Title: The Old Mountain Biker
Author: Robert Adamson
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: January 10, 2022
Genres: Science Fiction, Contemporary
Length: 28 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author.
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb:
In this SciFi short story, an old mountain biker encounters aliens from another planet that rescue him after a fall. They cure his injuries but also restore his youth.
Then they offer a similar gift to the entire planet, but with conditions.
Review:
Content Warning: A bike accident that causes a minor injury.
Everything is going be okay.
The main character was an intelligent and resourceful man who thought through his decisions carefully. He was exactly the sort of levelheaded person I’d hope would represent all of us during first contact with beings from another planet. I immediately formed a warm and positive opinion of him and would have loved to know more about him. It’s nice to click with a protagonist that quickly!
My only criticism has to do with the character development. There wasn’t a great deal of it in this story due the short length of this piece and how much time the author needed to devote to explaining what the aliens wanted from humanity and what they hoped to get from us, too. I would have gone for a higher rating if there had been more character development, and I hope the next instalment in this series gives me the opportunity to do just that!
One of the other things I appreciated about this short story had to do with how the aliens were portrayed. Too often, science fiction assumes that our first meeting with aliens will be violent or unpredictable, so it was refreshing to have a story in which nothing like that occurred. I can’t say much else about the plot without giving away spoilers, but it definitely has encouraged me to keep an eye on what Mr. Adamson comes up with next. He has a gentle and kind worldview that is sorely needed not only in science fiction but in storytelling in general!
I relished the peacefulness and hope of The Old Mountain Biker.