Quarter Share (Solar Clipper Trader Tales) [Kindle Edition]

Nathan Lowell (Author)

Book Description

The Golden Age of Sail has Returned -- in the Year 2352
When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars.

Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Full Share
2008 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Double Share
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for South Coast
2009 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Captain's Share
2009 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Double Share 

2011 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fictions (Short Form) for Amazing Amulet of Amenartas

2011 Parsec Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction (Long Form) for Owner's Share

6 out of 10 Top Overall Rated podio books (#3 Ravenwood, #4 Quarter Share, #5 Double Share, #6 Captain's Share, #7 Full Share, #10 South Coast) as of May 2010
5 out of 10 Top Overall Rated by Votes podio books (#2 Double Share, #3 Quarter Share, #4 Full Share, #7 Half Share, #10 Captain's Share) as of May 2010

ABOUT THE SERIES
TRADER'S TALES
Quarter Share
Half Share
Full Share
Double Share
Captain's Share
Owner's Share*

SHAMAN'S TALES
South Coast
Cape Grace

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Incredibly realistic. You would swear Mr. Lowell was writing a personal history of his youth on a deep space cargo ship. Stunningly eloquent and crisp prose takes you on a journey of discovery reminiciant of Dana s classic Two Years Before The Mast. Only Dana had the advantage of taking such a voyage, Lowell will just make you believe he did, and with this book, he invites you to go with him." --Michael J. Sullivan, author of The Riyria Revelations

"Quarter Share is a love letter to science fiction, an authentic coming-of-age celebration of blue collar lower decks folk. Nathan Lowell tells a tale so real, you can practically smell the spaceship galley s coffee -- and almost see the engine oil beneath your fingernails. Hero Ishmael is clearly destined for great things. Thankfully for readers, so is Nathan Lowell." --J.C. Hutchins, author of 7th Son: Descent and Personal Effects: Dark Art

"This is a marvelous story, I like coming of age stories and this is a mesmerizing one. It is also a nice change to have an everyday story about a young boy learning the ropes in the mercantile fleet in the 24th century during the golden age of the solar clippers...The characters are at center in story, they are detailed, warm and easy to love. I wouldn t mind at all working on the SC McKendrick it seems a nice place to be in much like the company I work at myself...Quarter Share is a mesmerizing tale of a young man coming of age and finding his place as a crewman aboard a solar clipper...Make sure you have free time and download the book is my recommendation." --Cybermage, Reading & Watching Science Fiction

About the Author

Nathan Lowell has been a writer for more than forty years, and first entered the literary world by podcasting his novels. His sci-fi series, The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper grew from his long time fascination with space opera and his own experiences shipboard in the United States Coast Guard. Unlike most works which focus on a larger-than-life hero (prophesized savior, charismatic captain, or exiled prince), Nathan centers on the people behind the scenes--ordinary men and women trying to make a living in the depths of space. In his novels, there are no bug-eyed monsters, or galactic space battles, instead he paints a richly vivid and realistic world where the "hero" uses hard work and his own innate talents to improve his station and the lives of those of his community.

Dr. Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with specializations in Distance Education and Instructional Design. He also holds an M.A. in Educational Technology and a BS in Business Administration. He grew up on the south coast of Maine and is strongly rooted in the maritime heritage of the sea-farer. He served in the USCG from 1970 to 1975, seeing duty aboard a cutter on hurricane patrol in the North Atlantic and at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska. He currently lives in the plains east of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two daughters.

Product Details

• File Size: 593 KB
• Print Length: 250 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0982514549
• Publisher: Ridan Publishing (May 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003KGBH3K
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,917 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

136 of 155 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Heart of Classic Science Fiction April 23, 2010

By Scott Pond

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I originally "read" Quarter Share, by Nathan Lowell, in the original podiobook format. I, like many of Nathan's fans, are eagerly awaiting the print release of his fantastic story (and the rest of the 'Golden Age of the Solar Clipper' series) so that I (we) can delve into his fantastic story again (and again).

