H2LiftShips -
A Back Story
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Review by Prosper Onyido Dec 25, 2022
If you imagined that Beyond Luna was as good as a thrill ride can get, then even more interesting is the story of the making of these amazing characters, in a brilliant tale of their histories. Spanning from their backgrounds, to how their paths would cross, courtesy of their journey into the world of space travel, and of course their riveting flight through time and space, together.
Having already made a name for herself in the prequel Beyond Luna, Luna Cola (the star character of our series) has the story of her crew's backgrounds told in this book. Bob Freeman again, brings the best of his storytelling gifts to bare, as he takes us on a journey, through the backstory of the characters we've come to enjoy in this series. A Backstory tells of where these crew came from, who they were before Luna Cola, how they became space explorers, and what they did together. What then was their story? What informed their decisions to choose a path very few would want to thread? Did these backstories play a part in the kind of characters they'd become?
Bob answers all of these questions, whilst also throwing in the best forms of action, adventure, comedy, and plot twists into the mix.
One of the most eye-catching facts about this book was the author's ability to maintain the spotlight on the main characters in the story, in different contexts, and yet without dampening the roles and character development of secondary characters in the book. This is truly remarkable. Also, the author shows his unmatched skill at paying attention to details, in his spot-on representation of the atmosphere inside the training school. His ability to recreate the aura of a military base inside Luna Academy played a vital role in making the story even more authentic and relatable.
There was nothing to dislike about A Backstory. As much as it didn't have as much adventure and action as the prequel Beyond Luna, it more than made up for it with the interesting stories of the series' characters and also showing how some of these background stories, affected their personalities going forward.
Furthermore, the flawless editing of the book meant that it was error-free and this made it altogether a pleasure to read.
Bob Freeman is a master at creative storytelling. This is evident in the first book of this series, however, if there was any contention to this, he lays it to rest in this book.
By shifting focus from the grit and tilt of ships in space, to the making of the deck hands that man those ships, he shows the flexibility of creativity. Again, his ability to represent this book in a military setting, shows that science fiction can be made relatable to our everyday lives. This is a book for every lover of creative writing, storytelling, action, and adventure, or those who need to learn that our backgrounds or past, can only affect who we become, when and if we allow it.
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Book Review of "A Backstory" by Bob Freeman by Nwaogazie Goodness Sept 2022
Written by Bob Freeman, A Backstory is the second book in the H2LiftShips series. It's a sequel to Beyond Luna (the first in the series) and a prequel to Bosons Wave. It tells the story behind the success and adventures of space expedition crews. The story of how these effective and efficient sentients are trained from cadets to space explorers.
Though A Backstory is largely the story of how the crew members of spaceships are trained, the spotlight of this book is on an intriguing character, Graciela Lucerne, (a reserved and focus-driven female human) alongside her friends, Rocky (an outgoing and fun-seeking male dog) and Herb (a somewhat introverted male mountain gorilla), and their experiences at the training school, Luna Academy. The book captures all of the details of their journey, from the tasking mental and physical assessments, to their extracurricular activities, even to their disputes and rivalries.
Just like in the previous book, Beyond Luna, the author does a great job in this novel. The use of nonhuman characters as key characters in the story makes for a true Sci-fi experience. Also, there was no unnecessary repetition of concepts from the prequel, as the author seamlessly merges this book with the previous one, with this story being not only a background story into the lives of the characters who make space travel possible, but also a continuation of their adventures from the previous book.
One thing I enjoyed a lot about this book was the military setting of Luna Academy. The time consciousness, the drills and assessments, even the constant, albeit funny, complaints about the food, gave it an altogether military feeling. This was particularly important because it prepared the crew for real-life situations, especially being able to work under pressure, but it also made it even more relatable, as we well know that people who work in sensitive and dangerous environments need to be trained to the T.
I also appreciated that this book was much less technical, especially with regards to scientific and space terms, than the previous one (Beyond Luna). As much as it is a Sci-fi book, the author did well to make this one much more easily relatable, and though not everyone would understand, much less enjoy it, it's still much easier to follow through.
