Pilot X

For what it's worth, I've been a member of Tom's online Science Fiction and Fantasy book club (Sword & Laser) for nearly 5 years, and helping to moderate the group for the last 2.5 years.Tom might be better known for his work as a tech blogger and podcaster, but to me he's always been someone whose opinions on Science Fiction I've come to value. I picked this book up once I saw that I could get it in audio because I wanted to support Tom, but I seem to have very little time to read lately.I know Tom has dabbled in writing on and off, especially during Nanowrimo, and that shows here. I haven't read any of his previous works, but this book is well written. Tom does a good job of showing and not telling, which is especially important to me in a book this short.There are some big ideas about Time Travel, and he is consistent within his own rules for how it works, without spending too much time getting into the "science". This is the kind of big idea, little detail story I tend to associate with older Science Fiction stories.Oddly, I don't tend to enjoy much classic Science Fiction because I tend to prefer more detailed world building. However I felt this book does a good job in packing in world building as the story progresses. There is a lot of room for imagination, but you're provided enough detail for framing the story he's trying to tell.The one place I felt was a bit lacking was the characters. There isn't a ton of character development with Pilot X, and apart from the ship Verity and maybe the Secretary, most of the characters feel thin/disposable. I would have liked to read more about the after math of Pilot X's decision than we got.The book has a bit of a Doctor Who feel, which isn't surprising as Tom has discussed how his inspiration for this book stemmed from that show's own Time War. However Pilot X doesn't feel like the Doctor. Or at least not any of the Doctor's I'm familiar with.This book does a good job at borrowing an idea from Doctor Who while being it's own thing. I'm glad that I picked it up, and figure that I'll be able to tell people I followed Tom Merritt before he became a successful writer.

I enjoyed reading through Pilot X. There are some well thought out plot points that lead the reader down some interesting paths. Given the time travel aspect of the book, it does take a little bit of thought to keep the storyline straight in your head, but over all I did enjoy the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Despite the use of a time travel plot mechanic, it didn't get bogged down at all. As a fan of science fiction, it had all the ingredients that made it a fun ride. I also found Tom's humour refreshing. If you're into time travel or intergalactic stories, this is definitely worth a read!

The book is well-written and the story is not bad. I am not a Doctor Who fan (never watched it) so I cannot talk about the similarities like many of the other reviewers.The plot does have a few twists and turns, with a "big one" right near the end (last 20 or so pages), but nothing unpredictable. The time traveling can be hard to understand and follow and could easily be confusing to the average non-science-fiction reader.Some of the ideas and views in the book can definitely lead your own mind down some interesting paths (that is why I gave it three stars instead of two). The characters are just not that developed! I feel nothing at the end and the abruptness of what happens just adds to the fact. There is a half-page romance between the main character and some random lady he meets right before the ending, and the MC is not shown really having any connection to anyone except the Secretary and a very loose connection to some of the Ambassadors. The biggest relationship in the entire book is between the MC and his ship's artificial intelligence, who is the only source of comedy in the book (shallow at that).Wasn't a terrible buy, and would recommend to some of my sci-fi knowledgeable friends. I would tell anyone else to stay well away from it, though.

This book is what would happen if Doctor Who was fighting not just the machine-like Daleks, but also another race of blob people. It's fairly predictable if you've seen any of the New Who, but is enjoyable nevertheless. It also explains coffee, the Fermi Paradox, dark matter, and the moon. There was a definite "oh, that's where this is going" moment for me about 2/3s of the way through the book where I had to power through and ride out the rest. Entertaining up until that point, but a bit slow in the ending.

Pilot X is what good science fiction should be: mind-bending science, bizarre aliens, and a good dose of commentary on our own society. Tom's dry sense of humor that make his podcasts so enjoyable shines through his writing, as well. Throw in nods to Doctor Who and classic sci-fi and you have a thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend it!

I just finish reading this and enjoyed it very much. I usually get frustrated with stories that deal with time travel, but this one was done very well. The story was good enough that I didn't put it down unit I was done. I rarely get through a book in one day, but this was an exception. I also loved the subtle humor that was sprinkled throughout the book. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good SciFi adventure story. I think this will be just as enjoyable on the 2nd read. I have a feeling I'll notice a few things I overlooked the first time. I'll have to test that theory next week when I have time. <>

I know of the Author from his podcast Daily Tech News Show (DTNS). Even though time travel is not my favorite Sci-Fi subject, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The author did a great job of explaining enough to move the story along without getting bogged down in the science and technical aspects of time travel - which is no easy feat. It is very well written, the worlds, dimensions, and characters, were described in detail, and there was quite a bit of humor throughout. I can't wait for his next book.