Channel Zilch

Description:

"Hel claims that her hacker friends are a bunch of freaking geniuses. A Sidewinder up the tailpipe would be a brutal way to learn that Hel overestimates her geek pals' expertise."

Fired by NASA for stunt-flying a space shuttle during re-entry, ex-astronaut Mick Oolfson now spends his unhappy days spraying manure over soybeans from his ailing DC3, dreaming of returning to space. So when testosterone-surfing geek goddess Heloise Chin offers him an astronaut gig on Channel Zilch, a pirate orbiting reality show, Mick jumps at the chance. What Heloise doesn't mention is that the dream gig involves stealing the space shuttle Enterprise.

Getting back into space is worth a little risk, but Mick never signed on for Russian gangsters and nightmare journeys on reeking Turkish freighters. He also didn't expect Tobias Ishwald, the relentless head of NASA Security-and the man who got him canned-to try to ruin his dreams a second time. Trusting Hel will probably get him killed, but with a little fancy flying Mick just might see the stars again.

A near-future, hard-science thriller with heart and purpose, CHANNEL ZILCH is a smart, fast-moving adventure you won't soon forget, and the first volume in the "Hel's Bet" trilogy.

Praise for CHANNEL ZILCH:

"A madcap romp . . . Filled to the brim with hilarious set pieces, this is a wickedly entertaining read." -Aliette de Bodard, 2013 Nebula Award winner

"Sharp's dialogue is glib, whip-smart and moves, almost-dare I say-Zelaznyesque to some degree but with sharper corners, making this high-energy joyride of a novel almost impossible to put down. . . I recommend it to anyone interested in a seat-of-the-pants, high-tech SF thriller with more than its share of attitude, intriguing, eccentric characters, and a smoldering Sense of Wonder bubbling under the surface of every page." -SF Site (featured review)

"I loved Channel Zilch! A brilliant, witty, crime caper involving a retired space shuttle, I was hooked from the first chapter through the last page." -William Hertling, author of "The Last Firewall