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Scorpid
When man toys with nature, nature strikes back.
Dr. Haylen Bennett, a genetic scientist at the Center for Biological Defense Research, and colleague Dr. Sarah Li, live quiet lives on a remote island base. When ordered to perfect an organic natural armor able to withstand .50 caliber AP rounds, it’s just another job for them.
Suddenly their world is turned upside down when two agents from the Department of Defense show up and whisk them away on the adventure of a lifetime. Everything that Haylen and Li have done at the lab is brought into question as they learn that the impenetrable armor they helped create provides protection to a 10-foot scorpion with a mouth that spouts armor-eating acid, a giant stinger and a bad attitude. When Dr. Li is viciously killed by the scorpion, Haylen vows vengeance, and teams up with lovely Sergeant Jen to take the monster down.
Filled with action, adventure, tragedy, comedy, and a ton of heart, the story will hold you in its clutches from the very first page and carry you along on a rapid romp through the world of sci-fi satire.
Contains graphic violence, some mild profanity and a behind-closed-doors love scene. Not recommended for readers aged 13 and under.
Dr. Haylen Bennett, a genetic scientist at the Center for Biological Defense Research, and colleague Dr. Sarah Li, live quiet lives on a remote island base. When ordered to perfect an organic natural armor able to withstand .50 caliber AP rounds, it’s just another job for them.
Suddenly their world is turned upside down when two agents from the Department of Defense show up and whisk them away on the adventure of a lifetime. Everything that Haylen and Li have done at the lab is brought into question as they learn that the impenetrable armor they helped create provides protection to a 10-foot scorpion with a mouth that spouts armor-eating acid, a giant stinger and a bad attitude. When Dr. Li is viciously killed by the scorpion, Haylen vows vengeance, and teams up with lovely Sergeant Jen to take the monster down.
Filled with action, adventure, tragedy, comedy, and a ton of heart, the story will hold you in its clutches from the very first page and carry you along on a rapid romp through the world of sci-fi satire.
Contains graphic violence, some mild profanity and a behind-closed-doors love scene. Not recommended for readers aged 13 and under.
45 pages, Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 2, 2021
This is a short YA sci-fi satire about a genetic scientist, Dr. Haylen Bennett, and colleague Dr. Li, who learn that the organic plated armor they helped develop has been used on a giant 10-foot scorpion that is running loose and out of control. The Department of Defense recruits them to help capture it before it reaches civilization, but when it kills Dr. Li, Haylen vows to take the creature down.
This book was fun, action-packed and engaging. I read it in one sitting; I just couldn't put it down. Honestly, it's so cheesy that it's gouda!!!
It has some cussing and innuendo, which I didn't really like, but it warns you about it in the blurb, so that won't effect my review at all. Five stars!
This book was fun, action-packed and engaging. I read it in one sitting; I just couldn't put it down. Honestly, it's so cheesy that it's gouda!!!
It has some cussing and innuendo, which I didn't really like, but it warns you about it in the blurb, so that won't effect my review at all. Five stars!
September 12, 2021
This book is a go-to If you'd like to read a short sci-fi. I speak for all no-science writers and readers when I say that reading a science based story is really difficult especially when the terms appear in each line...but it is totally different in this book. One thing I love about this book is that fact that it addresses my philosophy of man: our quest for more is our achilles heel. Read this book. You'll love it.
September 12, 2021
12+
This book is really short but fairly good. I would rate it 3.5 stars if I could. I liked it. I normally am not a fan of machinery and stuff but I liked it. There was a little romance but nothing explicit. It was only 30 pages long and was good for the amount.
A big thanks to the author for supplying me with a free ebook for an honest review!
This book is really short but fairly good. I would rate it 3.5 stars if I could. I liked it. I normally am not a fan of machinery and stuff but I liked it. There was a little romance but nothing explicit. It was only 30 pages long and was good for the amount.
A big thanks to the author for supplying me with a free ebook for an honest review!
September 10, 2021
This is a short YA sci-fi satire about a genetic scientist, Dr. Haylen Bennett, and colleague Dr. Li, who learn that the organic plated armor they helped develop has been used on a giant 10-foot scorpion that is running loose and out of control. The Department of Defense recruits them to help capture it before it reaches civilization, but when it kills Dr. Li, Haylen vows to take the creature down.
