Author: Robert G. Williscroft
Publisher: Starman Press
RRP: £18.62 / $25.00 (Paperback) | £2.96 / $3.99 (Kindle)
Reviewed By: Sebastian J. Brook

Robert G. Williscroft’s The Anomaly is an ambitious science-fiction novel that manages to make some very large ideas feel surprisingly personal. Beneath the time travel, advanced engineering, planetary exploration, and sweeping interstellar settings is a much more intimate story about consciousness, memory, identity, and the difficult question of what makes a person who they are.

One of the book’s strongest ideas is the way consciousness moves through different lives. Following Jax, Mira, Kai, and Asha gives the story a fascinating structure, because each character inherits only fragments of something much larger. At first, the connections between their experiences are mysterious, but gradually the pieces begin to form a picture that is both scientifically intriguing and emotionally complicated. I particularly enjoyed how the scale of the story expands without losing sight of the individuals caught inside it.

The science and world-building are another major strength. Williscroft clearly enjoys the engineering and scientific possibilities of his universe, and that enthusiasm comes through in the descriptions of technology, planetary environments, and the challenges of living at the far edges of human exploration. At times, the technical detail can be demanding, but it also gives the story a convincing sense of substance.

What stayed with me most, though, was the philosophical side of the novel. If memories can belong to more than one person, where does one identity end and another begin? If a consciousness can persist beyond a single body or lifetime, does that create an obligation to the people who inherit it—or a right to determine what happens next? The novel doesn't always offer comfortable answers, and I appreciated that. The moral questions are more interesting precisely because there isn't an obvious side to choose.

Ultimately, The Anomaly is much more than a story about manipulating time. It is a meditation on continuity, sacrifice, free will, and the possibility that the person we become may be shaped as much by what we inherit as by what we choose. It’s an expansive, occasionally challenging read, but one that rewards curiosity—and, most importantly, leaves you thinking about its questions after the story has ended.

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Publisher: Fresh Ink Group

Written By: Robert G. Williscroft

RRP: £3.57 / $20.54 (Paperback) | £2.16 / $2.95 (Kindle)

Reviewed by: Sebastian J. Brook

Icicle: A Tensor Matrix, is the first book in the Oort Chronicles by Robert G. Williscroft - a story that holds no bars in its opening prologue. Right from the off we are thrown right into the action as our protagonist, Millionaire, Braxton Thorpe, dies of prostate cancer and is whisked off to have his head cryogenically preserved. And just like that...BOOM!...we head forward in time by 100 years, straight into the 22nd Century, where Braxton wakes to come to terms with his new *ahem* life.

This is a bold opening gambit from Williscroft, and one that works so well due to the 'matter of fact' drive in which he pushes the story forward. One could be forgiven for drawing comparisons to The Matrix and Tron, where similar themes are explored - however - it is our sincerest belief that Williscroft actually trumps the aforementioned with this thrilling new take on uploading one's consciousness to a digital mainframe.

Despite being told in third-person prose, you feel every moment of pain and anguish that Braxton goes through. In fact, anyone who has had paralytic sleep, will find a rather eerie parallel in some of the moments our protagonist goes through.

Let's make no mistake, this is Science Fiction - and really good SciFi at that, but Williscroft's evident knowledge of technology and science, shines through to make this feel more like a foreshadowing of what will come to pass. Every technological detail is described in such detail that it's almost tangible to the reader, which make feel all the more intimate a read.

There's interstellar travel, wormholes, aliens and the threat of inter-planetary war, which, together with Braxton's personal and wider quest, adds up to one hell of an adventure. Not bad for a dead man!

We're thrilled to report this is only the first book in a planned series, and eagerly await the follow-up!

+  Icicle: A Tensor Matrix: The First Oort Chronicle is Out Now!
+  Buy this book from Amazon.co.uk!
+  Buy this book from Amazon.com!
+  Follow @RGWilliscroft (Robert G. Williscroft) on Twitter.
+  Follow @SebastianJBrook (Sebastian J. Brook) on Twitter.
+  Follow @DrWhoOnline (Doctor Who Online) on Twitter.