The Liberty Gun (Structure Series) [Paperback]

Martin Sketchley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Structure Series | Publication Date: November 2006

The Liberty Gun, the third instalment in Martin Sketchley’s acclaimed Structure series, sees Delgado and Ashala catapulted into a future Seriatt occupied by the Sinz—a three-species race of humanoid, avian, and amphibian form. Delgado immediately seeks a way back to the point that changed his life completely, but his plans are arrested when he and Ashala are captured by a Seriattic resistance group headed by Cowell, an enigmatic member of the "vilume" species.

Cut off from their distant home world of Hascaaza, the Sinz on Seriatt have established a barrier around the planet to protect them while they await reinforcements, plundering its resources as they prepare to invade other, neighboring worlds. But despite their apparent strength the Sinz are vulnerable, reliant on the basillia—a gigantic subterranean organism—for their existence.

Realizing this weakness, Structure’s Commander Supreme, General William Myson, orders Colonel Viktor Saskov to go to Seriatt to kill the basillia and retrieve the time gate. Yet despite what they would wish, more discrete and potentially powerful forces are at work than anyone can know.

Meanwhile, the integrity of time itself is threatened —and it is in the power of one man alone to ensure that stability is maintained and that the course of events runs true.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Sketchley's gritty third Structure novel (after The Destiny Mask and The Affinity Trap), intrepid time travelers Alexander Delgado and his former lover and intelligence officer, Ashala (aka "Ash"), must contend on the war-ravaged planet Seriatt with the conquering Sinz, a bizarre species consisting of three races—avian, amphibian and humanoid—some of whom can change shape. Delgado and Ash meet Cowell, a native vilume ("the most mysterious of the three Seriattic sexes," not to be confused with the three Sinz races), who joins them in the battle to prevent the Sinz from attacking Earth next. That Cowell later becomes erotically attached to the humans complicates their mission. Sketchley excels at depicting the futility of endless cultural conflicts, but readers should be prepared for some stomach-churning alien love and birthing scenes. (Nov.)
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About the Author

Martin Sketchley grew up in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Following a brief but passionate affair with music, he began writing behind a Tamworth market stall at the beginning of the 1990s, and sold his first short story to small press magazine Xenos in 1994. Having worked in retail and then catalogue publishing, he is now a freelance writer and editor. He lives in Birmingham, UK, with his wife, Rosaleen, and their two children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 359 pages
• Publisher: Pyr (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591024927
• ISBN-13: 978-1591024927
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,627,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in Tamworth, an average market town in the English county of Staffordshire -- home to Sir Robert Peel, founder of the police force, and a castle that was once home to the King of Mercia. I am a descendant of Sir Thomas Guy, although this has never seemed to impress anybody very much. I went to Greenacres County Primary School until the age of 11. Sometimes at school I was given the opportunity to write a story; I always wrote science fiction.

In 1979 I began to attend Rawlett High School, and opportunities to write stories became less frequent. When in one class the opportunity did arise, I, of course, wrote science fiction. However, the teacher who marked the story changed every entry of "ship" to "rocket". This irritated me no end.

For a few years at Rawlett I took flute lessons, and played in the school orchestra. I quickly discovered, however, that the flute isn't exactly the coolest instrument in the world, and cursed at the fact that saxophone lessons were not available. The upside to being in second flutes, however, was that all the other flute players were female, which offered countless opportunities for me to make a fool of myself. In the end I gave up the flute lessons, as I seemed to be about as successful at that as I was with the girls.

At 14 I began to write my first novel, and produced four sides of A4 at a single sitting -- more than I'd ever written before. However, I was teased left, right and centre, and page five was consigned to the bin.

I left Rawlett at the age of 16 with no qualifications to speak of -- although I had been noted for trying particularly hard during badminton lessons -- and began working with my parents as a market trader. This was fun, even though the hours were long and it was cold during the winter, hot during the summer and windy and rainy the rest of the time.

In the late 1980s I had another brief but passionate encounter with music, this time playing guitar with indie band Emma Gibbs Loves Badges. I discovered that a Gibson 335 is a much cooler instrument than a flute, and it was during this period that I met the women who would become my wife. However, the rest of the band didn't seem to share my belief in our potential -- which I still hold to this day -- and in frustration I one day left the damp rehearsal room at Mr Cutler's scrapyard never to return.

Not long after this unfortunate separation, I began writing. Unlike being in a band writing is a solitary activity, and I recognised that I alone was responsible for my success or failure. I wrote short stories behind market stalls, and began submitting them to magazines.

By 1994, having got a few writing credits under my belt, I felt I'd achieved all I wanted to achieve as far as short stories were concerned, and considered that if I wanted to be a novelist I'd have to write some novels. (Makes sense when you think about it, doesn't it.) Without the faintest notion of the amount of work required, I started to write my first novel, and over the course of the following years this evolved into the work that is now The Affinity Trap.

I'm now a freelance editor of reports on fast-moving consumer goods markets for a global B2B publisher based in London, covering fascinating subjects such as soft drinks and toilet paper. I lives in Birmingham, UK, with my wife and our two children, and am proud to be an Englishman. I no longer own a flute, but I still have the 335.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great climax to a brilliant trllogy, August 15, 2011

By 

David Slinger "Energyman" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Liberty Gun (Structure Series) (Paperback)

This is a real page turner that brings the Structure trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. Interwoven with the high-action narrative are some surprising insights into issues you perhaps wouldn't expect in a SF novel and which help to put this in a class of its own. I'll let you read it to find out. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for fans of military sci fi., March 4, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Liberty Gun (Structure Series) (Paperback)

. Martin Sketchley's THE LIBERTY GUN represents Book 3 of the 'Structure' series and as such as a recommended pick for prior fans who will enjoy a smooth transition to his latest adventure. Delgado and Ashala are sent to a future Seriatt occupied by a three-species race and search for a way back: ideals thwarted by an arrest and the Sinz's military needs. Perfect for fans of military sci fi.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sf thriller, November 14, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Liberty Gun (Structure Series) (Paperback)

In 2379 earth equivalent time Delgado and Ashala land on Seriatt, a planet at war between alien occupiers the Sinz (a triad species of humanoid, avian, and amphibian) vs. a native resistance movement. However, before they can act, the Seriattic insurgents capture Delgado and Ash. Their leader, Cowell, is a Vilume, one of the three genders that make up this race. The outsiders quickly learn that the seemingly invincible Sinz have made this orb their platform for the invasion of other worlds with earth on the agenda. Cowell forms an alliance with the two earthlings as they prepare for battle against the powerful common enemy as well as forming a strange romantic triangle.

However, this Sinz contingent is cut off for now from their distant homeworld, which means they have supply problems as they need basillia, a subterranean organism to survive. Structure's Commander Supreme General William Myson sends Colonel Viktor Saskov to Seriatt with a "scorched earth" strategy to eradicate the basillia and to reclaim the time gate even if that means stranding or killing two operatives. However, as several groups move against the Sinz on Seriatt from different perspectives, the time-space continuum comes under assault.

The third Structure science fiction thriller (see THE DESTINY MASK and THE AFFINITY TRAP) is a superb novel that makes a strong case how stupid people are to go to war over cultural, religious or ethical differences as everyone pays the price for these insane hostilities. The species seem odd yet genuine whether they are purebred earthlings, the three Seriatt humanoid genders, or the Sinz. Martin Sketchley makes the audience feel the planet Seriatt exist actually exists. Though the erotic scenes between two species are graphic and not for everyone, they add to an overall feel that the Sketchley universe is a dangerous real place.

Harriet Klausner