It’s alway fun when you stumble across a local author who also happens to be extremely talented. That’s what happened when my friend said, “Oh yeah, my dad’s a sci-fi writer.” So I looked up Jeffrey A. Carver and was not disappointed.

I started with his Chaos Chronicles, since Neptune Crossing was up for free download on Amazon at the time, and was immediately entranced. It has a unique setup in that the main character ends up with an alien consciousness residing in his head that he nicknames Charlie, who is on a mission to save the Earth, but needs his help (ie, his body and cooperation) to do so. Their interplay is hilarious at times, touching at others. For a little twist, Charlie frequently dies and returns with a new personality, kind of like Doctor Who, but a lot more frequently. You’d think that would get annoying after a while, but, no, instead it just made me look forward to seeing how Charlie had changed.

The three books are easy reads, I made it through them in two weeks, and it only took that long because I had to wait for delivery of the last two books. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but I do want to say that they are fascinating stories that explore concepts ranging from what it means to be human to how to deal with the ‘other’ phenomenon. There is a LOT of alien interaction throughout. One interesting craft note: while the first book begins solidly from the human’s perspective, the point of view morphs, with more and more of the chapters from the point of view of various other aliens that join their merry band of world-savers.

I can’t wait to read more of his books, and I definitely recommend them for anybody who is a fan of space dramas with a solid dose of basic chaos theory sprinkled throughout.