![Earthweeds (Sons of Neptune Book 1) by [Little, Rod]](https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fbGsDVS5L._SY346_.jpg)
This book is a lot of fun. The writing is quick and easy; the book is highly readable. The narrative is fast-paced, and the chapters are tied together nicely.
It first introduces mystery elements, then fantastic creatures, and then menacing human characters. Gradually the science fiction elements take center stage. It’s a narrative that holds our interest. The story provides plenty of drama and tension, but the weird events are handled in the more lighthearted style of classic science fiction.
That some protagonists are young men and women adds tension to their efforts to survive. Some of them were too young to be fully comfortable yet in the normal world, and now they are forced to adjust to a strange new reality. They inhabit a post-apocalyptic world that is devoid of zombies. There are, instead, some fresh ideas grafted onto dangers and challenges that would be familiar to the original readers of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s a very interesting mix.
There is another feature here that made Earthweeds work great for me. A certain amount of violence and brutality is inevitable in post-apocalyptic fiction, science fiction or otherwise. In this series, such matters are largely handled off-screen, or in the characters’ recollections. The reader is spared the more graphic and lurid violence that is so common in books and movies these days. I appreciated that.
Product Description
It's not the end of the world - it's the start of something new, and its origins are both puzzling and terrifying.
A green fog descends over every major city in the world, and the populations disappear one by one. By nightfall, every living soul in every metropolis is gone. Earth grinds to a halt. Only a few stragglers are alive in the rural countryside. When Sam and his brother return from a mountain camping trip, they find only empty city streets. Alone, they look for any survivors to give them answers.
The next day, lizards the size of Komodo dragons flood the city and attack the remaining humans. When these creatures are confronted by giant spiders, the two species fight each other for the remaining food supply.... with the humans caught in the middle.
A teenage boy with electric powers, seemingly magic - but with a scientific explanation.
His brother with a strong iron will.
A college student who can understand and communicate with animals.
A scientist with a secret.
And a band of psychopaths with an agenda of their own.
Defending each other from the evils of men and creatures alike, the last humans race to unravel the mystery of the empty cities, the swarming creatures, and the disappearance of humankind.
"A fast-paced sci-fi thrill ride..." -Top2040 SF
"Earthweeds is a fun read that moves quickly and rarely takes a breather." - Amazing Stories Magazine
Earthweeds is Book 1 in the Sons of Neptune saga
A green fog descends over every major city in the world, and the populations disappear one by one. By nightfall, every living soul in every metropolis is gone. Earth grinds to a halt. Only a few stragglers are alive in the rural countryside. When Sam and his brother return from a mountain camping trip, they find only empty city streets. Alone, they look for any survivors to give them answers.
The next day, lizards the size of Komodo dragons flood the city and attack the remaining humans. When these creatures are confronted by giant spiders, the two species fight each other for the remaining food supply.... with the humans caught in the middle.
A teenage boy with electric powers, seemingly magic - but with a scientific explanation.
His brother with a strong iron will.
A college student who can understand and communicate with animals.
A scientist with a secret.
And a band of psychopaths with an agenda of their own.
Defending each other from the evils of men and creatures alike, the last humans race to unravel the mystery of the empty cities, the swarming creatures, and the disappearance of humankind.
"A fast-paced sci-fi thrill ride..." -Top2040 SF
"Earthweeds is a fun read that moves quickly and rarely takes a breather." - Amazing Stories Magazine
Earthweeds is Book 1 in the Sons of Neptune saga
About the Author
Rod Little has written for two dozen science fiction, fantasy, and horror magazines over the past two decades. He has also written two novellas for the Wayward Pines series and The 100 series, and five novels, including his own series: Sons of Neptune, including Earthweeds, Revenge of the Spiders, and The Last Starbase. Born in East Peoria, Illinois, Rod later moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and worked as a translator. In 1994 he opened a sci-fi gaming store called Starbase One, which he kept open for 11 years, until 2005. A year later he moved to Thailand to begin writing again. Rod travels often around the world, especially Asia, but prefers intergalactic travel. He is partial to the Carina Nebula, where he still has friends of an alien nature.
