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Retirement. Publishers, thank you for the many years of reading pleasure you gave me, but all good things must come to an end. Due to failing eyesight I am forced to retire. I can no longer review your books, and any that you send will be donated to the local library, unread. Do not send any more. I can only read for a couple hours every day, and this does not allow me to finish a book in reasonable time. I will be devoting time to my own books from now on, and reading on a personal level. Books that interest me. I prefer paperbacks and hardbacks, not eBooks. My eyesight has been failing the last few years, and I cannot handle hundreds of review books any more. My books are still available for review. Anyone interested in reviewing any of them, they are found in the Link to Tom’s Books On Amazon. Contact me for pdf copies at fadingshadows40@gmail.com

Showing posts with label Blurred Vision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blurred Vision. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

The Pulp Den Awards for 2017

The 2017 PULP DEN AWARD for the best stand-alone one-shot SF book Pulp Den reviewed in 2017 goes to John Paul Cater for his novel, NEAR-EARTH OBJECT 2017AP. I read many great science fiction novels in 2017, but John Cater’s novel of discovery of an abandoned alien base on the moon took this novel above all the others. Congratulations, John. Keep them coming.


The 2017 PULP DEN AWARD for the best New Pulp novel reviewed in 2017 goes to Michael Howard for his novel, MANHATTAN MASQUERADE. I read many New Pulp stories and novels in 2017, but Michael Howard’s novel outshined them all. Congratulations, Michael. Keep them coming.


The 2017 PULP DEN AWARD for the best SF/Horror novel reviewed in 2017 goes to Chris Botragyi for his novel, BLURRED VISION. I only read a few Horror stories in 2017, but this one left a lasting impression on me. Congratulations, Chris. Keep them coming.



The 2017 PULP DEN AWARD for the best Spy series I read in 2017 is the Tana Standish female psychic spy from Britain. There is good action in this well written series, and the stories flow smoothly. This is a great new series for spy fiction fans.
The 2017 PULP DEN AWARD for the best Mystery/Thriller/Suspense novel I read in 2017 is Maggie Thom’s SPLIT SECONDS. There is good action and writing in this awesome yarn of hidden secrets and the mystery of twins separated when young. The book kept me turning the pages.

The 2017 PULP DEN AWARD for the best Fantasy novel I read in 2017 is DS Johnson’s REALMS OF ENDENOUCHT. Although Fantasy isn’t one of my favorite genres, this story kept me interested and turning the pages. A great read.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Blurred Vision

Six men; a General at Area 51, interviewing a Grey on a potential global threat; a Professor announcing to the world's media the gift of time travel to the past, only to discover a horrifying truth at the crucifixion of Christ; a young man, desperately trying to survive amongst a human resistance group amidst the invasion; a man who will do whatever is necessary to protect the woman he loves, as they watch the horrors unfold on the television; a suicidal man, dejected at life, seeks answers from the archangel Michael, only to find more horror; an everyday normal nobody, rallied into a fate worse than anything anyone could ever imagine...


Blurred Vision (SF/Horror)
By Chris Botragyi
Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN #978-1910565858
Price $0.00 (price not listed yet)
185 Pages
Rating 5-Stars

“I Was Unable To Put The Book Down”

Six men mysteriously awaken as prisoners aboard an alien space ship. Locked in a cell together are Tom Valentine, Professor Mark Bennett, Air Force General James F. Hargreaves, James Jones, John Chapman, and Daniel Lambert. Their captors are seven-foot tall Grays with large black eyes and slender bodies. The prisoners remember very little about the past or how they were captured, but hear voices elsewhere on the ship so know they are not alone. They do wonder why they are together. Why them, specifically? General Hargreaves appears to know more than the rest about what is going on, and Professor Bennett remembers that he was at Stanford University and was a theoretical physicist, and from what the general told him he had worked on a time machine. The general also admits he had one of the aliens captive at Area 51, under interrogation, but the creature had lied to him.

Spoiler alert. There is no way I can review this book without giving away some spoilers. So if you don’t wish to hear them, stop reading this review now. First, the author drops a strong hint about the plot simply with the characters’ names: John, James (Jones), Daniel, James (the general). Mark, and Tom (Thomas Valentine). We learn more as each of the six tell their (final) stories. Tom tells us about the invasion. The aliens interrupt television news broadcasts to explain why they are here: (Paraphrased) “We are from Heaven, and we are here for Judgment Day. Everyone will be judged for their sins, and punished accordingly.” Of course, we are all sinners, so we’re all going to be judged – and punished. As each tells their story, we learn a little bit more about the invasion and the aliens, but it is in the professor’s story that the closest truth is revealed. A horrible murder two thousand years ago is now bringing retribution down on us, and it could wipe out the human race. The aliens tell them the writers of the Bible didn’t exactly lie to us, but they didn’t explain everything, either.

Okay, this was an interesting story, and I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out what was happening on the next page, so I read this book in one setting. It had my full attention. I picked up on the names at the very beginning, and thought I had the whole story figured out, but I didn’t. Close, but not quite. The names were mere namesakes of the Biblical writers, but maybe they “represented” the actual writers to the aliens. Or the author was just playing with the reader, maybe. The story has no ending, just the death of these six men. At the story’s conclusion, our planet’s population has dropped from seven billion to 150 million, and the reader is left hanging. Will there be a remnant saved, or will the human race cease to exist? Unique storytelling, and highly recommended.

Tom Johnson
Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES