So this is December, a month for beating the heat if you're on the southern half of the world or curling up away from the cold if you're in the northern half. Either way, it's a great time to read. And since it's also a common time for presents, I decided to feature a story that is right up my alley as a gift to me. This month we're going to read Dolores Esteban's short novel, Space Pioneer.

Length: 53,808
Description: On his trip to Mars, Jeff's shuttle gets dragged through space by an alien spaceship that is performing a space jump. The Daglon captain Lest takes Jeff on board of his ship and Jeff's journey through space begins. The crew chases Ezer Malk, who plans a space-time jump in order to steal Ancient Egypt artifacts from Earth. Lest is an outlaw and Jeff is lost in space. Will the two men get to know each other, will Lest come to terms with his past, and will Jeff find his place in the world?

The discussion day will be Monday, December 29th. A few days after Christmas, a few before New Year's... the perfect time for a good discussion about a great science fiction novel I can't wait to read!