by Alan Black
Goodreads review by Paul Bussard on July 06, 2014
Empty Space
Funny, disturbing, and poignant.
Funny, disturbing, and poignant...not how I would usually describe a SF space novel. This book, while well written SF has a lot to say about social class, society, humanity, and the human condition. Our protagonist is almost an anti-hero as he's someone you root for throughout the novel, even though he's a serial killer at heart.
This is a great book, and I didn't want to put it down but it has thought provoking components throughout the novel and intertwined with action, adventure, and technology.
Amazon review by Fred on March 20, 2015
Larry Goes To Space
Easy read with some surprising depth
This is a fun book full of wry humor. It's an easy read with what seems to be a fairly straight-forward plot. But, there is an underlying genius in the narrative. I think a lot of different types of readers can get something out of this. Definitely recommended.
Amazon review by Greg Trickey on January 23, 2016
Metal Boxes
WOW!
What a great rip-roaring adventure, I loved it from page one to the end. A grand space opera with a very likeable main character of Midshipman Stone.
I am reminded of Heinlein's writing with the humor, drama and palpable love the characters show for each other, I felt like I was reading a Lazarus Long story. Which is very high praise! This is the first novel I've read by author Alan Black, but it won't be my last. I don't give very many five-star ratings but this one is well deserved, I'm sure it will come to be considered a classic of the sci-fi genre, it's that good.
Amazon review by last spartan on April 28, 2015
Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside
Page Turner...who needs sleep?
Shades of Heinlein and Ringo. I am hooked and can only pray that Alan Black continues to bless us with his yarns. So fresh in theme and direction reading his stories reminds me of so many firsts as a teenager. I've read each of his Boxes stories twice to glean any facet I may have missed the first time. Sad to have come to an end ... now I wait for sequels.
Amazon review by Reg Tysonon on September 12, 2015
Steel Walls and Dirt Drops
Military sci-fi ground pounder action in space–so cool!
A long time reader of military science fiction, I found this book to stand with the best like David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers and Redline and anything by Dietmar Wehr. I hate spoilers in reviews so am in a turmoil because I very much want to shout out the so cool surprise ending – but I won’t.
I thoroughly enjoyed how the author builds the story putting the hero in situation after situation that challenges her abilities causing her to grow and develop. Even more, she is a commander we can all like. She is smart, savvy, honest with herself, deals well with her people, has self-doubt where it makes sense to, and not automatically so beautiful she would be completely unbelievable. I even like her better than David Webber's Honor Harrington because she feels more real.
The author does not take the easy, predictable route to the good guys always doing the exact right thing. There are plenty of good guys doing the wrong things – sometimes for the right reasons, but still wrong. There are other good guys mostly doing the right things, but then have lapses of judgment. Sound like what a real commander might face in a tight situation? It all rang true to me. So not only are there good human insights (in outer space – people are still people after all) there is also a lot of quick well-paced exciting action with a great military elite.
The science is believable and just the right amount to support the deep space situation and keep the story moving without being overwhelming. There a few twists I absolutely didn’t see coming – I love that in a book.
Amazon Review by Sandy on September 28, 2014
Titanium Texicans
Alan Black's work will suck you in!
I am not good at reviews, but this is the third work of Mr. Black's that I have read in three weeks because his writing captures my imagination. I like good space operas because they last longer, but Black's stand alone works are great because they leave me satisfied at the end and not disappointed that there isn't more to come.
Titanium Texicans is a page turner full of authentic dialogue with concepts greater than the satisfying amount of sci-fi technology woven into a well-written coming of age story. Take the time to read it, I certainly wasn't sorry that I did.
