Customer Reviews

Savage Survival

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The aliens came and conquered the Earth without much resistance. Many humans died in the first wave; other became guinea pigs for horrific survival testing though none of the earthlings know why. That is the pandemic big scale impact.

However, there are little stories also that roll up into the globalization nightmare like that of eleven year old Lyda Brightner. Her beloved father Bruce is dead; her equally overprotective mom Elaine is gone and assumed either dead or about to be dead. Lyda is hurt badly, but awakens in a camp with no protector. Someone named Boris sells her for a brick and water to Big Bill. He mistreats her and sells her to a slave owner. Lyda escapes and meets Ginella Sparks who is hiding with her baby having escaped from the "spiders". Lyda vows to never be abused again as she finds an inner strength to protect herself and those who soon depend on her for leadership. As she and the others adapt to a rough terrain and the alien tests they grow stronger mentally and physically. They each wonder what the spiders have in mind for the dwindling survivors.

Readers will enjoy SAVAGE SURVIVAL, a wonderful "Darwinian" science fiction tale that questions what human strength truly is. Lyda is a terrific lead individual who mentally grows stronger with each horrific adventure as she adapts to whatever is thrown at her; she truly comes a long way from the overly-protected suburban tweener to a powerful ethical leader. Darrell Bain provides a coming of age saga of a pampered loved preadolescent becoming a strong independent woman.

Harriet Klausner

Darrell grew up loving to read what we would call classic science fiction, and he writes in the tradition of the masters. But of all the Bain titles I've read, and there have been quite a few, this is the first time I've seen his take on a good old fashioned alien invasion. Well, not exactly "good old fashioned," since this is Darrell we're talking about. The tradition of the masters includes writing something never seen before, which can be easy to forget in this jaded century. Darrell's still writing things we haven't seen before. I'm impressed. You will be too.

This was my first DB book. I found it on a palm device several years ago. There was several books on it with the 1st chapter. I read the first chapter of this book and had to buy the rest of it. I had to see what was going to happen to that 11 year old girl! I couldn't put it down. I'm not usually a Sci-fi reader. This was different. Also it was the first book for me to read on a small device. That palm pilot has long since met it's demise as all electronics do. But the book still lingers in my mind from time to time. Just read the first chapter, you can usually download that for free right here on Amazon. You will be hooked too!

Bain is a new author for me and this was the second book of his I've read. I have since discovered that some of his other books are far better, and yet the concept behind this book and the unusual if not unique "first contact" scenario he explores within is well worth the read. I was reminded at first of "war of the worlds," and later increasingly of Heinlein's short story "Goldfish Bowl." Not bad comparisons. The only problem I had with this is that his characters were a bit flat, which I've noticed is a trend which improves in his latter writings. I am now snapping up most of his books, wondering how a classic SF author of this calibre can escape widespread notice for so long. Read and enjoy.

This is my third DB book. I have liked them all. As a previous reviewer said his books do stick with you. Two of them pop back up from time to time in my head.

I think he uses alien corporate viral nano's in his writing to infect my brain. Questions arise: why am I here? peanutbutter or chocolat? why does my cat want to kill me?

All three I have read are good smooth reads. Very enjoyable. This one and another just missed five stars, just a tiny bit missing. Not sure what it was. Like four stars is bad, wish I could write like this. Still very good reads and I will read all of them now for sure.

Aliens round up large populations of humans and put them in various and dangerous situations. The reason is not clear at all. Well written and glad I bought it.

A note on his pricing, good long samples and the book price is very moderate. This does add a bit to the satisfaction. A few other authors are following this model and I approve, and I show it by purchasing and good reviews when earned.

Good solid scifi. You will like them. Thanks DB, I have another good author to keep track of now and quite a few of your books to read yet.

This was the first Darrell Bain novel I have read, and I like what I see.

Savage Survival is pretty good science-fiction that reads well and has a strong female lead. I liked the fast paced action and the hints of alien techology and ecosystems, but I feel the author could have fleshed things out a bit more. I didn't think the ending was particularly strong, but it does wrap things up nicely. Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes to read science fiction or adventure stories.

Savage Survival is a war of the mind, where aliens round up humans and put them in heinous camps. A strong and clever young woman, Lyda Brightner, takes on more trials and tribulations than anyone should in ten lifetimes. She finds a way to lead in times of dreadful misery, and brings light to a dire situation. The story shows the best and the worst of humanity-- but it also shows us that if we have a magnanimous heart, intelligence and some motivation, we can come out a winner in almost any situation. The story is creative, intelligent and not your typical science fiction story--it surprised me. The ending was good, but I wanted more, so I gave it a 4 instead of a 5. I suspect Lyda Brightener would respect my honesty. The story was fast paced and an easy read, but don't be fooled--it's deep and had me thinking long after I'd finished the story.

Darrell Bain should sell more books. I've read several of his yarns, and they are invariably memorable. Savage Survival is typical Bain-- something extraordinary interrupts ordinary, and characters rise to the occasion, or they don't.

In Savage Survival, the main character, Lyda Brightner, is eleven years old. Yes, she comes of age, rather quickly, but she remains vulnerable enough for readers to be empathetic to her. Various adults interact with Lyda as the story unfolds, but the focus is always on her. Not since Oliver Twist have I followed a youngster through so many trials. Like Dickens' classic tale of social inequality, Bain's story is about the crucible of humanity under extreme pressure, but it is also about how people can either make bad times better or worse. Pretense, which is an integral part of modern life, is quickly exposed in Bain's pressure cooker, and Lyda has no qualms about dispensing justice.

The story is science fiction, but it is soft-scifi, because Bain does not bother explaining how anything works. (I like that.) Instead, he spends most of the novel showing how people react to whatever befalls them. With my fairly busy schedule, I often begin a book and I'm still working on it a week later. Others are more compelling. Savage Survival took me about 24 hours, and that is only because I do have to sleep sometime. Lyda Brightner got under my skin in such a way that I just had to know how it was all going to play out.

Savage Survival is another winner.