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Award-Winning Science Fiction/Fantasy Author Geoff Nelder.
The Flying Crooked Series!
Science Fiction As It Should Be…
Opi’s World (Book 5) Coming Soon!
Suppose We by Geoff Nelder.
Book 1 of 2: The Flying Crooked Series.
When a ship crash-lands on a faraway planet the crew needs local help. Unfortunately, the natives are a million years ahead of us. Ignored, the crew has to find a way to get attention.
Bringing back a sense of discovery and wonder to science fiction.
“I’ve always found Geoff’s work both inspirational and brilliant. I know that whenever I pick up one of his works I’m in for a damned good read. For those who’ve never read any of his works before, welcome to the Geoff Nelder club.” By Mark Iles, author of The Darkening Stars series.
“Geoff Nelder inhabits science fiction just as other people inhabit their clothes.” By Jon Courtenay Grimwood: Felaheen, Pashazade and End Of The World Blues.
If you liked Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin, and Anne MccAffrey’s Dinosaur Planet you’ll like SUPPOSE WE.
Review by Martin Lamberti: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Flying Crooked, predictably unpredictable. Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2019. Verified Purchase. Just as the Cabbage White’s flight is unpredictable, so the quirky beginnings of Suppose We in Geoff’s newest release. I’m looking forward to the continuation of the crooked flights of the series that we suppose we CAN. (As in CANDID)
Review by Rosie: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Science Fiction as it should be… Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2019. Verified Purchase. Geoff Nelder is one of those unsung creatives in science fiction. And with this book, his imagination is coming into its own. Like any work of such an innovative nature, it has to first engage in the ordinary (for science fiction that is) before it can move you into that very unique yet coherent world. He does this so subtly that you don’t notice until you are thoroughly enjoying the new.
So, it starts with a ship carrying four people to a new world. Their journey has lasted a thousand years in hibernation. And they end up having to crash land. An ordinary science fiction trope – so far. And that is where the ordinariness ends. The planet’s ‘lifeforms’ are an interesting mixture, with even more interesting consequences.
But an author cannot take a reader into this amount of unusualness without writing in engaging way, and this is exactly what Geoff has done, in spades. His characters are very relatable, his descriptions entrancing and his story pace an enjoyable canter.
A word about the science here – not all of it is explained, but given that the point of view characters can’t explain it, that is not surprising. The techies and scientists among you will realise that what Geoff has worked up might really be possible.
I have known Geoff’s other works and am not surprised at the quality of this book. What does surprise me is that a top-notch publisher has not taken up publishing ‘Suppose We’.
Review by Lucy M Andrews: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Rich descriptions and vivid imagery. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2019. Verified Purchase. Suppose We is full of rich descriptions and vivid imagery that is a joy to read. The description of the alien world, including its dangers, bring it to life in a way that allows the reader to imagine being there. The characters are well drawn and as the story unwinds, the reader gradually learns more about the planet that they are on. I enjoyed this book immensely and will certainly read the sequel.
Product Details:
Print Length: 182 Pages
Publisher: LL-Publications (May 19, 2019)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
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Falling Up by Geoff Nelder.
Book 2: The Flying Crooked Series.
The Flying Crooked Series – bringing back a sense of discovery and wonder to science fiction!
After our human crew persuaded the far-advanced native Keps to allow human genomes to be spliced into native bacteria a new threat arrives. It’s not organic, it’s not on the planet, but it shreds planets. Alien AI have been offended…
“The characters, action and drama on the mind-boggling planet our humans are stranded on makes it one of the most original sci-fi stories I’ve read in a long while.” Peter Wilhelmsen, fantasy writer.
Chris Rimell, author of Untold History: “As always you do a lovely job of describing the worlds and filling them with colour and aromas.”
Martin Lamberti: International clown. “Just as the Cabbage White’s flight is unpredictable, so the quirky beginnings in Geoff’s newest release. I’m looking forward to the continuation of the crooked flights of the series.”
Review by DJW: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Falling up. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2019. Verified Purchase. As bizarre as the title suggests. What a sequel to “Suppose We”!
Product Details:
Paperback: 166 Pages
Publisher: Dillon Enterprises (December 12, 2019)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
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Kepler’s Son by Geoff Nelder.
Book 3: The Flying Crooked Series.
Mother and father are true humans born on Earth. Their son was conceived with the unwanted help from alien genes and so Gaston while loving him, refers to Adah as more Kepler’s son than his.
The hybrid Adah walked over and hugged his very human mother, who eagerly wrapped her arms around him even though she wasn’t keen on his sweaty-socks pungency. Weird considering, he didn’t wear socks. No one did.
The humans and their offspring (including clones and GM people) in the Kepler system face a backlash from Purist keps who want all humankind to be extinguished. With the support of the kep elite and strange artificial intelligence machines, our plucky band of humans find themselves hiding in the most extraordinary places such as inside a sun, but is it enough to thwart danger?
5-Stars: Adah is different in most respects from human boys.
‘Kepler’s Son’ in ‘The Flying Crooked’ series by Geoff Nelder is finally here. Let’s recap.
In ‘Suppose We’ (book one) a spaceship crash-lands on a faraway planet but the natives are so far ahead of Earth they ignore the human crew.
In ‘Falling Up’ (book two) Em is captured by an alien artificial intelligence that had attacked the Kepler-20h system.
Now in‘Kepler’s Son’ (book three) our heroes’ ace trick of splicing human genes with nasty bacteria to help the natives has backfired leaving the planet in danger of being overrun by squidgy, rapidly-evolving mind-hive creatures.
The Artificial Intelligence CAN reports after arranging with Kep flitters to reprogram all the ‘essential’ communication and science satellites that danced in whirls and lurches after being deserted by their home Kepler-20h planet. Problem: none of the 125 satellites have sufficient fuel to travel far. Solution: We’ve cannibalised some to create a huge solar cell array to supplement slow but steady ion drives to make their way. Where to? We didn’t know for days, but perturbations in the inner-planet orbits revealed the probable location and I found a weak signal from a beacon. Streaming now to update and sync. Bad news: intense radiation needs guarding against. Date: Earth February 19th 3664 Kepler New 6976 days.
A census is conducted by me because none counts better than I. All data refer to beings on this planet Kepler-20h. All beings possess a biometric signature whether they know it or not.
- Indigenous population known to humans as keps: 137, 328 (data from their archives indicate a mass migration to other planets 21 years ago).
- Indigenous population known to humans as trogs: 2,675,177 (NB very few live on the surface).
- Humans from Earth: 2 (Science Officer Gaston Poirier, Navigator Em Farrer).
- Human-forms with tripartite genetic code: 1 (Adah with DNA from two humans and one kep).
- Human-forms with pure human DNA via cloning engineering using original crew members plus genetic material brought from Earth: 217.
- Keeps – engineered human plus indigenous bacteria: 2,538,824.