This book was fun, action-packed and engaging. I read it in one sitting; I just couldn't put it down. Honestly, it's so cheesy that it's gouda!!!
It has some cussing and innuendo, which I didn't really like, but it warns you about it in the blurb, so that won't effect my review at all. Five stars!
This book was fun, action-packed and engaging. I read it in one sitting; I just couldn't put it down. Honestly, it's so cheesy that it's gouda!!!
It has some cussing and innuendo, which I didn't really like, but it warns you about it in the blurb, so that won't effect my review at all. Five stars!
November 22, 2025
I read this gripping fusion of planetary adventure, claustrophobic psychological tension, and hard-edged science fiction, unfolding on a world where survival depends not only on physical prowess but on the ability to confront the alien within oneself, in 2023.
Ressler writes with an intensity that suggests a deep familiarity with both pulp traditions and contemporary speculative realism, crafting a narrative that feels simultaneously classic and modern. The result is a story that pulses with adrenaline while inviting readers to reflect on the alienness of ecosystems, the brittleness of human assumptions, and the deep instinct for survival that transcends species boundaries.
The titular “Scorpid”—a mysterious, lethal creature native to a hostile off-world environment—functions not merely as a monster but as a symbol. Ressler’s world is harsh, full of razor-sharp geology, hostile atmospheric conditions, and predatory biology.
Against this backdrop, human explorers (or invaders, depending on one’s perspective) find themselves stripped of their technological confidence. Ressler constructs tension through immersion, forcing readers to feel the suffocating heat, the creeping dread, and the sense that something is always watching. Each encounter with the Scorpid lifeforms becomes not just a battle but a window into a world that refuses to yield to human logic.
Ressler’s greatest strength lies in his pacing. The narrative oscillates between moments of breathless action and quieter, introspective passages where characters grapple with ethical dilemmas: What does it mean to colonise a world that fights back? To treat indigenous life as a threat rather than a reality deserving respect? The humans in Scorpid are not caricatures but complex figures with motivations shaped by fear, ambition, and desperation.
Their psychological unravelling is depicted with nuance, particularly as isolation deepens and communication breaks down.
In many ways, the Scorpid creatures embody the anxieties of the unknown—evolutionary marvels that defy simple categorisation. Ressler describes their movements with an almost cinematic vividness: skittering shadows, segmented limbs that catch reflected light, and bodies that blur the line between insectoid and reptilian.
They are terrifying not only because they are biologically alien but also because Ressler paints them as a part of an ecosystem that operates under rules utterly different from Earth’s. Humanity’s intrusion becomes a catalyst for chaos.
Thematically, Scorpid explores the ethics of xenobiology, the arrogance of assuming anthropocentric superiority, and the psychological cost of confronting environments that cannot be tamed.
The story echoes classics like Starship Troopers and The Thing, but its philosophical undercurrents are more aligned with contemporary environmental sci-fi: the idea that survival may require humility, adaptation, and a willingness to acknowledge non-human intelligence.
Ressler’s prose is sharp, atmospheric, and occasionally poetic. His descriptive passages are rich without being indulgent, capturing the alien landscape with painterly detail. The action sequences crackle with urgency, each blow and escape rendered vividly. Yet the emotional core remains the characters’ internal conflicts—the dread of realising that the world they thought they could conquer is not only alive but perhaps sentient, perhaps aware of their presence.
By the climax, Scorpid transforms from a creature-thriller into something more meditative. Ressler raises questions about coexistence, about whether survival always requires domination, and about the cost of treating alien life as an enemy rather than a neighbour.
The ending, tinged with ambiguity and sadness, reinforces the story’s deeper message: the universe is vast, indifferent, and filled with beings who exist beyond human comprehension. To encounter them is to confront one’s own frailties.
Scorpid stands out as an intelligent, emotionally layered, and deeply immersive piece of science fiction—a story that thrills but also lingers, pushing readers to consider the fragile boundary between explorer and intruder, fear and respect, and life and survival.
