Astro Missionary by Daniel Peyton: The furthest reaches of scientific exploration have been expanded. Dr. Tony Henderson places a new Hubble Telescope in the Hubble network deep in space. However, the moment it activates, it discovers a strange anomaly. Seeking to answer the questions raised by this, Dr. Henderson discovers a human colony where there shouldn’t be one. Little does he know the true depth of conspiracy he has just stepped into. In the midst of this great trial, God uses Tony to bring hope into the lives of the hopeless and loosens the grip of corruption overshadowing them.

The Rookie by Eric Landfried: PFC Kalen Richardson’s sharpshooting skills have earned him a spot on a team tracking the elusive rogue cleric, Alger Mander, to an alien jungle planet. Inexperienced and insecure, Kalen wonders how he, a barely trained rookie, can be of any help in a team of battle-hardened soldiers, unaware of all the twists and turns awaiting him.

Haven by Lauren Smyth: A dying star. A one-person shelter. A robot for company. Life on a barely habitable planet might be lonely but it’s also a great way to run from his past--or so Ozero thinks. But when an unfamiliar spaceship crash-lands near his shelter, Ozero is faced with a decision: will he seek revenge for the destruction of his family or will he find healing through forgiveness?

The Fate of Transport 80-14 by Allen Steadham: Catastrophe strikes Transport 80-14 when passing near an uncharted nebula. Once a commander on the famous Resolution, Karen Liviana has retired and now serves aboard this doomed transport as the main cook. Almost no one knows who Liviana is. But all that will change if she is forced to resume her role as commander. She must face her past, deal with the perilous present, and risk the future she had hoped for herself and her son...that is, if they can make it out of this crisis alive.

The Interview of Malachi Jones by Daphne Self: For Cleric Malachi Jones, his faith directs his path. It was a simple cargo run from Nether Outpost to Alpha Prime--until Protocol Alpha’s priority message reached him. Now he’s on a rescue mission. An exotic nebula threatens Nexus 721 and the Nomad, yet Malachi is faced with a choice...He’s destined to death if he doesn’t; destined to Hell if he does.

A Free Man by Jake Tyson: When Wil Freeman is offered a commute on his prison sentence, he jumps at the chance. Accompanied on his mission by an upbeat probationary officer named Mona, Wil must face the ghosts of his past before he can look forward to a better future.

Safeship by P.S. Patton: After a dangerous heist goes south, Bhirus finds sanctuary with his fellow Upper Thieves in one of their clandestine Safeships. Once aboard, he begins to suspect that the ship’s crew may not be what they seem, and he finds himself confined to a Safeship that may be anything but safe.

I am not usually a fan of short form reading, but the title of this book peaked my interest when it was submitted to “The TBR Pile”. Not only was I excited to dive into another faith based Science Fiction world, but to be handed a list of Christian Science Fiction authors was too good to pass up.

ACTION: There is a fair bit of action in most of the stories. They may be short, but the authors did not waste the time that was given to them. Space battles, attacks on alien planets, dire situations, and a fair amount of gunfire found within. There are a couple instances that most would find a bit gory, but following the “3 Strike Rule” they are few and far between.

ADVENTURE: The stories in this anthology share a universe AND there is a fair amount of character crossover between stories. Though I found this a bit confusing at times, the overall effect was quite cool. I hadn’t read an anthology set up this way before and I found that I liked it quite a lot. For those who are in awe of the beauty of our universe, there are plenty of beautiful planets and lovely spacescapes. For those who enjoy spaceship engineering and the technical side of things, there are a variety of space transport for you to explore.

ROMANCE: There is no real romance in this anthology except for the romance of space travel.

RELIGION: As expected by the title, this book gives Biblical truth a central vein of every story. It is true that for some of them one must be vigilant to catch it, but God and His goodness are reflected in the varied characters found on these pages. Each author approaches the weaving of Biblical truth into their story in a different way. Some use Bible verses at each chapter while others let their characters speak the truth. Finding the kernels of Biblical wisdom was very enjoyable.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As with all short stories, there is a sense of “there is more to this tale”, but the authors of this anthology combat this with strong characterization and bright burning stories that will keep you turning pages and wishing for more. Within the intensity of these Science Fiction segments can be found Biblical truth that can be applied to our own lives which, I think, was the most successful part of this book.