Hayden’s World: Volume 2 (Hayden’s World Collection #2) by S.D. Falchetti (Narrated by Shamaan Casey)

Excellent “Old School” Sci-Fi

4.5 out of 5 stars

Just like the first book in this series – this is a collection of stories. Only this time it’s two longer stories, probably both between short novel and novella length. I like that we’re getting more into the “meat and potatoes” with these stories, characters, and overarching story.

Janus 2 instantly sucked me, I mean within a few moments I knew that I was going to enjoy the heck out of it. It revolves around going to find and repair a crashed ship on the icy moon of Janus. And of course, Janus has things that are hidden that won’t come to light until they’re there again. Flachetti’s pacing is excellent slowing down and picking up depending on what’s going on. Each action scene flies off of the page, and the build-up before and the cool-down after both feel ideal to me personally.

I can tell that Falchetti was influenced by some older/classic Sci-Fi and it really shines in both stories. It gave me the feeling of picking up an Arthur C. Clarke at the library as a teen mixed with some of the new hard science fiction hard-hitters like Andy Weir and Peter Cawdron (two of my favorites). I’ll be adding Falchetti to that list and hope that he continues to write stories like this.

Then we dive into the world of Bernard’s Promise – a story about the after-effects of the first short story Janus 2. I won’t go too deep into what happens here since it sort of spoils what happens in Janus 2, but it was a blast. According to the description, this is the first full-length story within the Hayden’s World universe and that makes sense. It takes up most of the Volume 2 collection here and was easily the most comprehensive story that Falchetti has told yet.

I loved everything about it and really enjoyed Casey’s narration throughout. He helps set that excellent pacing I talked about earlier along with just bringing these stories to life in the best way possible.

Book Description:

Hayden's World: Volume 2

Hayden's World Collection #2

S.D. Falchetti

Narrated byShamaan CaseyLength13 hrs and 13 minsPublished byJanuary 5th 2024

Brian's rating★★★★½

Publisher description

First contact with hostile aliens, maiden voyages of Earth's first starship, and interstellar adventures await in this hard science fiction collection of the sixth and seventh stories from the Hayden’s World

Janus 2:

In Erebus, James Hayden sacrificed the world’s first near-light-speed Riggs ship to make a remarkable discovery on the icy moon of Janus. Now, amidst mounting concerns about that discovery’s implications, he must assemble a crew to repair his crashed ship and fly it back to Saturn’s Cassini Station. But Janus still has secrets to discover, and the alien probe’s mission may not be finished.

Bernard's Promise:

In Janus 2, the crew of Gossamer Goose made disastrous first contact with the Silver Stars, costing them Earth's first starship. Now, with the Centauri probe revealing a world with a breathable atmosphere and possible life, James Hayden must build the ship capable of taking them to the stars. But the Centauri worlds have their own dangers and mysteries, and not everything they find is what it seems.

The crew of Gossamer Goose returns for a planet-hopping interstellar adventure in the first full-length hard science fiction novel set in the Hayden's World universe. Join James, Ananke, Hitoshi, Isaac, Julian, Ava, Beckman and new shipmate Willow as James's dream finally becomes reality.

Also in Hayden's World Collection

Also by S.D. Falchetti

Also narrated by Shamaan Casey