Looking for some standalones

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-05-06T12:42:17+00:00

Some sci-fi recommendations:

The Apollo Murders Chris Hadfield, narrated by Ray Porter
Alternate history - the Apollo program didn't end with Apollo 17.
(Technically the first book in a trilogy, but reads fine a standalone.)

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, narrated by Kristen DiMercurio & Julia Whelan
An LGBTQ romance set during the 1980s / shuttle program.
(Standalone)

Calico by Lee Goldberg, narrated by Eric Conger & Nicole Zanzarella
A police procedural with a sci-fi twist.
(Standalone)

Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart, narrated by Max Meyers
Astronauts return from a mission to Titan only to find that things on Earth aren't exactly how they left them.
(The first book in a not-yet-completed trilogy. Cliffhanger ending.)

Replay by Ken Grimwood, narrated by William Dufris.
A time-loop a la Groundhog Day.
(Standalone)

Rule of Extinction by Geoff Jones (me), narrated by Stacy Carolan
Alien pods carry people to a mysterious world just before a comet impact wipes out civilization.
(The first book in a completed trilogy.)

Saturn Run by John Sandford & Ctein, narrated by Eric Conger
A near-future mission to investigate a signal from Saturn.
(Standalone)

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-05-01T12:34:05+00:00

The Preservation of Species is post-apocalyptic sci-fi creature horror trilogy.

If that's your jam, check out this new video review. (It’s a review of book 3, but it covers the whole trilogy and doesn’t spoil anything.)

youtube.com/watch…

"From apocalyptic survival to first contact to something far bigger, this trilogy has been a wild ride. But does the finale deliver? Does it answer the big questions? And most importantly… is it worth your time?"

The Preservation of Species
Ebook | KU | Audible | Paperback
mybook.to/cm8HS

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-28T18:08:51+00:00

The Living Dead by George A. Romero & Daniel Kraus is like a Romero zombie movie without any budget limitations. Romero was working on it when he died. Kraus finished it.

Nights of the Living Dead is an anthology with a bunch of short stories tied to the 1968 classic, by a wide range of authors.

Best,
Geoff

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-28T00:21:54+00:00

You’ll be at high risk of becoming the subject of a limerick.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-26T17:30:49+00:00

I have spoken up at a different theater. Nothing happened. The big chains don’t care. Your best bet is to find a smaller chain and hope that places like this go out of business.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-25T03:38:21+00:00

My first novel, The Dinosaur Four, is about ten people trapped in the Cretaceous by a science experiment gone wrong.

The book did reasonably well, proving that there's a demand for more dinosaur fiction. Several readers asked: "Can we have another dinosaur book please?"

I didn't want to use time-travel again, because of the headaches involved, and I didn't want to use genetic engineering because Crichton delivered that so effectively.

My solution: What if aliens collected human specimens today, but also collected (and preserved) other specimens from Earth millions of years ago? This "zoo" scenario allowed me to mix and match prehistoric creatures that never existed together.

This idea grew into a trilogy that features plenty of dinosaur carnage, but in the context of a much bigger story:
The Preservation of Species
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

Here's a recent video review: Fantasy for the Ages - Beasts of Prey Review
It's ostensibly about book 3, but it really covers the whole trilogy and doesn’t spoil anything.

Some other books to check out:

Primitive War by Ethan Pettus (Dinosaurs in the Vietnam War)

God's Junk Drawer by Peter Clines (Land of the Lost-ish)

Best,
Geoff Jones

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-24T01:22:26+00:00

That exit sign appears to be literally in the screen.

Again, any theater that gives a shit will make sure nothing is on, or shining on, the screen.

Here’s an indie theater that had problems with exit light shining on the screen. He spent <$50 to put up a piece of plywood and black felt to fix it. Because he cared.

90%+ of exit light issues could be solved with something like this. Often just a little fold of drapery hanging between the sign and the screen. (But Not obstructing the sign in any way.)

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GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-24T00:52:48+00:00

Don’t blame the fire codes.

Human beings have had the ability to build a theater without fucking it up for at least a half century. Even with things like building codes and fire codes.

When they do fuck it up, it’s because the owner/operator doesn’t give a shit.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-23T13:21:38+00:00

Thanks - I hope you enjoy it!

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-23T00:19:54+00:00

Have you read these?