As the name suggests, A Backstory is a background story of the major players in the H2LiftShips series. From their backgrounds, to how this shaped their personalities and ambitions, and how it also affected their actions and decisions during the course of the series. Bob Freeman writes a true classic here, a book that would appeal to those who enjoy stories about adventure, action, human psychology, and even military personnel and a sneak peek into how they're drilled into efficient professionals.
I definitely would be reading this one again.
H2LiftShips - A Back Story
by Bob Freeman
Anthionette Ejimofor's reviewDec 12, 2022
it was amazing
Bob Freeman's, A Backstory is the second in the H2LiftShips series, after Beyond Luna, the first in the series and preceding Bosons Wave. It goes behind the scenes to reveal the lives of the characters, and their journey to becoming crew members of spaceships.
A Backstory just like Beyond Luna centres around the figures aboard Luna Cola and tells us how these sentients made the transition from simple characters in their individual lives to being a team, on a delicate and intriguing mission. Whether from a somewhat dysfunctional family, from a reserved and simple family, or an adventurous and rich family, Graciela, Herb, and Rocky all had one thing in common, and this was Luna Academy, a training school for training space travel crew. These characters and their activities especially in school, as well as after graduation, were the focus of the story. What then were these experiences and how much did it shape these characters in the book and even beyond? Only one way to find out.
There can be no overemphasizing how much the author does a terrific job in this novel. He didn't restrict the sort of sentients he used as major players in the book and series, and this is the hallmark of science fiction, when you know that anything is possible, even animals communicating with man. Although this is not something everyone would appreciate, but again this all adds to the feeling of this book and the series being exclusively for those who are open-minded and truly love science fiction and all the possibilities it paints. Beyond Luna is a picture-perfect combination of true Sci-fi experience, laced with fascinating adventure.
I loved many things about this book, some of which happened at Luna Academy. Rocky's never-ending pursuit of fun and the troubles that often came with it were always hilarious. Likewise, Gracie's reserved and focused nature was evident in her actions both as a student, and when she became Captain.
Science fiction novels are often accused of being technical and overly complex..... A Backstory is an exception to this norm. More than just going back to the origins of the key characters, it tells us who they were before Luna Cola, and what events resulted in the characters we read about. The author is unquestionably skilled in the art of merging emotions. He does it yet again in this book. Adventurous, fascinating, mind stimulating, hilarious, thought-provoking...... Bob just tosses us into a cocoon of emotions with this well-written piece, and it's a great read for everyone who appreciates a good bout of mental workouts.
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book review by Michael Radon
"There is my ship and look at that! It even says 'Captain Graciela Lucerne.' If only her mother could see her now."
The infinite blackness of space provides ample room for all walks of life and all standards of business. Like in the age of exploration on Earth, many brave and intrepid souls can take to a life of sailing, importing, and exporting goods with varying degrees of legality. For Graciela Lucerne, this is the life she has always known: serving on her parents' ship as it worked the outer reaches of the heliosphere. Wanting to do things her way and make her name among the stars, she acquires a full education and works her way towards the rank of captain. With her crew of Tang the gorilla, Jack the canine, and Octopus the octopus, these rag-tag sentients run afoul and alongside the law and get their feet wet in a whole galaxy of experiences, building a reputation for their little ship, the LunaCola.
Setting up the events of the author's previous book, this installment relays the origin stories of the LunaCola and its rough and tumble team. Striking a balance between the parts of technical explanation and character-driven narrative that make up any good piece of science fiction, the author's allegories between space travel and the high seas define and inform the flavor of this entire story. At its heart, this is a tale of privateers, profiteers, and pirates moving goods from port to port, albeit set among the stars with strange technologies and behavioral habits. Readers unfamiliar with the author's earlier novel will fall right in step with this narrative of beginnings that brings the characters and their world together. Meanwhile, fans will delight in learning the backstories behind characters they already know and love.
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H2LiftShips - A Back Story
review by alextheshadowgirl
A true nerd jumps at the chance of exploring the backstory of the characters/ premise that she likes. And like a true nerd, when I got a chance to read the backstory of H2Liftships and even though I expected it to be much shorter, it was roughly the same length, (perhaps a few hundred pages short) but bigger than a novella. While H2Liftships: Beyond Luna had a lot of technicalities and read more like manual, with this book, the author tried to portray a more interactive book with lesser technicalities. But like my experience of Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, sometimes, you begin loosing interest when the story starts dragging on.
