Imagine a world, exactly like ours, but different
by
- H2LiftShips, a tech manual for a future
- H2LiftShips - A Back Story
- H2LiftShips - Bosons Wave
Pages: 330
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 330
H2LiftShips - Beyond Luna (Volume 1 in the Series)
"A Tech Manual for a Future"
Imagine a world, exactly like ours, but different
A series taking you on the ride of your life: part road trip, part solar sailing. Into a world almost parallel to our own (but not quite.)
Soaring through the heliosphere through the asteroid belt on Solar Sail ships, the unlikely crew of the LunaCola finds themselves foraging supplies from Earth and sea and hitting up the casinos around Sol to gamble their bounty hoping to their pot. Their adventures cross paths with everything from pirates, anarchy, poker games to jail time.
This is a space adventure unique to its own with characters who are just as out of this realm of reality, entertaining and unforgettable. And after your cruise through the Asteroid belt, Mars, and Luna, settle down on Earth for a party in the desert. They'll bring the Carne Asada burritos and count on you to bring the fun.
Publisher: Independently Published
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tropes: Asteroid Miner, Post-Apocalyptic, Space Pirates
Word Count: 81000
Setting: Sol's heliosphere
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Tropes: Asteroid Miner, Post-Apocalyptic, Space Pirates
Word Count: 81000
Setting: Sol's heliosphere
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
The ship was making its final approach toward port after what felt like an extraordinary excessive journey.
Tang looked up and did a quick calculation on when landfall would be. He thought: I'm sure there is time for one more hand before getting back to work. Tang slowly checked the dealer and ran his gaze across the table. To his left, Jorge scowled; he had, at best, a queens-high pair, Ginny had her hat pulled low over her eyes as the single, white ostrich feather wrapped lightly around the brim waved gently in the air.
Surprisingly, she was sending a message, but not the one she wanted; there was a clear sign of a bluff.
The edge of the Moon appeared in the starboard porthole; its white light eerily bathing the table, highlighting Tang's hairy red arms. The ship creaked from the stretch of the lines as they pulled tightly on the sail for the final approach. The sound echoed through the common area, telling all on board it was time to go back to work.
READ MOREA grey shape appeared in Tang's peripheral vision as the ship, swayed, tilted hard and came about, the light from the porthole now brightly shimmering from the blue, white, and gold of the Earth passing below.
The ship's common area was lightly decorated as befits an H2LiftShip, where weight is more important than beauty. The standard plastic walls were overlaid with bamboo paneling, the floor with lightly stained redwood and the ceiling untouched with exposed pipes over the dark plastic. Portholes encircled the area, but were seldom used since dark space and unblinking stars are boring, at best.
Photos; Earth, Luna, Asteroid scenes and a few modern paintings were randomly placed around the room, helped break up the simple color scheme. A small galley was set into the stern, and tables and chairs placed along the floor. Magno-plastic crisscrossed the floor and walls and was embedded into the tables to ensure everything stayed in place at ZeroG.
Grey shape moved from Tang's peripheral and resolved into his crewmate, Jack, who growled as he flew through the ZeroG cabin. He headed straight at Tang's head, snout first, sharp teeth, mouth open, his blue and brown eyes glaring straight ahead.
Tang ducked, and Jack, now a snarling grey furball with legs, twisted and bounced off the bulkhead, shattered Jorge's image, hit the table, sending the magnetic chips and cards into the cabin. He spun around, all four legs pawing the air as he floated away, looking like nothing more than a weak fish swimming through the ether.
Jack exclaimed, "Capt'n says time prepare descent...NOW!"
"Hey! You son of a female dog! I was winning" Shot back Tang.
Jack snarled, "Capt'n says NOW!
Stop try be Human!
Go Work Now!
You big red ape, not a Gam' r."
Tang thought to himself,
They should never have given dogs the ability to talk.
Now, these dumb-as-asteroid-dust canines think they control us primates with their teethier-than-thou attitude.
Leave it to human scientists to meddle where they should leave well enough alone.
Gathering himself up, Tang spoke aloud, "Who needs to listen to a mutt anyhow!"
