Tag Archives: Luna Novellas

Description

Luna Novell #24

When Clifford crash lands on the planet of Abaddon, he might as well be dead: a terrible plague and a strict quarantine mean that no one leaves Abaddon alive. 

Clifford isn’t the only dead man walking. Corporate mercenaries and desperate survivors are looking for ways to live in a hostile world. Constantly on the run from flesh-hungry monsters, there’s no chance to escape or to build something more. 

But when Clifford makes a discovery that could change the meaning of Abaddon, loyalty clashes with survival in a story about how to live with the certainty of death.

The Author

Andrew Knighton is an author of short stories, comics, novellas, and the novels The Executioner’s Blade (Northodox, November 2024) and Forged for Destiny (Orbit, March 2025). As a freelance writer, he’s ghostwritten over forty novels in other people’s names, as well as articles, history books, and video scripts. He lives in Yorkshire with an academic and a cat, growing vegetables and dreaming about a brighter future. You can find more of his work and social media links at andrewknighton.com .

My Review

I read this novella at the end of March and my brain being what it is, totally forgot to write a review.

Today I went to York.

That is not the non sequitur it might appear. I went to York for a BFS Yorkshire and Humber regional group meet-up. We went on a book crawl after meeting at the amazing Portal Bookshop. My trains were horrendously late, and I had time for a lemonade and cake in the tiny café before we left for the next bookshop. I intend to do an order for the books I didn’t get round to buying when I next get some money. As we, a group of about 10 weirdos in a very strange city, strolled in the afternoon sun towards our second bookshop, The Minster Gate Bookshop, a gangly looking fella in a red Schrodinger’s Cat joke t-shirt, by the name of Andy, started talking to me. I should have run away right then, especially after he asked if I could review his book. Once he told me what it was called, I realised that ‘Andy’ was Andrew Knighton.

I informed Andy I’d already read it, and enjoyed it. We had a bit of a chat about the story and then went on to talking about how much we both love Luna Press Publishing. Not surprising, Andy has two Luna Novellas and I fell in love with Francesca at my first Fantasycon in 2021. Alright, I fell in love with the selection of academic and Tolkien-adjacent books they print, Francesca just happened to be standing behind the table. I spent so much money! I regularly buy books from Luna Press Publishing and I recommend them.

So, that’s how I met an author and remembered to review this novella.

Clifford crash lands on an interdicted planet as a spoil scientist working for an organisation that sounds really dodgy. Actually, the entire society sounds very dystopia and authoritarian. On the planet, he meets a priestess dying of cancer, and a mixed group who show him how to survive on a planet where a disease can mutate you into bizarre forms and will kill you in days. He’s terrified of dying and desperate to get off the planet.

He isn’t getting off the planet.

As part of his travels he discovers a possible cure for the disease and tries to use it as a bargaining chip to get off the planet.

He isn’t getting off the planet.

This story is a meditation on facing the inevitability of death and deciding to live. You get the one chance, and even if it’s short and possibly painful, you can still find a way to face it all and live.

The priestess is a delight in snarkiness and her wisdom helps Clifford see that life continues even in terrible circumstances and there are ways to make the best of things even when you want to despair. There is so much potential for the world Andy built in this novella, but this story works well in the novella format; it’s just the right length for the story.

I enjoyed it immensely. It was a satisfying little read for a midweek evening. Definitely recommend it.

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I did not stay in my budget today, but I only bought eight books, one of which was a recommendation from Andy and another was a new edition of Carpe Jugulem, because I need a new copy. The trains were an absolute mess all day and I had to leave early to catch a train to Doncaster that would mean I could catch my originally planned TransPennine Express back to Grimsby. I finally got home just before 7 p.m., having been out for 10 hours! I am in pain! I ended up ordering take away because my brain refused to cook, even though I have a fridge full of food. It was UC and shopping day yesterday. Also, some scum bag racist put cheap, nasty looking flags on the lampposts during the night, it was quite disconcerting when I went out this morning. Going now, I need painkillers and to put rubbish in the bin.