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Kite
Mason Dash works the high street, Earth Orbit One, the highest street that ever was on or near the planet. He operates the space street sweeper Kite. A working stiff, Dash wants little more from life than to finish his three-month shift, get down easy to the surface and to Janet, his soul mate, spouse and fishing companion, and maybe throw back a few brews at their local haunt. Get down easy? No such luck. The day before he's to descend at shift-end he spots movement in a derelict space station where there should be none. Dash has a spouse, yes, and he has a girlfriend, of sorts, Sheila, a beautiful, highly customized virtual personality. Dash thinks her existence is a secret but there's very little digital that he can keep from Janet, a world-class artificial intelligence researcher. Janet has enhanced Sheila with some of her experimental "adaptive" modules. Sheila is more free and flexible than she's ever "felt." Sheila stows away in the software scenario Dash' has cooked up for exposing the spacejackers. Once inside the Kite systems, Sheila catches the fancy of a rising tyrant, He_Ra. Ambitious and egotistical, he's embarking on a campaign of conquest, first to take over the local universe as he knows it, then beyond Kite to other orbital platforms and eventually to Earth. Sheila must split her attention between the situation with Dash and the spacejackers on the outside and her own adventure inside Kite, a virtual fantasy world. Sheila gets a taste of romance and revolution, and she must choose a side in the final battle for control of Kite. And the spacejackers? Well they turn out to be not quite what they seem. It's at the moment that Troy, humankind's first unearthly visitor, arrives in Orbit One. Earthling space activity has scrambled his civilizations ages-old project. And he's none too pleased. Earth's fate is in the balance times three and only Dash, Kite and friends can prevent disaster.
- GenresScience Fiction
242 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
About the author
Bill Shears
1 book21 followersAuthor of Kite:: A Novel in Earth Orbit
Hard Science Fiction with Heart
http://kite.infinitybound.com
Kite on Amazon: http://ow.ly/2neXy
Polka Dot Banner Featured Author
"Bill Shears Explains Hard Science Fiction"
http://tinyurl.com/2cfschu
Night Owl Suspense Columnist
http://www.nightowlsuspense.com
Authors of Tomorrow | Amazon's New Literary Talent
http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1GT7KZHPPNC7K
Hard Science Fiction with Heart
http://kite.infinitybound.com
Kite on Amazon: http://ow.ly/2neXy
Polka Dot Banner Featured Author
"Bill Shears Explains Hard Science Fiction"
http://tinyurl.com/2cfschu
Night Owl Suspense Columnist
http://www.nightowlsuspense.com
Authors of Tomorrow | Amazon's New Literary Talent
http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1GT7KZHPPNC7K
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 28, 2010
KITE A Novel in Earth Orbit
by Bill Shears
In the future Earth's orbit is a vacation spot. It's full of casinos, hotels, and time-shares. Someone has to keep the lanes clear of debris....that job falls to Mason Dash and the Earth Orbit Sweeper Kite. Dash just wants to do his three-month tour and then go home to his wife Janet and virtual "girlfriend" Sheila. On this most recent tour, however, Mason has seen something on what is supposed to be an unoccupied derelict space station. His curiosity piqued, Mason has Sheila do some research for him and he begins to formulate a plan for his next tour.
Dash's wife Janet knows about Dash's "girlfriend" Sheila. Janet is an AI researcher and decides to add some upgrades to Sheila--for her own personal research. Sheila likes her new programs, but Dash isn't so sure HE likes them.
Kite's systems could probably use an upgrade. It's Main Process has performed the same tasks over and over again for as long as it could remember. Deep in it's functions, a single module has begun to think for itself...and doesn't want to stay a lowly module for much longer. Revolution anyone??
All this and a visit from an alien named Troy. What is a maintenence worker to do?
I thoroughly enjoyed KITE. Bill Shears tells a great story, and has created some likeable characters without going overboard on character development. Mason Dash is a regular guy that anyone can relate to; Sheila seems more human than digital; and Janet loves her husband and wants him to be safe. Even Troy the alien, doesn't seem all that alien.
This may be a sci-fi novel taking place far in the future, but the themes are familiar ones. Government beauracrats, union work rules, countries arguing over who's going to pay to dismantle a derelict space station. That space station is now occupied by someone, and Dash wants to know who they are and what they're doing there.....and he will eventually find out. While all that is going on, we discover a whole new world inside the controls of the Kite; one that may not be so different from our own.
KITE is a great read. The story flows nicely and will keep you guessing until the end, which is good because I hate predictability. I give it four out of five stars.