In Chapter Twenty-Seven: Em was always the one who put herself out, travelling for days over unknown landscapes with only Kep1 and a trio of flitters for company just to hug her son. Gaston wasn’t Adah’s father, at least not in the traditional sense. The kep biologists had sampled his DNA and explained how most of it was human and some from the kep rapist and it’s the latter that had made him so different in most respects from human boys. His translucent skin; telepathic abilities the limitations of which he’d yet to discover except that it only worked with keps and keeps; and his ability to solidify his imaginary friends. Very scary and completely mysterious. At least his mother and father—the Gaston fraction—were now safe on the kep’s secret corona station. Hiding it inside a sun.
I enjoyed reading ‘Kepler’s Son’ and I invite you to read ‘The Flying Crooked’ series. Author Geoff Nelder takes his readers on a spectacular 5-Star Science Fiction (Action and Adventure). You will want to catch up before ‘Vanished Earth’ (book four) arrives. What’s happened to the humans’ home planet? Assuming Earth is our home planet. In book 4 of the Flying Crooked series of hard science fiction novellas, we find Earth, or so we think, but like the butterfly it’s changed.
Geoff Nelder lives in rural England within an easy cycle ride of the Welsh mountains. Publications include several non-fiction books on climate reflecting his other persona as a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society; over 90 published short stories in various magazines and anthologies; thriller, humour, science fiction, and fantasy novels.
Editorial Review (Book Marketing Global Network).
Review by Magdalena Ball: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Hugely fun, fast-paced, inventive, action-oriented sci-fi. Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023. You don’t need to read Geoff Nelder’s bio to know that he is inherently a scientist and a teacher. His books are engaging and inventive to be sure, but they are underpinned by a deep understanding of and delight in the wonders of physics and biology. His worlds are full of anomalies that draw on real-life quantum quirks, cosmic paradoxes and biological anomalies, and his aliens are both delightfully bizarre and yet somehow plausible. He is a writer who knows his sci-fi tropes well enough to twist them into a Möbius strip and take them to new places while still providing plenty of Easter eggs to keen readers of the genre.
Kepler’s Son, the third book in his Flying Crooked series, is no exception. In previous books in the series, humans have left the Earth and crash-landed on a planet called Kepler-20h where the aliens are so technologically advanced to humans, that they just ignore the visitors. Humans aren’t colonisers here, as is often the case in sci fi books, but minor vermin barely worthy of note. It is only the awkward human personality, human bacterial issues, and the ship-steering, all seeing, God-like artificial intelligence CAN that makes the humans noteworthy to the Keps – the ultra-advanced aliens who live on Kepler-20. CAN shines in this work as a hilarious non-human character with its camp dairy style missives that play on its name (“Can Can”, “cannibalised”, “cantering”, “Wiccan” “the oilcan”, etc.). CAN is a significant character, whose distinctive voice is somewhere between the existential musings of The Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy’s Marvin (though happier) and the careful diction of a geeky science teacher.
The other protagonists of the series are Em and the charmingly French Gaston. In book two, Em falls pregnant to Gaston at the same time as she is impregnated by a Kep, thereby creating a hybrid child, Adeh. Adeh is 18 when Kepler’s Son, an obvious reference to Adeh, opens. His interesting mix of human and alien genes are on full display throughout the book as he develops while exploring the world he and his parents live on, and learning the limits of his capabilities and his relationship to other creatures, imaginary or real.
Nelder does a good job of keeping the story fast-paced and action-oriented as the humans and their collaborators are hunted down by ‘purist’ Keps who would like to exterminate them. While the story hints at human history and our many foibles including the wrecking of our planet through anthropogenic climate change, the way in which the narrative progresses is novel, involving a galactic chase that includes ‘pinching’ – a folding of space time that simulates a kind of wormhole. There are all sorts of dangers for the couple as they fly a variety of crafts, and fun hiding spaces like a base inside a sun’s corona or an impossible tower built of ‘non-Euclidean, non-Newtonian, non-Einstein geo-physics’. Nelder manages just the right blend of scientific description and imaginative ideation. The characterisation remains strong through the book as he moves in and out of different viewpoints, even giving voice to some of the stranger characters, like the genetically-engineered Keeps – part Kep, part human, but more collective than individual and only able to communicate in sing-song grunts.
While Kepler’s Son does provide context and background to the previous books, both in the intro and at key points through the narrative, a better reading experience is to be had by reading all three books in the series (and ultimately the fourth when it comes out) in sequence as it does take a bit of catching up to understand Nelder’s extensive universe with its biological and mechanical creatures, particularly Gaston’s Papillon who feels quite important but doesn’t feature strongly in Kepler’s Son. That said, Kepler’s Son is self-contained enough to provide a joyride that won’t disappoint readers who enjoy high quality sci-fi. This is a well-crafted book with a dynamic and engaging pace that has something for everyone, including multiple close calls, close and steamy encounters, clones, cold fusion, dreamlike landscapes, and far-flung star systems.
Product Details:
Paperback: 201 Pages
Publisher: LL-Publications (November 22, 2022)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
Vanished Earth by Geoff Nelder.
The Flying Crooked Series Book 4 of 4.
Vanished Earth, the 4th in the FLYING CROOKED series releases a lifelong urge for Geoff Nelder to paint his own vision of what a strange yet habitable planet might be like and how we might react to alien encounters. If you enjoy breaking tropes, this is for you.
The descendants of humans who’d left Earth 1500 years before had the uncontrollable urge to visit their origin planet but WHERE has it gone? In any case would Earth welcome the aliens and new lifeform they’re bringing?
Mika, a woman born of two human clones on the faraway Keplerian system: Screaming persisted, some of it from herself, the ship and the Keps. She thought she could tell the three types apart now. All this way to become an expert in alien screaming.
From Magdalena Ball of the Compulsive Reader review site: “There’s always an element of action, a hint of steamy romance, and Nelder’s trademark twist.”
From Mark Iles – author of science fantasy The Gardens of Earth (Sundering Chronicles)
“I absolutely loved this, a brilliant piece of work. ‘Vanished Earth’ is a great title too, as it so reflects the content. The humour within is tongue-in-cheek and made me smile throughout.”
Review by Frances: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Fascinating future vision of Earth. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2023. Verified Purchase. Such a fascinating vision of planetary exploration and future visions of Earth – really fantastic descriptive writing and imagery. I’m curious to know what effect the keeps would have on Earth’s ecosystem in years to come. The origin of the keeps and Adah’s imaginary friends makes for compelling reading. It feels like this may be the final book, but the author has also left an opening for future stories or books in this series. Highly recommended.
Product Details:
Paperback: 126 Pages
Publisher: LL-Publications (October 11, 2023)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
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*****
ARIA Trilogy!
ARIA: Left Luggage by Geoff Nelder.
ARIA Trilogy Book 1.
Winner -2012 P&E Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel
This is where The Andromeda Strain meets Memento…
When an alien suitcase is found in space, a pandemic virus plagues Earth. Ryder Nape must gather survivors to escape an apocalyptic extinction of the human race.
ARIA: Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia
Today, Jack caught a bug at work. He catches a bus home. By the time he disembarks, all the other passengers and the driver have fuzzy heads. Jack has caught an amnesia plague, and it’s infectious. No cure.
