Dark Space

Dark Space, Book 1

By: Jasper T. Scott

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

Humanity is defeated.

Ten years ago the Sythians invaded the galaxy with one goal: to wipe out the human race.

They are hiding.

Now the survivors are hiding in the last human sector of the galaxy: Dark Space--once a place of exile for criminals, now the last refuge of mankind.

They are isolated.

The once galaxy-spanning Imperium of Star Systems is left guarding the gate which is the only way in or out of Dark Space--but not everyone is satisfied with their governance.

©2013 Jasper T. Scott (P)2014 Audible Inc.

An upgrade to the lost fleet series.

I really enjoyed this book, partly because William Dufris is as usual amazing, and partly because this was just really well written. The plot line is engaging, you hate the bad guys, and the hero isn't so noble as is the case in most of these contemporary sci fi books.

As far as the actual combat I thought they were the best I've read. Better then the lost fleet, and more dramatic. If you like military sci-fi I believe you'll find a lot of enjoyment in this title.

Tongue-In-Cheek Matinee Sci-Fi

This has a little bit of the attitude from the TV series Firefly. The level of sarcasm is as high as the level of rebelliousness. Ethan is the ever competent pilot caught in an unwanted war just trying to eke out a living while bucking the system. I like the devious war lords and the indomitable warriors fighting tyranny. And, lest I forget, the insectoid alien invaders that continue to threaten to exterminate humanity throughout the galaxy. This book has so many Sci-Fi elements included that it seems more like a television series gone amok than it does an ordinary Space Opera. If I do decide to continue with this series it will be because of the dramatic performance of William Dufris and the sheer fun of the thing.

William Dufris is always wonderful. He put so much emotion into his performance that the story comes to life. I really like his character voices. Other great Dufris audiobook performances include Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, and Woken Furies by Richard K. Morgan.

Great story and reader, couldn't stop listening!

Would you consider the audio edition of Dark Space to be better than the print version?

Probably so since you get to hear the great William Dufris bring the story and it's characters to life!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alara/Angel, I liked her fight to survive and how she handled her situation.

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

Everything, he is a masterful story reader.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! Which is rare for me, I couldn't stop listening to this book it was so intense and suspenseful and entertaining!!

Any additional comments?

This is great pure sci-fi goodness at its best, if you like space sagas you will love this book!

Decently good book.

If you could sum up Dark Space in three words, what would they be?

Another reviewer compared to lost fleet. It's a little less science then that if possible. Straight sci fi story. Good with out the long draw on of how long it takes to travel 1000000 miles across a planetary system ect ect that some authored love to tell you about for endless hours. I call it sci fi light which is what I like. So I enjoyed the heck out of the book. A little short for a credit is the only negative I can give this book. Narrator did a decent job. Not sure why others didn't like him.

Mediocre with a sudden solution to all problems

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, I wouldn't.
Spoiler alert.......
The book was going along fine, not impressive or anything but passable and then suddenly all his problems are solved all at once in the course of less than 2 minutes of tape. It was an abrupt solution that totally ruined the book.

Would you ever listen to anything by Jasper T. Scott again?

I don't think so. If all his books end with an miraculous solution to the problem in seconds rather than a build or even a left turn, I don't think I will listen to more. I mean it was like he had a page count and suddenly realized he had to finish the book on this page.

Would you listen to another book narrated by William Dufris?

He was a passable narrator.

Really really bad!

Wow that was bad. The worst book that I ever finished and that is saying something. The ending is so bad that I feel taken advantage of. It feels like it was written for a horrible tv show. I dont mind the reader but I understand why others would not like him. He is a little light and goofy sounding. Sorry but I do not want to waste anymore time thinking about this garbage. You have been warned.

Blech

Somewhere about the half way mark of listening to the Audible version of Dark Space, I began to realize that this was very much a Mary Sue (or, at least, a Gary Stu - pure middle age male wish fulfillment fantasy). The deus ex machina is so thick here as to really be mind boggling - in a very bad way. From the loser 'salt and pepper haired' main character with the hot exotic girlfriend half his age, perfect wife and son, and chance to really inexplicably prove he's still studly to the evil moustache twirling bad guy. Really, take a blender and add in Firefly and Star Wars and here you go.

Story (such as it is): Ethan and the surviving humans have fled to a place called "Dark Space" - closing a gate behind them so that the vernicious knids...er...evil aliens...can't continue to exterminate the humans. Han Solo...er...Ethan Ortane wants to rejoin the army but his ship is in hock to Jabba...er....Brondi and Brondi concocts the most senile plot ever in order for Ethan to get his debt paid. Ethan must use a holo device to pretend to be an officer of the surviving military - infiltrate and sabotage the last remaining law in the human universe. The only ones preventing the aliens from finding the humans....