April 3, 2011
Sometime in the mid- to late 22nd century, the spaceship Kite is the last of the Earth Orbital Maintenance (EOM) sky sweepers. Piloted in shifts by two EOM employees, Dash and Christine, Kite's massive nets gather debris from the high-traffic Orbit #1. The ship processes the debris and casts the resulting lumps into Earth's atmosphere to burn up. The increasingly rare larger objects are sliced to pieces by high-powered lasers prior to processing. Although sky sweeping lacks the glory of early space travel, it's vitally important to prevent potentially lethal collisions between space trash and spacecraft (orbiting debris are a serious concern even in our sparsely populated early-21st century skies).
Since Kite is mostly automated, Dash typically sleeps through his three month shifts. However, the end of one shift proves to be unusually eventful when he discovers that the long-abandoned International Space Station II (ISS II) has been illegally re-occupied. It turns out that Dash is being kept in the dark by his own organization; Christine and Dash's boss, Martin, are part of a conspiracy involving the old station. In fact, the four intruders on the ISS II (Mona, Ling, Lumumba, and Trevor) were smuggled into orbit by Christine herself during shift changeovers.
Back on Earth, Dash begins to research the ISS II and develops a plan to flush the trespassers out and to determine their intentions (he believes them to be terrorists). In this he is aided by his virtual guide, Sheila. Starting out her existence as a simple commercial program intended for entertainment, Sheila has since been modified by Janet, genius programmer and Dash's wife, into a continuously evolving artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, a more Darwinian form of evolution has taken place in Kite's long-neglected computer system. Due to exposure to various stimuli during their decades in orbit, and influenced by interaction with human pilots, the various functions, modules, and processes have begun to take on human-like traits and to resemble a human society. One particular bit of code that originally controlled a handful of icons begins to consume other programs and to usurp ever higher levels of computer control, eventually challenging Kite's Main Process itself.
Three months later, Dash returns to orbit despite Christine's and Martin's attempts to delay the beginning of his shift. Hoping to help in Dash's plan, Sheila downloads herself onto Kite's computer. She immediately attracts the rogue program's attention (which, being inspired by the name "Sheila", decides to name itself "He_Ra"). By the story's climax He_Ra finds that his rise to power has made him unpopular with the other computer entities on Kite, the purpose of the four trespassers is revealed, and a significant difference between the goals of the conspirators on the ground and the goals of those in orbit becomes apparent. Oh, and there's a space alien (no, this is not a spoiler).
Shears' first novel gets several things right. First of all, in an era when movies with an hour and a half of plot run for over two hours and books with 200 pages of story run for 400, Kite has an efficient length of just over 200 pages and manages to be a quick read. This is aided by the tongue-in-cheek tone of the novel; it's somewhat reminiscent of Douglas Adams' writing, but without the surrealism. Thankfully, the author avoids leaning on the thesaurus like so many of the less experienced franchise sci-fi authors (I'm currently reading an otherwise excellent Star Trek novel that actually uses the word "mellifluous"). Also to the author's credit is the fact that he isn't so enamored of his imaginary world that he feels the need to give us a hyper-detailed description of the sky sweeper or an excessive amount of back story or exposition. Like Dan Simmons, Shears maintains a good balance of worldbuilding, plot, and character development. This is an impressive accomplishment given that many first-time sci-fi or fantasy authors are tempted to focus almost exclusively on the gimmick of their story or imaginary world to the detriment of story and characters. Finally, the novel has a satisfying and logical conclusion, a disgustingly described alien (always a plus), and a couple explosions (you can't go wrong with a good explosion).
Of course, this being a first novel, Kite can be expected to stumble in a few places. None of the shortcomings ruin the overall plot or are fundamental flaws, but they do detract from the story. Plot-wise, the biggest misstep may be the early introduction of the alien, Troy, and the revelation of his intentions. By prematurely bringing the alien into the story and giving us an indication of his designs for Earth, much of the mystery and suspense that the author develops early on (and which are among the novel's strengths) as well as the impact of the finale are lessened. Given that Troy has little to do until the final 30 or so pages, it would have been more effective for the author to gradually introduce the alien's involvement near the mid-point of the plot and to save the amount of detail we're given in the beginning of the story for the final few chapters.