Imagine the ramifications:
The passengers arrive home, infecting family; some shop en route gifting everyone they meet with the disease. The bus driver receives more passengers giving them change for last week’s prices and today’s amnesia. Some passengers work at the power plant, the water treatment works, the hospital, fire station. Dystopian chaos in weeks.
One man, Ryder Nape, knew about the case found in space and realizes it’s been opened, but can he persuade friends to barricade themselves in a secluded valley, hiding from the released amnesia bug? The survivors find love, hope and thoughts of revenge in their heroic struggle against the apocalypse.
ARIA: Left Luggage is a well-written novel with the pace and suspense of a video game (BioShock immediately comes to mind). The balance between character development and plot progression is managed smoothly, along with the thematics, which take the reader through a series of all-too-believable scenarios, chillingly showing how easy it would be for an advanced group of aliens to undermine the human race and have us destroy one another, without the need for any additional weapons or warfare. By Magdelena Ball
“Geoff Nelder inhabits Science Fiction the way other people inhabit their clothes.” By Jon Courtenay Grimwood
“Geoff Nelder’s ARIA has the right stuff. He makes us ask the most important question in science fiction–the one about the true limits of personal responsibility.” By Brad Linaweaver
Robert J. Sawyer calls ARIA a “fascinating project.”
“ARIA has an intriguing premise, and is written in a very accessible style.” By Mike Resnick
5 Stars: ARIA Has Its Roots In Italian Meaning Air
Let me answer the first question that came to my mind when the book ‘ARIA: Left Luggage’ arrived. The word ARIA has its roots in Italian meaning air.
Science Fiction as a genre literally is in a world of its own because human beings are obsessed with how to destroy or alter all of humanity by a single threat. It is rare that we find an author who can approach this kind of fiction from a new perspective, but Geoff Nelder has a truly unique concept.
As the first chapter begins the reader is introduced to Nelder’s large cast of characters like Vlad, Jena, Dan, Abdul and Antonio. His quantity of characters almost overwhelms the reader at first, but each has a role to play in this ordeal. The variety of solid, believable interpersonal relationships like the between Ryder Nape and his fiancée Teresa are essential as the world is threatened with massive memory loss by an alien virus. ARIA begs the intriguing question that as people lose their memories what is so important to their lives, they must make a note of it to read when they wake up each morning?
The year is 2015 and there is never a dull moment as the reader joins the crew of “the shuttle, Marimar, in orbit approaching the International Space Station” and follows the science at the Dryden Space Laboratories at Edwards Air Force Base in California and the NASA Goddard Labs in Maryland. Travels to London and to the Anafon Valley in North Wales. Follow the viral repercussions to the Chester Zoo in UK, Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and to Banff National Park in Canada.
The author caused this reader to ask how the world would handle such a virus if brought back to Earth from an exploratory mission, who on earth might be immune, and what secrets could NASA and WHO be keeping from us? That is what good science fiction does. It captures the readers’ imagination and takes us to places that we believe are impossible, but somewhere in the dark corners of our minds we recognize that there is a slim probability.
ARIA: Left Luggage by Geoff Nelder (volume one in the ARIA series) is a science fiction, action filled fiction that has already won the coveted Preditors & Editors Readers Poll for best science Fiction novel of 2012. Please consider purchasing and reading the whole ARIA series (available at Amazon).
Editorial Review (Book Marketing Global Network).
Review by Mark Fine, Author Of The Zebra Affaire: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Would Make a Great Movie! Compelling and provocative Story! Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2015. Verified Purchase. A mysterious out-of-this-world suitcase found wedged on the International Space Station triggers a viral catastrophe of apocalyptic end-of-days proportions on the humans habitants on the earth below. Unlike the typical B-movie type scenarios of less sophisticated science fiction, “ARIA Left Luggage” avoids the gratuitous and the obvious–sparing the reader passages about seamy bodily fluids and dismembered limbs. Hence, I really enjoyed this book because it added such intelligence and integrity to the genre, without sacrificing drama and body count.
The fact that the alien contagion was manifested as rapidly overwhelming amnesia–is so relevant to this baby boomer generation that’s facing an epidemic of real-world diseases that impair memory and cognitive functions, such as Alzheimer. By tapping into our collective fears in this regard, Nelder certainly had my attention.
The author ably describes the consequences of losing one’s mind by describing acute scenarios; a pilot en route over the Atlantic loses his way, with tragic consequences, when he forgets the flights final destination. It was truly frightening to witness, through the author’s eyes, how civil society can so rapidly deteriorate back into the Stone Age as humanities memories fade to naught.
My personal interpretation of Geoff Nelder’s Sci-Fi allegory is a near-future modern-day twist on the Dark Ages or Middle Ages–a period devoid of inspiration and culture possible due to famine and disease including the dreaded “Black Death” (Bubonic plague); it began at the fall of the Roman Empire and ended at beginning of Italian Renaissance – The Age of Discovery. Possibly the Italian doctor featured in the story triggered this thought, as well as the choice of “ARIA” being Italian for “Air” as the acronym for the virus.
This is a cerebral, thoroughly researched, and most enjoyable. The characters are vividly rendered, with their flaws and smarts displayed for all to see, making them memorable. For me it took only a minimal suspension of disbelief, and the plot felt thoroughly plausible. Just substitute ARIA for another earthbound airborne virus, accelerated throughout humanity due to population density, easy accesses to transcontinental travel, unrestricted borders, and the potential transmission speed of the disease would be like no other time in history.
As for those interested in survivalist prepping, but with an intelligent scientific / medical twist, ARIA promises to be a satisfying read. For those fans of science fiction, here you will find an immediacy and relevance (note the recent Ebola scare) that will trigger within you all the “it-came-from-outer-space” drama and tension you’d ever desire. Character-driven and a diverse cast, plus the compelling plot, suggests ARIA: Left Luggage has the makings of a fine motion picture.
Review by Tim: 5.0 out of 5 Stars>Excellent, End of World. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2017. Verified Purchase. If you are going to write a story about an end of world apocalyptic scenario, you are going to have to do it well to compete with all the other similarly themed stuff out there. Even better, if you are able, you have to tell it in a different way and with something that makes it stands out, an original twist would hinder things.
Fortunately, Geoff Nelder manages this with his science fiction novel, ARIA Lost Luggage. Pack your bags, button up your coat it is the end of the world time again, but this time there is an original premise that works in a manner that sets the story apart from others, and is chilling too, clawing away at the mind as the implications start to sink in.
When a small object is found on the International Space station it causes a lot of international consternation, interest grows as it becomes apparent that the object, possibly a receptacle of some kind appears to be of alien origin.
Despite all the procedures in place, the box is opened in less than perfect conditions and some form of infection is released onto the world. Bit by bit, day by day it eats away at the memories of the people infected and it spreads very quickly.
