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Incursion by Steve Umstead

mariahaskins's review

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5.0

Steve Umstead’s science fiction short story ‘Incursion’ is a great sci-fi read: well-written and entertaining, creating a believable world and interesting characters quickly and effortlessly. The story takes place in rural area after an alien invasion, and it follows a very young boy who has been recruited to fight the nasty intruders. I really loved the way this child, who has been forced to take on a very grown up role in a terrible conflict, was portrayed in the story.

Umstead manages to give his story immediate depth and complexity: you can feel in his storytelling that there are layers of history and culture beneath the surface of the tale, and that is always a good thing in a science fiction story. You want to get a feel for the time and the world and the people in it without too much exposition, and Umstead manages that very well. ‘Incursion’ works on every level, and I really enjoyed his clear and vivid writing style.
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