Goodreads review by Michael A. Cox on June 13, 2015
The Friendship Stones
Alan Black hits a home run with his book, The Friendship Stones. Its poignant story set in the Ozark Mountains in the early 20th century, brings to mind the life and stories my father lived while growing up in the southern North Carolina mountains. It is a life that today most of us do not know as we are accustomed to many luxuries and technology. Mr. Black brings an appreciation of what it means to cherish every little thing in life while appreciating the beauty of the world about us. It is set in a time of simplicity and hard work, and its main character, LillieBeth, accepts this with humility and determination to follow the lessons she has learned in life, both at church and from her family. Even in this simpler time, the world is flawed and the antagonists come in different characters. The suspense and tension they bring keeps the reader on edge and turning pages.
I highly recommend this excellent book and suggest all readers should continue reading the books of The Ozark Mountain Series.
Goodreads review by Nancy Livingstone on Jan 26, 2015
The Granite Heart
Heartwarming Historical Fiction
Alan Black takes us back to the 1920’s, to the Ozark Mountains, and back into the world of twelve year old LillieBeth Hazkit, who tries to live by the teachings of God, but finds life can sometimes be confusing, brutal and too unforgiving to always accept that God has a plan for all contingencies. Her strange hermit-like friend has been killed, her teacher has lost her job through no fault of her own and the impoverished mountain town becomes a colder and less friendly place for someone with a heart as big as LillieBeth’s. The archaic and small-minded double standards set her teeth on edge and she is determined to stand strong and be heard, no matter what. The men who murdered her friend and raped her teacher have been captured, but enroute to the county seat they escape and kill one man while injuring her father. To LillieBeth, justice must be done, plain and simple and she and her former teacher, Susanne Harbowe set out on an impossible mission to hunt down and capture these monsters.
Told from Susanne’s point of view, LillieBeth’s story takes on a new depth as she makes her mark on the hearts and minds of those who know her. Alan Black has created a warm and inviting tale that places the reader back in time, to a place so remote, it’s almost as if the rest of the world does not exist. Simple joys, complicated pain and a loss of childhood innocence shake LillieBeth’s world and harden her heart, while forcing her into the world of adults.
Alan Black creates a world filled with history, rich in detail and well-developed characters that worm their way into your heart and mind. That I could feel LillieBeth’s feelings and see what she saw is the mark of an amazing author who deserves to be read.
Amazon review by Dii (TOP 500 REVIEWER) on August 22, 2014
The Heaviest Rock
Strength of character and a easy manner to it that catches you and keeps you ...
This series is one of the most enjoyable ones I have read. It has heart, action, humor, strength of character and a easy manner to it that catches you and keeps you right there through till the end. Can't wait for the next one 'wiggles on' for those of you who don't know what this means I guess you will just have to get the book and find out for yourself, big hint it is so worth it !!!
Amazon review by Tammie on March 2, 2015
The Inconvenient Pebble
Always great
The author has developed a great character who we as readers want to follow. I'm
not into the religious part but it really makes the main character who she is and what she does. I hope the author has a lot more of this story for us to read.
Amazon review by Dave R. on July 4, 2015
The Jasper’s Courage
Anger, Retribution, and Fulfillment
Once again, five times in a row in this series, Alan Black has roped me into a story that has filled my belly with anger, flooded my mind with a desire for retribution, and then filled my heart to overflowing. Unlike many series that seem to fall away from their origins, this book delivers on the promises of the first four books. It makes me want to be more courageous.
LillieBeth Hazkit is caught up in more problems than a seventeen-year-old girl should ever have to deal with, but that is like life. Our problems do not come at us one at a time. LillieBeth has the courage and fortitude to face her attackers head on, inspiring the readers to take a stand in their life.
Unusual problems? Not hardly! Read a paper. What was happening in 1925 Ozarks is going on around us today. This book should appeal to all ages, races and creeds. I could hope for more in a book, but I couldn’t ask for better.