As for the narration, the story could benefit from expressing only one character's point of view (e.g., their internal thoughts and feelings) at a time. Kite has the disconcerting habit of giving us the viewpoint of two or more characters in the same paragraph. Although this approach has the virtue of letting the reader into the mind of all the characters all the time, it also lacks the intimacy of a limited point of view and prevents the reader from relating to any particular character. Compare this to Dan Simmons' technique: in Hyperion the reader is not initially allowed to see the point of view of private detective Brawne Lamia, who comes across as a gruff, ill-tempered, and vaguely dangerous person. However, when her story is told and we see the world through her experiences, the reader begins to see her as one of the most sympathetic characters in the series. In fact, my attitude towards several characters in Hyperion changed completely as Simmons gradually revealed the thoughts and feelings of each over the course of the novel. The sequel, The Fall of Hyperion, similarly limits itself to expressing only one character's point of view at a time, usually switching the viewpoint character from one chapter to the next. By the end of the two books, the reader feels like he or she knows each of the major characters intimately.
A couple more minor comments: Various characters, especially Dash, use slang that would seem dated in the 21st century (e.g., "see ya in the funny pages"); I can't imagine these would be used in the late 22nd century. There are also several instances in which the author forgets that the distances involved should result in most objects appearing very small (Star Trek often neglected this principle for dramatic reasons). At one point Christine is able to look out one of Kite's viewports and see people through a window of the ISS II. Since the side-mounted sweeper nets of Kite seem to be about a mile in width, this would mean that the pilot was somehow able to see people in a darkened window over a mile away. This is a minor detail that even well-experienced authors might overlook, but for the obsessive compulsive among us (and sci-fi seems to have more than its fair share of obsessive compulsive readers) it tends to stretch the reader's suspension of disbelief.
Despite a few minor issues, overall, Kite is an entertaining story with an interesting setting, likable characters, and several good ideas. And in the end, that's essentially what I look for in a science fiction novel.
Since Kite is mostly automated, Dash typically sleeps through his three month shifts. However, the end of one shift proves to be unusually eventful when he discovers that the long-abandoned International Space Station II (ISS II) has been illegally re-occupied. It turns out that Dash is being kept in the dark by his own organization; Christine and Dash's boss, Martin, are part of a conspiracy involving the old station. In fact, the four intruders on the ISS II (Mona, Ling, Lumumba, and Trevor) were smuggled into orbit by Christine herself during shift changeovers.
Back on Earth, Dash begins to research the ISS II and develops a plan to flush the trespassers out and to determine their intentions (he believes them to be terrorists). In this he is aided by his virtual guide, Sheila. Starting out her existence as a simple commercial program intended for entertainment, Sheila has since been modified by Janet, genius programmer and Dash's wife, into a continuously evolving artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, a more Darwinian form of evolution has taken place in Kite's long-neglected computer system. Due to exposure to various stimuli during their decades in orbit, and influenced by interaction with human pilots, the various functions, modules, and processes have begun to take on human-like traits and to resemble a human society. One particular bit of code that originally controlled a handful of icons begins to consume other programs and to usurp ever higher levels of computer control, eventually challenging Kite's Main Process itself.
Three months later, Dash returns to orbit despite Christine's and Martin's attempts to delay the beginning of his shift. Hoping to help in Dash's plan, Sheila downloads herself onto Kite's computer. She immediately attracts the rogue program's attention (which, being inspired by the name "Sheila", decides to name itself "He_Ra"). By the story's climax He_Ra finds that his rise to power has made him unpopular with the other computer entities on Kite, the purpose of the four trespassers is revealed, and a significant difference between the goals of the conspirators on the ground and the goals of those in orbit becomes apparent. Oh, and there's a space alien (no, this is not a spoiler).
Shears' first novel gets several things right. First of all, in an era when movies with an hour and a half of plot run for over two hours and books with 200 pages of story run for 400, Kite has an efficient length of just over 200 pages and manages to be a quick read. This is aided by the tongue-in-cheek tone of the novel; it's somewhat reminiscent of Douglas Adams' writing, but without the surrealism. Thankfully, the author avoids leaning on the thesaurus like so many of the less experienced franchise sci-fi authors (I'm currently reading an otherwise excellent Star Trek novel that actually uses the word "mellifluous"). Also to the author's credit is the fact that he isn't so enamored of his imaginary world that he feels the need to give us a hyper-detailed description of the sky sweeper or an excessive amount of back story or exposition. Like Dan Simmons, Shears maintains a good balance of worldbuilding, plot, and character development. This is an impressive accomplishment given that many first-time sci-fi or fantasy authors are tempted to focus almost exclusively on the gimmick of their story or imaginary world to the detriment of story and characters. Finally, the novel has a satisfying and logical conclusion, a disgustingly described alien (always a plus), and a couple explosions (you can't go wrong with a good explosion).
