Book Review: Shorty, by Scott Moon

A Mech Warrior's Tale (Shortyverse Book 1)

Hey Space Cadets, it’s time for another fun book review! This time we’re diving into the well-trod ground known as mechanized adventure fiction! I think you’ll appreciate what the author did here, so let’s dive into this review. After you read the story, feel free to discuss what you thought of it in the comments below!

Summary:

First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I added my own twist! And not even much of one, since most of the books I read have kick butt descriptions (aka blurbs). If the blurb doesn’t catch my eye, then I tend to skip the book unless a friend recommends it. Generally speaking, my goal is to provide a spoiler-free review, so here goes nothing!

This story was an iconic tale of the underdog warrior fighting the world, on his terms. We see Shorty as the embodiment of the old maxim that bravery isn’t built, it’s forged. The mech jockey fights on a planet plagued by perpetual war, where a mech is a prerequisite for survival. On that planet there is one simple rule: be bigger than the other guy or get your ass kicked.

But at just seventeen measly tons, Shorty doesn’t measure up. His enemies can level cities and punch holes through mountains. They can reshape the world on a whim. They wouldn’t be caught dead in an overgrown trashcan like Shorty. But Shorty isn’t interested in the rule of size. He knows heart isn’t measured in pounds of steel. Bravery isn’t found in the finest machined parts. Glory isn’t just for giants. In this expansive story, we learn Shorty’s new rule, one he’s about to teach it to everyone… ass-kicking doesn’t have a size requirement.

I know this seems like a short summary, but hey… it’s a short story!

Characters:

The main character, Chandler Michael Dane III, is a warrior who fights in an understrength and undersized mech. But nobody calls him that, everyone calls Chandler by his nickname and call sign, “Shorty.” He’s an average guy in a below average mech that he fought like it was bigger than the biggest Goliath. He’s the best kind of mech jockey, one who becomes so in tune with his machine that they become indistinguishable from each other. He’s obsessed with his eyes in the sky, Sexy Danielle, who he risks everything to rescue. We also meet his sisters, the twins Stacy and Sheila. And despite the length of this story, we really connect to all four of these people in a way that leaves us wanting more.

Plot:

The basic plot is about a mech jockey raiding the Foxtrot Foundry for any parts that he could salvage. He’s hoping to make resupply run, stealing the parts he needs to keep him in the merc game. During his time there, he makes some surprising discoveries and changes the course of the battles that rage across the planet Doomsday. The basic plot of this story was fun, it was fast paced, and it kept me engaged. I didn’t have any trouble following this epic romp through mech country, so here the author accomplished his goals as a storyteller!

Worldbuilding:

There was a lot of world building in this short story, setting up a universe where humanity is thriving post-Terra. There were a lot of acronyms for the various political polities, but Scott Moon made it so seamless that it blended into the larger backdrop of the world. This short story set the scene for a larger universe that left you wanting more. I could easily buy the premise of an underdog mech jockey bucking the conventional thinking on mechanized warfare. I would say that here the author accomplished his goals.

Description: 

The author was lighter on descriptions than I would prefer, but it was never so sparse that I couldn’t picture the action. I feel like the amount of description was just about right for a short story. There are currently four short stories in this series, but I’m only reviewing the first one. Further, if (and I hope that he does) Scott Moon makes this into a long form novel, I’ll expect more so I can better visualize it all. Where the author truly shines was through his description of Doomsday, the setting of this fun adventure. I was able to form a picture of the setting in my mind and watch the story play out as a movie in my head. This was not the case with the mech warriors, but those battle robots are so iconic everyone can imagine something. For a short story, it was enough, so hat’s off to Scott!

Overall:

I absolutely loved this short story! I hadn’t previously gone for mech fiction, but this short story showed me the error of my ways! I found Scott’s prose to be easy to read, which is a plus for my TBI riddled brain. It was written in a way that kept the story entertaining and prevented it from lagging. I only found one typo, which I’d probably have missed if I wasn’t reading it with the intention of reviewing the story. Even cooler, Scott fixed it after I mentioned it. Keep in mind, I wrote this review when the short story was shiny and new. Either way, it wouldn’t be honest not to mention it.

As for the story itself, I found the basic premise to be highly entertaining. Scott Moon used several creative tactics for the main character to accomplish his goals, despite the odds. His experience as a SWAT officer was evident, as he made things happen in creative ways. Scott was imaginative with his battle strategies, and he did it in ways that were entirely believable within the context of the world he created. We see the smaller mech using hit and run tactics that emphasize speed and surprise, perfect for an understrength fighter. Scott used these ingenious measures to build tension and keep the story moving in a way that was highly entertaining.

In conclusion, I would recommend this story to everyone who loves fun science fiction and give it 5 out of 5 grenades. But don’t take my word for it… if this book sounds like it’s right up your alley, check it out!