It's not as if Jack could pull rank; they were both just deckhands on the same ship.
Tang calmed himself down, reminding Jack he had more important things to do,
"Well, as soon as we dock at the Niland port, I'll grab the shuttle and head out to Vegas for some real money, and you'll be stuck wandering around the desert."
Ah, Las Vegas, uniquely non-discriminatory to age, sexual orientation, genetic variability, or original species; they are happy to serve any human, simian or canine who has money to lose. Never forget, when they say "Guaranteed 97% Winning!" it means you get a 3% loss on every ΞStandard spent, year after year. Good odds, but only for the house. Of course, Tang, like most others, misread the formula and thinks it means 3% of the clients will win, and he, of course, would be one of those.
Tang reached up with his great red hairy arm and pulled the lever to turn off the Ginny and Jorge holograms and started stowing the cards and chips.
Jack, having failed the sneak attack, tried one more time to taunt his shipmate, "K, Sure, win against shiny lights, not same as Reals. If you had shirt, would lose it."
Well, Jack had a point, but only about the shirt. His bright red fur did not need additional fashion statements, it was always correct for any occasion. Tang always wore overalls with a hammer, a screwdriver, and an adjustable spanner in his pockets.
COLLAPSEGoody on https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4947254962 wrote:Beyond Luna, Bob Freeman
Aimee Ann - Red Headed Book Lover
January 22, 2023
H2LiftShips, a tech manual for a futureImagine a world, exactly like ours, but differentPart Road-Trip, part solar sailing, always with food, gambling, jail, and pirates, not necessarily in that order No: Aliens, Monsters, blasters, pyrotechnic computers, or Anti-Grav powered rockets. Yes: Lasers, Primates, Canines, Octopus, Space Travel via Solar Sails, and the rare Rocket Ship.No violence, except for the spinning meat bolas and asteroid pebbles coming to the defense of their home rock.Beyond Luna is an exciting, thrilling, and compelling unique science fiction tale that will take the reader on an epic and unforgettable journey! Beyond Luna is the sensational first book in the H2LiftShips series that takes the reader on a crazy ride like no other! From the first page, I was enchanted by the author’s incredible words and this is all thanks to Bob Freeman’s addictive plot and extraordinary characters! That is why already I have to implore you lovely readers to read this book! However, if you need more convincing then continue to read to learn more about the incredible Beyond Luna!
Beyond Luna is a sensational novel that will take its readers on an action-packed, thrilling journey. The reader in Beyond Luna will be introduced to a host of unique characters aboard a spaceship as it travels across space and time and what unfolds aboard the ship and throughout space will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat until the very last page! It makes for a fascinating and thrilling story, one that is full of many memorable moments and plenty of action and drama and will leave you excited for the rest of the series and this book lovers is the short premise of the wonderful Beyond Luna!
Beyond Luna is an incredible sci-fi story that places the reader right in the thick of the story without issue and makes you invest in the book quickly! This is the power of the author’s words; Bob Freeman is a rare talent because he manages to grab the reader’s attention effortlessly and quickly! Freeman truly is an incredible author who has created a fantastic, brilliant story and it is evident to me that Freeman has invested so much thought and time into his book because it is perfectly executed and full of vibrant, descriptive scenes!
The story of Beyond Luna is quite simply amazing; amazing however is just one of the words I would use to describe Beyond Luna as it is so much more than this. It is a fascinating tale laced with many incredible moments that will captivate, shock, and thrill its readers, while these elements are also woven around a sensational tale that will have you on the edge of your seat. It makes for a memorable reading experience full of many ups and downs and will have you saying ”just one more page!” as it is that incredible book lovers.
Bob Freeman, the author of Beyond Luna does an incredible job of piecing together his story and weaving it into a fantastic book of intrigue and entertainment. Freeman is a phenomenal writer because he is dedicated to his work as well as passionate. Freeman’s passion shines off the page and into the reader’s mind. Freeman’s sometimes lengthy, beautiful descriptions will send the reader’s mind into visual overdrive, the reader will be able to perfectly imagine every detail the reader comes across and that in my opinion, is the sign of a talented author!