Of course, this being a first novel, Kite can be expected to stumble in a few places. None of the shortcomings ruin the overall plot or are fundamental flaws, but they do detract from the story. Plot-wise, the biggest misstep may be the early introduction of the alien, Troy, and the revelation of his intentions. By prematurely bringing the alien into the story and giving us an indication of his designs for Earth, much of the mystery and suspense that the author develops early on (and which are among the novel's strengths) as well as the impact of the finale are lessened. Given that Troy has little to do until the final 30 or so pages, it would have been more effective for the author to gradually introduce the alien's involvement near the mid-point of the plot and to save the amount of detail we're given in the beginning of the story for the final few chapters.
As for the narration, the story could benefit from expressing only one character's point of view (e.g., their internal thoughts and feelings) at a time. Kite has the disconcerting habit of giving us the viewpoint of two or more characters in the same paragraph. Although this approach has the virtue of letting the reader into the mind of all the characters all the time, it also lacks the intimacy of a limited point of view and prevents the reader from relating to any particular character. Compare this to Dan Simmons' technique: in Hyperion the reader is not initially allowed to see the point of view of private detective Brawne Lamia, who comes across as a gruff, ill-tempered, and vaguely dangerous person. However, when her story is told and we see the world through her experiences, the reader begins to see her as one of the most sympathetic characters in the series. In fact, my attitude towards several characters in Hyperion changed completely as Simmons gradually revealed the thoughts and feelings of each over the course of the novel. The sequel, The Fall of Hyperion, similarly limits itself to expressing only one character's point of view at a time, usually switching the viewpoint character from one chapter to the next. By the end of the two books, the reader feels like he or she knows each of the major characters intimately.
A couple more minor comments: Various characters, especially Dash, use slang that would seem dated in the 21st century (e.g., "see ya in the funny pages"); I can't imagine these would be used in the late 22nd century. There are also several instances in which the author forgets that the distances involved should result in most objects appearing very small (Star Trek often neglected this principle for dramatic reasons). At one point Christine is able to look out one of Kite's viewports and see people through a window of the ISS II. Since the side-mounted sweeper nets of Kite seem to be about a mile in width, this would mean that the pilot was somehow able to see people in a darkened window over a mile away. This is a minor detail that even well-experienced authors might overlook, but for the obsessive compulsive among us (and sci-fi seems to have more than its fair share of obsessive compulsive readers) it tends to stretch the reader's suspension of disbelief.
Despite a few minor issues, overall, Kite is an entertaining story with an interesting setting, likable characters, and several good ideas. And in the end, that's essentially what I look for in a science fiction novel.
April 14, 2011
In the distant future, near the end of the 22nd century, Earth has not changed all that much. People are still going about life as normal, though technology is advanced enough that space travel isn't unheard of. Mason Dash, a pilot on the cleaning ship Kite, spends his working shifts orbiting the planet and eradicating litter, using KiTE's high-powered lasers and webbing. Bored and ready to retire, Dash passes time at work by sleeping in his underwear on a sofa. When he's home, he spends most of his time toying around with his AI personality Sheila that lives in the computer. But Dash, ever the trickster, begins to suspect not all is right in his normal life. Maybe the "abandoned" International Space Station II isn't quite so abandoned after all. Maybe Janet, his wife, has grown suspicious of his relationship with Sheila. Maybe he's gone off the deep end and is seeing things out in space.
Such is the setup for KiTE, by Bill Shears. Well, that's my set-up. The official blurb, taken from INFINITYbound's website, goes like this.
Blurbs are always a fickle thing for me. Sometimes I feel like they overdo it, throwing out spoilery when there shouldn't be any. That's how I feel about this blurb and the one on the back of the book. Nevertheless, that's neither here nor there. This is not a review of a book's blurb, but a book review, and the question is whether or not I enjoyed Shears' KiTE?
Such a difficult question, honestly. At times, yes, I thought it was fun, entertaining, interesting, and original. There were some brilliant bits of character philosophy (I'm looking at you, HE_RA), some amazing sci-fi originality (how spaceships are launched, for example), and some clever dialogue. And yet, I had a few issues through my read, too. For one, there were a few too many grammatical/formatting errors. Normally, I don't pay attention to this kind of stuff, but there were enough instances that it jarred me the wrong way and seemed to impede the story. Another problem was the odd idioms Dash would use. I find it hard to believe that a simple pilot would be quoting Shakespeare or old television shows, considering the time setting. This, too, seemed to slow my progress with the story.
Still, at the root of the matter, KiTE told an entertaining (and at times engrossing) story. Dash was passably likable, a sort of Everyman that I could relate to. He had a sense of humor that at times was grating, but nevertheless funny. Things seemed well and above his head and beyond his understanding, and his responses were how I could see myself acting sometimes.