Ressler writes with an intensity that suggests a deep familiarity with both pulp traditions and contemporary speculative realism, crafting a narrative that feels simultaneously classic and modern. The result is a story that pulses with adrenaline while inviting readers to reflect on the alienness of ecosystems, the brittleness of human assumptions, and the deep instinct for survival that transcends species boundaries.
The titular “Scorpid”—a mysterious, lethal creature native to a hostile off-world environment—functions not merely as a monster but as a symbol. Ressler’s world is harsh, full of razor-sharp geology, hostile atmospheric conditions, and predatory biology.
Against this backdrop, human explorers (or invaders, depending on one’s perspective) find themselves stripped of their technological confidence. Ressler constructs tension through immersion, forcing readers to feel the suffocating heat, the creeping dread, and the sense that something is always watching. Each encounter with the Scorpid lifeforms becomes not just a battle but a window into a world that refuses to yield to human logic.
Ressler’s greatest strength lies in his pacing. The narrative oscillates between moments of breathless action and quieter, introspective passages where characters grapple with ethical dilemmas: What does it mean to colonise a world that fights back? To treat indigenous life as a threat rather than a reality deserving respect? The humans in Scorpid are not caricatures but complex figures with motivations shaped by fear, ambition, and desperation.
Their psychological unravelling is depicted with nuance, particularly as isolation deepens and communication breaks down.
In many ways, the Scorpid creatures embody the anxieties of the unknown—evolutionary marvels that defy simple categorisation. Ressler describes their movements with an almost cinematic vividness: skittering shadows, segmented limbs that catch reflected light, and bodies that blur the line between insectoid and reptilian.
They are terrifying not only because they are biologically alien but also because Ressler paints them as a part of an ecosystem that operates under rules utterly different from Earth’s. Humanity’s intrusion becomes a catalyst for chaos.
Thematically, Scorpid explores the ethics of xenobiology, the arrogance of assuming anthropocentric superiority, and the psychological cost of confronting environments that cannot be tamed.
The story echoes classics like Starship Troopers and The Thing, but its philosophical undercurrents are more aligned with contemporary environmental sci-fi: the idea that survival may require humility, adaptation, and a willingness to acknowledge non-human intelligence.
Ressler’s prose is sharp, atmospheric, and occasionally poetic. His descriptive passages are rich without being indulgent, capturing the alien landscape with painterly detail. The action sequences crackle with urgency, each blow and escape rendered vividly. Yet the emotional core remains the characters’ internal conflicts—the dread of realising that the world they thought they could conquer is not only alive but perhaps sentient, perhaps aware of their presence.
By the climax, Scorpid transforms from a creature-thriller into something more meditative. Ressler raises questions about coexistence, about whether survival always requires domination, and about the cost of treating alien life as an enemy rather than a neighbour.
The ending, tinged with ambiguity and sadness, reinforces the story’s deeper message: the universe is vast, indifferent, and filled with beings who exist beyond human comprehension. To encounter them is to confront one’s own frailties.
Scorpid stands out as an intelligent, emotionally layered, and deeply immersive piece of science fiction—a story that thrills but also lingers, pushing readers to consider the fragile boundary between explorer and intruder, fear and respect, and life and survival.
June 7, 2022
There are two things I like about this book, the creature and that it’s a really quick read. I love a good cheesy B-movie and this fell flat even for me, and trust me I love some of the cheesiest B-movies out there. I was not engaged in this story at all, and could have cared less about any of the characters. And even the scorpion wasn’t done well, sadly. I can’t recommend this one, not even for the scorpion.
I give this one 1.5 stars for the scorpion.
I won a copy of this book from LibraryThing’s Early Review Program and the author in exchange for an honest review.
I give this one 1.5 stars for the scorpion.
I won a copy of this book from LibraryThing’s Early Review Program and the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 6, 2021
If you are into 13 year old boy mentality or the cheesiest B movies then this might be a short story for you. The best thing that I can say about the piece is that it is a short story. The plot is worn out basic. The characters are not as deep as gaming characters. The dialogue is straight out of a pre-teen male fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews