Sherry D. Ramsey

From time immemorial, humanity has sought the secret to longevity and, ultimately, immortality. But what happens if you find that secret? Who does it belong to?

Sherry D. Ramsay's novel explores that very subject with a compelling story that blends drama with ethics.

Luta Paixon, Captain of the starship Tane Ikai,is over ninety years old, but doesn't look a day over thirty. Even with existing rejuvenation technology, this is extraordinary. Luta thinks she's had a little genetic help along the show more way and that's why she's been looking for her biogeneticist mother, who disappeared when Luta was a teenager, as a source of explanation. Even if she's been searching for fifty years without success, Luta is convinced her mother is still alive and could provide those answers.

When she hears a rumour that he mother was sighted on a distant planet, it leads her across the galaxy in yet another attempt to find her. This time, though, she's accompanied by her dying husband and her resentful daughter and plagued by PrimeCorp who wants to study her. Her trek through the galaxy leads her to love, family, discovery and the big question: what would be the consequences if everyone lived forever?

Even though the subtext of the novel is weighty, Ramsay succeeds in leading us to the end seemingly without effort, thanks in part to her well-rounded characters. Luta, despite being a tough, no-nonsense ship captain, has the qualities and flaws that make her struggle with being a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a leader. The rest of the cast is interesting and real, each with a distinct personality and his or her own secrets.

The narrative flows smoothly, allowing the reader to focus on the people in the story, even though the technology sometimes seemed a bit arcane for someone who knows little about space. The ethical questions she poses makes the reader think and takes this novel beyond space opera: this is speculative fiction at its best. show less

There was a time when I read a lot of science fiction, but that was long ago. Like everyone, my tastes changed and I found myself favouring fantasy adventures over space travel. However, the thing about taste is that you can yearn for something you haven’t tasted for a while and I’ve found myself wanting to return to the undiscovered worlds of aliens, space ships and technology.

Amongst the stars is Nearspace, which has many planets across galaxies connected by wormholes. PrimeCorp is a show more company all about money and greed, but they’d like you to think their first thought each day is about you and your health. The two together make a good backdrop for Luta and her family secrets.

All families have secrets, but Luta’s are massive. She looks 30-something, but is actually 84. Her husband of over fifty decades is 90 and looks it. But the thing that causes the biggest problem within Luta’s family is that her children are starting to look older than her, which is difficult to explain. Hence, the secrets. And when Luta’s husband asks to die in space, instead of an old-people’s home, their daughter is NOT happy.

It took a while to set up the storylines, the world, the history and how they all fitted together. However, once that was done, I was totally absorbed and the book became a page-turner.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Luta, her husband and their daughter. I felt sorry for all of them. It wouldn’t be easy living their lives surrounded by secrets and missed opportunities. Maja, the daughter, was angry about so many things and I understood and accepted why. But like so many children (even adult children), she didn’t understand the choices her parents made. And, like so many parents, Luta and her husband never explained their decisions properly to their children, which never helps.

However, no matter what I felt in regards to the parent/child relationship, it was nothing when I thought about the relationship between Luta and her husband. To watch the person you love grow old. Knowing that person will soon die. Looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing a young face. It was heart wrenching. It actually made me feel choked up and incredibly sad for Luta ... and her husband!

The story is very well written. It reminded me of a mystery set in space. I liked how the author allowed fragments of the whole picture to come through at just the right moments. They were like twists in a plot that would send the characters spiralling in other directions. The technical side of the story was totally convincing, I had no trouble believing any of it. However, what sold this story for me were the relationships; absolutely loved the interaction between the characters.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction.

Oh, and I believe the author has been contracted to write a sequel. I look forward to reading that one too. show less

I stayed up until midnight (way past my bedtime) finishing this book last night, so it scores well on the page-turner scale. I really enjoyed the characters, and the interesting effects of the main character's perpetual youthful looks on her relationships with her family and crew.

One minor problem I had with it was that the bad guys seemed too thoroughly evil, and I couldn't see how they would justify themselves.

I didn't inspect the scientific elements too closely, but they seemed fine. I show more also enjoyed the digression into high tech fashion in the middle of the book, which was a change of pace for a few pages. show less

To Unimagined Shores is a collection of short stories written by Sherry D. Ramsey. They include science fiction and fantasy stories, as well as a collection of 'related' stories.

What I especially like about the author's writing style is her ability to tell a story using different 'voices'. My favourite in this collection is "The Longest Distance" -- a story set in the past, but delves into the future -- it was so different to the other stories, and it really captivated my imagination. The show more story reminded me of Well's "The Time Machine" in regards to era and tone, but Ramsey took this story in another direction. It’s a brilliant story -- serious, sad and quite technical in places, which was fitting (and believable).

Then there is "The Big Freeze". A story showing how even the devil can have a bad day. I found it to be amusing and well written. The characters compliment each other.

And I really enjoyed the ‘related’ stories, with Nizzio (a mage) and his female apprentice, Albettra. They are like modern day mystery stories, but set in a fantasy world. I loved the contrast between the mage and his apprentice. I loved the humour too. But mostly I enjoyed the clarity in which the stories are written and the well developed characters that make the stories worth reading. They are superb.

There are stories about aliens, crop circles, murder mysteries and even drugs! The characters seem real. The scenarios are true to life. They are not predictable. To Unimagined Shores is a book that will take you out of your everyday life and plant you in a place where strange things are happening. It’s worth your time. show less