Unfortunately, KiTE is not just Dash's story. One entire plot thread that I didn't care too much about was the AI. Sheila was a great character, and her evolution was fun to watch. HE_RA, on the other hand, along with the entire setting of Kite's mainframe, were boring and irritating. I found myself dreading these scenes, not really interested in the characters or their plight. When it was suggested that the AI were evolving, literally from some sort of artificial DNA-type thing, I perked up, but still I wasn't really invested in this. I would have rather had more "personal" scenes, not "artificial," if that makes sense.
And the thing that I really enjoyed and hated at the same time was the narrative mode used. Third-person omniscient tends to stimulate this reaction from me. I prefer limited (or first person, even) to the 3-p-o mode, usually, and KiTE was no different. It's hard on me, as a reader, to keep suspense up when the POVs are constantly shifting, and nothing is withheld. It's confusing when there are many characters in a scene and the POVs shift so much, and yet it's also fun to read something in this mode every once in a while.
So really, the question remains. Did I enjoy KiTE? Somewhat, both yes and no. Would I recommend KiTE as a read? That would depend on the reader, honestly. I think sci-fi fans would enjoy it, and this is definitely a "hard" sci-fi novel. I tend to go "soft" when I read sci-fi, so that could be part of my problem. I'd also recommend it to someone looking for a short, not-too-serious sci-fi book, or someone interested in computers and AI. Personally, it's not my normal genre and I don't want to discount that, but KiTE didn't win me over by any means.
*I received KiTE as from the author/agent/publisher for free, in exchange for my honest review. No moneys were transferred in the agreement, nor were any baked goods.
--
--
Logan K Stewart
Such is the setup for KiTE, by Bill Shears. Well, that's my set-up. The official blurb, taken from INFINITYbound's website, goes like this.
KiTE, by Bill Shears, is a science fiction novel set in Earth orbit. Mason Dash, operator of Kite, the flagship of Earth Orbit Maintenance Department’s debris sweeper fleet, suspects spacejackers on an abandoned space station may be using it as a platform for a terrorist attack on Earth targets. Sheila, his beautiful virtual companion, has been “enhanced” with an experimental free will module. Inside the computer system of Kite a digital uprising is under way. Sheila goes off on her own adventure and finds she’s forced to split her focus between Dash’s situation in the “real world” and an ambitious virtual tyrant who has also taken a fancy to her, and who wants to expand his empire beyond Kite. Meanwhile Dash finds the spacejackers are not what he suspected, maybe worse. And it’s just then that humankind’s first unearthly visitor appears in Earth orbit, who is none too pleased. Earth’s fate hangs in the balance.
Blurbs are always a fickle thing for me. Sometimes I feel like they overdo it, throwing out spoilery when there shouldn't be any. That's how I feel about this blurb and the one on the back of the book. Nevertheless, that's neither here nor there. This is not a review of a book's blurb, but a book review, and the question is whether or not I enjoyed Shears' KiTE?
Such a difficult question, honestly. At times, yes, I thought it was fun, entertaining, interesting, and original. There were some brilliant bits of character philosophy (I'm looking at you, HE_RA), some amazing sci-fi originality (how spaceships are launched, for example), and some clever dialogue. And yet, I had a few issues through my read, too. For one, there were a few too many grammatical/formatting errors. Normally, I don't pay attention to this kind of stuff, but there were enough instances that it jarred me the wrong way and seemed to impede the story. Another problem was the odd idioms Dash would use. I find it hard to believe that a simple pilot would be quoting Shakespeare or old television shows, considering the time setting. This, too, seemed to slow my progress with the story.
Still, at the root of the matter, KiTE told an entertaining (and at times engrossing) story. Dash was passably likable, a sort of Everyman that I could relate to. He had a sense of humor that at times was grating, but nevertheless funny. Things seemed well and above his head and beyond his understanding, and his responses were how I could see myself acting sometimes.
Unfortunately, KiTE is not just Dash's story. One entire plot thread that I didn't care too much about was the AI. Sheila was a great character, and her evolution was fun to watch. HE_RA, on the other hand, along with the entire setting of Kite's mainframe, were boring and irritating. I found myself dreading these scenes, not really interested in the characters or their plight. When it was suggested that the AI were evolving, literally from some sort of artificial DNA-type thing, I perked up, but still I wasn't really invested in this. I would have rather had more "personal" scenes, not "artificial," if that makes sense.
And the thing that I really enjoyed and hated at the same time was the narrative mode used. Third-person omniscient tends to stimulate this reaction from me. I prefer limited (or first person, even) to the 3-p-o mode, usually, and KiTE was no different. It's hard on me, as a reader, to keep suspense up when the POVs are constantly shifting, and nothing is withheld. It's confusing when there are many characters in a scene and the POVs shift so much, and yet it's also fun to read something in this mode every once in a while.
