Gaea: Beyond the Son (Hardcover)

~ P. D. Gilson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Earth is dying...

The Gaea-02 mission can save the world's population, but desperately needs the resources of another planet to do so.

Returning from their deep-space shakedown flight, Gaea-02's test crew is stranded in Earth orbit while a global conflict rages over the Gaea technology. When the dominating enemy forces declare them fugitives, the Gaea crew devises a daring plan to execute their original mission and sets off for untouched reaches of the galaxy.

Doyle Gage, the only civilian crew member, is trapped onboard Gaea-02 while his young son waits back home. Battling to fulfill his promise to return, Doyle unwittingly rekindles Earth's war in a far-flung solar system.

From the Publisher

Praise for Gaea: Beyond the Son

"An intense, fast-paced adventure awaits science fiction fans ... holds surprises and interest at the turn of every page." - Curled Up With A Good Book

"This novel was impossible to put down. With the feel of military scifi and the heart of a space opera, this debut novel has made the list of my favorites for the year." - ScifiChick.com

"Here is a debut author creating a new world, with innovative technology and a different take on science fiction. His [sic] first chapters showcase deep emotions and relationships, not just “shoot’em up” space opera ... I enjoyed reading the book. I liked meeting the characters and I hope there will be a sequel." - FantasyBookSpot.com

"Gaea: Beyond the Son, is the brilliant first offering from P.D. Gilson. Crammed full of action and with a plot played out by believable, likeable characters, it’s hard to put this book down." - SFReader.com

Gaea: Beyond the Son is the first book in the Gaea Universe series.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Helios Publishing (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980391008
• ISBN-13: 978-0980391008
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,569,959 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great adventure!, February 13, 2008

By	Questor - See all my reviews

It is a desperate time in Earth's future. Global warming is taking its toll. The polar ice caps are melting, raising sea levels and contaminating fresh water supplies. Man has two choices. Rely on D-salt, itself a much sought after commodity, to remove impurities from tainted water, or look to the heavens for a new home.
Doyle Gage is the poster boy for the promised Gaea future. A long serving United Earth Coalition (UEC) soldier, Doyle has been hand picked to be commander of the Gaea-02 spaceship. Its mission, to forge a new colony on a distant planet called M38 But Doyle unexpectedly finds himself alone to raise his young son and resigns his post, electing only to accompany the ship on its six month, slingshot test flight as a civilian consultant.
On returning to Earth, the crew of Gaea-02 are horrified to discover that the Asian Pacific Alliance (APA) has started all out war with the UEC. It soon becomes clear, the APA are after one thing, the Gaea ship and all its technology, so they can mount their own bid for M38.
Stranded in space, and considered fugitive by the APA, the crew of the Gaea-02 will be forced to make difficult decisions and Doyle must decide if he should return to Earth and learn the fate of his son or head for the stars and fulfill the Gaea dream.

Gaea: Beyond the Son, is the brilliant first offering from P.D. Gilson. Crammed full of action and with a plot played out by believable, likeable characters, it's hard to put this book down.
If you're looking for hard, techhy sci-fi, then this isn't for you. But if you like your SF a little on the pulpy/adventure side with a splash of military thrown in for good measure, I heartily recommend it.
The initial premise is good, the future world Gilson writes about not too much of a leap of faith given current warnings about global warming and climate change. The characters are engaging and their individual stories are slowly revealed to the reader through a series of flashbacks and hibernation dreams. Yes, it's been done before but it's executed well, bringing to the surface conflicts and motivations that draw you into the story as the book progresses.
The crew of the Gaea-02 get thrown from one situation to the next, and the action scenes are exciting and written well, yet none of the obstacles or hardships encountered seemed contrived to pad the story out, they just added to the snowballing pace of the plot.
If I had one minor criticism of Gaea: Beyond the Son, it would be the use of unexplained acronyms. Lovers of SF will have no problem, with a little bit of thought, figuring out what they all stand for, but readers new to the genre might not be familiar with them all. It's a minor issue.
Completing the package is the gorgeous cover art of Tomas Kuklik. A beautiful collage of scenes from the book, you'll find yourself constantly flipping back to view it and pictorially relive the scene you just read. They say never to judge a book by its cover but I'm afraid to say I did - and I wasn't disappointed in the least.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic SciFi Debut!, December 3, 2007

By	SciFiChick "www.SciFiChick.com" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

When the Gaea-02 returns from her first mission in deep space, the crew discovers that the volatile situation on earth has escalated. Earth's factions are at war, leaving the Gaea-02 no option but to head for the planet that Earth plans to colonize. But one crew member has left a son back on Earth. And Doyle won't give up until he finds a way back home.

Gaea: Beyond the Son is an exciting tale of heart-pounding action and suspense, and read like a gripping, scifi film. But the characterization doesn't suffer for it. Short backstories for several of the crew members, give insight and depth to the characters, and help to engage the reader. Even the antagonists were multi-dimensional.

This novel was impossible to put down. With the feel of military scifi and the heart of a space opera, this debut novel has made the list of my favorites for the year. This was more than an impressive launch release for a brand-new small press. Helios has set a high standard with a fantastic story and beautiful cover art.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sci-fi story set in an interesting universe, November 27, 2007

By	G. Stark - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While the book does involve topics such as global warming and water shortage as a previous reviewer says, it focuses far more on the stories and struggles of the main characters. I found the characters to be well developed and the pace of the story kept me interested through the last page. Quite a debut for the author. I look forward to reading more of his work and further books in this universe.