It is a subject matter that can be compared to real medical conditions, something that Nelder does not shy away from, but it is a lot more than that as he delves into the issues and delivers on an excellent scale. He does not take the easy root and just give us a single path, put offers a multi-perspective tale. From generalized, a look as the population as a whole begins to lose more and more of their memories, the way society starts to erode, unravel and ultimately, collapse. To POV characters who are suffering from the memory loss, how they struggle to cope and how some come up with ways to try to remind themselves each day. To those who have managed to remain isolated, struggling to survive and understand what is going on. To the odd case where someone might seem to be immune to the infection.
Of course, all the great ideas in the world can dribble away if they are not presented well, and here Nelder comes into his own. He tells the tale with flare and passion, giving the reader great characters to latch onto, to sympathize with as they, or those they know start to drift away, regressing to childhood as time passes.
In some ways it feels as though there is a surfer trying to surf a tidal wave, just that the task before our characters is too great, an ongoing disaster that cannot be looked away from.
In fact, one of the strengths of the novel is the way it pushes the aliens into the background, they are the plot device that have set the story in motion, but we know little and see even less of them. This works as it leaves a very ambiguous feel to what they have done. Is it on purpose? Is it an attack? Were they trying to communicate, and it went wrong? Was it a gift that backfired? There is no way of knowing.
And then a second box appears. When opened… well that would be a spoiler, but things get more complicated and a totally different threat begins to insinuate itself…
The book ends on a cliff-hanger, but it is a concept that has been well developed and delivered impeccably. Well worth the read, and undoubtedly, I’ll get around to reading the sequel.
Review by Dragon63: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. An interesting case. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2014. Verified Purchase. A strange metal case is found outside the ISS – after it is transported to a US base, the case is opened, releasing an infection that causes increasing memory loss. After a week, those infected have lost a year of their lives. As the disease spreads across the world, civilization starts to break down… Yes, we’re in end of the world territory here. If you’ve read The Death of Grass or Lucifer’s Hammer then you may assume you know what’s in store. But this apocalypse is unlike anything you’ll have seen before; when our own memories are playing traitor, the world becomes an extraordinarily scary place. The book is set a year ahead. our world is bound together with electronic communications (which can be persuaded to keep working even when the world has gone to hell), so the author gives us not just one group of survivors but a number of groups, in contact by email and video, who are struggling to preserve their memories and evade infection.
The characters are well-presented, interesting, and believable. The effects of the virus are logically thought out. The book takes place over a period of about six months; it does not dwell on the horrors outside the survivors’ enclaves, leaving those scenes mostly to the imagination. A few other faces appear and then vanish early on, hinting at the enormity of the disaster, but the core groups of survivors are the heart of the story.
The most obvious gap in the novel’s structure is any suggestion of the efforts being made to find a cure for the plague – the author mentions that there is something in the bloodstreams of those infected, but does not hint at steps being taken to fight it. Instead, he introduces a different occurrence to push the narrative forward – I won’t spoil the story by revealing what that involves. Suffice it to say that after a slow mid-section, the novel picks up the pace again in the later chapters – but does not reach a conclusion. By the end of the book, the core characters have made significant decisions, but the results of those choices are the subject of the next book in the trilogy…
I enjoyed book one of ARIA – it is well written, properly proof-read, intelligent and different from all the other end of the world scenarios I have seen before.
Review by Mrs. G. Hobson: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Never to be forgotten. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2012. Verified Purchase. It must be incredibly difficult to come up with a unique and yet believable storyline for a Science Fiction novel. It appears that Geoff Nelder has done precisely that. The plot is simple and yet mind-blowing.
A simple-looking case planted by aliens on an orbiting space station makes the story of the Trojan Horse look like a mere nursery tale. The whole human race is threatened, not by hordes of odd-looking space creatures as seen on certain TV dramas, but by an unseen virus — Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia — that invades the brain as soon as contact is made. But there is nothing to indicate contamination, that is, until it is obvious that memory is being eaten away at an alarming rate. No one appears to be immune. With no cure, it does not take long for ARIA to become the gravest mankind issue the world, as we know it, has ever been faced with.
I know what it is like to have a loved one suffer from Dementia. It is a cruel disease and heartbreaking for all concerned. But to have the whole population in various stages of rapid amnesia — aggression, mounting diseases, starvation, bodies stinking in the streets and everything in a state of chaos and horror — is a dreaded nightmare from which there is no awakening… or so it seems. But all is not lost — YET.
Our heroes and heroines, highly believable characters who have, so far, escaped contamination are yet to make their mark in world history. Dare we hope the alien force will relent and deliver relief before the END? Or must we put our faith in human resourcefulness?
An unusual, mind-blowing read. I look forward to the second book of the trilogy.
Review by Amazon Customer: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Always check the vehicle you are travelling in. Reviewed in Australia on February 12, 2023. Verified Purchase. Geoff never disappoints, and this is a perfect example of what not to do when you find something attached to your vehicle, be it in space…never bring it back to Earth…but no one listens, and no one remembers. Loved it.
Product Details:
Paperback: 284 Pages
Publisher: Logical-Lust (August 1, 2012)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
Amazon Print:
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ARIA: Returning Left Luggage by Geoff Nelder.
ARIA Trilogy Book 2: Humanity On the Edge of Extinction.
They wiped out most of Humanity in a split second of universal time.
It’s the apocalypse. It’s the extinction of mankind.
The Andromeda Strain meets Memento…
Meet the aliens who came from some deep space universe and brought a pandemic of infectious amnesia to Earth with their “left luggage.” In this gripping ARIA sequel, Returning Left Luggage, the alien invaders ignore the remaining human survivors or enslave them. Will the disparate last survivors form an alliance? The aliens, however, don’t bargain on encountering the psychotic Dr Antonio Menzies, and when he discovers how to use their telepathic-controlled gadgets, odd things happen.
Meanwhile, Ryder Nape – a survivor who escaped the infection – and his isolation group is in the South Pacific facing an invasion of amnesiacs. In France, a bunch of uninfected students discover the truth behind the aliens and their spreading, unkillable bindweed. The survivors’ passion for survival and dystopian experience drive them towards revenge, but can they win against such a strange foe? Can they make a first strike count? The destiny of the human race may be in their hands.
ARIA: Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia
Without our memories, who are we?
“ARIA is a well-written novel with the pace and suspense of a video game (BioShock immediately comes to mind). The balance between character development and plot progression is managed smoothly, along with the thematics, which take the reader through a series of all-too-believable scenarios, chillingly showing how easy it would be for an advanced group of aliens to undermine the human race and have us destroy one another, without the need for any additional weapons or warfare.” By Magdelena Ball
“Geoff Nelder inhabits Science Fiction the way other people inhabit their clothes.” By Jon Courtenay Grimwood
“Geoff Nelder’s ARIA has the right stuff. He makes us ask the most important question in science fiction–the one about the true limits of personal responsibility.” By Brad Linaweaver
Robert J. Sawyer calls ARIA a “fascinating project.”
