Hello everyone! How was your Monday? I hope that you were able to get some reading in. I began making an inspiration board for my upcoming NaNoWriMo writing! Mermaids…here I come! I am going to crush this NaNoWriMo…but really I am so nervous. Any support would be greatly appreciated. But that is not why I am here today. Today I am going to bring to you a wonderful collection of Sci-Fi short stories.
So…let me move on to the book. Shall we?
Time Crawlers 
Author: Varun Sayal
Published: June 15th, 2018
Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing
Book Length: 100 Pages
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Buy the book: Amazon
**Disclaimer: I received this novel for free in exchange for my honest review.**
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon
The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.
2. Death by Crowd
The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?
3. Genie
He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.
4. Time Crawlers
There are individuals who existing in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….
5. Eclipse
No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?
6. The Cave
The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.
**Trigger Warning: Rape, Suicide, people lighting themselves on fire for money and show**
I really love that the cover is a pocket watch with the gears showing, seemingly flying through space. It coincides with the title…literally. The use of contrasting colors does well to bring the readers’ eye to the novel.
I have a love-hate relationship with short story collections. I love that I can read a quick story in whatever spare time I have, especially as a mom. However, I hate that the story ends so quickly, especially if I was really pulled in. As with many collections, there are some stories I feel I enjoyed more than others. I never usually break down each story, but I suppose there is no time like the present.
Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon
I enjoyed the Indian Mythology used here, Sayal did a wonderful job blending the mythology with scientific inventions. I really loved the idea of a simple bow and arrow being able to create mass destruction. It really brings home the idea of the cost of vengeance. It could have used more background development but it was a decent story. For that reason, I felt it was the weakest in the collection.
Death by Crowd
This was a very unique tale indeed. The biggest thing that really captured my attention was that people volunteered to be burned alive so that their family could have money to survive… Needless to say, this was a captivating tale, but it is not for those who shy from gruesome ones.
Genie
I really loved this one. A female genie, with incomprehensible power. This tale actually had me laughing out loud. The conversations are something else… I love the depth it went into regarding the Genie Abuse Prevention. A comical read for sure.
Time Crawlers
I think this was my favorite story out of all of them. A true time travel tale, the ability to co-exist in two moments simultaneously. I would love the ability to switch times at will, simply to experience different moments throughout time. They hide their abilities from others. Are they Aliens? We don’t really find out but we know that those who do know of them are called time readers. I really liked how this time travel story had such a unique twist.
Eclipse
It has been told in stories time and time again, and seen in movies frequently…when aliens invade the Government does what it does best, hides it from the public. Well, in this story they not only have come to Earth but have been living here a long time. This actually would not surprise me if it happened in reality. We have our faces glued to the TV, watching the news and wondering about what every other country is doing. We have our heads so far up our butts that I really do not think it would be hard for aliens to come unnoticed.
The Cave
This was another story I really enjoyed. What was thought to be a cave was actually a warship. In it, a being that fed off energy. They request the help of an outsider, a telekinetic who is also a living teleporter… This woman can jump 27 wormholes across the universe in a matter of seconds or minutes…WOW. Not a bad story.
Overall I really enjoyed most of these tales and the collection as a whole was a fun read. There is a little something for every variety of time travel/ sci-fi fan. I wish I could tell you more but it is hard without giving something away, especially for a short story. Some stories have more flaws than others but that is to be expected in a collection. I would still recommend this. If you do not have kids you could probably finish this in a short period of time. I had to read it one story at a time.
Would you read this novel? Buy it or borrow it? If you have read it, what did you think? Do enjoy short story collections? What is your favorite time travel book or story? What book has been on your nightstand lately?
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I have read a few short stories that I have enjoyed. With that said I hate short stories lol. When I read I put myself into the story so I hate to see it end. I become sad and heart broken. I know that probably sounds sappy coming for a big manly man as myself lmao but it’s true. So I find myself staying away from them if I can.
Thank you though for your review as some of these stories do sound interesting.