A speculative tale about humankind becoming obsolete from the perspective of the machines we created. The story of an airline pilot who loses his faith in the physics of flying as his rational and irrational mind fight for dominance. An ancient being born of human evolution that strips us of our memories, feeding on one precious reminiscence at a time.
Welcome to one of the July 21st stops on the blog tour for Antithesis by Svet Rouskov with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour 7 more reviews and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
About the Book
Antithesis
A Collection of Science Fiction and Other Short Stories
by Svet Rouskov
Published 1 February 2021
Tellwell Talent
Genre: Short Fiction, Science Fiction
Page Count: 218
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Antithesis is a collection of vivid and exhilarating science fiction stories, tied together by characters whose moral challenges offer windows into humanity and the human condition. These stories are cautionary tales, flights of fancy, terrifying psychological journeys, humorous romps, and even a space opera.
A speculative tale about humankind becoming obsolete from the perspective of the machines we created. The story of an airline pilot who loses his faith in the physics of flying as his rational and irrational mind fight for dominance. An ancient being born of human evolution that strips us of our memories, feeding on one precious reminiscence at a time. An audacious fable that explores a new galaxy, one where humans are irrelevant, but the conflicts of a class-based society are not. A novella-length saga about a mission to Mars, the origins of humanity, and an atrocity that stretches across time and space. And finally, a story that asks the question whether an unstoppable artificial intelligence would indeed be happier traveling the vast reaches of space, or back amongst the flawed beings who created it.
Escape into worlds unlike anything you have seen before, but some eerily similar to our own. Antithesis – where the opposite is to be expected.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Bookshop | Chapters Indigo | B&N | BD | Smashwords | Apple
Excerpt
If it were anyone else, John would have told them to take a walk, but Chris had found a way through his defences once again. “The moment my dad took me up in his Cessna, I knew what I wanted to do with my life,” said John. “I loved to fly. I went into the Forces, became a transport pilot, and when I was discharged, I went commercial. My career was everything to me. It didn’t seem fair to have a family that I would gladly leave for days or weeks on end.”
“You said, loved to fly. You no longer do?” asked Chris.
John didn’t respond but just looked away. No one, including his therapist, had asked him that question. Did he still love to fly? John was disappointed in himself for not answering immediately. He was terrified of flying now, but did that mean he also didn’t love it anymore?
“I don’t love planes,” said Chris. “But you spent your career in avionics?”
“Because I love electronics. I love technology,” replied Chris. “I love trying to pack as much functionality into as little space as possible.” He then grinned broadly as he said, “And on a jetliner, every ounce counts!”
“Cute …” said John dryly. Chris ran his hand along the edge of the digital screen in front of him. “It’s about elegance. Technological sophistication.” He then turned to look at John. “You know the MCDU— Multifunction Control Display Unit?”
John raised an eyebrow, thinking, seriously?
Chris lifted a hand apologetically. “Of course, you do … but I’m sure you’ve never put much thought into it. The miracle of miniaturization lets us combine a keyboard with an LCD unit that allows pilots to input and modify flight plans and interface with the flight management system—all their data entry needs in a tiny little unit.”
“You’re right,” said John. “I never put that much thought into it.”
“That’s the problem with our society today. We don’t appreciate the work that went into our technology. We don’t really understand the tools at our disposal. Which is why sometimes we don’t anticipate the problems that can happen with them.”
“What do you mean?” asked John.
“The MCDU … its cooling filters can get blocked by dust and fluff. There’s no standard inspection procedure for them. It caused an electrical fire on an eight-thirty variant.”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“Well, now you have,” said Chris, who then leaned his head back against his headrest and closed his eyes. This conversation was over. John stared at him, wondering why this odd man would be so specific.
John turned to look out the window but could only see the inky blackness of the night sky. He wondered why he thought the red-eye was the better choice for his first flight back. How could not seeing anything possibly alleviate his underlying fears? John shook his head, leaned back, and closed his eyes.
My Review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads
I was granted complimentary access to Antithesis as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Antithesis is a collection of short stories of the sci-fi variety that have a very cinematic feel to them. I can absolutely see every one of these on the screen, big or small, and all of them immediately pulled me in and had me absolutely invested.
My favourite story was “Antonella, Galatic Space Pirate.” This one’s full of very believable humanoid alien races, a brilliant back story on humanity’s place in this intergalactic civilization that seems to be more of a matriarchy than anything we currently see on Earth, and subtle hints that this version of the universe is full of matter-of-fact LGBTQIA+ acceptance. Oh, and mutiny. Can’t forget the mutiny! But seriously, to be continued in volume two? Do I have to wait to find out what happens next? This feels like full-length novels being released piecemeal in old SciFi magazines, and while I’m definitely feeling impatient, I also love it!
About the Author
Svet Rouskov started his career as a graduate from the University of Toronto Mechanical Engineering program and became a successful automotive industry executive. After fifteen years he discovered that his real passion was writing. Once he took an introductory screenwriting class, Svet realized he was hooked and continued his filmmaking education at Norman Jewison’s Canadian Film Centre. Since that time, Svet has written, developed, and produced feature films, television shows, video games, and web-based series. His passion for writing has now extended to literature, which offers him another exciting avenue to tell stories. This is Svet’s first work of fiction.
Please check out his IMDb page for details of his work and representative contact information.
Giveaway Alert!
The author will be awarding $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| July 14 | The Avid Reader | Sybrina’s Book Blog |
| July 21 | Westveil Publishing | Sandra’s Book Club |
| July 28 | Beyond Romance | Michael Leon |
| August 4 | Gina Rae Mitchell | Becoming Extraordinary |
Looking for more content? We’ve got two posts with Goddess Fish today! Check out the blitz for Gracie & Zeus Live the Dream by Elizabeth Roderick.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for hosting!
I liked the excerpt.
Svet Rouskov is new to me, but I love meeting new authors. Thanks to this blog for the introduction.
Thank you for sharing your awesome review and the book and author details, this is a must read for me.
Sounds like a very good book.