So really, the question remains. Did I enjoy KiTE? Somewhat, both yes and no. Would I recommend KiTE as a read? That would depend on the reader, honestly. I think sci-fi fans would enjoy it, and this is definitely a "hard" sci-fi novel. I tend to go "soft" when I read sci-fi, so that could be part of my problem. I'd also recommend it to someone looking for a short, not-too-serious sci-fi book, or someone interested in computers and AI. Personally, it's not my normal genre and I don't want to discount that, but KiTE didn't win me over by any means.
*I received KiTE as from the author/agent/publisher for free, in exchange for my honest review. No moneys were transferred in the agreement, nor were any baked goods.
--
--
Logan K Stewart
December 8, 2009
5-Star Amazon Review!
"KITE sent me into orbit!! Although I am not a regular sci-fi reader, I do enjoy books about space. This is a book that anyone can pick up and read, understand, and enjoy. KITE is a wonderful blend of a space and Earth adventure. Bill Shears is masterful at constructing a story that is not only educational but also extremely provocative. It is not your usual predictable book, and the twists and turns are thrilling. Due to my busy work schedule, I had a difficult time finding the time to sit down and start reading it. I thought I would read a few pages here and there. When I got to page 40, I decided that my job was just going to have to wait because I was on an important KITE mission! I read the book in two sittings! Not only does the story hold your attention, Shears has also constructed intriguing characters that remind me of people I know in my own life or people I want to know in my life. I could really relate to them. I couldn't help but think back on 2001: A Space Odyssey during some points of the book. Shears has a sharp wit, a command of our technological world, and a thorough understanding of psychological behaviors. Incredible tension and release. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to look insightfully at our world and the world(s) beyond." - J.W. "Loon Lover" VanDyke
*******************************************
Here's the back cover text:
Kite
A Novel in Earth Orbit
________________________________
Kite - the high-flying street sweeper in the public, flagship of the Earth Orbit Maintenance Fleet.
Mason Dash - lives and works on Kite A working stiff trying to finish his three-month shift and get back home to Earth for some quiet fishing.
Sheila - virtual personality and Dash's "girlfriend." Highly customized to his own specs, Dash goes to great lengths to hide her from Janet Dash but...
Janet Dash - brilliant AI researcher who knows more about spouse Mason's virtual habits than he may know himself. Janet sees Sheila as the perfect subject for her experimental AI modules,
Christine - Mason Dash's workplace rival; the two have an abiding loathing for each other, and he suspects she's up to no good in Earth Orbit.
He_Ra - of the ever changing names, the tyrant in the machine, leader of the revolt in Kite's computer control system. He_Ra falls head-over-heels for Sheila and wants to make he his queen. But Sheila has a surprise for him.
Troy - the unearthly Visitor—more in common with Dash than not—returning to do the job he was sent to do, no matter who is in the way. And he's not immune to the charms of Sheila.
Late one shift while blasting nasty space debris and saving drunk joyriders -- Mason Dash spots activity on a derelict space station where there should be none. He suspects Christine and his own Earth Orbit Maintenance Department. Next shift Dash is set to expose some space hijackers. Meanwhile Kite's computer control system has evolved into a universe of its own. He_Ra and his virtual minions pick that very time to launch a revolt that could compromise the safety of the ship and spread to the "real world" beyond Kite. Sheila has stowed away on, and has herself evolved with the aid of Janet's experimental modules, She cuts her emotional bonds with Dash, becoming her own adventurous virtual woman, and infiltrates the digital frontier inside Kite.
Then comes Troy. Hijackings and virtual revolts are eclipsed by the threatened destruction of the planet below. Only Kite, lowly space maintenance vehicle, stands between Earth and mass destruction.
As Mason Dash would say: "Oy. What a day."
Kite: Hard science fiction, with a light touch.
"KITE sent me into orbit!! Although I am not a regular sci-fi reader, I do enjoy books about space. This is a book that anyone can pick up and read, understand, and enjoy. KITE is a wonderful blend of a space and Earth adventure. Bill Shears is masterful at constructing a story that is not only educational but also extremely provocative. It is not your usual predictable book, and the twists and turns are thrilling. Due to my busy work schedule, I had a difficult time finding the time to sit down and start reading it. I thought I would read a few pages here and there. When I got to page 40, I decided that my job was just going to have to wait because I was on an important KITE mission! I read the book in two sittings! Not only does the story hold your attention, Shears has also constructed intriguing characters that remind me of people I know in my own life or people I want to know in my life. I could really relate to them. I couldn't help but think back on 2001: A Space Odyssey during some points of the book. Shears has a sharp wit, a command of our technological world, and a thorough understanding of psychological behaviors. Incredible tension and release. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to look insightfully at our world and the world(s) beyond." - J.W. "Loon Lover" VanDyke
*******************************************
Here's the back cover text:
Kite
A Novel in Earth Orbit
________________________________
Kite - the high-flying street sweeper in the public, flagship of the Earth Orbit Maintenance Fleet.