To conclude my thoughts on the incredible novel that is Beyond Luna; I would say if you are a reader who is tired of reading lackluster novels then take a chance with Beyond Luna; because I promise you now that you will not be disappointed! Beyond Luna gets five stars from me! So be sure to have a read of the preview below book lovers, you won’t regret it!
Thank you so much for reading book lovers! I appreciate it so much. Here is a preview of the book for all of you lovely readers to enjoy! Please have a read of the preview and if you find that you have loved what you have read then all you need to do is follow the links below!
H2LiftShips - Beyond Luna 5⭐️
Goody's reviewAug 26, 2022
it was amazingBeyond Luna by Bob Freeman is a Sci-fi novel about space exploration. It is the first book in the H2LiftShips series, the others being “A Backstory” and “Bosons Wave”.
While Beyond Luna talks of a lot of other spaceships, the core of the story centers around the voyage of LunaCola and her efficient multi-specie crew of humans, canines (dogs), simians, and a mollusk, especially the star characters, Jack San Freedog Jr. (an Australian Shepherd) and Tangsapor Kewellan Candrey (an orangutan). The book creates a vivid image of what exploring life beyond Earth is like, especially when aboard a spaceship where one slip or error can mean doom and certain death. So every crew member; Captain, First Mate, Boost Crew, Compressor Crew, Pumper Crew, and Rocket Maintenance Crew, are all responsible for each other’s lives.
Unlike most Sci-fi writers, Bob Freeman truly goes beyond the ordinary in this book. He indeed takes our minds on a celestial expedition, breaking the shackles of limitations and embracing the endless possibilities of what science fiction is. His immersion of humans alongside animals in the book is indeed one that stretches the mind to accept that science fiction believes in all possibilities. Even more, his use of the animal characters as the major characters in the story is reminiscent of an artist who is willing to dare to be exceptional in his art, and Bob Freeman showed exceptionality with aplomb.
Beyond Luna is a captivating story of the quest of man, alongside animals, to discover, learn, and pursue new frontiers of knowledge and life sustainability for living things. The journey isn’t all fraught with dangers, as there were also beautiful and memorable encounters, such as the visit to Vesta, and moments of humor, such as when Jack had to present a party gift to their host, EllGi, while her intimidating, muscular hunk of a mate (Kaskae) was watching. It took some diplomatic intervention from Tang to save his hide.
While I enjoyed Beyond Luna thoroughly, I cannot say the same for everyone else. This is not a book for every reader, sadly, and even regular Sci-fi novel readers won’t have a field day comprehending some aspects of the book. Some could say that this is a thumbs down for the book, but I couldn’t disagree more. Books are classified into genres for a reason, and this masterpiece falls into the genre for those who know their science well enough to be able to enjoy a science fiction novel. So as far as all things science fiction goes, I’ll rate this book five stars out of five, because it indeed went beyond the moon in meeting my expectations for a book of this genre.
Undoubtedly, Bob Freeman lives up to his name in his work, Beyond Luna. He certainly freed our minds, and for all lovers of books that unshackle the mind to endless possibilities, this is a book you don’t want to miss reading. Of a truth, Beyond Luna(r) would take you over the moon.
These space stories take place in Sol’s heliosphere. They contain real science, pseudo-science and stuff pulled out of thin air.
If you enjoy long, complex lead-ins as part of a world-building story, this series is for you. Otherwise, maybe try something lighter and flashy.
No blasters. No FTL drives. No computers blasting fireworks. No physical violence. No sex, except for a little kerfuffle with canines and their pheromones.
Some Death issues on the Mort Asteroid, but after living on Sol’s rocks, we all die eventually.
Gambling, some drinking, passive-aggressive families, lying, stealing, and double-dealing, e.g. normal sentients, mostly nice. But watch your back.
Scientific names (Genus/species), puns and unique spellings abound.
Written in English with a few French, Yiddish, Spanglish, Latin, and Doglish words thrown in.
Knowledge of octopus color languages and Morse code are not required but couldn't hurt.
