Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: From the moment Austin Shelby met Hekalu Selba, he disliked the Martian nobleman and suspected it wasn't just because of the affection his girlfriend, Jan, showed toward Shelba. Shelby's suspicions are confirmed when Selba attempts to obtain his formula for an atomic ray gun, going as far as to take Shelby and Jan prisoner. Shelby then learns Selba is working with a race of Star Men with plans to conquer the solar system. Review: I picked up a copy of The Revolt of Star Men  both because he was an author from my hometown of Beaver Dam, WI and because I needed a book to serve as a palate cleanser before reading another Agatha Raisin mystery. I finished the book tonight and will admit it exceeded my expectations. I was a bit skeptical when I started reading the book, mostly because it is a story that was written nearly 100 years ago and long before human space travel was a thing. I figured, at minimum, the material would be severely dated to the point the story would c...

Synopsis : Aided by technology that will allow them to travel anywhere in the solar system, a group of 10 brash friends decide to build spaceships and seek their fortunes in space. The endeavor proves fatal to some and has a profound change on the others. Review:  My decision to check out this book a few days ago came from a somewhat unique inspiration. Our downtown area has a bunch of murals painted on the sides of the buildings that provide a snapshot of the city's history. As it so happens, I decided to walk to the library and, as I did this, I happened to pay a little closer attention to the mural paying tribute to Raymond Z. Gallun as an author who was born here in Beaver Dam, WI. I'm actually not a huge science fiction fan, especially when it comes to older books. But, I was intrigued enough to see if the library actually carried any of his books and ultimately ended up checking this one out. I finished it yesterday evening and, after some reflection, I realized I...