funny and incredibly eloquent – but if I’m being perfectly frank, I think he left me behind quite notably; truthfully, I was a little lost for most of the book.
The story, as far as I could tell, revolved around an investigation into a catastrophic incident involving a fleet battleship far in the future, and the increasingly stressed-out investigator’s challenges trying to establish the truth against a massive establishment cover-up. Beyond this, it was all pure comedy to me, and science fiction intellectualism. There is a very large dialogue ratio in this book, which plays a big role in directing the narrative, and I always find that this does make it a little trickier to engage with the flow of a storyline. I hope Stephen won’t take offence when I say that he is the hardest working type of sci-fi nerd (and I do mean that affectionately). He has clearly put very large numbers of man-hours into selecting just the right word, phrase and vernacular for every single line, without tiring at any point, and that is worthy of real respect – a labour of love, it is clear. His language and elocution are sublime, his terminology at the level of the most unambiguous boffin. Additionally, the humour throughout was at times uproarious, and frequently had me in fits of laughter. I just wish at times it was a touch more reader-friendly overall; it did feel a bit cryptic at times, as if the author was catering to his own personal taste – which is of course his prerogative. He is clearly a hugely devoted fan of his genre, whilst also being a wonderful social satirist, and I am sure there is more than a touch of analogy in this book, as applied to society’s current situation – specifically what it might be, I couldn’t say; my suggestion is rather more just a sense.
I’d like to see something else by Stephen M.A., who is a skilled writer, but perhaps I might get on with something in a more simple narrative format from him, and perhaps a touch less dialogue steering it. That said, I am certain there will be many who like the style he has chosen, and who read books in this vein as fodder. Don’t get me wrong, despite my own difficulties with it, it is fun and interesting; it perhaps just didn’t engage me from early on, making it difficult to gain traction later. Tiny Planet Filled With Liars will undoubtedly appeal to fans of satirical science fiction, or even just those who like to laugh out loud at great characters and side-splitting dialogue.
The story, as far as I could tell, revolved around an investigation into a catastrophic incident involving a fleet battleship far in the future, and the increasingly stressed-out investigator’s challenges trying to establish the truth against a massive establishment cover-up. Beyond this, it was all pure comedy to me, and science fiction intellectualism. There is a very large dialogue ratio in this book, which plays a big role in directing the narrative, and I always find that this does make it a little trickier to engage with the flow of a storyline. I hope Stephen won’t take offence when I say that he is the hardest working type of sci-fi nerd (and I do mean that affectionately). He has clearly put very large numbers of man-hours into selecting just the right word, phrase and vernacular for every single line, without tiring at any point, and that is worthy of real respect – a labour of love, it is clear. His language and elocution are sublime, his terminology at the level of the most unambiguous boffin. Additionally, the humour throughout was at times uproarious, and frequently had me in fits of laughter. I just wish at times it was a touch more reader-friendly overall; it did feel a bit cryptic at times, as if the author was catering to his own personal taste – which is of course his prerogative. He is clearly a hugely devoted fan of his genre, whilst also being a wonderful social satirist, and I am sure there is more than a touch of analogy in this book, as applied to society’s current situation – specifically what it might be, I couldn’t say; my suggestion is rather more just a sense.
I’d like to see something else by Stephen M.A., who is a skilled writer, but perhaps I might get on with something in a more simple narrative format from him, and perhaps a touch less dialogue steering it. That said, I am certain there will be many who like the style he has chosen, and who read books in this vein as fodder. Don’t get me wrong, despite my own difficulties with it, it is fun and interesting; it perhaps just didn’t engage me from early on, making it difficult to gain traction later. Tiny Planet Filled With Liars will undoubtedly appeal to fans of satirical science fiction, or even just those who like to laugh out loud at great characters and side-splitting dialogue.
January 9, 2022
The writing is excellent, although its a bit heavy on the techno-jargon. The story telling style is very intriguing. The main problem with the book is lack of context for the characters and the world they inhabit. I constantly felt as if I was reading the fourth book in a series and that there was a lot of stuff that only made sense if you had read the first three. I really liked the bits and pieces of social commentary that I could glean, but with a better understanding of the society behind the story, it was hard to get a grasp of the author's intent.
January 13, 2021
A great and different approach to SciFi. To see a planet and politics in a war through the eyes of a news person. Even with the unusual way this story is told, Stephen M. A. has built some interesting characters and let's the reader almost feel to be a friend of the leading character. It is silly at times and just enough mystery to make a reader want to stay until the end. I really recommend this story as an escape into something different.
February 2, 2021
A very interesting read
It was an interesting read. Some very interesting parts, some that were a little... slow, hard to follow. The interview section were interesting. Thought it was a decent read. I think someone who likes military procedural or sounding similar would really like it.
It was an interesting read. Some very interesting parts, some that were a little... slow, hard to follow. The interview section were interesting. Thought it was a decent read. I think someone who likes military procedural or sounding similar would really like it.
February 8, 2021
What did I read?
Categorizing this complicated book is a chore by itself. My advise: do not even try! Just enjoy the flow and the boulders in it!
Categorizing this complicated book is a chore by itself. My advise: do not even try! Just enjoy the flow and the boulders in it!
August 10, 2021
i really, really loved this deeply strange little debut sci fi novel. i don’t even want to try to describe it, just pick it up blindly like i did and enjoy the ride. can’t wait for the next one!!!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews