Port Nowhere

Port Nowhere was great fun to write, both building the world and creating the stories. Collaboration can create a synergy that excites authors and brings new ideas rushing to get on paper. Our group had the freedom to explore alien points of view and shifting loyalties. I really like Crila and her dilemma of whom to trust when her life is on the line. Trillfin was one of my characters, and I learned a lot about facing personal limitations while writing her stories with her human lover. My favorite story is about Jesse, who has been in a lot of dark places before, but who is now in much deeper than even he suspects. I hope you like it. Charlotte Babb

Port Nowhere is located at the backside of oblivion. A home to those who have nowhere else to go, hence the name. It is a huge hunk of rock the rest of the universe avoids like the plague. The inhabitants, many of whom would love to be anywhere else, are an interesting and diverse lot. Malik Blayne is at the center of the action on Port Nowhere, whether he's taking care of his friends or fighting the Consolidated Guard or "Connies." A slippery character if there ever was one, Mal is a clone developed to be used as spare body parts for his 'brother'. Having escaped from that life with the help of a space pirate, Mal knows the value of friendship even though he's still trying to figure out just who exactly his friends are. Crila Maragorn, a half Human, half Halsan female, is one of Mal's so-called friends. Hurt in a battle with the Connies, Crila submits to the healing attentions of the Ophids, a race of very large and poisonous snake creatures. Fitted for a prosthetic arm with more robotic capabilities than your average blaster, Crila takes to the upgrades immediately. But the healing and the prosthetic comes with a price -- induction into the Ophid sisterhood. Can Crila reconcile her Human/Halsan ways with the totally foreign Ophidian mindset? Many of the residents of Port Nowhere are trying their darnedest to get off the misbegotten piece of rock. So Trillfin Skorm, a Rock Neek, one of the most timid of races, can't believe it when she meets a Human, or "Sape," who willingly moved to the Rock. Knowing that Jule has no idea how to stay alive in Port Nowhere, especially since he loses all his money within minutes of stepping foot out of the spaceship, Trill takes him under her wing and gets him a job. Will Jule's talents as a chef take them to the worlds Trill's always dreamed of visiting? These are but a few small snippets of the many different and intersecting lives of the residents of PORT NOWHERE. A fresh take on anthologies, each chapter is written by a different author who either introduces new characters or adds a new episode in the adventures of an existing character. The first book in the Port Nowhere Universe series, PORT NOWHERE wonderfully sets up an incredibly well described and unique world. A humor-tinged soap opera in book form, each chapter draws the reader deeper into the lives of the city's inhabitants, many of whom have decidedly quirky personalities. The story ends on a cliffhanger that will leave readers breathlessly waiting for the next installment. Full of action, adventure, humor, and mystery, PORT NOWHERE is a great sci-fi addition to any library. ***** ~Kathy Samuels, Romance Reviews Today

Here is a novel unlike any I have ever read before! There are twenty-three chapters and almost a dozen sci-fi authors! The entire novel takes place far away from our planet, Earth, at a place called "Port Nowhere". There are dozens of different species that call Port Nowhere home. The inhabitants affectionately call it "The Rock", because people live below ground. Few ever see the surface. Many believe the stars and tales of other places are just that, tales. As for planets with free water, that could not really exist! Water is never free! LevOne is for the richest inhabitants. The lowest level (that house beings able to generously be labeled as civilized) is LevSev. There are lower levels, called the Depths. But trust me on this, you DO NOT want to go there! Let me tell you about a few characters now. As the story opens, Port Nowhere is getting a new local commander. Captain Carle Eversyn arrives on the Rock. He commands the Consolidated Guard (A.K.A. the "Connies") of Malpairiso Sector. He has the last word on everything! His main goal is to capture Malik "Mal" Blayne. Malik has single-handedly kept the Connies (and all the authorities that claimed authority before them) in chaos. Glimpses are often seen of Mal, but no one can find him. As with the best villains, Mal hides right under Captain Carle's nose. Mal is also Rudof Dyll, the richest person at Port Nowhere, but only his bodyguard knows it. Mal and Rudof look nothing alike. As for the bodyguard, he is one of the Vamir. Think Wookie, but meaner and deadlier. Then there is Crila "Cri" Maragorn. Her left forearm is a prosthesis. She is a bartender at Dhamu's Place. But that left hand can become several weapons, power tools, and so much more! She joins the Circle of the Beryl. (Think assassins and spies that look like tall lizards.) Cri is half Human and half Halsan, so her form is human female, red hair, lilac skin color, and she is a lethal combination of lovely and deadly. There is also a boy, Tau the Silent, who is just hitting puberty. I found him exceptional. Tarzan, if you recall, was raised by apes. Tau was raised by things much more deadly. I refuse to say what and I doubt that you would ever guess. ***** There are several other characters, some get a lot of attention, some do not. The most awesome thing about this particular novel is that each chapter is written by a different author. So for the first few chapters, it is like reading an anthology. But each chapter picks up where the last left off! Soon the authors are using characters from each other. So Mal and Captain Carle have a plot going, then Mal could enter that plot and have another going that involves Tau, who may have another going with several others... You get the idea. We have all heard the saying "Too many cooks in the kitchen will spoil the dinner." Yet somehow, these authors have collaborated and the stories flow smoother than silk. You would have to really be looking to figure out where one