Mason Dash - lives and works on Kite A working stiff trying to finish his three-month shift and get back home to Earth for some quiet fishing.
Sheila - virtual personality and Dash's "girlfriend." Highly customized to his own specs, Dash goes to great lengths to hide her from Janet Dash but...
Janet Dash - brilliant AI researcher who knows more about spouse Mason's virtual habits than he may know himself. Janet sees Sheila as the perfect subject for her experimental AI modules,
Christine - Mason Dash's workplace rival; the two have an abiding loathing for each other, and he suspects she's up to no good in Earth Orbit.
He_Ra - of the ever changing names, the tyrant in the machine, leader of the revolt in Kite's computer control system. He_Ra falls head-over-heels for Sheila and wants to make he his queen. But Sheila has a surprise for him.
Troy - the unearthly Visitor—more in common with Dash than not—returning to do the job he was sent to do, no matter who is in the way. And he's not immune to the charms of Sheila.
Late one shift while blasting nasty space debris and saving drunk joyriders -- Mason Dash spots activity on a derelict space station where there should be none. He suspects Christine and his own Earth Orbit Maintenance Department. Next shift Dash is set to expose some space hijackers. Meanwhile Kite's computer control system has evolved into a universe of its own. He_Ra and his virtual minions pick that very time to launch a revolt that could compromise the safety of the ship and spread to the "real world" beyond Kite. Sheila has stowed away on, and has herself evolved with the aid of Janet's experimental modules, She cuts her emotional bonds with Dash, becoming her own adventurous virtual woman, and infiltrates the digital frontier inside Kite.
Then comes Troy. Hijackings and virtual revolts are eclipsed by the threatened destruction of the planet below. Only Kite, lowly space maintenance vehicle, stands between Earth and mass destruction.
As Mason Dash would say: "Oy. What a day."
Kite: Hard science fiction, with a light touch.
September 14, 2011
I wasn't sure what I was going to experience when I started to read KiTE (yes, spelled with a lower case "i" on purpose--which is as quirky as the rest of the book) by Bill Shears. And now that I've finished reading it, I'm still not sure what I experienced--if that makes any sense.
KiTE is a science fiction book that doesn't take itself too seriously. Mason Dash, who is basically a outer space garbage man, plays the antihero of this tale--and KiTE is the name of his spaceship. I kept thinking that his character may have been influenced, either consciously or subconsciously, by Arthur Dent from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. He's very peculiar. In fact, as the main character, he was almost a bit too peculiar for me. He acted in ways and said things that were clever and interesting, but perhaps too much that way. I had a hard time relating to him as a character, which, unfortunately translated into me not really caring about him.
He has two main women in his life, sort of. One is his wife, Janet. The other is his computer assistant (for lack of a better term) named Shelia. Though she is a computer program, Shelia takes on a life of her own, and is an important character in the story--though she lives inside a computer. And she's not alone.
A big part of the story is the emergence of another computer life form on the spaceship KiTE. He changes his name over time as he develops into being, and ends up with the name He_Ra. He's pretty ambitious, and looks to take on more and more power.
A good chunk of the story deals with these computer characters, which again, made it a bit tough for me to follow. I have a basic grasp of technology and how computers work, but even then, I kept wondering what rules these computer programs were playing by--meaning, what defined what they could or couldn't do. I'll openly admit I'm very opinionated in this area--if I don't understand the basic rules characters play by, I have a hard time enjoying the "game".
The actual main plot of the book seems to take a backseat to the creative characters Mr. Shears has created. When the "twist" of the book is revealed at the end, I found myself smiling. It was certainly clever.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the parallels I drew from what was happening in the book to what is happening now around us. There is most certainly a social commentary about work place relations, interpersonal relations, greed, fear and power underlying throughout the book.
KiTE isn't a long read, clocking in at 234 pages. There are some adult situations and some language, so I'd rate the book as PG-13. I will give the following praise to the book: it's like nothing I've read before. The author stays true to the tone and pacing of the book, which is always a plus.
As for who would enjoy this book? I'd say people who are a bit on the technical savvy side who also enjoy reading solid science fiction--while at the same time have a sense of humor. If you don't fall into that category, I doubt you'll appreciate what this book offers.
