The Light of the Earth As Seen From Tartarus [Kindle Edition]

Annie Bellet (Author)

Book Description

Ian and Jack Talley and the Prometheus Space Program set a record for the fastest manned flight to Jupiter. But the journey ended in disaster, crippling Jack and killing the rest of the team.

Ten years later, an eccentric multi-billionaire offers them all his money, and a second chance, if they'll fly him to Pluto. The Talley brothers reunite their team, ready to rekindle the dream of manned space flight. But self-doubts and technological issues both old and new appear, leaving the question open: are they making history? Or repeating it? And finding the answers could cost them far more than the Prometheus program.

The Light of the Earth As Seen From Tartarus is a near-future, science fiction novella.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Annie Bellet is a full-time speculative fiction writer. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.   She has sold fiction to AlienSkin, Digital Science Fiction and Daily Science Fiction. Her short work is available in multiple collections and anthologies from major e-book retailers and her first fantasy novel, A Heart in Sun & Shadow, is available now as both an e-book and in trade paperback. 

Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs and many other nerdy pursuits.  She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a very demanding Bengal cat.

Product Details

• File Size: 177 KB
• Print Length: 43 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Doomed Muse Press (February 7, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004MPRAKC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #730,268 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum Interest, Minimal Words May 5, 2011

By Steven Drennon

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have to say that I was not at all disappointed with what I found when I read this novella. While it doesn't go into great detail describing the relationship between the brothers, it does give you just enough to help you understand the angst that they are both dealing with.

The billionaire provided a wonderfully interesting twist near the end that made the story very special for me. I really appreciated the way the author brought his backstory into the story on board the spaceship, and it really added an unexpected emotional jolt that left me wanting to know more.

Personally, I feel that the author has a great story, and I would have loved seeing this as a complete novel. I believe that there are enough interesting elements here to craft a great novel. However, considering the constraints of a novella, I thought she did an exceptional job of maximizing the interest while minimizing the words.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Novella That Could Be a Full-Length Novel July 10, 2011

By Michael Gallagher HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow, this was a good one!

The author does a great job with character dialogue, setting the stage for the main story, and making you feel like you were a cast member of the story vs. some gray-haired guy reading away on the Kindle. This was a very good short story / novella that I could realistically see as a full-length novel in order to develop more of the story on the space adventure. About the only thing I wish that could be improved upon is a little more discussion of the technology, as I wanted to try and understand the concept of the propulsion system better.

As I type this review, this book is free in the Amazon Kindle store - I enjoyed it so much I would have paid for it, and will look for more from this author. If you are looking for some believable - and enjoyable - science fiction, I highly recommend this one!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good August 30, 2011

By Gregory Lewis

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had to look up on Wikipedia that "Tartarus" is the underworld and not the constellation. Now that I know that, the title makes more sense.

A story that shows what people can do when inovation and creativity are needed, as well as grace and humility. I really enjoyed this for its background setup, characters' dialogues and interactions, and that it made me think. I believe that I'll enjoy reading it again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written novella July 10, 2011

By Athene Five

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Reviewing the Free Kindle edition.

This is a well-knit story by Annie Bellet with the potential to be expanded into novel-length. The author set a tone for the story from the very beginning, and although the ending has an unexpected twist, there is an inevitability about it. The characters are well-drawn, if a little bit stereotypical, and there is a lot of action packed into the story. The relationships among the characters are well-defined and understandable but not tediously drawn. While the main character is introspective and shares his thoughts with the reader, in the case of the other characters, actions often speak louder than words, so to speak.

Although I liked this story very much, there are two reasons why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

- There are some proof-reading errors. I mark hard on technical errors because I believe that if an author wishes to build up a following by releasing a work free to Amazon Kindle users, they should strive to make a good first impression by proof-reading the work before it is published. This is novella-length, therefore there is little reason for there to be mistakes. The author could have caught the few errors herself.

- Although this is science fiction, it is light on science. The author hints at a unique discovery that allows for very fast travel among the planets, but doesn't expand on this marvel. The architecture of the interplanetary ship is nicely explained, though.

There is room to develop this into a full-length novel, expand on the science and further develop those interesting characters. If the author ever does so, I'll be happy to read it. Meanwhile, I recommend the novella as a good read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Fell a bit flat for me July 29, 2011

By morehumanthanhuman

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wish the author had included more detail about the near future world, as well as more technical details of how the journey to Pluto could be considered possible in such a short period of time.

It felt rushed and some of the plot points didn't ring quite true. Why wouldn't a doctor be a standard part of the crew on such a long voyage, especially if it would improve the billionaire's chances of getting to his final destination alive? Why would the billionaire agree to leave all his money to the team rather than negotiate a fee for the voyage? How were all these highly skilled people from a shuttered project just available to pick it back up again? A novel could have walked me through all these points more convincingly, as well as given me a better idea of the characters. Ian was just a cipher to me.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars dum book January 21, 2013

By Timothy E. Winsley

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I don't know why I got this. That's all I have to say. I am done writing about this. all done.

More About the Author

Annie Bellet writes speculative fiction full-time. She holds degrees in English and in Medieval Studies and speaks a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.

Her short fiction appears in AlienSkin Magazine, Digital Science Fiction, and Daily Science Fiction and is available in multiple e-book collections. A Heart in Sun & Shadow, a fantasy novel set in an ancient Wales that never was, is available now as both an e-book and in trade paperback.

Her other interests include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs and many other nerdy pursuits. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a very demanding Bengal cat.

Find out more about her and her books by going to http://www.anniebellet.com or find her on her blog at http://overactive.wordpress.com/