The Grendel's Shadow

By: Andrew Mayne

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

T. R. Westwood, distinguished professor of biology and the galaxy's greatest hunter, is in for the biggest challenge of his career. When an unknown animal starts killing off settlers on a backwater planet run on coal and steam power, he's the only person who can help stop the slaughter. Rocks and spears or shotguns and cannons, he'll use whatever is allowed to get the job done.

In a post-singularity future where the human race has spread to millions of worlds, sometimes the native animal population isn't exactly compatible with our expanding civilization. Taking advantage of a mind as sharp as his aim, Westwood is the only man you call if local wildlife gets out of control and starts devouring your local population.

©2011 Andrew Mayne (P)2020 Tantor

Ok not bad

Not as good as this author usually is. This seems like an odd foray into sci fi but his usual style does not translate well. A very decent if usual story. Well written just nothing newish here.

Simplistic Story, Boring Narration

I’m very much a fan of Andrew Mayne, but I found this story to be uncharacteristically simple and one-note. The narration was clear and precise but almost devoid of emotion, much less character distinction.

fantastic action

This would make an amazing movie! love the story, the characters are well rounded.

muddled mess.

well, it was a story. or part of one. it lacked a lot of information to help explain just whats going on beyond the basic general content, and was such a stumbling pace it was hard to follow. or stay awake. rather unimpressive, and maybe get it on sale if its like 5 dollars or less.

Shadow of Mayne's typical fire

The idea of worlds where they’ve voluntarily restricted their technologies at levels of the past is interesting, implausible though it may be to my personal sensibilities. That’s pretty much where the inspiration ends in this story. The plot arc is flat, there's only a trace of chacter development, and the language seems perfunctory and uninspired. To me, the story kept whispering “contractual obligations.“ Or perhaps it was a favor to a friend, to be included in a collection of stories for a good cause. Sure, its only a short story or novella, at best, but regardless of the motivation, it seems Mayne phoned this one in.

Kids, “phoning it in" comes from a day when telephones were used for talking to one another with speech. We used our voices instead of pecking out conversations on tiny keyboards.

Now you all run long. Surely there’s somewhere else you’d rather be then standing around on my lawn.