A sci-fi thriller which can be read in a day, Dust & Lightning is an enjoyable novella. It’s concisely written and I think it would make a good film screenplay.
Set in the year 4054, the story follows Ames, whose brother – wrongly convicted of murder – has died en route to a prison on a distant planet. With a fake identity and picking up allies on the way, Ames takes a space shuttle with the intention of investigating what happened… if he can evade the authorities.
I liked the world building and could totally imagine being on a space shuttle, or on a strange rocky world where five moons are in the sky. I wasn’t quite sure about the finer details – will there be cash, printed books and pens two thousand years in the future? – but the great thing about science fiction is that anything goes. Although we can make predictions, we can’t know what the future will be like. The polluted atmosphere is probably accurate though, with everyone having to wear masks outdoors as the air is so bad. I liked the characters, although I’d prefer them to have more background and development so I could root for them more.
If you’re looking for a quick read and you enjoy fast-paced science fiction, this is one for your TBR.
Independently published in 2021.
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