Amazon review by NonStop on November 11, 2015
The King’s Rock
Saying Goodbye to LillieBeth with the perfect end to a Wonderful Series
Alan Black brings LillieBeth Hazkit’s tale to an end with the final book of the series, The King’s Rock. After watching LillieBeth grow up, this is a bittersweet finale, but perfectly timed, because she is now an adult, still set in her ways, not very flexible and on a mission that could be her last in life as she knows it. LillieBeth’s horses have been stolen and she is determined to retrieve them and bring the thieves to justice. With a reluctant Leota at her side, their journey will take them back to Arkansas, the place Leota ran from to escape the clutches of her father. Will the journey give Leota the strength to face her fears and the man who has made her life a living hell? Will LillieBeth show Leota the kind of trust and faith she so sorely needs to grow as a person? Will they find and retrieve the horses without unnecessary bloodshed? How far will LillieBeth go for justice?
Life is always in flux and LillieBeth’s is now at a crossroads as she must determine which path to follow and listen carefully to what her heart is telling her. This is her time, these are her decisions to make, will she make the right ones? Her future lay in the balance, as do the futures of those she cares about…
Alan Black made me feel good about saying goodbye to LillieBeth, not “happy” good, but assured that she is on the right path for the rest of her life and has also pointed the way for those she has called friend. Mr. Black slips into the voice of LillieBeth and has given her a hard-headed personality, limited filters for her thoughts and a strength of character that few could rival. His ability to create a world that breathes will have his readers walking the dusty roads, feeling the raw heat and humidity and believing you are there in the Ozark Mountains of the early twentieth century. This is a series that will stay with me for a long time to come!
Amazon review by Dii (TOP 500 REVIEWER) on December 30, 2015
Chasing Harpo
Loved this book!
Alan knows how to write to engage the reader. Chasing Harpo had me laughing in some parts and on the edge of my seat in others. He has obviously researched the mannerisms of Orangutans and is able to describe the apes point of view with ease. The characters are believable and the writing style flows well. Great read.
Goodreads review by Amanda Mackey on February 08, 2014
A Cold Winter
What a horrible day.
In a bleak, one-woman show, Alan Black takes us through the hardships of surviving a cold, hard winter. You could almost freeze reading every page ... and that's not even mentioning the wolves. I hope tomorrow's a better day for Libby.
Amazon review by Daryl Russ on December 7, 2014
How To Start, Write, and Finish Your First Novel
Are You Just Itching to Write a Novel?
Have you ever read a book and thought, “I didn’t see THAT coming,” or “Thank goodness I dragged myself through the first 30% because the last 70% was fantastic!” ??????? Or, how about, “I could write better than that!” or “I wish I had the guts to do what these people have done…” ????????? Truth, I would be clueless where to start, I see myself as having a mazillion ideas and be running willy-nilly across the ages, no patience, no real plan, and worse, no organization … totally me.
Listen up budding authors, experienced authors, or anyone who knows someone with that “author” potential, the ever versatile Alan Black has gone all non-fiction on us and written a book on how to write a book that is fun, entertaining and full of great ideas, plans and Mr. Black’s own sense of wry humor. How to Start, Write and Finish Your First Novel made so much sense to me, that I was in awe of his thought process and advice! Don’t get me wrong, this is NOT Writing for Dummies, but a logical, and easily understood method to produce YOUR first novel! Mr. Black’s suggestions and easy manner, while admitting the importance of baby steps is difficult to adhere to, the odds of creating a quality piece of work would be greatly increased!
Is the genre you choose NOT the current rage? Are your ideas NOT 100% original? If your writing is good, your plot well-paced and the very best you have to offer, following Alan Black’s method could make you the next author to watch for or at least an author with talent and the ability to tell a story that people WANT to read! Take a look at Alan’s list of novels, impressive and varied, but each one is well-written, entertaining and well-edited, he must be doing something “write.” Yeah, yeah, I sound like an infomercial, but heck, even I would have the guts to express my writing abilities to the world after reading How to Start, Write and Finish Your First Novel, of course I would have Alan Black review it!
I think what Alan Black is trying to do is to give a future writer a firm foundation to take the leap from and he does it well!
I received this copy from Alan Black in exchange for my honest review, and no, it did not color my opinion.
Amazon review by Dii (TOP 500 REVIEWER) on July 2, 2015