I was keen on learning about the backstories of some of the characters, so I could understand the baggage they carried, and while it was amazing in some parts, few chapters couldn’t hold my attention. The one thing that works in the favour of the author is that the premise created is so unique and interesting that one is unable to control the urge of finishing the book. This backstory did fill in a lot of blanks, but I think it is better that I read this AFTER reading Beyond Luna (though I think, that’s the order it has been deliberately kept in). Since I was already fond of the premise and characters, it made reading it a lot more interesting than it otherwise would have been.
The writing style is what I adored most. Here’s a sample:
Human
All too often, humans considered themselves the ‘gold’ standard of sentient life. They had learned, or sometimes they didn’t, that there were more standards than themselves. They often had leadership positions, not because of intelligence, but because that old flexible opposable thumb and delicate hands gave them an advantage.
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Review by The Reading Bud
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5.
H2LiftShip: A Back Story by Bob Freeman is the second book in the series and a sequel to Beyond Luna. After the first book, which was written in a very unique was more like a technical manual than a straight story, this book had a more coherent storyline that was easier to follow making this book a tad better than the first one (though I did like the first one too, it’s just the flow that I am referring to here in terms of being better.)
This book had a lot of interesting insights, more side-plots and character development and helped the overall world-building for the entire series to a great extent so I really liked this book too. Now I am looking forward to finishing the last book in this series (which I have already started!)
Again, I’d recommend this book to anyone who has read the first book in this series and anyone wanting to explore a new sci-fi series or a sci-fi author.
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Review of H2LiftShips - A Back Story
Post by Kennedy NC » 22 Feb 2022, 20:09
The cold empty void was all Graciela ever knew while solar sailing with her parents and bartering cargoes. She dreams of a better life for herself. She dreams of a life as a captain. Whether she wants this to gain approval from her parents or not is irrelevant. H2Liftship: A Back Story by Bob Freeman is a science-fiction novel that revolves around Graciela, a human primate born and raised in an off-world. The novel narrates her journey towards her ultimate dream, the hurdles she crosses, and the eventual actualization of her dream.
Enrolled in Luna Academy despite her parents’ reservations, she starts her adventure. She meets other sentients in training; Rocky and Herb stick with her the most. The cadets receive instructions on key areas to become successful sailors. The cadets, including Graciela, quickly rise to the second lieutenant. She moves down to HomeWorld to continue her training of becoming a captain. She experiences some cultural shock. Nothing prepared her for the gravity, non-algae food, wind sailing, and ground transportation on HomeWorld. She finally becomes a captain, but how will she cope with the job? Would it prove to be an impossible task, especially after her first flight? Why don’t you find out by picking this book?
The novel has a lot of positive aspects. To tell this out-of-the-world story, Bob Freeman employs both human, non-human primates, canines, and octopuses. He gives them the power of self-expression to a large extent, not without including bioGels, an organic technology that seems more efficient than Artificial Intelligence. I greatly commend the author’s effort at making the subject matter that basically revolves around life in outer space enjoyable.
He expands on an alternate world foreign to us, a world of Luna and Asteroids. He tries to make life there relatable to the readers without watering down the peculiarities or making it so typical. His seasoned choice of words of science terms, space terminologies, and characters helped create clear images in my mind while reading. The whole topic is not abstract, and the novel's message is not lost on the readers.
Because of the apparent indication that the novel is a follow-up story to a previous one, readers who chance upon this book before the first may be greatly worried that their understanding may be limited. However, this is not so. The author introduces the characters as if the novel never had a part one. The readers can follow the storyline without any worries. Last but not least, certain underlying points stuck with me throughout the read. Acceptance of diversities is one of such points. Pronounced in the Luna Academy, the free trade between Earth and space, and generally, life in space is accepting of “all sorts” in the cosmos. Readers are also forced to appreciate the wonders of the cosmos and the uniqueness of different asteroids.
The negative aspects I could pick from the novel were the unprofessional editing, which resulted in errors throughout the work, and the book had no time specification. Can the story be considered futuristic or not? However, this did nothing to hamper the flow of events. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because the errors cannot be ignored, even though it is an enjoyable book. I recommend this book to persons that enjoy science fiction or adventure novels.