Author: Clayton Graham

Title: Those Alien Skies

Genre: Science fiction

 

In Those Alien Skies, Clayton Graham shares three novellas within the Milijun universe, following various characters on Mars, Earth, and distant alien worlds. All three stories explore character studies involving revenge, redemption, and the human struggle between good and evil. Set in a futuristic setting, these stories all involve alien races and humans, yet their lives are woven together with timeless themes.

In the first story, The Hunt for Elias Weber, a chase scene involving rogue Elias Weber turns more and more interesting as the pages turn. Weber lives a seemingly boring life as a software engineer on Mars, but he is also a Tellurian, a person with extremist views that go against the grain of society. Weber was even a commander for his cause, a cause that believed it was better for humans to be isolated rather than work together with alien races. But an unexpected twist involving an alien changes everything for Weber, adding philosophical depth to the story, which raises the stakes and gives the genre more meat than being only a thriller.

The second story, Few and Far Between, is quite different. The focus on Laura Sinclair as a mother worrying about the sudden disappearance of her adopted twin sons on the planet Venture displays a ubiquitous fear any parent feels when their children are in danger. As the plot unfolds, Graham’s world-building technique proves brilliant when the characters experience a strange new world that turns out to be fake. This story’s biggest theme shines through as our hope is in our children because they are our future.

The last story, Battle Lines, plays out on the world of Glieze, where the pointless nature of warring clans is at odds with a need for peace and trust among different races. Among this messy world emerges a story showing how hope and progress can come from unlikely places, how good can come from bad. Graham seems to be sharing an optimistic view of intelligent beings choosing the higher road of growth.

While these stories all exist within the Milijun universe from a book series, readers who are unfamiliar with the other books may be confused at times when events from other stories are referred to, but that does not detract from enjoying these tales on their own.

The author’s writing style proves accessible while being simultaneously sophisticated, rendering scientific and philosophical ideas understandable. The character development stands out, especially with Jason Sinclair, who evolves from a teenage abductee to galactic leader. Additionally, Graham’s background in aerospace engineering lends credibility to his technical descriptions.

Those Alien Skies shows how Graham deserves a position among science fiction’s most thoughtful voices because he offers readers thrilling adventure and profound philosophical reflection alike. Graham’s collection of novellas proves a worthy contribution to his already-established Milijun saga and a testament to how science fiction can shine a light on our deepest hopes and fears. Those Alien Skies are the types of stories that remind us all of an important fact: journeys are not so much about technological advances as they are about having the courage to look beyond limited perspectives toward infinite possibilities instead.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.