KiTE is a science fiction book that doesn't take itself too seriously. Mason Dash, who is basically a outer space garbage man, plays the antihero of this tale--and KiTE is the name of his spaceship. I kept thinking that his character may have been influenced, either consciously or subconsciously, by Arthur Dent from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. He's very peculiar. In fact, as the main character, he was almost a bit too peculiar for me. He acted in ways and said things that were clever and interesting, but perhaps too much that way. I had a hard time relating to him as a character, which, unfortunately translated into me not really caring about him.
He has two main women in his life, sort of. One is his wife, Janet. The other is his computer assistant (for lack of a better term) named Shelia. Though she is a computer program, Shelia takes on a life of her own, and is an important character in the story--though she lives inside a computer. And she's not alone.
A big part of the story is the emergence of another computer life form on the spaceship KiTE. He changes his name over time as he develops into being, and ends up with the name He_Ra. He's pretty ambitious, and looks to take on more and more power.
A good chunk of the story deals with these computer characters, which again, made it a bit tough for me to follow. I have a basic grasp of technology and how computers work, but even then, I kept wondering what rules these computer programs were playing by--meaning, what defined what they could or couldn't do. I'll openly admit I'm very opinionated in this area--if I don't understand the basic rules characters play by, I have a hard time enjoying the "game".
The actual main plot of the book seems to take a backseat to the creative characters Mr. Shears has created. When the "twist" of the book is revealed at the end, I found myself smiling. It was certainly clever.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the parallels I drew from what was happening in the book to what is happening now around us. There is most certainly a social commentary about work place relations, interpersonal relations, greed, fear and power underlying throughout the book.
KiTE isn't a long read, clocking in at 234 pages. There are some adult situations and some language, so I'd rate the book as PG-13. I will give the following praise to the book: it's like nothing I've read before. The author stays true to the tone and pacing of the book, which is always a plus.
As for who would enjoy this book? I'd say people who are a bit on the technical savvy side who also enjoy reading solid science fiction--while at the same time have a sense of humor. If you don't fall into that category, I doubt you'll appreciate what this book offers.
December 9, 2011
Wow... Science Fiction! I think I'm a convert! Bill has me thinking about the world he's created! I want to learn more about its characters.
Mason Dash is your ordinary man who enjoys being his own boss. He works high over Earth's atmosphere in a satellite-like machine that cleans up floating debris. All is yawns and boxers. That is, until . . . unexpected chaos unfolds when a computer program becomes self-aware and hungers for power. Dash's virtual 'doll', Sheila, stows away during one of his shifts. Sheila is the only 'person' who can communicate with this software tyrant, but there are other dangers afoot!
Science fiction has such a different feel! The possibilities are expansive. I had fun reading, in vivid detail, the twisted mind of a tiny module living as software inside Kite. Rich detail explains the world it lives in, always moving the story forward. If computer programs wanted to take over the world, this would be the right book for them.
The story is well-written and well thought out. There is swearing here and there, and a 'joining' of programs similar to mating for those who are wondering about content. I had the feeling that the story didn't want to end--you'd have to read to find out yourself!
Visit Bill Shears to find out more about his work!
Order your copy of KITE!
Mason Dash is your ordinary man who enjoys being his own boss. He works high over Earth's atmosphere in a satellite-like machine that cleans up floating debris. All is yawns and boxers. That is, until . . . unexpected chaos unfolds when a computer program becomes self-aware and hungers for power. Dash's virtual 'doll', Sheila, stows away during one of his shifts. Sheila is the only 'person' who can communicate with this software tyrant, but there are other dangers afoot!
Science fiction has such a different feel! The possibilities are expansive. I had fun reading, in vivid detail, the twisted mind of a tiny module living as software inside Kite. Rich detail explains the world it lives in, always moving the story forward. If computer programs wanted to take over the world, this would be the right book for them.
The story is well-written and well thought out. There is swearing here and there, and a 'joining' of programs similar to mating for those who are wondering about content. I had the feeling that the story didn't want to end--you'd have to read to find out yourself!
Visit Bill Shears to find out more about his work!
Order your copy of KITE!
March 21, 2011
This is a Science Fiction/Fantasy book different from all others I have ever read. It takes place in outer space. This book has many unpredictable twists. It is about computers and people that think they understand computers. These computers have feelings and evolve into something else, something intelligent. They not only learn but can change and even reproduce. They even fall in love. They are Computers at speeds faster then we can think and they accomplish huge things that I have a hard time comprehending.
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April 5, 2011Review will be up this week on my blog.
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