Far From Home [Paperback]

Madeleine Urban (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 2008

A collection of three m/m sci-fi novellas: Following the Sun - The nearly fatal crash of their spacecraft leaves Jack and Samuel stranded on a verdant planet far from civilization. Discovered and sheltered by a native tribe, the two resign themselves to new lives - lives that include a new culture, a new language, and even new love. But their new home isn't at all what it seems, and when war and illness strike, they find out just how far from home they are. Close Encounter - Space privateer Tris is just doing his job - delivering canisters to a military science vessel - when he discovers that he is transporting people infected with an engineered virus designed to exterminate the human race. In the midst of an alien attack, can the rogue pilot save patient Retter - the key to the cure? Or will he lose both humanity's salvation and his heart? Enhanced - In Earth's not-too-far future, a talented scientist stumbles over a plot to use the genetically enhanced military to declare martial law and take over the government. Dr. Ryne Siler enlists his friend, Dr. Cary Matthews, a brilliant engineer, to figure out how to stop it. When the investigation goes awry, they're on the run, and the only thing between them and capture is a hidden cache of sleeping soldiers with enhancements of their own. Ryne and Cary are desperate, but will waking these soldiers help - or just make things worse? Read a full chapter excerpt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981508405
• ISBN-13: 978-0981508405
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #639,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, September 6, 2008

By 

Book Lover - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far From Home (Paperback)

I really liked these stories, it isn't often you find gay characters in a science fiction setting... so it was nice to be able to find these stories. At times the writing did seem a bit choppy, but it certainly DID NOT detract from the story. I look forward to reading more by Madeline Urban in the future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Far From Home, June 15, 2008

By 

M. Nix - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Far From Home (Paperback)

"Enhanced"

Scientist Dr. Ryne Silar is on a mission to prevent the V3s, a genetically enhanced military of the future, from taking over the government. His and engineer Dr. Cary Matthews attempts to stop them go wrong sending the doctors on the run. Near to being captured, the doctors' only hope is the soldiers who were cryogenically frozen over 50 years ago. Out of the 10 ten soldiers only 2 have survived the deep sleep. Will these soldier, also enhanced with super abilities, be enough to help destroy the V3s and prevent them being created ever again?

"Enhanced" is an action packed, edge of your seat thrill. Nighthawk and Brimstone, the newly awaken soldiers, come alive in more ways than one. I really liked this story; it's very imaginative and entertaining.



"Close Encounter"

Making a routine delivery with the help of his new co-pilot Mills, space privateer Tris is surprised to find his live cargo is for human research, worse yet, it's humans infected with a deadly disease that could destroy the human race. Before he could unload the cargo with the help of Mills and Rey, the military medic accepting the shipment, an alien attack forces them to leave their cargo except for one patient, a young man named Retter. Retter may be the only hope to save civilization, the key to the cure and possibly Tris' heart.

I enjoyed "Close Encounters". I felt for Retter and the lonely life he led and how a simple touch was like the world was given to him. The action and suspense of the story is good and well paced for a story of this length. Alien fights and saving the world makes "Close Encounters" a really good read.



"Following the Sun"

Crashing their spacecraft on a strange planet Jack and Samuel find themselves embraced by the natives of the Lan'do'tay tribe. Living amongst them and learning their language and culture Jack and Samuel quickly become attached to the beautiful new world and the two natives who took them into their homes and their beds. Soon their peaceful existence is threatened by illness and war that may force them to leave their new home.

"Following the Sun" is sweet, loving and sad. I enjoyed it a lot and hated for it to end, I wanted more. The interaction between Jack and Samuel with the natives that rescued them is so sweet, there are sweet moments throughout this story. Arl'ban and Lan'do are infatuated by the strangers to their world and they took really good care of them.



Far From Home is a great anthology mixing sci-fi action and romance, all three of the stories are really good. I like Madeleine Urban's imagination and creativity however her constant use of a character's occupation or some type of descriptive pronoun instead of the person's name can be distracting to the point of annoying in some instances especially in intimate situations. Aside from that I enjoy her work and Far From Home was well worth reading.

Ley
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

5.0 out of 5 stars Great shorts, May 16, 2011

By 

Derrick Dodson "Font of useless knowledge" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Far From Home (Kindle Edition)

I have to agree with J. The only downside to this book is that the stories were all short stories. I'm hoping that these are seeds for future full-length novels. Urban is a great writer, and finding good m/m sci-fi is such an added bonus. Of the three stories, "Following the Sun" has stuck with me the longest and most strongly, "Enhanced" the least, though all three were great.