On the very cool cover of Red Venus by Garnett Elliott there is a small quote from award winning author Bill Crider that reads, “Elliot takes the Cold War into space in this rip roaring planetary adventure.” The clear implication is that it is a good book. It is so there is absolutely no point in a review from this reader as Bill Crider said it all.

But, in case you want to know some details I offer my review….

After World War Two the Russians and the Americans both got ahold of schematics for the prototype V-5 rocket. A rocket that was fission powered. The Russians did the Americans one better and got their hands on an actual engine. Those discoveries created a space race. Efficient and high powered rockets opened up the new frontier with humans on Mars and Venus with mining efforts being made on Mercury and in the Asteroid Belt.

It took two months for the Russian spaceship Krasnny Sokol to make it Venus from Earth. 27 year old Nadezhda Gura, captain of the ship and star of the Donetsk Flight Academy, is feeling the pressure of the situation. Onboard her craft is very important cargo that is part of a mission that must be completed at all cost. Damaged by orbital mines the ship and its crew barely survive a very dangerous and highly unorthodox landing. Considering what awaits them on the surface of Venus they might have been safer aboard the crippled ship in space.

Filled with action and adventure, cool weapons, dangerous creatures and more, Red Venus is a terrific classic piece of science fiction pulp. Very reminiscent of some of the stuff I read at 2 am long ago when I was a teen, the tale works on all levels from start to finish. While Bill Crider said it best, I would also add---It’s Really Cool.

Red Venus
Garnett Elliott
Beat To A Pulp Press
http://www.beattoapulp.com
January 2015
ASIN: B00S74AHDG
E-Book
106 Pages
$0.99

Material was purchased to read and review using funds in my Amazon Associate account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015 ( )