“ARIA has an intriguing premise, and is written in a very accessible style.” By Mike Resnick
Review by Ulla H: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Original and mind-boggling! Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015. Years ago, I couldn’t get enough of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books. After that I spent years reading thrillers and suspense. Recently, I was quite excited to hear about The ARIA Trilogy by Geoff Nelder and felt it was time to read a science fiction book again. I’d heard quite a lot about the first book so I decided to get the second book “ARIA: Returning Left Luggage.”
This science fiction series has a truly unique concept dealing with how Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia effects society around the world. Aliens needing the world for their own purpose, decided to clean it up. They released an unavoidable, highly contagious space virus that over a short period of time robbed most people on the planet of their memories, and rendered them helpless and dying.
In this second installment of Aria, small groups of people, still not infected, realize the danger they’re in and flee to isolated areas in different parts of the world. Nelder’s characters are real, human and beautifully flawed. Even Dr. Antonio, to a hesitant degree. I love the dialogue. It’s witty and fun. The writing is great. You come to rote for some individuals as they struggle to survive in their new reality. It’s a fascinating and truly terrifying story. A second space virus released by the aliens stop the memory loss in the people who get in contact with it, but for some it brings other problems. More of that in the third installment, I imagine (hope).
This book made me a science fiction fan all over again. I really recommend it!
Review by Colm Herron: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. This gem of a book. Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016. Here is a modern dystopia formed in the mind of author Geoff Nelder, science fiction writer extraordinaire. It follows on his first book of the trilogy ARIA and tells what happens after the apocalypse of mass memory loss on earth. To give away much would be unforgivable so I’ll confine myself to saying that the cure that comes from space to stop this global amnesia appears to be worse than the sickness itself.
The scenario is as confusing and terrifying as what is now happening in Syria where global powers work with and against each other to pursue their own agendas and nobody knows for sure who’s for what. Except here in Returning Left Luggage there is hilarity to leaven the nightmare. And it is this hilarity that makes Nelder’s novel more than just a remarkable piece of sci-fi. For at the drop of a master’s hat he is able to make me laugh out loud even as I squirm.
POSTSCRIPT: Geoff Nelder uses the acronym ARIA for Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia which is what is brought to earth by evil aliens. But the more I read Returning Left Luggage the more I wondered if Nelder had more than memory loss in mind. For one of the most famous arias in history is Haydn’s The Creation in which Satan and his followers build a palace called Pandemonium. And diabolical pandemonium is what runs amok in this gem of a book.
Review by Paul Goodspeed: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. ARIA II. Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2013. This is a superb novel of the post-apocalyptic genre. In this case the apocalypse arrived in the form of an alien suitcase which, when opened, released an extraordinarily infectious strain of retrograde amnesia — causing a loss of one year of memory, working backward, each week — which infected almost everyone on earth, except small clumps of survivors in widely-separated locales.
This all happened in Volume I of the trilogy, but it isn’t necessary to have read Volume I to thoroughly enjoy Volume II. There’s a one-paragraph synopsis at the beginning which tells the reader how we got to where Volume II starts. That having been said, I would go back and read Volume I if I hadn’t already — reading them in reverse order wouldn’t detract from the interest of Volume I.
Mr. Nelder has, in my view, surpassed his own excellent previous novels with this one. He has continued the saga of the very interesting characters he created in Volume I, with a few new twists. One of the strong points of Mr. Nelder’s work is his dialogue, and that is true here — there’s plenty of dialogue, and it’s witty and snarky and fun.
The basic premise of the trilogy — the retrograde amnesia — is very clever, and Mr. Nelder has thought through how it would impact the earth and what its consequences would be, overall and as to specific individuals.
I don’t know when the final volume of the trilogy will come out, but when it does it will be at the top of my reading list.
Review by Martin Lamberti: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. ARIA II, Returning Left Luggage, and you thought the airlines were bad! Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2013. In ARIA II, the plot thickens, of course. This is expected from an excellent author like Geoff Nelder. Aside from the aliens we have several groups of earthlings working together, (for the most part), but each with their own agenda seeking to save the people of earth, or dominate it on their own, or with each other’s help? Or, possibly with the help of renegade aliens who are, after all, not necessarily in conformance with their own alien “elders.” Apparently, earth’s atmosphere and soil are advantageous to the production of alien super cannabis. Following the plots and fates of the Earthlings will keep you guessing, and Dr. Antonio will make you want to scream. or applaud? Author Geoff Nelder continues to present plausible ideas as he presents insight into the alien mindset. “ARIA 2 Returning Left Luggage” Just as the first book in the ARIA series deals with Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia and it’s effect on society. Truly frightening!
Review by Amazon Customer: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Aria Trilogy. Reviewed in Australia on January 20, 2023. Verified Purchase. Geoff does SCIFI takes you on this amazing thought-provoking adventure; this one encompasses worldwide amnesia. Subtle idiosyncrasies of such a pandemic make the past three years in lockdown interesting. I did pause as Carnarvon, WA Au, was mentioned and for Australia to make it into mainstream SCIFI! Geoff, you made my day.
Review by L. Sengul: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A must read of apocalyptic and Sci-fi fans! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2015. Verified Purchase. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ARIA, the idea that a virus introduced by Aliens that cause us to lose our memories is very terrifying and the urge to eradicate it is inspired by reading through different character perspectives and the ending has left me wanting to the read the last book in the ARIA Series. A must read of apocalyptic, sci-fi fans!
Review by DJW: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. The suspense continues. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2013. Verified Purchase. The trilogy contains all the fundamental ingredients of top-class science fiction. The basic concept of alien infectious amnesia spreading throughout the world and bringing with it the collapse of society as we know it is fascinating enough but Geoff Nelder blends it with the foibles of human beings and the careful manipulation of up to date scientific and computer understanding. A gripping read!
Product Details:
Paperback: 282 Pages
Publisher: LL-Publications; 1st Edition (June 1, 2013)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
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ARIA: Abandoned Luggage by Geoff Nelder.
ARIA Trilogy Book 3.
In 2015, a case found in the struts of the International Space Station is brought to Earth. It releases a virus giving people amnesia. They lose their memory at the rate of a years worth every week. No one is immune. Infectious amnesia is unheard of. Industry breaks down as people forget where they work and how to perform their duties. People die as they forget their medication, and production ceases along with food, water supply, and energy. A few small groups realise what is happening in time and find isolated refuges. Ryder Nape takes a group to a secluded Welsh valley where safety from the virus is possible. Biologists call the virus ARIA: Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia.
In this conclusion to the trilogy, Dr. Antonio Menzies arrives on Zadok. The ARIA-3 bomb had reached there two days previously, causing havoc. Surviving Zadokians consider a mass-migration to Earth to escape the effects of ARIA-3. Antonio’s madness grows, and he makes disturbing discoveries in their laboratories.
Meanwhile, Ryder’s group is now on a Pacific Island. His relationship with Jena is unstable and others have coruscating infatuations in tune with the increasingly desperate situation. When their island becomes unsustainable, and the alien-Earth hybrid weed gets out of control, where should they go?
What was the Zadokians’ real purpose with the ARIA viruses, and how does it all end?
“ARIA mingles the most optimistic calculations from the Drake Equation with a distopian outcome, creating a read that is as intriguing as it is fun.” By Magdalena Ball, owner of Compulsive Reader
“If you like your scifi offbeat, original, and backed by science, you’re going to love ARIA.” By Kenyon Charboneaux, editor and writing tutor at Eros & Rust
“ARIA: a smart, entertaining gem.” By Dr. Ira Nayman, author of the Transdimensional Authority Series
Review by AQ: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Move over Edgar Rice Burroughs… Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2017. Verified Purchase. Move over John Carter and the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars stories. The Zadokians have it way over the Barsoomians, with their telepathic abilities and multi-millennia existence just four light years from Earth. Geoff Nelder weaves a fantastic sci-fi tale that suspends disbelief and keeps the pages turning at lightspeed. He interjects enough real science to glue things together while playing with outrageous possibilities when aliens interfere with (or help?) the human population on planet Earth. Five stars for this third book of the ARIA trilogy.
Review by Amazon Customer: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Superb Read. Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2017. I’ve been a follower of Geoff Nelder’s writing for many years now, and each time I get one of his books I know that I’m not going to be disappointed. I’m also a big fan of Lit-RPG and post apocalyptical, so the ARIA (Alien Retrograde Infectious Amnesia) books certainly hit that right on the nose. There’s also opportunities for a game here, with his characters struggling to survive and fight off the plague infested remnants of civilization.
As for infectious amnesia, what a brilliant idea! Kind of scary though, imagine getting on a bus to go to work and forgetting not only where that is but where you live and who your family are. In this final tome Dr. Antonio Menzies arrives on Zadok, where surviving Zadokians are considering mass migration to Earth, to escape the effects of the Aria-3 bomb. Yet back on Earth things are getting desperate for our heroes too. The island they retreated too is becoming unsustainable and the hybrid weed gets out of control.
This is a wonderful Lit-RPG tale and the only complaint I have is that there’s only three books. Any chance of a fourth one, Mr. Nelder?
Review by Paul Goodspeed: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. The Best of the Trilogy. Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2014. I very much enjoyed the first two books of the ARIA trilogy, so I was looking forward to reading the third. I wasn’t disappointed. In my judgment Abandoned Luggage is the best of the three, and a fitting end to the trilogy. This is post-apocalyptic sci-fi at its best.
Like the first two books, Abandoned Luggage proceeds by switching among several closely-related story lines with different sets of characters, each character and each group interesting in its own way. One thing that I especially liked was that the character I found most interesting in the earlier books, Antonio, played a more major role in this volume. Also, an interesting and enjoyable new character, called Spec-5, joins the cast for this book.
Abandoned Luggage, again like the first two books, is characterized by Mr. Nelder’s superb ability to write dialogue, and his delightfully imaginative treatment of such diverse topics as telepathic communication with aliens and a new earth-threatening scourge arising from the plant world.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction, whether or not he or she has read the first two of the trilogy. It’s certainly more fun when one has, but Abandoned Luggage includes a synopsis of the first two books that provides a sufficient starting point for this concluding volume.
Review by Scouser32: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Best of the three. Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2014. Loved this Aria storyline from start to this new finish. Loved Manuel best, how he went from cocky educator in book 1 to depression with amnesia then found new women to share survival and now on a new planet! Loved the new planet – how strange and loved the intelligent mice DNA bird. Hey I misspelt and to DNA and it kind of works. This is the best of the 3 books. Ace. Want another one. Do an Adams and have 4 books in your trilogy.
Product Details:
Paperback: 254 Pages
Publisher: LL-Publications; 1st Edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Action and Adventure)
Science Fiction (Alien Invasion)
Science Fiction (First Contact)
Science Fiction (Medical Fiction)
Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Science Fiction (Space Exploration)
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*****
Stand-Alone Science Fiction & Fantasy!
Incremental by Geoff Nelder.
25 Tales Of Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, and Bizarre Fiction
These twenty-five tales from Geoff Nelder have increment as a theme. INCREMENT:
Noun-an increase or addition, especially one of a series on a fixed scale. Synonyms: increase, addition, gain, augmentation, step up, supplement, addendum, adjunct, accretion, boost, enhancement. Verb-cause a discrete increase in. Mathematically the difference can be negative-decremental.
For example, a pothole doubles in size every day, a meteorite hits the same house daily at the same time, or a heavy leather-bound book on the top shelf teeters closer to toppling at each library visit. A sound is heard all over the Earth, but more worrying, it gets louder each day. A couple of astronauts’ crash land on an ocean planet (apparently) and incrementally sink.
A few stories are more mental than incremental, you’ll see.
Some of the stories have won awards and have been published before, but most of the wordage is new and drawn together for a common theme. I do not apologize for the mix of genres in this collection. I write as the muse takes me and only afterwards am, I asked, is it hard SF, bizarre, horror? You have a smorgasbord of fantasy, science fiction and speculative in your hands.
“Some of these stories are more mental than incremental – all wonderful.” By Limnisa Writers’ Retreat, Greece.
‘A feast of Kafka-esque incremental tales, to be ‘literally’ devoured one after the other… by Mark Iles author of the Pride of Lions #1 best-selling sci fi book.
Review by C. LEWIS: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A brilliant read!! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2021. Verified PurchaseA spell binding compilation of page turning stories. Wonderful stuff!!
Review by DAVID LEAPER: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A broad spectrum. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2018. Verified Purchase. I really enjoyed this collection of short stories, sci-fi at it’s best. What I particularly liked is the unpredictable endings to the stories. Geoff Nelder is a visionary writer. This is a must for all lovers of sci-fi and the unknown.
Product Details:
Paperback: 292 Pages
Publisher: LL-Publications (October 10, 2018)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Short Stories)
Science Fiction (Anthologies)
Science Fiction (Tales)
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VENGEANCE ISLAND by Geoff Nelder.
Vengeance Island follows the fate of a sixteenth century abducted family, and of two contemporary lovers thrown together by the ancients. Reece and Zita are unaware that one descends from the pirates, the other from the abducted family. While ancient Gozo spirits seek revenge, so do the Ottoman Corsairs, who intend to roll back history, and this time win the siege of Malta.
The history is real. The places are authentic. The tension and excitement are palpable.
“A gripping tale, full of energy and mystery, keeping you wanting for more with every line you read.” John Bonello, First-Prize Winner of the Malta National Book Award
“I liked it. There’s a foreground of interesting characters combined with a skillfully fed-in hint of weirdness.” Jaine Fenn – Hidden Empire series
A previous version was released as ‘Xaghra’s Revenge’. ‘Vengeance Island’ has been modified.
Review by Aidan Lucid: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Another Great Read From Geoff Nelder. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2021. Verified Purchase. As always, Geoff delivers with “Vengeance Island”. It’s a fast-paced story combining both the past and present in a truly unique way. The dialogue sings and there’s no letup in the novel’s pacing. A real page turner and I wouldn’t expect anything less from the great man himself, Mr. Nelder. If you’re a fan of Geoff’s work, this won’t disappoint. Get it TODAY!
