Kindle Edition Amazon Category:  Science Fiction Publisher: Fortress Publications Type: Fiction Pages: 163 Copyright: 01-02-2012 ACT OF GOD is a collection of short, sci-fi thrillers. Reminiscent of the Twilight Zone, each story studies the human condition, putting ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances, forcing the reader to ask the question, "What would I have done in that situation?" SHOOTING STAR Space is an unforgiving place, and even simple decisions can make the difference between life and death. Astronaut Evan Grant is confronted by this harsh reality first hand when he's recalled from a low orbit, low profile mission and tasked with a high priority, deep-space flight that will have repercussions affecting millions - including his wife and young son. RESCUE MISSION Official Mission Statement: A rescue mission to retrieve two downed astronauts who crash landed on an alien world. Hidden Objectives: One, determine if the spacecraft crashed due to mechanical failure or if it was brought down by hostile alien fire. Two, scout for possible invasion sites, depending upon the findings of the first objective. Personal Objectives: How far will the Mission Commander go to rescue the downed pilots and keep peace? How far will the Second-in-Command go to punish the aliens and promote war? THE JOURNAL Paranoia can make you hear things that aren't there, see shadows in the sunlight, and turn on friends you've known for years. Three college students begin to have suspicions that a fellow classmate is not who or what he says he is. Are the things they suspect about him true or are they just victims of their own overactive imaginations? Perhaps they should take to heart the old proverb - just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean that someone isn't after you. ALL THAT GLITTERS. . . Sex, along with greed, has been the ruin of more men than any other vice. The motivation for both is clear, but both have consequences that are often unforeseen and unpredictable. The crew of a deep-space exploration ship has stumbled upon an unknown planet and made a startling and unexpected discovery - the world is rich in untapped wealth that will enrich them beyond their wildest imaginations. The only thing standing between them and riches untold are the planet's inhabitants; a simple, backwards people that look upon the spacefarers as gods. What could possibly go wrong? ANNIHILATION Returning from a covert mission, the crew of a nuclear submarine surface after several months in isolation to find the world they left behind ablaze in a planet-wide funeral pyre. Their advanced weaponry gives them the might to retaliate, but do they have the right? What would you do with all that power - seek justice or revenge? ACT OF GOD Does a person's moral compass stay true despite their circumstances or is it dictated by the situations they find themselves in? Isolated and trapped, a group of refugees are forced to take extraordinary measures in order to survive. Rescue comes, but only after a terrible price has been paid. However, those still living soon realize that salvation, like survival, comes at a horrific cost. EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Two fortune seekers defy government orders and sneak across guarded borders pursuing a treasure that some say doesn't exist. If they are successful, their discovery will put them into the history books. If they fail, their remains will be the subject of archeologists in the next century.   Show More Excerpt “Mommy, Daddy, I’m hungry.” “We know you are, sweetie,” her father replied, “but there is no more food.” Joe Sinclair brushed back the dirty curls from his daughter’s face, then looked cautiously around the overcrowded room as if he were hiding a great treasure. “Here,” he said, as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a stale, half-eaten piece of bread. Greedily the child snatched the bread out of his hands and devoured it, not wasting a single crumb. His wife looked at him with a combination of gratitude and disapproval, then slowly shook her head. “Joe, you need to keep up your strength too.” “I’ll be fine,” he replied, watching his daughter lick her fingers, “I wasn’t hungry anyway.” Just then his stomach growled, calling him a liar. “Daddy, it’s hot in here; I want to go home.” “I know sweetheart,” he replied patiently, “but since the accident, we’ve run out of a lot of things and it’s better if we all stay together and share.” Sinclair was sitting cross-legged on the floor and he leaned back, putting his hands behind him as he surveyed their new home. The school gymnasium was the only building left standing that was large enough to house everyone. He remembered as a kid of twelve or thirteen, he would go to the gym back home to watch his older brother play high school basketball. He loved going there, the smell of the popcorn, the cheering of the crowd; the way the tennis shoes squeaked on the gym floor and of course, watching the cheerleaders. A faint sad smile crossed his lips -- that seemed like a hundred years ago. Suddenly the noisy room fell quiet, and the little girl jumped to her feet shouting, “Look Mommy, Daddy, there’s God!” Both parents looked at each other. “He’s not God, Megan,” Sinclair said, “where did you ever get an idea like that?” “From you Daddy. You said he walks around like he’s God.” Sinclair looked at his wife with a bitter smile. “Yes, I said that, but he’s not God dear; he just thinks he is.”

Logan Stewart at Rememorandom
Shooting Star"
Evan Grant is a astronaut, a devoted husband and father, and he always keeps his promises. The day that he is to make a routine space flight for research Evan finds out that he is going on a different mission. He'll be flying instead a bit farther away, where he'll connect with a floating, broken cargo ship and try and salvage its priceless cargo. Murphy's Law applies to this story and to Evan, and I felt like I had to really suspend my disbelief a fair bit, but this was a great piece to start the collection. 3.5*


"Rescue Mission"
A Commander in charge of a simple rescue mission to a distant planet finds out that the mission is more than "simple." The Commander's second-in-command, Jerrock, constantly threatens to usurp orders, and this mission is no different. This story was very clunky in some parts, and I felt that there was too much telling and not enough showing. However, the tale was short and enjoyable enough, and the ending was certainly a surprise. 3*


"The Journal" was both frustrating and fun. The dialogue seemed very clunky between the three friends, and I felt that the plot pushed ahead too quickly for the full impact to sink in. I was left with many questions, one primary one reducing my overall enjoyment of this story. Probably my least favorite of the lot. 2*


"All that Glitters" was somewhat reminiscent of "Rescue Mission," as there is some hefty tension between a ship's captain and his chief sub-officer. However, where "Rescue Mission" was focused on a rescue attempt, "All that Glitters" had a crew of astronauts who were in the mining business. The captain orders a stop to scout out an uncharted world hoping to find enough minerals and gems to make him a rich man. What he finds is something else entirely. 2.5*


"Annihilation"
This was a familiar and predictable fun story, with a twist that I saw coming a mile and a half away. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the way it was written and felt that the mood it exudes was fitting and exciting. 3*


"Act of God"
This is definitely my favorite short in the collection. The tale is a familiar one: a disaster wipes out a food supply for a group of people, and in order to survive they begin a lottery system among the population. Those selected will, uhm, presumably become ground, uhm, foodstuff. That's not explicitly said or described, but certainly inferred. Anyway, this story was compelling, fast-paced, and ended on an excellent note that left me pondering my choices. I also felt that it was the best written piece of the lot. 4.5*


"Eye of the Beholder"
There was a lot of build up for this story. The author was being intentionally vague and withholding, constantly referring to things familiar but unsaid. The love story angle between the characters was also clunky and bland. That said, the piece moved along at an adequate pace that led a conclusion/climax so bizarre, so unexpected that I can't help but recommend this story. If only for the oddity of the outcome. It's guaranteed to make you scratch your head, roll your eyes, and laugh. 4*


Ultimately, an arithmetic mean of the GR-Stars gives a rating of 3.2, putting it solidly in the "Liked" category. The formatting for the Kindle left a lot to be desired, especially for paragraph breaks and dialogue splitting. The prose also was also all over the place, from confusing to clear and well worded. Nevertheless, the stories were all enjoyable to varying degree, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read them. If you're looking for a relatively light sci-fi short story collection, consider Paul Byers' Act of God. It's available through Amazon as a $2.99 ebook currently, though it's free to Prime members. You can find it here.