Project U.L.F.
Stuart Clark
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
Wyatt Dorren may be an ex-con, but since his placement as a trapper for
Project Unidentified Life Form, he's made himself into a respectable
member of society. Project U.L.F. uses teams of trappers to travel the
galaxy and capture new life forms to display at the Interplanetary
Zoological Park. His stellar job performance has deemed him a candidate
for a pretigious position at the zoo. However, someone threatened by
his advancement wishes to eliminate the competition.
Wyatt is deployed on what he believes to be a routine U.L.F. mission.
By the time he begins to uncover a setup, it's too late: he and his
crew are stranded on an uncharted planet out of range of passing ships.
The more he learns of his unlikely teammates, the more evident their
intended demise becomes. Abandoning the mission he was originally
charged with, he undertakes the task of delivering his crew to safety
while unimaginable threats await.
Project U.L.F. is classic science fiction from a fresh new voice.
Stuart Clark's debut novel propels the reader into a future not
incredibly unlike the present, save for the prevalence of alien life
forms. The characters even relish in a bit of nostalgia with a Stars
Wars reference to Han Solo. With realistic creatures just alien enough
to be intimidating, the reader feels the threat the adventurers face on
a moment to moment basis.
Clark's narrative is smooth, uncluttered and edited well. It seems
silly to have to mention the editing quality, but with current
inconsistent publishing standards, it is rare to find a book with
minimal errors. Project U.L.F. reflects positively on both Clark and
Silver Leaf Books. The story keeps the reader focused with few lulls in
the action. The ending lacks closure, but this is something that can be
easily remedied in the future and the posibility of a sequel appears
evident in the final paragraphs. Stuart Clark is likely to become a
familiar name in science fiction.