Author: by Stephen J. Carter
Genre: Sci-fi
Book Description:
The environmental stilling on the planet of Nebura escalates, threatening to advance even beyond the world-girding storm ring. Meanwhile, Levrok's plan to arm a resurgent Siqdori Empire with a tulvar arsenal nears completion, and his departure off-world is imminent. Two survivors' groups join forces as events spiral out of control.
"NEW SIQDOR" is the 2nd book in the “Zero Point Light” SF series, and delivers a thrill ride of untold mayhem, hair-raising escapes, space colonization gone awry, and a descent to the ocean floor and beyond!
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Excerpt
“The column is coming loose,” Turok said in a tight voice.
“What!” Thomas shouted.
“The top of the column must have broken away,” Mick said, keeping the panic from his voice.
“How?” Thomas said.
“Does it matter!” Turok barked.
Mick noticed the others holding on, looking around wildly. “We can ride it down,” he said.
Turok struggled with the helm. “What if the bottom separates?” he asked, as he brought the vessel back towards the rough center of the column.
“Pray it doesn’t,” Franklin added, his voice quavering.
Turok stabilized the dinghy’s lateral motion. The column was not moving fast. Borne up by its own residual buoyancy, it floated in a gentle arc from side to side. It had effectively become a horizontal, moving tunnel, its walls billowing in and out slightly from the buffeting as it slowly unraveled down through the black depths. Its descent seemed to smooth out. Mick assumed the increasing pressure at this depth was inhibiting the column’s fall – it seemed to glide along.
Turok powered the dinghy forward again, and moved silently through the next membrane, now a vertical wall. He tilted the dinghy down as the column moved on a diagonal. The walls paused, as if caught in a lull before a surge, but instead their undulating stopped, and Turok accelerated again. The column continued its gliding descent.
“The bottom seems to be holding,” Turok managed to say.
Aleesha was hunched over, her head between her knees, her hands locked behind her neck.
Their movement inside the column was much faster than the column’s descent. They were much closer to the ocean floor than they realized. Mick worried that if the column ruptured ahead of them, the affected chamber would be flooded with ocean water in seconds, and the water pressure there would spike. They would be trapped, cut off from going forward or back.
“What!” Thomas shouted.
“The top of the column must have broken away,” Mick said, keeping the panic from his voice.
“How?” Thomas said.
“Does it matter!” Turok barked.
Mick noticed the others holding on, looking around wildly. “We can ride it down,” he said.
Turok struggled with the helm. “What if the bottom separates?” he asked, as he brought the vessel back towards the rough center of the column.
“Pray it doesn’t,” Franklin added, his voice quavering.
Turok stabilized the dinghy’s lateral motion. The column was not moving fast. Borne up by its own residual buoyancy, it floated in a gentle arc from side to side. It had effectively become a horizontal, moving tunnel, its walls billowing in and out slightly from the buffeting as it slowly unraveled down through the black depths. Its descent seemed to smooth out. Mick assumed the increasing pressure at this depth was inhibiting the column’s fall – it seemed to glide along.
Turok powered the dinghy forward again, and moved silently through the next membrane, now a vertical wall. He tilted the dinghy down as the column moved on a diagonal. The walls paused, as if caught in a lull before a surge, but instead their undulating stopped, and Turok accelerated again. The column continued its gliding descent.
“The bottom seems to be holding,” Turok managed to say.
Aleesha was hunched over, her head between her knees, her hands locked behind her neck.
Their movement inside the column was much faster than the column’s descent. They were much closer to the ocean floor than they realized. Mick worried that if the column ruptured ahead of them, the affected chamber would be flooded with ocean water in seconds, and the water pressure there would spike. They would be trapped, cut off from going forward or back.
Stephen J Carter is a Canadian writer living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He completed a PhD in Social and Political Thought at York University in Toronto in 1997. This led to an 8-year period of teaching at universities in South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. In 2006 he settled in northern Thailand, and began writing fiction full-time in 2007.
In his early years he made several short-term forays into film and video production while involved full-time in academia. Along the way he tried his hand at writing non-fiction in and out of academia, and 8 years ago finally committed full-time to writing fiction.
For Stephen there is something about this northern Thai city that makes it a perfect place to write. His preferred genres to date have been horror and science fiction. On the one hand, he sets his horror novels in Thailand because Thais have such vivid customs that touch the supernatural. On the other hand, disheartened by the cultural Marxism that dominates social discourse now in the West, he feels drawn to writing science fiction for the rational optimism over possible futures it affords. Approaching SF formerly as pure escapism, he finds in it now a source of hope and forward thinking that can be very inspiring.
Stephen looks forward to writing several more novels in his two current series, Zero Point Light and Z Inferno.
In his early years he made several short-term forays into film and video production while involved full-time in academia. Along the way he tried his hand at writing non-fiction in and out of academia, and 8 years ago finally committed full-time to writing fiction.
