Space Junque - A Dystopian Fantasy (Apocalypto 1) [Kindle Edition]

LK Rigel (Author), Theresa Weir (Editor)

Book Description

Get the series -   

SPIDERWORK  amazon.com/gp/product/B004HO6626

FIREBIRD  amazon.com/gp/product/B004S81TJQ

The DOGs want to destroy the world. The gods want to make a new one. The trick is to survive both.

At the end of the 21st century, civilization is at the brink of environmental collapse. Char Meadowlark prepares to board the Imperial Shuttle when the airport is attacked by the DOGs, an eco-terrorist group.  

   Jake Ardri, pilot of the private shuttle Space Junque, offers Char her only hope of survival. They escape to the orbiting Imperial Space Station, the seat of world government.

As the conflict escalates and global war threatens humanity's existence, ancient gods return to take control and impose a new world order. Char and Jake are caught up in a divine plan to save the world - but first they have to survive the apocalypse.

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The Apocalypto series:

Space Junque (Apocalypto 1)

Spiderwork (Apocalypto 2)

Firebird (Apocalypto 3)

ALSO AVAILABLE, Apocalypto (Omnibus Edition) - all three books, Space Junque, Spiderwork, and Firebird, at a discounted price, approximately 700 pages

[Space Junque] is a fun, smart read, and I really think people will enjoy it. I hesitate to make comparisons, but I think it has a bit of a Firefly vibe to it. -- Anne Frasier

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An Apocapunk Science Fiction Fantasy

Also by L. K. Rigel:

Apocalypto: Spiderwork - Book 2

Apocalypto: Firebird - Book 3)

Apocalypto Omnibus Edition: Apocalypto 1, 2, and 3

Tethers: Give Me, A Tale of Wyrd and Fae - Book 1

Tethers: Bride of Fae - Book 2

Kiss Me Hello - a ghost story 

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Space Junque (Samael's Fire) Edited by USA Today bestselling author Theresa Weir/Anne Frasier

Nominated for Best Romantic Science Fiction/Fantasy in 2010 and Best Debut Book in 2010 by The Romance Reviews.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Equivalent to 120 pages in print

It's been awhile since I've read anything set in the future or in space ... loved the politics and action ... impressed with the ancient mythology references and the world-building. I'm definitely picking up the rest of the series. --25 Hour Books

... a fast, enjoyable read. Rigel is a strong storyteller. I recommend that you give this series a try; it's definitely worth it. --Book Noise 411

Space Junque is a good, well-crafted read ... that unexpected twist I mentioned? Well, upon second reading, you find other clever little 'throw-aways' that ... give it a nice ironic flavour. --D.A. Boulter, author of Courtesan

Product Details

• File Size: 331 KB
• Print Length: 118 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Beastie Press (September 2, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0041T59IY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,035 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #31 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Dystopian

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pedal to the Metal September 15, 2010

By D. A. Boulter

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Space Junque starts with the 'pedal to the metal', both figuratively and literally, and pretty much doesn't slow down. It is a short read and neither the reader nor the characters have much time to relax before something new gets thrown into the mix. Things start off with humanity (and the main character, Char) in a bad situation, which then gets worse. Each seeming reprieve only allows the danger to get closer and more personal. About halfway through, the plot takes an unexpected (at least for me) turn, straying from the more typical SF offerings. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, as it takes me slightly out of my SF comfort zone.

L.K. Rigel knows a few things about writing SF and never gets bogged down in her world-building by dumping a lot of momentum-destroying info on us. Instead she feeds us information in mostly small packets, on the run--just the way I like it. So, don't be alarmed if you don't know what 'ghosts' or DOG (Defenders of Gaia) are when first mentioned. You'll get there. I like the way she can use a 'throw-away' to do a lot of work. When Char decides to abandon her car, she sets the car's admin program to 'Any Driver' and leaves her carbon credits in the glove box. There's still fuel in the tank and someone might be able to use the car to get to safety. In a few short sentences, Rigel gives us a peek into the technology of the society, the society itself and into the character of Char without slowing down the story at all. It's all there for the readers to integrate, but the readers have to keep on their toes.

As stated above, this novella is a short read. I think it would benefit from being a little longer, giving the characters more time to come to grips with their situations and to allow the emotional impact of the various events to blossom. The time-line seems improbably short and I have a few issues with Rigel's physics, though they do not detract majorly from the story.

Despite what I consider to be its shortcomings, Space Junque is a good, well-crafted read. Oh, remember that unexpected twist I mentioned? Well, upon second reading, you find other clever little 'throw-aways' that, while not actually presaging what happens, give it a nice ironic flavour. And, although humanity's problems stem from pollution, one never gets the sense that Rigel is preaching. Pollution, and its consequences, exist and the characters live in that world. All in all: Well done.

According to the credits at the end of the book, 'Space Junque' is a prequel to a series of novels that L.K. Rigel has planned. If L.K. keeps her writing sharp and uses the extra length of a novel to allow the characters and the emotional consequences of actions to develop more fully, her readers may be in for quite a ride. It's a new world out there.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A good balance of genres, readable by many September 22, 2010

By Steph

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Definitely a fast read, and a fast paced story. The characters are thrown into panic at the beginning and the pace continues throughout it. I found that this worked well for this story.

It didn't remain in simple space opera, which increased how much I liked the story, but had enough space opera for a strict sci-fi fan. Similarly there is enough romance for a romance fan, but not too much for someone who generally dislikes romance books such as myself. The balance for those who like space operas, more creative sci fi, romance, and general post-apocalyptic how to humans react, is very well done. I was not expecting for it to seem enjoyable to so many varying tastes when I started it, but that's the feel I got from it.

Enjoyable, fast, and wraps up the story enough to stand on its own while also giving enough to have a sequel (which is coming), this novella was better than I expected and even if it had only met my expectations, would have been worth the money I spent.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun September 13, 2010

By insomniact

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

First of all, I love the tagline for this novella (In Flagrante Apocalypto). It captures the essence of what you'll get with Space Junque. Despite the end-of-the-world setting -- and some grim moments -- SJ doesn't get preachy or maudlin. On the contrary, it's clever, playful, reverent and irreverent (at the same time, even), romantic, and ultimately hopeful.

The author's blog [...] mentions that there's another book coming out, set in the same world, called Bleeder. I will definitely be reading it!

More About the Author

Sign up to find out when new L.K. Rigel books come out: http://goo.gl/9fYhZ

In the pipeline -- more stories in the Tethers and Apocalypto series. Next up, Tethers: The War of the Wyrd

L.K. has been a newspaper reporter, a singing waitress, a public school teacher, and a court reporter. Her work has appeared in Literary Mama and Tattoo Highway. Her creepy short story "Slurp" about an author with muse problems is included in DEADLY TREATS, Anne Frasier's Halloween anthology published by Nodin Press.