Critical Reviews:
Space Sucks! is a little collection that packs a big punch!
“The rise of science fiction as we know it stemmed from short stories published in feature magazines by authors like Asimov, del Rey, and van Vogt. Short stories are an ideal medium to convey snapshots of imaginary worlds while limiting exacting details that would detract from the main focus of the story. Christina Engela’s Space Sucks! is a collection of various science fiction scenarios that, though common enough to be familiar to readers, still offer a unique perspective tinged with the author’s sense of humor.
From first encounters to interstellar emergencies, Space Sucks! by Christina Engela manages to pique the reader’s imagination with concise prose and descriptive language. The dialogue may be a bit awkward at some points, especially in the first story, but it does not sufficiently detract from the reader’s enjoyment of these stories. The stories themselves just get better as they go, with A Really Bad Day In The Life Of Lance Corporal Thomas O’Blivion, I. Mac, and Beyond all being exceptional reads. Beyond in particular stands out as the epitome of what science fiction has always aimed to be: a literary mirror that highlights human circumstances in fictional situations and puts current themes and norms into perspective. A Really Bad Day In The Life of Lance Corporal Thomas O’Blivion also deserves mention as being a concise but highly action-packed and enjoyable read.
Space Sucks! is a little collection that packs a big punch, enough to leave readers in an imaginative stupor after reading each of the stories it contains. 4 stars.” – Eduardo Aduna for Readers’ Favorite, May 09, 2020.
Reader’s Comments:
5 Separate Short Stories
“These a 5 Stories that are unrelated to each other. I personally enjoyed this book and think other people will also. The actual Blurb describing this book is quite on point and I do not have much more to add. The Narrator does a Great job with the various characters voices and the entire storyline on all 5 Stories.” – Georgia McNabb, review for Space Sucks! on Audible, January 7, 2023.
Ripping Through The Whole Lot Like A Charging Elephant!
“Dear Christina,
I downloaded your book ‘Space Sux’ from Obooko – Best story for me was L/C O’Blivion. Those stories spurred me on to read ‘Blachart’ – and loved it. So then ‘BlackSunrise’ – and now addicted to your writing style, I have just finished ‘Dead Man’s Hammer’.
I am still smiling and I will never be able to hear ‘Ramalama ding dong’ without thinking of the tourist authority cleaning its moon before putting it back into orbit They are the same the universe over! Especially our local one.
A great big thank you for having written those books, they are excellent and I love your writing style.
I have seen more of them in Obooko, and I will try to ration myself instead of ripping through the whole lot like a charging elephant!
All the best,
Robin Ellis” – Robin Ellis – reader, Space Sux!, August 2, 2013.
Further Reading: