Book Review: Seedlings on the Solar Winds

Seedlings on the Solar Winds

by J Alan Erwine

Paperback: 148 pages
Publisher: Nomadic Delirium Press (December 22, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0980170303
ISBN-13: 978-0980170306

Buy it at Amazon or Nomadic Delirium Press.

J Alan Erwine's "Seedlings on a Solar Wind" is a small book, but loaded with good stories.

I've enjoyed reading all of them. I like short stories. I like the fast setup and the slamming resolution. J's stories fulfill my desire for the quick, fast, slap you in the face plots.

Seedlings has some downsides, but they're not severe. I noticed a few typos here and there. Well, what can I say? I'm a long-time tech writer and typos tend to show on the page in neon to my eye. I've seen them in the high-paid authors books, so I'll not mark J down on that account.

Favorites? "A Chronic Mistake," although J admits he doesn't write much cyberpunk, he might consider doing more. The story kept me going to the end. I didn't think I was much of a cyberpunk fan, but it then occurred to me that Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delaney is one of my favorite books of all time. Is it cyberpunk? I think so, maybe, sort of. Maybe it's pre-cyberpunk. Coming out in 1975, there was hardly any cyber with which to punk anyway. I also really liked Snow Crash by Neal Stephensen, and that's cyberpunk for sure. So maybe I'm more of a cyberpunk fan than I thought.

I think the book is worth the price. I hope everybody will also take a look at J's novels. I'm money-challenged, so I've got to spend wisely, but I sure would include J's books in my "want" list.