The Adventures of Kirk Rogers Inside the Moon

The Kirk Rogers Series, Book 1

By: C. J. Boyle

Narrated by: Jared Kedzia

Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

An overconfident pilot with a stolen spaceship must fix an alien device before time runs out. The Newtonians came to Earth 2000 years ago looking for a place to call home. Earth was perfect, except its sun had a fatal flaw that needed to be corrected. Once it was fixed, they were free to abandon their ship and leave it to orbit the planet below. Earthlings commonly refer to it as the moon.

For 2000 years, Sheldor was nothing more than a highly intelligent computer program that maintained every function of Atlantis. It was a very boring and predictable job that was the same, day in and day out. The monotony didn’t bother him, nor was he aware that it was an utterly boring life. He didn’t long for change or wonder when it will all end, he just did his job. It wasn’t until an asteroid slammed into the side of the ship that his life changed in a dramatic way. The damage that followed prevented him from carrying out an important task. A task that would save the Earth below. Part of his programming required him to ensure the survival of the Newtonians and the many generations that followed after them. The asteroid caused a cave-in deep inside a cannon that was supposed to fire photon particles into the volatile sun and correcting its flaw. The cannon required fixing but his figurative hands were tied. He needed someone with enough Newtonian blood to unlock his controls so that he could make the repairs. He was forced to use the satellites in Earth’s orbit to scan the planet below for possible candidates that he could teleport to the inside of the ship. But the process was imperfect.That’s how Laura Rogers ended up inside the moon, making friends with a giant spider and a man called The Dangerous One.

Kirk always looked after his little sister, and he would do anything to find her, like stealing a spaceship. If you like Star Trek and Star Wars, The Kirk Rogers Series celebrates all things sci-fi with some familiar themes, while having a unique story of its own. Don’t worry, even if you don’t catch all the subtle hints or Easter Eggs, it doesn’t take anything away from the story. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I do, and thanks for listening!

©2017 C. J. Boyle (P)2023 C. J. Boyle

A good fun story

As the title suggests, this is a fun story rather than a serious adventure. Lots of sci-fi references and even some laughs are in store. Good story and good narration. However, there is definitely some editing to be done. Especially in the last half hour that might have been more like ten minutes after all the stuttering and repetitive phrases are ironed out. Some of these are throughout the book but the end is just nonstop.

I received this free review audiobook and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.

A mix of sci-fi, a comedy show and name play.

I have the e-book version and wanted to hear the Audio version. One important thing to understand is the author's love of shows like Star Trek, The Big Bang Theory, and other TV shows. That is evident with the names of the characters like Kirk Rogers and Colonel O'Neill. The story is current day, as of the printing, and some names have been changed, you know, copyrights.
The sister of Kirk is dying and ends up on/I the moon. Kirk has to rescue her and eventually want the Earth from certain doom.
The story had some unique aspects and storylines and some common ideas. The story isn't too long, but not so short as to leave out anything important to the story.
Well worth the investment of time.

Fantastic Golden Age of Sci-Fi homage

THE ADVENTURES OF KIRK ROGERS: INSIDE THE MOON by CJ Boyle is a book that I'd had in my TBR pile for a long time. I am a huge fan of classic sci-fi, humor, and over-the-top space opera action. The title and cover promised all of this and more. However, my TBR pile is a mountain and I never got around to reading it. However, I heard the author was releasing an audiobook so I decided to listen instead.

Lauren Rogers is the sister of the square-jawed Air Force pilot and astronaut-to-be Kirk Rogers. Unfortunately, she has few dreams of her own due to the fact that she's dying of kidney failure and has been for most of her life. Circumstances change for them both, though, when she's kidnapped by a mysterious force and finds herself in the hollow jungle-like paradise of the moon!

Kirk, desperate to get her back, takes advantage of recovered alien technology to journey up to the mysterious alien structure that had been built long before humanity crawled out of the primordial ooze. There, they will unlock a fantastic mystery alongside their oddball and quirky associates. Hopefully before the Sun explodes in a few days.

It's a surprisingly more serious book than I expected. I was expecting something verging on parody but instead got a deep and thoughtful science fiction novel that explored its deliberately silly premise in a serious way. This is a story about our protagonists discovering the moon is hollow and full of alien artifacts but has a lot of fascinating personal moments between the protagonists. Rarely do I encounter that in traditional fiction let alone indie and I want to give the author props for it.

Despite Kirk Rogers being the titular character, I actually believe Lauren Rogers is the real protagonist. A character who has struggled with a debilitating and (eventually) fatal condition, she perseveres with quiet inner strength. You want her to find some kind of miracle cure inside the moon and go on to live a normal life.

There's a lot of fun in the book as well, including plenty of references subtle and otherwise to past science fiction properties. These are never disruptive to the narrative and are special treats to those who are long term fans of genre fiction. I especially loved all the references to the old Buck Rogers TV show.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book and think fans of science fiction in general will enjoy it. The narration is done by a fantastic voice actor and while it was a bit disconcerting to have the story open on him with Lauren, he does a great job with all the other voices. I also recommend the audiobook over the ebook version due to that stellar performance.

Great story and full scifi Easter eggs

I really enjoyed the story and liked how the author wove a lot of scifi elements into the story bringing a lot real life things into it with some slight twist. the plot actually reminded me a lot of the older stories by Howard and his ilk. give it a shot you won't regret it.

A difficult one to rate

After the first two chapters I found myself chuckling away.
I could easily given it 5 stars held myself back because it is "out there".
Satire and humour at it's best.
Wonderful narration.

A great pulp style Space Opera adventure.

