Planet Janitor: Custodian of the Stars (Engage Science Fiction) (Illustrated) [Kindle Edition]

Chris Stevenson (Author), Toni Zhang (Illustrator)

Book Description

Captain Zachary Crowe and the crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are adept at handling environmental clean-ups and close system jumps to collect precious ores and space trash. The problem is they have yet to complete an assignment without a mishap to add to their not so stellar record. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, Orion Industries contracts Planet Janitor for a clandestine operation that no one else wants, offering them more money than they could spend in three lifetimes. The mission entails a 12 light-year trip to a newly found habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system. The crew will lose 26 years on Earth due to the cryo jump, but that is the least of their problems. What they find on Tau Ceti will rattle their wits, test their courage, and threaten their very survival.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Planet Janitor does deliver an interstellar romp that hearkens to the best of Robert Heinlein or Philip José Farmer... A rollicking plot-driven adventure... The dangers are intimidating, the wonders evocative and the thread that ties it all together is always just a little more tangled than it seems." --The Canadian Science Fiction Review, December 13, 2010

"An intriguing and exciting cross between Aliens and 10,000 Years B.C. - Stevenson shows us a future filled with proof that we should listen to Stephen Hawking's warnings about alien life forms and what they want to do to us." --Gini Koch, author of `Touched by an Alien' & `Alien Tango', December 1, 2010

"Stevenson's book considers the possibility of an elite industry of environmental cleanup specialists who take on all sorts of bizarre environmental jobs... Clearly, this is a timely topic that hits home in the wake of the Gulf oil spill." --SF-Fandom, September 21, 2010

From the Publisher

A great deal of care went into the quality of this book, with case laminate library binding, wrap around cover art, and 26 illustrations.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1925 KB
• Print Length: 372 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1926606418
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Engage SF (January 7, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004IASH8K
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,845 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A Mildly Intriguing Read April 14, 2011

By Andrew Salmon

Format:Hardcover

Chris Stevenson's Planet Janitor is an intriguing mix of space opera and environmentalism. The writing is very good. Stevenson can bump one word against another with the best of them.

For me the problem with this story is, frankly, the story. Beginning with a very interesting premise: space junk cleaning janitors sent to a planet out on the fringe -- soon deteriorates in to a barely disguised rehash of classic sci-fi cliches. A little Aliens, a little Predator, heck a smattering of 300 is tossed in for good measure. Once the clean up job becomes the overdone fight-for-survival-against-an-alien-horde-that-is-stronger-faster-tougher than the human crew, the story gets tired in a hurry. Throw in some incredibly stupid characters (takes ten years to get to the planet thus help is a decade away and the crew doesn't bring weapons? Duh!) who often act and react like fifteen-year-olds and what started out as a great read quickly soured. Having the female crew opt to walk around naked on the humid planet? Yeah, that would happen.

There's far too much fighting with furry aliens, the twists at the end are predictable and unoriginal.

From what I've written above you might expect me to encourage folks to avoid this book like the plague. Not so. As I also mentioned above, Stevenson's writing style is very good and I expect big things from this author. He may have dropped the ball with this outing, but the talent is there. I'll certainly keep my eyes open for anything else he has to offer.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A rip-roaring read January 9, 2012

By MrWrite

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This story might have a b-movie title, but at its heart, Planet Janitor is a thrilling roller-coaster ride of pure adrenalin. Zachary Crowe and his motley crew take on what seems a relatively straight-forward assignment...go to a distant planet and clear it so an industrial company can settle on it.
But from the moment they arrive, nothing goes right. The crew certainly didn't reckon on being besieges by the most feral and blood-thirsty monsters they've ever seen. They lurch from one life-threatening crisis to another. But will they ever get to go home again? I have to say this was one of the most exciting and suspenseful books I have ever read. More than a sci-fi novel, this is a book that anyone who likes suspense will enjoy.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great space adventure story, and a good read. February 10, 2011

By SF Review

Format:Hardcover

Planet Janitor opens mid-emergency with the crew of a run-down ore freighter stuck with the task of diverting a rogue asteroid from Earths busiest shipping lane. Soon they are hired on for a new mission, which lands them on a hostile planet light-years from home. What follows is an entertaining thrill ride, as the crew fight to complete their mission and stay alive.

