Showing results by author "Craig A. Falconer" in All Categories

Every night for the past four months, I've dreamed of being chosen for the trip to Calbora. The others have grown comfortable in the safety of the station's bunks, praying their names won't be called. Not me. Every day since we got here, I've looked up and wondered. Not anymore. No one can know the real reason it matters so much, but one way or another...I'm getting on that ship.

When a sudden impact sends a spacecraft bound for a distant research station hurtling toward a previously unseen and inexplicable planet, responsibility for the safety of its passengers immediately falls on Ivy 'Holly' Wood, a former poster child of the public space program now fleeing Earth's tyrannical leadership. The mysterious planet's startlingly Earth-like atmosphere initially breeds optimism among Holly's group of stranded survivors, but before long it becomes clear that Earth's rules don't apply.

When Kurt Jacobs imagines the ultimate gadget—one capable of replacing phones, credit cards, keys and TVs—the idea consumes his every waking moment. When the Sycamore corporation buys into Kurt's creation and The Seed becomes a reality, his every dream comes true.

When alien scientists studying a mysterious object detect unfamiliar DNA, they set to work on cloning the being responsible for the incredible technology. Now, all alone and trillions of miles from home, their fully grown human Seedling is about to be hatched....

Not Alone: Origins is a collection of exciting character origin stories designed to provide exclusive insights into the people who make Not Alone tick, as well as to show how they first became embroiled in the grandest conspiracy of all time. From Emma Ford's early days with Jack Neal at XPR, all the way to John Cole's ruthless rise to the top and Timo Fiore's early interests in space exploration, these origin stories add insight and depth to the characters we love and some of those we love to hate.

At long last, the dream of a functioning research colony on Terradox has become reality. Thousands of men, women, and children now call the distant romosphere home, with experts in countless fields recruited from Earth to spearhead the most ambitious research projects ever devised. All eyes fall on the closing stages of a colony-defining isolation test within Terradox’s least hospitable zone—the man-made hellscape of Little Venus, where six astronauts-in-training have survived 51 weeks surrounded by an almost impossibly hostile atmosphere.

Four years after Ivy "Holly" Wood's dramatic escape from Terradox, the once-hostile romosphere's new hotel and leisure development is thriving. But while adventurous guests from all corners of the Earth marvel at the awesome wonders of the Terradox Resort's artificial environment, a deadly threat looms large. When it becomes clear that an unimaginable risk offers the only hope of preventing an unimaginable disaster, responsibility for the safety of the many innocent civilians stranded on Terradox once again falls on Holly's shoulders.

Continuing the legacy of decades gone by, these fast-paced standalone stories offer wondrous settings, philosophical sci-fi questions, and twists that pack a punch.

"Terradox Zero: Before the Crash", an illuminating prequel story to the best-selling Terradox series, giving new insight into the journey's crew and passengers.

With the Terradox colony stable and established, attention turns to the most ambitious endeavour in human history: the creation of a planet-sized romosphere capable of carrying a sizeable population on a one-way course for the stars.

When the government's new private welfare system begins rewarding unemployed viewers for watching the right kind of ads, Roger Birch welcomes a Funscreen into his home. Like millions of others, Roger and his family soon depend on ad-viewing income for their survival. Unlike millions of others, the events of one uncomfortable evening leave Roger aware of the government's shadier reasons for investing in Funscreens.

On their golden wedding anniversary, Lorraine Green and her husband made an unbreakable pact. As the surviving partner, her life insurance payout will fund a one-way ticket to the solar system's most exclusive retirement community: Sunset Stays. Her children say she is too old. Too vulnerable. Too frail to face the many risks of space travel. But Lorraine Green is nothing of the sort. Though the real reason for the pact can never cross Lorraine's lips, she leaves no doubt that her mind is made up. The adventure of a lifetime calls...but so does a burning thirst for justice.

When Tobias and Kira raise the alarm from the next farm over, they're dismissed as two meddling kids with two overactive imaginations. But as the Halloween festival draws near and tourists flock to their usually sleepy town of Hallow Creek, those two meddling kids' one crazy idea might be the only thing that can stop disaster in its tracks. No tricks. No treats. Just a pumpkin splice shockoccino with a dash of danger and a sprinkle of terror.

The lucky tech reviewer who receives the first prototype quickly learns that Pamela 2.0 represents a quantum leap in consumer robotics, capable of meeting a modern homeowner's every need. Eager to please by following any order that doesn't involve physical contact with a human, there's almost nothing Pamela can't do - she takes out the trash, she washes the dishes, she feeds the dog.

When Kurt Jacobs imagines the ultimate gadget—one capable of replacing phones, credit cards, keys, and TVs—the idea consumes his every waking moment. When the Sycamore corporation buys into Kurt's creation and The Seed becomes a reality, his every dream comes true. Power like this has never existed. But amid all of the awe and optimism, there is far more going on behind the curtain than Kurt or anyone else could ever have predicted.

Across oceans and ages, the same tales have persisted. The lights in the sky. The whirring sounds at night. The ships that cross the darkness and the headaches that come when they pass overhead. But for some, the feelings have intensified. Lately, it all feels...closer. EJ, a humble artist, senses that the long-foreseen arrival is imminent. Denounced as a self-promoter seeking attention and fame, he finds few listeners, but never stops trying to raise the alarm. When dusk falls, the prophecy rains down.

Three nights in a log cabin, out here in the Scottish wilderness with no one else for miles around. Three nights in this idyllic kind of halfway house. Three nights to reflect on the incident at my own pace and draw a line under my recovery. The sights and sounds will soothe you, they said. Doctor Chambers told me to listen for the birds. The guidebook on the table promised deer and red squirrels. But no one mentioned the lights in the sky. No one mentioned the Visitors.

After discovering the truth behind Sycamore, tech pioneer Kurt Jacobs rejects the corporation’s offer of a new identity and chooses to fight to expose the truth. But with an overt threat against his family hanging over him, Kurt must act without being seen.

For thousands of years, man has reigned supreme over nature. But deep in the African jungle, at the edge of Genusphere's controversial research facility, a challenger rises. Broken fences. Smashed cameras. Unusual tracks in the mud. The locals talk of apes behaving strangely. Sarah O’Leary, leader of the genetic research team, rubbishes their warnings - until the first bodies are found. The Genusphere compound locks down amid a media blackout, but the villagers fear it could already be too late.

In the high-tech paradise of Indigo Sands, perfection exists. Or so they think.... For Bianca Blane, a young but jaded online influencer, the fame she once sought now weighs heavily on her shoulders. When she receives an exclusive invitation to spend a preview week in the cutting-edge tourist resort of Indigo Sands, Bianca seizes the opportunity to disconnect from her increasingly demanding followers. Indigo Sands strikes Bianca as truly pristine - perfect in every way. But before too long, a veil is lifted. Because behind the facade, nothing is as it seems....