Product Details:
Print Length: 297 Pages
ASIN: B08NHQTSD3
Publication Date: November 14, 2020
Language: English
Fiction (Magical Realism)
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The Chaos Of Mokii by Geoff Nelder.
An Experimental Science Fiction.
The city of Mokii exists only in the combined imaginations of its inhabitants. A metaphysical experiment with surprising results. Science fiction but not as you know it. A literary short story.
Product Details:
Reading Age 13-18
Grade Level 9-12
Print Length: 16 Pages
ASIN: B08KJD7589
Publication Date: October 1, 2020
Language: English
Science Fiction (Metaphysical and Visionary)
Reading Age: 13-18
Grade Level: 9-12
ALIEN EXIT by Geoff Nelder.
Hard science fiction novel using quantum time dilation and romance to stop alien artefacts inadvertently destroying the Earth with time quakes.
A previous version was released as ‘Exit: Pursued By A Bee’. ‘ALIEN EXIT’ has been modified.
Review by C. LEWIS: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Excellent read. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2020. Verified Purchase. This read romps along and stays the course as a page turner.
Product Details:
ASIN: B08CSXHKDM
Print Length: 250 Pages
Publication Date: July 10, 2020
Language: English
Science Fiction (Hard)
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Hot Air by Geoff Nelder.
Erica is a nine-to-five office temp with flaming red hair, emerald eyes, and black lipstick. The highlights of her day usually include coffee meetings and intoxicated fumblings. An adventurer at heart, she hires a hot-air balloon ride for she and her boyfriend, complete with a champagne lunch.
While in the air, she witnesses an unsavory crime happening on the ground below. The perpetrators spot the balloon, and begin shooting at it, hitting the pilot and killing him. Somehow, Erica and Paul manage to land the balloon but their troubles are not over. They are tracked down and abducted by a gang engaged in human trafficking, and taken to an island in the Mediterranean. Erica soon adapts to gangland ways and uses her charms to escape. Along the way, her life shifts from bored office temp to a feisty Lara Croft now living on adrenaline and dangerous men. She is chased by a rogue named Dean, who is annoyed by Erica but falling for her at the same time.
Hot Air is a contemporary crime novel and a winner of both the Wuacademia Silver Award in 2007 and Prix d’Or (Gold) 2008 for best unpublished novel.
Review by Mrs. G. Hobson: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Never mind the title (Hot Air) FEEL the heat! Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2012. Since my eyesight is not good enough for sustained reading, my hubby reads to me several times a day. This is a totally different experience as, unless the reader performs to professional standards, it is easy for the mind to wander. That is, unless the story is really gripping and both reader and listener are alert to every nuance within the written word. This story IS gripping.
What seems like a fantastic birthday present — a trip in a hot air balloon with her wimp of a boyfriend — turns into a nightmare when bullets start ripping through their airborne chariot. What had they done to deserve this unscheduled event? Incredibly, they had witnessed nefarious deeds — murder? torture? gang rape? — taking place within a leafy garden in England’s green and pleasant land. Was that a knife glinting in the sun? Erica’s boyfriend Paul is busy with his camera.
Well, whatever is going off, someone is not pleased to have witnesses. From the death of their balloon pilot to the end of the book, murder, torture, mayhem follows Erica around like a whiff of bizarre perfume as she is chased through air, and across land and water — in ever increasing danger of meeting a horrible death. But her feisty spirit never flags. She trusts no one, and, so it appears, rightly so. Her ingenuity and courage are beyond measure. Often stirred but rarely shaken, she battles to escape both evil men and wild waves to make her way to freedom and so expose the murderous gang after her blood.
Who can she turn to? Unfortunately, those who help her tend to come to a sticky-bloody end. But who is this gangster who saves her life and gets under her skin? What is he really after? Apart from sensuous sex, that is. Many questions, from beginning to end, keep the reader anxious to know the answers. A good dusting of erotica along the way alleviates some of the chilling horror scenes. Mix with suspense, intrigue, humour, and full-blooded characterization, and you have HOT AIR!
We read most of the Thrillers by top authors, Geoff Nelder’s Hot Air ranks easily among them.
Review by Paul Goodspeed: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A Fine and Engrossing Read. Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2012. I enjoyed Hot Air from start to finish, and was sad to have reached the end of this fine book. One thing that is very important to me in reading fiction is whether I care about the main characters and what happens to them. Hot Air passes this test easily — Erica is a most engaging character, and her succession of odd adventures keeps the reader (a) wondering what the heck will happen next, and (b) hoping for the best for Erica. If you love the English language, and occasional wordplay, and nuances of meaning and expression, Mr. Nelder is the author for you. If those aren’t particularly important to you, then just enjoy Hot Air as a fine, well-done novel.
Product Details:
Print Length: 216 Pages
Publisher: Adventure Books of Seattle; 3rd Edition (May 18, 2012)
Language: English
Fiction (Crime Action Adventure)
Kindle:
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Escaping Reality by Geoff Nelder.
The squashed nose on a wet pavement, followed by a brutal yet comic internment led our hero to a gut-wrenching escape.
A dangerous winter trek across the Northumberland Moors, even with a shocking surprising amorous interlude to raise the temperature a little, helps our criminal to survive however he can in the backstreets of Cumbrian towns. But he can’t just hide, he has to find out who is after him and what he discovers is more than is good for him.
Keeping just in front of a devious assassin, his frequently changed identity crosses to Amsterdam where he gets his friends into trouble. Can he find out what is really going on? Can you find out before him?
The clues are all here.
Review by Brett Marl: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Watch out Bill Bryson! Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2005. Verified Purchase. This book is outstanding. I thoroughly recommend reading it. It’s authentic, raw and honest. Has a very unpretentious feel to it and is chocked full of subtle British humor. I haven’t been so amused reading a book since I picked up my first Bill Bryson book.
Review by Amazon Customer: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A hard to put down, stylish romp. Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2006. The title says it all. Geoff Nelder’s <cite>Escaping Reality</cite> is a lighthearted romp which will drag the reader away from any mundane reality into the slapstick pleasure of his saxophonist protagonist Gerry Rickett’s world. Although the coyish self-deprecating Ricketts accuses himself of being gormless, he manages to survive a range of boys-own adventures on his way from the bottom up with “jack-the-lad” cunning. The story puts the reader in the picture immediately as the book opens with Rickett’s arrest for jewelry theft and murder.
As the novel is written in first person, the reader is immediately sympathetic to the cocky Ricketts, whose innocence is accepted by the reader without question. His dawning sense of the unreliability of those around him, along with the odd but effective combination of humorous sarcasm mingled with incredulity makes Ricketts an excellent protagonist, keeping the reader involved through the force of his personality. Ricketts refuses to feel sorry for himself, and hatches a plan to break out of prison and clear his name. Bubble wrap sex, a computer virus, and a white van are all part of the serendipity as Rickett’s works his way out of prison and away from his Dickensian fellow prisoners, who steal his phone cards and lumpy porridge.
