The December book of the month is THE THOUSAND WORLDS, a hardcover omnibus that includes three science fiction novels by Rod Walker: MUTINY IN SPACE, ALIEN GAME, and YOUNG MAN’S WAR. They are written in the style of Robert Heinlein’s juvenile novels, with a strong emphasis on themes of freedom, responsibility, and self-discipline.
THE THOUSAND WORLDS will be on sale at a 20 percent discount on the Arkhaven store for the month of December. Shipping is free, and the purchase also includes all three ebooks in DRM-free EPUB format.
A sample from MUTINY IN SPACE.
The night everything fell apart, I was sitting on the couch in my mom’s apartment, watching a video on my screen, when Sergei stalked inside. He had grown a scraggly beard that he thought made him look like a revolutionary, but just made him look dirty, and he had taken to wearing the unofficial uniform of the Social Party activists—black T-shirt, black jacket, and a black stocking cap all marked with a red fist that was supposed to represent the blood of the oppressed or something.
It was too hot for the jacket and the cap, but I didn’t tell Sergei that.
“Mom here?” said Sergei.
I shrugged. “Haven’t seen her. I was with Corbin all day.”
He sneered. “That loser?”
“He’s not a loser,” I said.
“He’s a reactionary,” said Sergei. “A running dog of the old order. When the revolution comes, men like him will learn their place.”
“He’s a starship mechanic,” I said, turning my attention back to my screen. “Men like him make three times more money than Mom.”
“Mom helps advance the cause of the revolution,” said Sergei. “Corbin repairs the machines of corporate profiteers.”
“Yep,” I said. “And when the revolution comes, he’ll repair the machines of the revolutionaries or they won’t be going anywhere.”
“You’ll learn,” said Sergei, who didn’t have an answer for that. We both knew he wasn’t going to repair them. “Sooner or later, you’ll learn. Hopefully before it’s too late.”
“And maybe someday you’ll learn how to connect your device to the net without asking me,” I said. Sergei scowled. His complete lack of technical skills was a sore spot.
“Whatever,” said Sergei. “Anyway, if you see Mom, tell her I went to the speech.”
“Speech?” I said. “What speech?”
“Alesander Ducarti is coming to address the local Party membership.”
“What is an Alesander Ducarti?”
“Seriously?” said Sergei, genuinely incredulous. “You don’t know who Alesander Ducarti is? So know-it-all little Nikko doesn’t know something? Here is a first.”
“Seriously,” I said. “So tell me.”
“He’s high up in the interstellar Party leadership,” said Sergei. “They say he started revolutions on three separate colony worlds, and has the death penalty in a dozen systems. They say he’s the greatest revolutionary leader of our time!”
“Sounds like a swell guy,” I said. Corbin’s warning about staying out of trouble flickered through my mind. Sergei’s shenanigans, I could handle. But this guy sounded like serious trouble.
“He’s giving a talk tonight,” said Sergei, “about his experiences with the Party on other worlds, and how the Party can be more effective here on New Chicago.”
That didn’t sound like a good idea for a number of reasons. For one thing, listening to a bunch of old guys in red-badged caps and jackets drone on about interstellar politics would be boring beyond belief. For another, this sounded exactly like the sort of thing that Corbin had been warning me about for years.
“No thanks,” I said at last.
“Come on, Nikko,” said Sergei. “Do you want to spend your life fixing engines and staring at your stupid screen like every other bore-juiced idiot on the planet? Or do you want to change the Thousand Worlds forever?”
“I just want a hot girlfriend,” I said. “And right now, a cheeseburger.”
“After the Revolution,” said Sergei, “there will be cheeseburgers and hot girls for everyone.”
“Really?” I said. “Have you seen most of those Party women? They look like old potatoes wrapped in leather. If that’s what girls are going to look like after the revolution, I think I’m a monarchist.”
Sergei stared at me for a moment, incredulous, and then burst out laughing. “You’re a mouthy little bastard,” said Sergei, shaking his head.
“Maybe. Although as far as I know, Mom was married when I came along,” I said. “If she wasn’t, then you’re a bastard too.”
“Oh, come on,” said Sergei, still chuckling. “Just come to the speech. It won’t be that long. We can go out afterwards.” He grinned “Some of the guys at the meeting will know how to make fake IDs, and we can buy some liquor. If you want to meet hot girls, that’s the way to do it.”
I hesitated. I should have said no. I really, really should have said no.
“Sure, why not?” I said. “Let me get my coat.”