Audible Book Review: After the Galaxy: The Unsung by Scott Bartlett

This is a mix up of sci fi ideas - with some strange twists.

After the Galaxy: The Unsung
By: Scott Bartlett
Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
Release date: 03-27-19
Publisher: Mirth Publishing
Genre: Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Opera
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
The galaxy’s not big enough....
Commander Joe Pikeman has his share of demons. But after a long deployment, he just wants to enjoy some home leave with his daughter.
The galaxy has other plans.
His last assignment takes him to Earth, humanity’s deserted homeworld. There, he finds Earth’s last settlement littered with the bodies of the people who lived there.
As he hunts down those responsible, he runs head-first into some galaxy-shaking questions.
Why did humanity really abandon the galaxy for a computer simulation?
Who would want to start killing off the last real humans left?
There’s one thing Joe knows for sure. If they’re going after his neighbors...his family...his daughter....
They’ll need to go through him first.
If you like action-packed, run-and-gun military science fiction, you’ll love After the Galaxy. Fans of Firefly will also love After the Galaxy. Download this military space opera now and jump into the action.
©2018 Scott Bartlett (P)2019 Mirth Publishing

Review:
Commander Joe Pikeman lives and works in a world where many people have moved themselves from the real world to a digital, simulation life known as the Subverse. Joe is a Guardsman known by others, especially the pirates, as “The Butcher”. He has learned on an assignment to Earth that there are few real human settlements left and someone is trying to keep Joe from investigating the troubles of the Subverse.

Joe gets to take a break to visit his home and grab a quick visit with his 15 year old daughter, Harmony. Harmony’s mother checked out of life to live permanently in the Subverse. She feels abandoned by her father who is always deployed and won’t listen to her pleas for some opportunity beyond her meager settlement community. The visit with Harmony doesn’t go well for Joe and when he returns to his ship, he realizes how wrong the visit went.

Joe manages pretty much alone on his ship with only his Cybernetic D1C, an AI companion he calls “Dice”. Dice does give good support and saves Joe’s life several times but the two verbally abuse each other in a very unpleasant fashion. Joe has also adopted a feral dog he named Maneater due to the circumstances in which he found the dog. When Joe does need crew on the ship, he activates four members who are stashed in the Subverse waiting to be activated.

Joe is a mixed character who I liked most of the time except I didn’t like his rude, bigoted attitude toward the AI… not that the AI was much better. Harmony adds an additional thread and good element and even the dog adds to the story. The world building is fascinating, and I enjoyed the extensive action, the intrigue and the suspense. Unfortunately, about three quarters into the story, things go very weird. But the action still runs high and all in all is entertaining. Although Joe succeeds in defeating (or destroying) the immediate plan for human destruction, the main villain escapes…letting the story continue in the next book. I’m not planning to rush off to get it, but I would recommend this first book to hard core fans of science fiction and space opera.

Audio Notes: Mark Boyett is a skilled narrator and he does a great job with this. He gives the characters appropriate voices, conveying their quirks and energy. I am glad that I had this in audio.

Source: 9/21/2019 Audible Daily Deal $3.95. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook goal and 2021Alphabet Audio Goals.