Characters. Right off the bat we have the aging vet and hot girlfriend from well-to-do family slumming with him (for reasons unknown). He treats her like crap and she takes it - being so 'madly in love' with him. But he's still mooning over his missing wife and son from some 20 years previous, so it's ok that he abuses the girlfriend and treats her like crap. Of course, we have the wonderful cliche of women: exotic 'super' gorgeous young girlfriend with 'violet' eyes and fancy name like Alara. Contrast that with the other female character, a hard hitting, tough talking pilot with the common name Gina. Because who would want to date a Gina when you could have an Alara?

It's hard not to go into the silliness of the holo device, lack of any ability of detection of someone using it, and that no one seems to question the personality change of the office he is impersonating. Better yet, (mild spoiler here), everyone seems to forgive quite easily that he was involved in the officer (and mate) being tortured and killed for that identity and used it to do harm (actually, kill) 10,000 other people. But hey, it's ok, no biggie.

We're also supposed to like a character that is willing to hurt so many in order to save his own hide or that of his idiot girlfriend. I didn't buy it and everyone seemed to have 1 second of half hearted regret before patting him on the back and welcoming the loser to their fold - no biggie that he killed so many.

The bad guy is so over the top and yet so incredibly stupid. Half the time the set up is gentle coercion but it always turns into kidnapping of family, etc. E.g., Brondi has Ethan over the coals for the debt but only thinks to kidnap the girlfriend on impulse later? Or the scientists who are concocting Brondi's evil scheme for a payment - only to have family members kidnapped after completion anyway. Why not just kidnap in the beginning and get it over with? It just seemed silly and a forced way to escalate the drama/plot.

There are some 'plot twists' at the end that are so left field as to make implausible segue straight to impossible. I won't go into it for spoilers but the book ends abruptly on the spoiler and not in a very eager or satisfying end of arc way.

There was a lot I really didn't like about Dark Space. It lacked gravitas, realistic characters, or an interesting storyline. I hated each one of the cliche characters and never invested in any part of the story.

I listened to the Audible version and the narrator did an ok job with a really silly story.

soft on science but long on potential

I wanted to sink my teeth into some strong, hard science fiction and Dark Space by Jasper T. Scott landed in my lap. My teeth looked it at and said, "I'll sink into that."

So I hit play on Dark Space, and sat back to enjoy William Dufris' reading of it.

For the most part, Dark Space is a very enjoyable (if thin and light) science fiction novella. Calling it a novel seems unfair as the audio clocks in at under six hours and the book itself is just 200 pages long. Comfortably I'd say it's a novella.

Perhaps Dark Space's greatest strength is clever concept of how humanity is hidden away in a galaxy surrounded by black holes. This 'dark space' has given our race a second chance after being nearly wiped out in a war against the alien Sythian race. People who have survived in the dark space region(previously a penal colony) are harder, darker and generally tougher because of the difficult times.

The main character Ethan Ortane is typical space opera fare. He's a down on his luck pilot with a debt to pay and when his debtor catches up to him, he's given an offer that will set his debt straight; sabotage the ship that guards the entrance to dark space. I don't think I need to spell out that messing with the line of defense of the last place humans are safe is a pretty bad idea, and that it won't be worth it to Ethan to do it.

Buuuut that's no fun, and if Ethan didn't jump into the convoluted plot there'd be no book to listen to. Luckily Dark Space starts out with an exciting space dogfight so you can get into it quickly and enjoy the tempo and forget about the fairly clichéd plot devices. One complaint I had was the lack of actual physics knowledge brought to bear by the author. Ships don't need rudders or stabilizers in a zero gravity environment to steer. Had the book been advertised as something other than 'hard science fiction' those little errors would be no big deal, but when you say you're hard on science, go hard on the science.

The book attempts a few twists towards the end to avoid what looks like the obvious, but in the end it does what I expected it to. It entertained me, but didn't blow me away.

WIlliam Dufris is a competent and pleasant narrator. He has great range of voice and reads at a very good clip. I didn't need to speed up the reading at all and felt like the book moved quite well. I'll check out other books he's put his voice to. I did experience a slight tinny quality to the audio, but messing with the levels fixed it easily.

Overall Dark Space is a short and entertaining listen that's soft on science but long on potential.

It is dark

Would you listen to Dark Space again? Why?

It is dark and you will question humanities right to survive. The main characters lack any concern beyond themselves and their friends/family leading predictably to disaster.

Scott makes it a scary statement on a familiar narcissistic society.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dark Space?

The betrayal by the "hero" and the scientist of all morality for the sake of their families. Guess how that works out.

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

The voices could be confused but overall it was well done.

Space Opera

A good yarn. Although aliens are a backdrop, they do not appear in this book. The narrator was good, and I liked it enough to immediately buy the sequel.

Way too short.

It felt like first chapter and part of it was repeated twice.
Story is good, but the space battle didn't feel real.

Enthralling

I enjoyed the story including the twist. The narrator was easy to listen to and his performance was very believable.