Title: Astounding!
Series: N/A
Author: Kim Fielding
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: Novel (210 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 26th, 2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: Carter Evans is founder and editor-in-chief of Astounding!—a formerly popular spec fiction magazine currently in its death throes. Not only can he do nothing to save it, but stuck in a rathole apartment with few interpersonal connections, he can’t seem to do much to rescue his future either. And certainly all the booze isn’t helping. He snaps when he receives yet another terrible story submission from the mysterious writer J. Harper—and in a drunken haze, Carter sends Harper a rejection letter he soon regrets.
J. Harper turns out to be John Harper, a sweet man who resembles a ’50s movie star and claims to be an extraterrestrial. Despite John’s delusions, Carter’s apology quickly turns into something more as the two lonely men find a powerful connection. Inexplicably drawn to John, Carter invites him along on a road trip. But as they travel, Carter is in for some big surprises, some major heartbreak… and just maybe the promise of a good future after all.
ISBN: 978-1-63476-220-5
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6588
Reviewer: Prime
Review: For every author there is always some book that is kind of the mental go to. I am not a stranger to Kim Fielding’s writing and for me Astounding! , is the one that has definitely left a lasting (and totally good) impression on me. It is a heck of a lot of fun and is packed with sweet romance to top it all off!
This is not your typical sci-fi, Close Encounters of the Third Kind or ET or Star Trek kind of outing. Instead, just about everything of this story gives off the vibe of a ‘50’s alien story. I think it’s the use of exclamation marks, not only for the title of the book but also for the chapter headings. They create the sense of melodrama and a great setting for the book. Even the cover screams 50’s aliens to me. It’s not often I comment on covers, but I really love this one. It’s fun and almost tells the story on its own.
The story is based around Carter. He is the editor and owner of a struggling print magazine which, due to electronic publishing, is about to publish release the final edition. Carter has devoted many years of his life to the magazine, publishing many amateur writers’ short stories.
Every month Carter receives submissions from one person in particular. The story never really changes, it is just variants on the same theme – an alien went to earth to explore, alien wants to go home but no way to contact his people, leaving the alien lonely. In that final month, Carter sends a rude rejection letter to the author of the badly written story.
This is the main setting which sends us on our own little road trip that in my mind crosses the ‘50’s aliens with X-Files (sort of). John is a charming and naive character. He has normally kept to himself but for something along the lines of a last hurrah, he and Carter join Carter’s friends on an RV trip. The romance between John and Carter is incredibly sweet and simple.
This is such an easy book to read and totally enjoyable.
Highly recommended.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *