The Crider Chronicles

The Crider Chronicles
Anderson Gentry
Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 1-55404-279
Fiction, Science Fiction
Reviewed by Eugen M. Bacon

I figured that someone who took time to write this many words may be worth investigating. So I raised my hand for this 478-page book. Several minutes passed in straight admiration of the cover before I delved into the novel. It was motivating to find Anderson Gentry’s writing to be mature, precise, entertaining and intellectual. The Crider Chronicles is big in size but also in storyline. Although it rings a touch of Star Trek and Star Wars, I enjoyed the occasional all southern drawl, international tension and faithful Morris/Handel chronicles. Reading it, I couldn’t help holding the impression that this was a writer who took pride in writing, and wrote well.
Earth 2130, the aftermath of Third World War. A historical treaty exists between Allied Powers and the Central Alliance. But battle is not over yet, and off world mining projects like Tarbos struggle to become confederates. Andrew Gentry paints atmosphere well, strong enough to hold intrigue between human and foreign worlds like the Grugell Empire where a water lavished palace stands in the soul of a desert. Trans-light speeds, Alpha Centauri systems, wave bending technology to mask space ships on secret quests; strange worlds in the orbits of stars, peculiar species inhabiting them.
From Idaho to Africa, from pre-historic worlds akin to Jurassic era to alien settlements light years in the future, this tome keeps pages turning. Toss in Jenny Agrudder, a stranded girl in country outskirts, add Mike Crider: a hunter and pioneer in a new frontier, include colonized planets seeking the formation of a navy, and the story easily packs three books that build into one last battle in the year 2254.
Many characters carry this tale, sometimes almost too many to keep up with. Strange names, different roles; the sheer size of the book may be a plus or downside, depending on the audience. Once characters are grasped, things flow swiftly inter-world into one hefty story that lovers of star wars and galactic affairs may find rather fascinating.