If I can give you my quick and dirty recommendation: GIVE THIS ONE A TRY NOW!

It is a fantastic story that will resonate with you long after you have read the last word. It is a refreshing break from mainstream, "shoot-em-up and save the galaxy in time for dinner" science fiction, showing us the real, human side of our potentially bright future. If you like classic Heinlein (such as the Rolling Stones, Farmer in the Sky, Citizen of the Galaxy), then this one is definitely up your alley.

Here's my longer, more detailed recommendation:

Quarter Share is not your typical futuristic sci-fi story. It is not a story based on waring nations or individuals bent on conquest or domination, so it does not easily fit into the mold of what many of us have come to expect from the sci-fi genre. Instead, it breaks the mold by concentrating on the life and experiences of what Nathan refers to as the "common man". Truthfully, as I started listening to this, at first I was very sceptical of this type of sci-fi story for the first couple chapters and was very unsure of where it was going. Then without really realizing it, I was fully immersed in the story and found that I was very interested in where Ish (the main character) was going to end up in his life, or at least where he was going to be by the end of the story... and I couldn't stop listening....

It was a strange transition for me--having come to expect conflict and danger and "bigger than life" for the majority of my sci-fi "hero" characters I normally get into--to suddenly be draw so completely into a story about the simple, average, and often repetitive everyday struggles of a common person. By the end of the story, I was more invested emotionally and more interested in the small victories that these common characters were able to accomplish throughout the story than I honestly expected I'd be... in fact, I find that the characters in this story have resonated and stuck in my mind more than most of the other sci-fi books I have read (and I've read hundreds of sci-fi books over the last 25 years). Don't get me wrong, I love a good action oriented hero story set in the sci-fi genre as much as anyone else... it's just that this one is so unlike those other storytelling methods that I thoroughly enjoyed Nathan's Quarter Share as much, if not more, than those mainstream offerings... just in a very different, more meaningful manner.

The story revolves around Ishmael Wang (pronounced "wong" as in "gong"), known as Ish to his friends and intimates, a young man who is growing up on a corporate-owned planet. After his mother dies in a tragic (fateful) flitter crash, Ish is suddenly thrust into the real world when he is notified that he must vacate the planet (since he is not a company employee), forcing him to make some quick and difficult decisions about his potential future. A young man with no real marketable skills (or so he believes) and no idea where his future lies, Ish lands a job as a low level crew member (with a "quarter share" of the ship's profits) on an interstellar solar clipper called the Lois McKendrick. Ish begins to see a brighter future unfold where once he had little interest or premonition of his future, as he begins to learn the ins and outs of shipboard life. The story conveys the normal trials and tribulations of a young sailor on an interstellar trading vessel as he finds his place in the grand scheme of things and starts planning to have an active role in the development of his future... with potentially very lucrative results.

My overall recommendation is to give this story a try, no matter what your preconceived notions of the sci-fi genre are. Leave your normal sci-fi genre expectations at the airlock and travel a bit with Ish, Cookie, Pip, Big-Bad Bev, Mr. Maxwell, and the rest of the Lois crew as they travel the known trading routes in search of profit. This one is well worth the time! You won't be sorry. Read more ›

48 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The new age of Sci-Fi starts now May 13, 2010

By Brandon Gamblin

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

For a long time, science fiction has been the home to epic space battles, evil villains, princesses and lasers. These are great things, and fun, but you have to wonder- There are other stories, right? There are people out there who live real lives, have normal problems, and conquer their own obstacles.

Nathan Lowell fills a gap that I didn't know existed in Sci-Fi. He makes the world seem believable by showing the people who truly live in it. They have alarm clocks and deadlines. They make the engines turn, and make the food for the ship. They make the ship a home, and they make the reader feel like one of the family.

Lowell's writing is clean, clear, and approachable. His characters are likeable, flawed, and well developed. The world is carefully planned and built so that all the elements come together to make the whole story feel . . . true.

For years we've seen the explosive climax of epic Sci-Fi battles. This new form of sci-fi, low key and realistic, may be the next step in sci-fi's evolution. And after reading the book, I sincerely hope this is what the future has in store.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Becomes a Business Book Halfway through February 4, 2011

By J. Vogt

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this book when I started it. It has a good pace and good story telling. You follow a young guy named Ishmael who is thrown into a terrible situation when his mom dies and the company who owns the planet gives him 90 days to leave. He can either join the military or find work on a freighter. He chooses the latter and you get to experience ship life in the future first hand as he does his duties and learns what to do to keep a ship going. There aren't any space battles or aliens which is neat, however about 60% of the way through the book it all changes. Ishmael starts running a trade business on the side with a friend. Problem is I didn't really care if I bought something cheap on planet A and it sells for 400% on planet B. This becomes the MAIN focus of the book from here on, nothing else really matters. Then Ishmael starts a trade business with several members of the crew and so he basically is now running a company.

The latter part of the book is mainly about what product he is going to buy on planet A and sell on planet B and how to run his business. Honestly I didn't care how he ran his business or how well mushrooms sold and how cheaply he bought them, thats not story telling, thats how to run a trade network. Most of the good story telling just dies off and it hurts, I really just kept reading because I didn't want to leave the book half done, but it is not the same book all the way through, just fair warning.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing ever happens in space. December 17, 2011

By John

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Indeed, this is a story about everyday life on a spaceship. And it is a nice spaceship. Nice captain, nice crew mates, main character likes his job, even the wastewater on board doesn't smell as bad as one could expect. Many reviewers nailed it; no larger than life heroes and absolutely NO conflict. This means there is no story, only words. They fly from planet to planet; everything is in top shipshape shape. They have emergency drills; all goes well, and the captain complements the crew on a job well done. They study for exams, and ace them, and they endlessly discuss how to buy stuff on one planet and sell it on the next. Captain is happy about that too. I was praying for a little meteorite to upset all that happiness, but in this part of space, there were none. The core of the story is: Guy gets on spaceship and sails from A to B; nothing happens - end of story. If you don't like excitement, e.g. after a heart transplant, this book is for you.

More About the Author

Nathan Lowell has been a writer for more than forty years, and first entered the literary world by podcasting his novels. His sci-fi series, Trader's Tales from The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, grew from his long time fascination with space opera and his own experiences shipboard in the United States Coast Guard. Unlike most works which focus on a larger-than-life hero (prophesized savior, charismatic captain, or exiled prince), Nathan centers on the people behind the scenes--ordinary men and women trying to make a living in the depths of space. In his novels, there are no bug-eyed monsters, or galactic space battles, instead he paints a richly vivid and realistic world where the "hero" uses hard work and his own innate talents to improve his station and the lives of those of his community.

Dr. Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with specializations in Distance Education and Instructional Design. He also holds an M.A. in Educational Technology and a BS in Business Administration. He grew up on the south coast of Maine and is strongly rooted in the maritime heritage of the sea-farer. He served in the USCG from 1970 to 1975, seeing duty aboard a cutter on hurricane patrol in the North Atlantic and at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska. He currently lives in the plains east of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two daughters.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Full Share
2008 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Double Share
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for South Coast
2009 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Captain's Share
2009 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Double Share
2010 Parsec Award Winner for Speculative Fiction (Long Form) for Captain's Share
2011 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction (Short Form) Finalist for "The Astonishing Amulet of Amenartas"
2011 Parsec Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction (Long Form) Winner for Owner's Share

NOVELS
Quarter Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #1)
Half Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #2)
Full Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #3)
Double Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #4)*
Captain's Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #5)*
Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #6)*
South Coast - (Shaman's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #1)*
Ravenwood - (A Tanyth Fairport Adventure - book 1)*

NOVELLAS
Light In The Dark (Tales from the Deep Dark #1) (2011)

SHORTS
The Astonishing Amulet of Amenartas (from Tales from the Archive, 2011)

* Audio only