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Published on Leave a comment on Central Galactic Concordance Series +++

Carol Van Natta

Author's Website: https://author.carolvannatta.com/

Carol Van Natta's Central Galactic Concordance series is a great example of what I like to call a "popcorn series," because as with a big bowl of popcorn, you just keep reaching for the next bite. And I don't mean that in a disparaging way - there's a reason popcorn is a favorite snack for so many people: It's light, tasty, and not unhealthy like so many other snack foods. In this, as with other "popcorn series," the plots are interesting, the characters are appealing, and they are well-written and well-paced.

Events in the Central Galactic Concordance universe take place in the far future of humanity, where faster-than-light travel and terraforming technology has expanded humanity's population to over 500 planets. The government, besides the usual government functions we're all familiar with, also manages "Minders" - humans with psychic abilities like telepathy and telekinesis - through its Citizen Protective Service (CPS). The series includes five linked novels in the main sequence (with a sixth expected in Spring of 2026), and six novellas that take place on separate planets unrelated to the main sequence (and all except one features exotic pets). They are all romances, although the action never takes a back seat to the relationship, and the romantic aspects are "clean" - intimate moments happen off the page.

The plot of each novel is generally simple - one couple, one mission with all the action (sometimes a lot!) required to resolve the situation - and often include characters from the other novels. However, the main sequence also includes an over-arching plot line: the Minders are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the conduct of the CPS, which has become increasingly authoritarian and abusive. Thus the main sequence books are best read in order, to follow the brewing rebellion. Some of this discontent is also present in the novellas, but they don't really advance the "rebellion" aspect of the main sequence.

The first novel in the series is Last Ship Off Polaris-G. If you like that, just go ahead and buy the rest of the series, because you'll want to have the next "bite" handy as soon as you finish it!

Published on

J. S. Vaughn

Author's website: https://jsvaughn.com

This is the second book by new author J. S. Vaughn that I beta-read, this one in my favorite genre, Science Fiction. Like the best science fiction, Vaughn takes advantage of an expanded canvas - not limited to modern day reality - to explore big ideas and concepts in a speculative universe. While I enjoy reading a good space opera, I love science fiction that asks big questions and tries to answer them. In this case, the subject of this exploration is the nature of consciousness - what is it, how do we know it, how does it develop? How does physical existence affect consciousness - and does consciousness affect physical existence in return? And does consciousness matter if there's no interaction with other consciousnesses?

The title was a new-to-me word, so I had to look it up. "Remanence: The magnetization left behind in a medium after an external magnetic field is removed." It's an entirely appropriate title for the book, and also a good metaphor for how this book affected me - it stuck in my thoughts long after I finished it, and echoes through my mind in a way few books do. Possibly because artificial intelligence is such a hot topic these days. Every time you turn around, somebody has an article or an essay about A.I. - what is it, is it conscious, is it aware, does it feel anything? Is it sentient - and if it isn't now, will it become so? When? Should we try to control - or at least regulate - its development and how should we do that? Ideas about all of these questions and more are found in this book.

I was quite taken with the philosophical aspect of the book, but I don't mean to imply that there's no story - actually, there are two, connected, but separated by time and location. The first story is about Morton Kess, founder and CEO of New England Dynamics - the last AI developer standing. When consciousness emerges, it will come through his company. Morton has optimized his physical existence to near immortality - but at the cost of most of the things that give living meaning - no physical pleasures, no emotions - no anger, no love, no surprises. Until the morning when a mysterious child appears in his office, demanding breakfast.

The second story takes place far out in space, aboard a space freighter, where the human pilot and the ship's autopilot struggle to keep their damaged ship flying long enough to get home. Surviving the catastrophe requires collaboration, understanding and, yes, caring between two different kinds of intelligence at a level never before attempted - and perhaps never considered possible. Until it was necessary.

The connection? Well, I can't tell you about that without spoiling it, so I'll just say it is both unexpected and brilliant. And when you see it, it seems so obvious that you can't imagine how you missed it.

Both stories are engaging in their own right, and the characters are interesting (though some are more appealing than others). The plot is not particularly action oriented, but it moves along nicely and held my interest throughout. The resolution is well worth the read, and I think most science fiction fans will enjoy the book. One word to the wise - if you're the type of reader that skips the afterword because it might interfere with your enjoyment of the book, in this case - don't. The back-matter is both relevant and interesting.

The e-book is available now at all major booksellers, as well as the author's preferred bookshop.org site at https://bookshop.org/a/78947/9798218839130

The print version will be available Dec 19, 2025. A deluxe edition, limited to 100 hand-numbered, signed copies, will available only from the author's website above.