The idea of the story is very timely. An environment group that collects decaying satellites, handles global environmental issues, and fight for endangered species. With a world filled with environmental disasters, it would be neat if we had a trained crew like Planet Janitor to do the tough jobs.

The story has a classic sf theme to it, with plot twists that keep the adventure fresh and exciting. The crew reminds me of Firefly, a ragtag crew with competing dynamics and great dialogue. This kept me turning the pages to find out what happens to them. Also, there are illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, and they are beautifully done.

This is my first Chris Stevenson book, but I would love to read more from him.

More About the Author

I write SF, fantasy, horror, YA in all genres, paranormal romance and non-fiction articles. I live in Sylvania, Alabama, and I've been actively writing for over 33 years, publishing for the last 24 years. I'm represented by my third agent, Sara Camilla, who has four of my titles out on major submission.

BOOK CREDITS:   
Auto Repair Shams and Scams (Forward--Ralph Nader), 1990, Price Stern & Sloan, Los Angeles--226 pages, non-fiction, consumer warning book. 
Garage Sale Mania, 1988, Betterway Publications, Crozet, Virginia--190 pages, non-fiction book--1988.
Word Wars, a SF novel, to Rain Publishing, Canada--May, 2007. 
Once Upon a Goddess, a Fantasy novel, to Rain Publishing, Canada--January, 2008 
Planet Janitor--Custodian of the Stars, a SF novel sold to Engage Books, May 2009
Gate Walker, a Paranormal Fantasy, sold Lyrical Press--January, 2009.
The Wolfen Strain, a fantasy thriller sold to LBF Books, February 2009
The War Gate, a paranormal thriller, self-published by Pen and Press August 2012
 
MAGAZINE--SHORT FICTION:
Stellar by Starlight, to Amazing Stories, 1988.
The Lonely Astronaut, to Amazing Stories, 1988.
Temperamental Circuits, to Gordon Linzner of Space & Time, 1989.
Things that go Clump in the Night, to Richard Fawcett of Doppelganger, 1989.
Dance the Macabre and Dance it Well, to Erskine Carter of Ouroborous, 1989.
Future School, to Chris Bartholomew of Static Movement, January 2006.
The Incredible Mr. Dandy, to Not One of Us.
Planet Janitor The Moon is not Enough, to Engage Books, 2-12-2012
Other magazine appearances from 1988 to 1991 include, Alpha Adventures, Small Press Writers and Artists Organization, and Sycophant, and four non-fiction articles to Dollar Stretcher Magazine
 
RADIO PLAYS:
The Summit, 15-minute horror play to Night Sounds, Embassy Cassette Inc, Santa Ana, California--1990
Night of the Moa, 13-minute horror play to Night Sounds, Embassy Cassette Inc, Santa Ana, California--1990.
 
AWARDS:
Finalist in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, for Temperamental Circuits, 1987.
First place, grand prize winner in the YA novel writing contest for Entranced Publishing.
 
JOURNALISM:
350 newspaper profiles, stories, and interviews to Sunset Publishing, Anaheim, California, appearing in The West Coast Jewish News, The Senior Citizens Reporter, and The Military Review.  From 1988 to 1991.

CONTENT WRIING
Over 1,500 non-fiction articles for major content site, including subjects for automotive, home and garden, engineering, marine, aircraft, construction and machinery and off-road vehicles and trailers. Grammer score = 4.2, with research score of 4.4
 
ORGANIZATIONS/POSITIONS:
Served as content editor of Sunset Publication (see above) for three years.  Responsible for all writing assignment content, filler and artwork. 
President and founder of Heartland Writers Group, Huntington Beach, California, from 1987 to 1991

AGENT
Presently represented by the Sara Camilla Agency. Books in Agents inventory include Dispossessed Incorporated, Fusion, Screamcatcher, The Girl They Sold to the Moon, and The Ice Age Discoveries of Hemet California.