My review of Hope 239 by Jeffery Goff

Fiction has always been a way to safely explore ideas and concepts without riling up those in power. "I'm not criticizing the king," says the author, “that is a fictional character complaining about a ruler in a make-believe country,” and with that the author gets to keep his head attached, most of the time.

Science- fiction took up this mantle as it was created, asking how would man act in space, how would humans react to meting aliens? What if the aliens were violent/ peaceful/ inscrutable/ insane? And many, many more ideas and questions.

Science fiction also asked philosophical concepts like, “What are the limits of freedom?”

Not by directly asking the question, of course, but by placing the characters in a situation where boundaries were tested, and showing what happened next.

Equality for the masses-sorta

What indeed Piggy, what indeed.

Some might say that in recent years Sci-Fi has lost that edge, it has become more about telling a good story, or worse yet, advancing a political ideology, rather than asking its readers to think about difficult subjects. For the most part, I disagree, what has happened is that some social mores have shifted, science has advanced, and as a result, answered those questions that early Sci-Fi authors asked.

Totalitarian regimes fail, both those driven by Romanticism and Realism as well as those led by messianic figures. Sexual liberation is possible, but there is a cost both to the individual and to society. Individualism taken to the extreme leads to anarchy, not utopia. You can not chemically “improve” a person for any length of time, nor can we alter the mind, yet.

There are plenty of other basic questions that have not yet been answered and the best authors still ask them.



Jeffery says - "I will make you think while you enjoy my stories."

Hope 239 is one such book. On the surface it is a simple tale about a colony ship that has traveled to another series of worlds and is about to begin settlement. Under the surface of the words, however, are some very dark, uncomfortable questions.

Can you be called “aware,” and still be blindly obedient to instructions?

If the perceived best course of action is for a subset of a group to commit suicide, so that the rest may flourish, is it still the best course of action?

Is there a difference between domestication and slavery?

Buy me today!

 

As I have said before, books that make me think, while telling a damn fine story are my favorite kind. Hope 239 is this kind of book and I look forward to Jeffery's next novel.

 

                          Available now on Amazon as both an e-book and paperback
                                                        Hope 239

 

 

The Soulless Monk, number two in the Inquisitor Series, is just about ready to go. Once it is formatted and submitted for publication I will have a date when it will be available.

Soon

Blurb from The Soulless Monk

Brother Sebastian is in trouble. Again. Banished from New England and sent to train with the hyper-violent Hammers, Sebastian wants to atone, but an army of necromancers, battle-mages, and at least one sorceress is seriously messing up his plans. James, former Inquisitor and disciple of Thaddeus, is lurking about, and even with the help of a bunch of heavily-armed Hammers, will Sebastian be able stop gut-rippers, constructs, lichs...and a newly returned Thaddeus?

Junior Inquisitor, book number one of the Inquisitor Series, is still a bargain at 2.99. You can find it at Amazon in both paperback and e-book.

Amazon - Junior Inquisitor

 

 

or at Smashwords as an e-book

Smashwords - Junior Inquisitor