For Stephen there is something about this northern Thai city that makes it a perfect place to write. His preferred genres to date have been horror and science fiction. On the one hand, he sets his horror novels in Thailand because Thais have such vivid customs that touch the supernatural. On the other hand, disheartened by the cultural Marxism that dominates social discourse now in the West, he feels drawn to writing science fiction for the rational optimism over possible futures it affords. Approaching SF formerly as pure escapism, he finds in it now a source of hope and forward thinking that can be very inspiring.
Stephen looks forward to writing several more novels in his two current series, Zero Point Light and Z Inferno.
Author Links:
Thank you for the excerpt, I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome! It isn't as long as I wanted, I hope it made sense. LOL
DeleteThanks for hosting me at CBY Book Club. My pleasure to be here!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the most daring thing you've ever done?
ReplyDeleteI guess that would be hopping freight trains & hitchhiking across Canada back in 1972.
DeleteThank you for the excerpt and giveaway :)
ReplyDelete(Ana M on Rafflecopter)
You're very welcome. Good luck in the contest!
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Rote
Hey thanks, Wild & Mild $$$ The 'column' goes from the surface to the floor of an ocean, to a submarine base that connects dozens of similar underwater bases. I enjoyed writing that scene. All the best!
Deletehey! Congrats and interesting excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hey Mukaon Ko looks great. One of my favorite foods yipun is squid okonomiyaki. Bon appetit!
DeleteI'll have to check this out! I have no idea what's happening but it sounds interesting. Would have to start from book one!
ReplyDeleteHey thanks Raelynn, I hope you enjoy it! Wishing you an awesome 2016!
DeleteReally exciting excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I enjoy writing action scenes. Have a great 2016!
DeleteMy thanks to the CBY Bookclub for hosting NEW SIQDOR today. And a shout-out of thanks to everyone who's posted comments. OK, I'm signing off. Happy 2016!
ReplyDeleteI like how the author uses escapism to a source of hope and forward thinking that can be very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThanks, katieoscarlet, they say fiction is about emotion, and emotion framed within action is what writers reach for. Getting the emotion right is the hardest part. Cheers!
DeleteGreeat excerpt, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I really enjoy getting people's feedback.
Deletethanks for the giveaway and good luck with the book
ReplyDeletethanks, Wendy!
DeleteI liked the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rita, I was worried the excerpt wasn't self-explanatory & the context would be confusing. Glad to see I was wrong on that! ...
DeleteI would be interested to know if your extensive time spent in southeast Asia also colours your forays into science fiction?
ReplyDeleteAsian societies achieve social order almost effortlessly, it seems. And SF usually looks at dystopian solutions to the lack of social order. So I guess I've internalized the Confucian/Asian approach & find social chaos more frightening than too much control. Yes, so I guess living here influences my world-view. Even more so in my Horror writing, though. Here they 'really' believe in occult phenomena.
DeleteI found your bio very interesting, and like the direction you are taking in writing science fiction. I find it very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you, DebP. I 100% never expected to settle down here. I'm glad I did!
DeleteWill there be a third book in the series?
ReplyDeleteYes, the next will be out in April/May 2016, Descent on Abuwesi. http://on.fb.me/1OklhP5
DeleteAn exciting book description.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary. It's a challenge doing a description that reads fast and gives enough detail without swamping the reader. I should analyze 10 top SF book descriptions & break it down so I know what I'm leaving out! Cheers.
DeleteWhat is the last book YOU read?
ReplyDeleteThis will freak you out. I just finished INITIATION (A Harem Boy's Saga)! I was reading it for review, and actually it opened my eyes on spirituality in lived life. I'm more sympathetic to all forms of 'difference' now.
DeleteThanks for the excerpt - it sounds like an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteVery encouraging, thanks!
DeleteWhen writing do you prefer old school pen and paper or typing?
ReplyDeletehi Heather B, I prefer writing longhand, & it's not just aesthetic. In the old days writers would type up their story and they just couldn't re-type & revise & do 2nd & 3rd drafts. All that started with word processors. Dean Wesley Smith believes it's a myth that writers need to 'rewrite to make something good.' And writing longhand I can just do 2 quick proofread to clean it up, but no rewrites. I'm sure if I typed then I'd have to do multiple rewrites.
Deletehttp://www.deanwesleysmith.com/killing-the-top-ten-sacred-covers-of-publishing-3-rewriting/
Sounds interesting, Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHey thanks, Corey. Glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteThis sounds like a great Science Fiction read with a wide range of plot possibilities.
ReplyDeleteInteresting excerpt! I'll certainly take a look at the first book in the series as well!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the excerpt~it sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the excerpt and the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteWhat a exciting excerpt! I can't wait to read more. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a exciting excerpt! I can't wait to read more. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteThis just made my to-read list! Loved the excerpt. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the color of cover. Did you have any input into the development of the cover? Good luck with the new book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance at the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt. Sounds really good.
ReplyDelete