J.J. Green is a British-Australian science fiction author who writes about ordinary people living with the challenges of existence in future societies, and kickass sci fi heroines too.

J.J. has written over 30 sci-fi novels. Her series include Star Legend, Space Colony One, Star Mage Saga, Shadows of the Void, Interstellar Fleet and Carrie Hatchett, Space Adventurer.

The Galathea Chronicles by J.J. Green

Growing up as a Martian on Earth has left Jas Harrington solitary, quick-tempered, and with zero tolerance for fools—all plus points when working as chief security officer on prospecting starships.

Jas's latest berth is aboard the Galathea, which trawls the far reaches of the galaxy seeking precious minerals and rare resources. She thinks it's a routine trip. She's wrong.

An inspection of a far-flung planet leaves Jas suspicious that there's more to the place than meets the eye. If only she could convince the captain of the need for caution, but she might as well wish for a tasty meal in the ship's canteen.

All hell breaks loose, and Jas's skills are put to the ultimate test. If she fails, the ship's crew, the galactic empire, and humanity itself are at risk.

CURATOR'S NOTE

This is action-packed space opera that zips along nicely. It's also intelligently written with believable three-dimensional characters (especially the protagonist, Jas Harrington). I liked the way a tale of deep-space exploration opened out into dangers that not only threaten Jas – but also her ship, galactic civilisation, and all of humanity. The first of three books in the complete Shadows of the Void series. – Simon Kewin

 

REVIEWS

  • "Division amongst the crew, strange alien lifeforms and the possibility of death at every corner make for a heart pumping read. I enjoyed it a lot."

    – Reader review

  • "Good sci-fi is relatable like this. A greedy selfish captain puts good people in compromising situations."

    – Reader review

  • "Congratulations to J.J. Green for this amazing series. It's hard to stop and take a break. It's extremely hard to find such an interesting and exciting author who not only writes intelligently but also provides top rated plots, characters and excitement in the stories."

    – Reader review
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Prospecting ships like Polestar Corp's Galathea ran to a tight timetable. To provide an acceptable return on the company's investment, the crew had to locate and claim at least ten resource-rich planets uninhabited by intelligent life per mission, on average. After that—or maybe before if they stumbled across a planet loaded with a highly valuable substance such as mythrin, base ingredient of blissful, stupor-inducing mythranil—the crew would start to stack up bonuses. Bonuses were the only thing that made it worth enduring the nearly endless boredom and starvation wages of space prospecting.

The ship's master took the lion's share, of course, and the rest of the crew's dividends were portioned out according to rank. As chief security officer, Jas's rank and dividends were in the middle range. She wouldn't be relaxing in the perfumed seas of Balgamon, as First Mate Haggardy planned to do when that mission was over, but neither would she be handing over every penny she had for the most basic genetic upgrade to her as-yet unconceived child, as one of the maintenance crew had mentioned.

Not that Jas planned on having kids anyway. Her own childhood hadn't exactly endeared her to the concept, and she had an irrational fear that her child might turn out to be someone like Master Akabe Loba, into whose blood-threaded eyes she was currently staring.

"Enough arguing, Harrington. Twelve sites. Twelve LIVs, and you've found nothing but some kind of bushworm, gliding non-venomous spiders, and an ambulatory slime mold. Twelve LIVs that turned up no hostile life forms or territory, and you're still not prepared to give the all-clear?"

Loba was leaning across a horizontal screen that projected a spinning hologram of K. 67092d. They were in the mission room, where Jas had been summoned to 'discuss' her delay in clearing the planet for resource assessment with the master and other high-ranking officers. The Master's head was thrust into the moving holographic image, and the miniature topography played across his features, lending him an even more than usually crazed effect. His carefully coiffed, white-dyed curls seemed about to uncoil and stand on end.

Jas knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she was going to fight it anyway. The safety of the entire crew was her responsibility, and if she had a hunch something on a planet was dangerous, she was going to damn well act on it. She'd never been wrong before.

"I've already told you my reasons. It makes no sense that we've found no intelligent life. Those structures were built. They aren't geological. The building material is artificial, manufactured. We've found nothing else on the planet like it. Something sentient made those buildings. That's what Haggardy's report says." She turned to the First Mate for back up. He was seated at the far end of the table and picking at his nails.

First Mate Haggardy held up his hands. "Now wait a minute, Harrington. I wouldn't go that far. I only said we can't conclude it's natural or artificial. That's all." He glanced at the Master, who was glaring at him.

Jas cursed under her breath. That wasn't how his findings read, and he knew it. Was he planning on rewriting his conclusions? She suspected Haggardy was as interested in his bonus as Loba was, or he was even more of a wimp than she'd taken him for. He was a scientist. He should know better than to risk everyone's lives on a lack of immediate evidence.

She swung back to Loba. "Just because we can't find what built those structures, that doesn't mean they weren't built. The life forms might be hiding. Maybe because they're afraid, or maybe they're waiting to attack. We can't allow Resource Assess on the surface until we know more. We don't have enough defense units to protect them from a full onslaught."

"You seem to be getting confused, Harrington," said Loba quietly, "with your talk of what we can and can't do. I shouldn't have to remind you that I'm master of this vessel." His facial muscles were rigid. He stood straight and drew himself up to his full height, which was a head shorter than Jas's.

Her stature had always bothered him, she knew, like it seemed to bother many men. But she couldn't help that any more than she could help doing her kratting job.

"The presence of artificial structures does not prohibit a resource claim under deep space property law," the Master continued. "Several precedents have been set where such items were found to be relics of extinct species. Maybe the structures are buildings, but if that's the case it's most likely that whatever created them has long since died out—"

"But the fact—"

"THE FACT remains that if there's no sign of intelligent or hostile life after twelve LIVs, the planet's safe enough to assess for resources. Your refusal to give the all clear is a dereliction of duty, and—"

"Sir," exclaimed Navigator Lee, jumping out of her seat like a jack-in-the-box, "if I could—"

"What?" barked Loba, not taking his eyes off Jas, who held his glare and made a special effort to look down at him.

Lee seemed to momentarily regret her decision to come to Jas's aid, but she soldiered on. "C.S.O. Harrington's service has been exemplary throughout the mission," she said quickly, not stopping when Loba opened his mouth to interrupt, but gathering speed. "She saved many lives when we were attacked on K. 87593g. The defense units were all in the right place at the right time. If it hadn't been for her command of the evacuation, some of us wouldn't be here right now." She looked pointedly at Haggardy, who gazed into space.

"Your point?" asked Loba.

"I just think, if she's worried about the safety of the planet, we should listen."