Book Reviews and More: The Fall Of Denver - Richard Paolinelli

The Fall Of Denver:

A Tribute Story to the Original War Of The Worlds By H.G. Wells'

Dreams Of The Storyteller Book 3

Richard Paolinelli

Tuscany Bay Books

ASIN B0B2C7RC98

Prior to reading this I have read one other story by Richard in the anthology Cracked and have picked up several anthologies he has contributed to, that I have not got around to reading yet. I have also read 1 novel Galen’s Way, and picked up several of his other novels after reading it. I read At World’s End one of the other stories in this series and was hooked. After finishing it I picked up the rest of the Dreams Of The Storyteller Series. After reading those and doing some research on all his books, several have jumped way up in my ‘to be read pile’. Richard is not only an author but the driving force behind Tuscany Bay Books, I have read many volumes from the Bay by a number of authors and all have been well worth the read. This was one of several new short stories that dropped in the collection Dreams Of The Storyteller. There are now 19 volumes in that collection, the first 2 date from 2014, 1 from 2022, and the rest have dropped in July/August 2023. Much like I did with Declan Finn last year with reading a story a week until I had read his back catalogue, I plan to do the same with Paolinelli over the next year.

At the time of reading this I have read 329 books so far this year. And this is an excellent story from the pen of Paolinelli. I said in a previous review that I have been aware of Richard and his works for a few years now. It is my loss that I did not dig into his works earlier. Please pick something up and give it a try, do not make my mistake. The description of this story is:

“The Fall of Denver takes place simultaneously with the events unfolding in England during Wells’, War of the Worlds . Doubtless, even as England was being invaded, so were all the other countries around the globe.

In this story we will find out how the invasion of the United States plays out in general, and how it affects the men, and their families, stationed at a U.S. Army Fort near Denver, Colorado.

For Major Daniel Wayne, an arrow in his knee has ended his career in the U.S. Army. Shortly after he arrives at Fort Logan outside of Denver, Colorado to hand in his retirement papers, word is received of an extra-worldly invasion of England. Before he and the Fort's commander can begin to process this information, the first Martian cylinder lands to the east of Denver.

Wayne is entrusted with the safety of the civilians at the Fort and in the surrounding area, taking them to the safety of the nearby Front Range even as the battle to defend Denver rages behind them. Wayne must keep the trust of his fellow officers to keep their families safe, and confronts the ghosts of his own past, even as he longs to join the battle.”

I read this story in 2 sittings one day. Paolonelli states in the author’s note:

“For the record, I originally wrote this story as part of an anthology that paid tribute to the legendary H.G. Wells, one of my early favorite authors. It appeared in that anthology, even leading it off as the first story in the collection, for some two years. Then, without explanation or warning, the editor/publisher pulled this story from the collection, replaced it with another, and uploaded the new version in a way that deleted all online trace of the original version of the anthology.

I have a copy of the MOBI file saved and there are some print copies floating around – including one on my shelf – but other than that, this story was erased. As for the why this was done, you’ll have to ask the editor/publisher. Which is fine, because now I can re-release this story and share it with my readers. And that makes me happier than having it trapped in an anthology that apparently isn’t selling very well.

The Fall of Denver takes place simultaneously with the events unfolding in England during Wells’, War of the Worlds. Doubtless, even as England was being invaded, so were all the other countries around the globe.

In this story we will find out how the invasion of the United States plays out in general, and how it affects the men, and their families, stationed at a U.S. Army Fort near Denver, Colorado.”

In my opinion it is the anthologies loss and our gain. For it would have taken me a long time to read all of Richard’s back catalogue and gotten to the anthologies he has contributed to.

This is an absolutely excellent short story. Part western, Part Science Fiction, and a whole lot of fun. It is the story of friendship, service, family, and love. This story quickly draws readers in. Major Wayne is an instantly likeable character. And the events transpiring out while after communication is lost with Europe is incredibly well written. I can honestly state I would love to read more stories about Wayne both before and after these events.

This is a very well written short story. The main character is well written. I could hardly put it down and only did so for an important work meeting. After reading a second story in this series I am even more so looking forward to the other stories in this series and many of Richard’s other series.

If you have not read anything by Paolinelli don’t make my mistake. Pick some up and give them a read now. There is a lot to choose from and I am sure you will be entertained. This was a great read. It is a story that leaves you desperate for more. It is a wonderful story in a classic Science Fiction style. I can easily recommend this volume to fans of classic science fiction and for fans of westerns.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!

For reviews of all books from Tuscany Bay click here.

Books by Richard Paolinelli:

Maelstrom

When the Gods Fell

The Calling

The Last Lonely Trail

A Zombie Christmas Carol

The Woman Returns

…

Infinity Series:

Escaping Infinity