At times the plot does strain credulity, and Ricketts’ sexual exploits, however well drawn, are about as likely as his eventual victory over bureaucracy, a drug cartel, and to a lesser extent, the forces of ennui. He almost makes being on the run sound easy, although there are plenty of cold, wet nights, brakeless cycle rides, smelly sheds, and a little farmhouse nookie. Because this is such a fun story, and Rickett’s such a compelling character, verisimilitude is the least important thing about Escaping Reality. Nelder builds suspense well, using foreshadowing, pacing and rhythm to speed up the book where necessary.
Never do we doubt Rickett’s story, since the first-person narrative places us on the road with him. The reader wants and expects Ricketts to find the real criminal and get his compensation. Rickett’s crimes are small (stealing a prized motorbike, humiliating his girlfriend, and putting his friends in danger), especially in comparison to the real bad guys, and he never intends to do any harm. Like his friend Preston, whose name he uses while on the run, his mal-used wife, and his (reasonably mal-used) moll (who has a few secrets of her own), the reader is prepared to not only forgive, but support Gerry Ricketts, making this a very satisfying read.
The unlikely heroism is also bolstered by an authentic and well-drawn setting. Nelder’s prison avoids cliché, as it focuses, with great humour, on the day-to-day details of life.
Nelder’s description of Amsterdam is rich with detail, taking us around the docks and deep into the heart of Westerdok. The mystery reveals itself bit by bit through a number of straight and crooked policemen, along with a few cases of Glod beer, plenty of camaraderie, and another continental shift. Well written, clever, and full of black wit. Escaping Reality is a hard to put down, stylish romp. There are laugh out loud moments, in prison, on the run, and back in prison again, plenty of twists, a compelling cast, an evocative setting, and heart beating drama. This is the kind of book you can read in a few days or less, and then pick up again for another round, solely for the pleasure of it.
Product Details:
Print Length: 228 Pages
Publisher: Brambling Books (July 1, 2005)
Language: English
Humor (Crime)
Fiction (Crime Action Adventure)
Amazon Print:
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Dimensions by Geoff Nelder and Robert Blevins.
Twenty-three illustrated tales of science fiction by authors Geoff Nelder of Great Britain and Robert Blevins of the United States.
Stories include ‘Last Train Home,’ ‘Hole Card,’ ‘Prime Meridian, ‘The Earth and the Lion,’ and others. Blevins and Nelder are the founders of Adventure Books of Seattle and serve as editors for the famous science fiction magazine, Escape Velocity.
Product Details:
Paperback: 160 Pages
Publisher: Adventure Books of Seattle (July 4, 2009)
Language: English
Science Fiction (Graphic Novels)
Science Fiction (Short Stories)
Science Fiction (Anthologies)
Science Fiction (Tales)
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*****
About The Author: Geoff Nelder is a freelance writer living in Chester, UK.
A former high school teacher of geography and information technology, he has had non-fiction books published on microclimates in the UK along with several articles in academic journals such as Weather, Geographical Magazine and the Times Educational Supplement. Geoff is a part-time journalist contributing humorous travel accounts to Cycling World.
He has had short stories published and won a commendation for a story in the Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Competition. He won first prize in the Cafe Doom short story competition in 2005. Besides his 2005 released humour novel, Escaping Reality, published by Brambling Books, he won an award for mystery thriller, Hot Air, to be published by a Dutch Arts Academy in 2009, and a Science Fiction block buster, Left Luggage is in the hands of an agent. Double Dragon Publishing published Geoff’s Exit, Pursued by a Bee science fiction in 2008.
Geoff is an editor for Adventure Books of Seattle, co-editor of Escape Velocity – a print and ezine magazine of science fact and fiction. He has been a freelance editor of novels and short stories for several years. Geoff is the 2009 sort-fiction judge for the Whittaker Prize.
Additional Books:
- Best of British Science Fiction 2020 Jul 27, 2021 by Donna Scott, M. R. Carey, Lavie Tidhar, Anne Charnock, Liz Williams, Ian Watson, RB Kelley, Eric Brown, Ida Keogh, Neil Williamson
- M is for Monster Oct 27, 2010 by Ian Woodhead, Serenity Banks, David Youngquist, Simon Unsworth, Geoff Nelder, Kate Jonez, Zach Black, John Prescott, Ash Krafton, Adrian Chamberlin
- CROOKED TALES: Deception & Revenge in 14 Short Stories Sep 1, 2016 by Mark Fine, Pamela Crane, Traci Sanders, Elizabeth Horton-Newton, Joseph Mark Brewer, Keith Dixon, Eric J. Gates, Geoff Nelder, Anita Kovacevic, Michelle Medhat
- Once Upon A Scream Feb 7, 2022 by Dorothy Davies, Dan Allen, Rie Sheridan Rose, Brooke MacKenzie, Stuart Holland, David Turnbull, Gina Easton, Liam Spinage, Jason R Frei, Geoff Nelder
- SFerics 2017 Oct 22, 2017 by Rosie Oliver, Roz Clarke
- The Horror Zine Magazine Summer 2017 May 2, 2017 by Jeani Rector, Vitaly S. Alexius, Peter Ferguson Swarr, Liz McAdams, Ariana Carlson, katie Marie, David Subacchi, Teresa Frazee, Edmund Stone, James Ward Kirk
- The Horror Magazine Spring 2020 Feb 4, 2020 by Jeani Rector, Jeffrey Genung, Kristen Houghton, Harrison Kim, Richard Dawkinson, Juan Perez, Stephanie Smith, Lori Lopez, Kim Vincent, Sana Amber
- The Horror Zine Magazine Spring 2016 Nov 14, 2015 by Charles E.J. Moulton, John T. Biggs, Timothy Wilkie, Geoff Nelder, John C. Adams, Sebastian Crow, Kristen Houghton, Frank Schury, Larry Hinkle, Jeani Rector
- Personal Bests Journal Issue 1 Aug 6, 2020 by David Gardiner Editor
- Twisted Tails IX: Wunderkind Jan 27, 2016 by J. Richard Jacobs
- Twisted Tails VIII: Para-abnormal Jan 20, 2016 by J. Richard Jacobs
- Shrieks and Shivers from the Horror Zine Jan 6, 2015 by William F. Nolan, Ray Garton, Elizabeth Massie, Lisa Morton, Joe McKInney, Tim Waggoner, Martin Rose, Jeani Rector, Bentley Little
- 100 Stories for Queensland May 3, 2011 by Jodi Cleghorn, Kate Eltham
- Monk Punk Apr 19, 2011 by A.J. French, D. Harlan Wilson, Dean M. Drinkel, Geoff Nelder, Adrian Chamberlin, John R. Fultz, William Meikle, R. B. Payne, Sean T. M. Stiennon, Zach Black
Amazon Author’s Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Geoff-Nelder/e/B002BMB2XY/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Professional Website:
http://geoffnelder.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/geoffnelder
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/geoffnelder
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-nelder-39170a3/
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network:
https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/book-marketing-global-network/geoff-nelder