Nothing about this book is average: not the characters, the story, the "beasties," and certainly not the author! Mr. Hume is clearly Leaps + Bounds above the rest when it comes to this style of writing. Not at any time did I feel patronized or part of an un-real science fiction world ~ these worlds become your own!
From the begining, the characters + their lives intertwine with your own ~ they become your friends in the truest sense. That's evident during the 1st Up Close and Personal Raptor attack!
Mr. Hume's military and mechanical accuracy are right on! How unusual for a writer to combine all of this and still maintain the warmth that will keep his readers asking for more! Three Cheers for the Marines, Jim! Keep them Coming!!

I recently read Gehenna Station, and I have to admit: Sci-Fi is not normally my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it. The story is set on Inferno, desert world with a small - and very unique - military prison on it. The protagonists are a varied group of soldiers cum prisoners who soon find that dealing with the hostile environment is the least of their worries, as a full scale invasion is launched.

There's plenty of action, and just enough character development to keep you interested without slowing things down. As a former soldier, the author knows how to write to "milspec" so it doesn't make you grit your teeth with technical inaccuracies like many other novels.

Like I said, I haven't read Sci-Fi since I was a kid, but it was a lot of fun digging in to Gehenna Station. If you get a chance, pick it up and give it a read. You'll probably enjoy it, and just as importantly, you'll be throwing your support behind JR to write more!

Mike

Must read for fans of military Sci-fi, May 26, 2006
Reviewer: Barry T (Nfld , Canada)
If you enjoy a good adventure with great characters you'll like Gehenna Station. Lots of fast paced action with great attention to detail. The evolution of the planet and it's resident life forms are very well done. I could identify with the characters and can imagine both pre-quels and especially sequels to this story. A great read.

A fun read in the tradition of Heinlein, May 23, 2006
Reviewer: G. Tempel (Loveland, Colorado USA)

A fun, action packed, story of mistreated Marines who nontheless uphold the traditions of the Corps. It was easy to identify with the characters and I found the raptor encounters very exciting. Hope to see more from this author!

A Taut, Suspenseful Action Adventure Tale, April 14, 2006
Reviewer: Paddles (Canada)
For me (and I've read quite a few sci fi novels) this story was an exciting, edge-of-my-seat, page-turner. The whole story moves along at a brisk pace without any uncomfortable lulls.

Despite the rapid pace of the unfolding events, the author did a wonderful job of fleshing out the main characters and I became very fond of all of them. It therefore really bummed me out when some of them met unfortunate ends. Any author who can make you care about the characters has done his job in my book.

Something else the author did very well was get all the little details right--or at least make the sci-fi details believable. Whether it was the plant descriptions or animal behaviors; or the functioning of power modules and field generators in shuttle craft; or the situation-specific marine jargon, it all rang true to my ear. Too often, I'll be reading a sci-fi novel and be pulled out of the moment because the author fumbled a detail, but that never happened in this book.

I'm just sorry there isn't a follow-up to this novel since I really enjoy the characters and the hair-raising situations they get into. There certainly seems to be the potential for a long-running series of adventures with this now battle-hardened crew of outcasts.

The Author should charge more!, April 6, 2006
Reviewer: Donald D. Miller

I must admit that I am not a big Sci-fi fan. My interests lean towards WWII history. But after reading this book, I know I will be picking up more sci-fi! The storyline really keeps you motivated to keep on reading! I would recommend this book to anyone! Can't wait until JR Hume publishes more books!

This is not your cookie-cutter novel. I enjoyed Cord and Radix and hope that they will be back to finish the "job" on those that sent them to Gehenna Station. Not many books leave me wondering what is happening with the main characters after the book ends. I'm glad that I read it.

Cord is an imperial marine in trouble. When you insult the wrong officer, you get assigned to Gehenna Station, a remote outpost on a barren mining planet. Lieutenant Cord’s new “platoon,” six marines and a droid, have a suicide assignment. They must battle the planet’s raptor population. The fast-moving dinosaurs, introduced to the planet via pirated genetic material, kill marines. Assignment to the “Punishment Platoon” may well be a death sentence!

The bad news gets worse. The murderous Quog, an alien race that competes with humans for the resources of the universe, have plans for the planet. How can Cord’s platoon stop the Quog when they can barely stay alive themselves?

J.R. Hume’s science fiction tale is a fast-moving romp. Dinosaurs! Marines! Aliens! The pulp elements are great fun. But the author holds the story together with serious notions, weaving subtext and action seamlessly. At its heart, Gehenna Station is a story of men-at-arms. The characterizations go beyond the genre’s clichés. The dialogue is funny and irreverent. The author’s vivid sense of action punctuates the pages. And watch for the author’s clever use of a card game (“Scrag Solitaire”) to weave a sense of fate and theosophy into the narrative.

Gehenna Station takes me back to the first time I saw the film, Alien. As with Alien, the sense of dread builds throughout the book - the suspense keeps you turning the pages. Highly recommended

In the tradition of great military science fiction Gehenna Station grabs you and thrust you into the characters’ world.

As a former Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) with both US Army and US Air Force experience, I particularly liked the development of Lt Falco. Officers who are willing to learn from their NCOs are a rare, but valuable.

Good job John!