I've been a fan of sci-fi since I was a kid. Star Trek, Star Wars, Space 1999, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Battle of the Planets, Planet of the Apes, I'd watch it all. Writers like Heinlein, Jack L. Chalker, Fred Saberhagen, Alan Dean Foster and Roger Zelazny hooked me on sci-fi books too, with a combination of great characters, humor, adventure and the idea of endless possibilities. C. J. Boyle's Kirk Rogers Inside the Moon hearkens back to those reads from my youth, focusing on character interaction and growth, humorous situations and some really creative adventures. Not to mention the sheer volume of Easter eggs liberally sprinkled throughout the book, which get their own moments of levity.

This book is just fun. The characters really shine. They come across as real people with real strengths and flaws, coping with stressful situations with humor, grace and screaming in terror, all in turn, just as real people would. Well, real people, androids and giant, intelligent telepathic spiders. So many fun, crazy arcs occur for the characters, it just keeps you turning pages to see what comes next.

The world building has that retro pulp sci-fi feel to it, with the story taking place on the moon. But like no moon that you've read about in quite some time. This is not some gritty domed city or tunnel rat existence we get in so much modern "serious" sci fi. This is much more like hollow earth type stuff from the old pulps. I kept expecting John Carter and Dejah Thoris to come swing through at any minute, and that's a good thing in a book, I think. The homages to classic sci-fi are sprinkled throughout, and really add some fun touches to the world building.

The audiobook version is narrated by Jared Kedzia. I had listened to a couple other books he narrated, so to me this is a good matchup. Jared does an excellent job creating unique voices for each character, using a variety of tones, cadences and accents to differentiate them from each other. He is excellent at adding an emotional element to his narration, enough so that even his voice for a telepathic giant spider had great emotion. That took real talent, and is something he does with all the characters throughout the book. This is a version I'd highly recommend.

After finishing, I had very positive vibes about the book, and about the future of the series. I know there are at least three more adventure in the series, and I am exited to see where the author goes with these adventures. I think fans of classic sci fi, space opera and more humorously oriented sci-fi will definitely find a new series to binge with Kirk Rogers and company. I highly recommend this one.

A scifi romp that’s over (inside) the moon!

The Adventures of Kirk Rogers Inside the Moon is an action-packed sci-fi novel that reads like a combination of Star Trek, Buck Rogers, and the animated show Archer. It is a lot of fun, with adventurous moments and dangerous situations occurring constantly, keeping an interesting collection of characters occupied in learning new truths about the universe, fighting to survive, adversity, and even saving the Earth.

The action takes place mainly in the bowels of an artificial moon (not to give too much away), and thus reminds me of the early uber-science fiction novels From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, and The First Men in the Moon by HG Wells, though instead of of ants in Wells’ moon, Boyle’s moon features some pretty special spiders . Boyle essentially is setting up a sort of sci-fi Alice in Wonderland where the “rabbit hole” takes place inside the moon, as opposed to the harmless English countryside of Lewis Carroll’s work. Besides the intriguing situations, dangerous encounters, and complex plot developments, there is often very funny dialogue between the characters, plus, as many here say, a lot of pretty cool references to past science fiction, which is one of my favorite aspects of her postmodern-type narrative.
The narrator of is quite good and makes for an entertaining listen.
Look forward to the next in the series!

A Fun Read

I took a listen to C. J. Boyle's sci-fi book, The Adventures of Kirk Rogers Inside the Moon the first installment of The Kirk Rogers Series. It was a fun story that had me grinning and thinking for at least a week after I listened to it.

The unique world-building stood out as the key factor of this book, an aspect that I always appreciate.

Kirk Rogers, a devoted older brother who's willing to go to any length, like stealing a spaceship, to rescue his younger sister, Laura. What unfolds is a series of unexpected events that lead the two of them into an entirely different realm—inside the moon itself!

Once there, they form some unusual and endearing friendships, [spoiler alert] one of which is a giant spider, someone known as The Dangerous One, and more. The story arc is top-notch, and the characters are relatable and charming despite familiar tropes. Again, her world-building is what I keep coming back to, almost as if the environment was a kind of character of its own.

The story pays homage to all things sci-fi, sprinkling in subtle nods to beloved classics like Star Trek and Buck Rogers. While the story carries some familiar themes, it does so with a fresh and imaginative take on the concept of the moon.

For me, no audiobook is complete without a good narrator, and in this case, Jared Kedzia didn't disappoint. He pulled off both male and female voices as well as distinct characters.

LINE EDITING
While some minor line editing issues occasionally pulled me out of the story, they were outweighed by the sheer fun and creativity of the narrative. This point is a common criticism of mine, even for traditionally published novels, so probably won't impact others.

VERDICT
Now, let's talk ratings. If you're a fan of fun and quirky tales, this audiobook deserves a spot on your to-be-read list.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Story
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Narration
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Overall

At first, because of my pickiness, the "Overall" rating would have landed somewhere between four and five stars. Because this book stuck with me for over a week, while I listened to another novel, I boosted it to a five-star rating.

Funny references, but deep down , a wonderful sci-fi story

I loved fun references and Easter eggs in the story, however this story became more than a comedic pulp fiction novel. I was involved with the characters and story finding it very much a well written science fiction novel. The narrator was excellent and really got absorbed into this book.
I first started to count all the fun retro tie-ins, but stopped when I got caught up in the actual storyline and watched as it evolved into a non stop listen. Loved it!

Winner

I loved this book! The retro sci-fi references and puns were fun , and the story flowed nicely. The character names of my goodness. If you are trying to decide on this book.... READ IT. Looking forward to reading the next book.