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Featured Sci-fi: The Thunder and Lightning Series Books 1 – 3 by John Varley

October 6, 2026 by Carolynn

Featured Sci-fi: The Thunder and Lightning Series Books 1 - 3 by John Varley

$2.99 as of October 6, 2026
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Apple, B&N, Kobo, GooglePlay

Red Thunder, Red Lightning, and Rolling Thunder—”action-packed, science-packed homages to Heinlein’s best work”—now in one volume (Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing).

Enjoy all three novels in Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author John Varley’s Mars saga!

Red Thunder
As Chinese and US spacecraft compete to be the first to land on Mars, a former astronaut, his cousin, and four teens from Florida have a chance to beat them both—thanks to an inventive new power source that can propel them to the Red Planet within three days. No guts, no glory . . .

Red Lightning
Son of one of the first men on Mars, Ray Garcia-Strickland is over the Red Planet and its gravity-dependent tourists. And when an unknown object hits Earth and causes a massive tsunami, he’ll get his own chance at interplanetary adventure . . .

Rolling Thunder
Stationed on one of Jupiter’s moons, Podkayne, a Martian navy lieutenant and daughter of Ray Garcia-Strickland, is finally realizing her dream of being a singer when disaster strikes. Put into a state of suspended animation, she awakens ten years later to face her—and humanity’s—greatest challenge . . .

Praise for the Thunder and Lightning Series

“Superior science fiction.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Fast paced . . . engaging characters.” —Rocky Mountain News

“Much more than a simple adventure story, full of poignant moments and relevant social commentary.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The heart-pounding space race is on . . . in this riveting SF thriller . . . with hilarious, well-drawn characters, extraordinary situations presented plausibly, plus exciting action and adventure.” —Publishers Weekly

Filed Under: Box Set List Featured Sci-Fi, The Box Set List Features Tagged With: John Varley, The Thunder and Lightning Series

Featured Sci-fi: Mammoth by John Varley

May 22, 2026 by Carolynn

Featured Sci-fi: Mammoth by John Varley

$1.99 as of May 22, 2026
Click for Current Price: Amazon US (Full-price: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany)

Apple, Kobo, B & N, GooglePlay

A “rollicking, bittersweet tale of time travel and ecology” from the Nebula and Hugo Award–winning author of the Gaea Trilogy (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
 
“H. G. Wells meets Jurassic Park” in this novel about a multibillionaire, a time machine, and a baby woolly mammoth named Little Fuzzy (The Best Reviews).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Box Set List Featured Sci-Fi, The Box Set List Features Tagged With: John Varley, Mammoth

Featured Sci-fi: Red Thunder by John Varley

May 11, 2025 by Carolynn

FREE as of May 11, 2025:
Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany

Apple, B&N, Kobo, GooglePlay

“The heart-pounding space race is on . . . in this riveting SF thriller” from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of Red Lightning and Rolling Thunder (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
 
As Chinese and US spacecraft compete to be the first to land on Mars, a former astronaut, his cousin, and four teens from Florida decide to take matters into their own hands. If they can quickly build their own space-worthy ship using scrap metal, appliances, and power tools, they have a chance to come from behind—thanks to an inventive new power source that can propel them to the Red Planet within three days. No guts, no glory . . .
 
“Varley’s great strength is in his characterizations, but in Red Thunder he also shows a strong sense of place. . . . If you are willing to simply fantasize about fleeing your office cubicle and becoming a heroic space explorer, this novel will fulfill your wishes.” —The Washington Post
 
“Fast paced . . . Engaging characters.” —Rocky Mountain News
 
“Full of little gems of wit and intelligence.” —Booklist
 
“[A] fun-filled adventure. Varley matches a serious literary style with an outrageous plot, and he’s one of the few writers in the field who could make it work.” —Chronicle

Filed Under: Box Set List Featured Sci-Fi, The Box Set List Features Tagged With: John Varley, Red Thunder

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