Yes, I read another Paul Cooley book. I do that.

Everyone has that one author that they’ll buy/read everything that author puts out. I’ve been that way with Paul’s work for a very long time. Not everything he wrote back in the day resonated with me, but I could see where he was going with what he was doing at the time.

Paul’s work over the years has evolved. There’s no other way to put it. Some of his work was psychological horror/thriller stuff that usually worked. His Street stories are stuff of legend. Garaga was interesting.

Then we got The Black. This is where Paul’s years of effort paid off. Yes, there were ump scares. Yes, there was the intense mindf*ckery. Who lives? Who dies? Who cares! Let’s keep this ride going. And keep it going he did.

The Paul jumped into space with the Derelict saga. The kid gloves were off. Each book, though I’m sure it took a toll on him, was a fun ride filled with ups, downs, heroes in trouble, daring escapes, and you were left with a feeling of utter dread and satisfaction at the end of the first 4 books of that series. At least I was.

Then we get Station 3. Let’s start out with the obvious. Paul plays video games. There’s no doubt in my mind this story could be wrapped up and played for several hours of enjoyment. I saw a tweet that he’d love to write a Dead Space novel. Hell yes! Sign me up.

This story, Paul left it all out on the table. He upped his game (pun intended) yet again. We get deeper into the mind of the character than we normally do. The conflicted state of emotions driving him forward despite of what’s happening around him. Shark swims. Then he’ll stop and access what happened and what might happen next. Turtle thinks. We get a fleshed out backstory with snippets of the characters childhood and past missions.

I mean, wow. This is Paul at his best. Unless I miss my guess, this book will be a stand alone novel for those that despise a series. For those that love a series, yes, there’s room for more in this universe. I’ll say no more as I don’t wish to drop any spoilers.

Paul, well done. Well done.