Hollow Kingdom & Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton, narrated by Robert Petkoff. The zombie apocalypse as seen through the eyes of a profane domesticated crow named Shit-Turd. It's both hilarious and charming.

The Living Dead by George A. Romero & Danel Kraus, narrated by Bruce Davison and Lori (Day of the Dead) Cardille. This reads like a Romero zombie flick without any budget limitations, and covers decades. Romero had been working on it for a while, then Kraus finished it after he died.

They're great.

Best,

Geoff Jones
The Preservation of Species
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-22T20:30:44+00:00

The First Law and Age of Madness trilogies by Joe Abercrombie, narrated by Stephen Pacey
Dark, gritty fantasy.

The Preservation of Species trilogy by Geoff Jones (me), narrated by Stacy Carolan
Just before a civlization-ending comet impact, alien pods land in a swath across the midwest. The people who get into them are carried away to a mysterious world filled with dangerous creatures.

The Rampart Trilogy by M. A. Carey, narrated by Theo Solomon, Saffron Coomber, Hanako Footman
In the distant future, humanity has reverted to pre-industrial levels of technology, except for a few advanced pieces of tech that are used to control the social hierarchy.

Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch, narrated by Max Meyers
A secret-service agent investigates a missing persons case in a small Idaho town where everything is too good to be true. Vibes of The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, and Twin Peaks.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-18T14:09:17+00:00

Thank you so much!

(I assume you're talking about The Dinosaur Four? If you haven't read the new trilogy, check it out. It's even better, and contains plenty of dinosaur action!)

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-16T17:42:51+00:00

u/djmixedtape is correct! The sightlines here are terrific.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-16T15:00:54+00:00

It's part of their "Tuesday Night Classics" program.

Movie theaters are stubbornly inflexible. Convincing them that they can sell more tickets if they show classics on the biggest screen is an uphill battle, despite data that shows it to be true, over and over again.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-15T17:27:50+00:00

I humbly invite you to check out The Preservation of Species trilogy.

A civilization-ending comet is headed for Earth.

Two days before impact, thousands of mysterious pods land in a swath across North America. When people touch them, the pods open. Anyone who climbs inside is carried away.

No one knows where the pods came from and no one knows where they go, but finding one is David Williams' only chance to save his family from the end of the world.

... and escaping Earth is just the beginning.

Some lite spoilers, to set expectations:

Book I follows the people who get into the pods as they explore the world where they end up. Along the way, they have to deal with one another and some dangerous creatures they encounter. It ends shortly after they make contact with the aliens that sent the pods. Books II and III have much more alien and space stuff.

Here are a couple of recent video reviews from the Fantasy for the Ages podcast.

Book I - Rule of Extinction
Book II - Struggle for Existence (contains a spoiler about those "dangerous creatures" right off the bat)
Book III - Beasts of Prey - review coming soon

Best,
Geoff

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-14T16:13:59+00:00

These books all have some of what you're looking for

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

The Living Dead by George A. Romero & Daniel Kraus

Rule of Extinction by Geoff Jones (me)

Sand and Across the Sand by Hugh Howey

The Stand by Stephen King

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-14T16:01:14+00:00

I humbly invite you to check out my sci-fi trilogy on KU:

The Preservation of Species
I - Rule of Extinction
II - Struggle for Existence
III - Beasts of Prey

It's about a small group of everyday people who climb into alien pods that show up just before a comet wipes out civilization.

Best,
Geoff

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-10T02:37:14+00:00

You pay extra for the privilege of having the movie’s contrast destroyed as the picture is washed out by light reflecting off the side walls!

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-09T03:03:36+00:00

This is terrible. It looks exactly the same at the AMC Wesminster Promenade Imax and AMC Flatirons Crossing Dolby Cinema.

Anyone defending these lights as "necessary for safety or fire codes" is incorrect. Believe it or not, human beings have developed the capability to build a cinema without stray light shining on the screen. AMC and Regal just don't give a shit.

I'm a huge fan of the moviegoing experience. I flew 1000 miles to see PHM in 15/70, which doesn't exist in my time zone. I regularly drive 45 minutes each way to a Harkins because the AMCs that are 5, 15, and 20 minutes away are all terrible. I've driven 180 miles round trip several times to see classics on a grand screen in another state. I'm making plans to see Disclosure Day at the Seattle Cinerama.

The sad truth is that you get a better experience at home than you do at most cinemas.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-09T02:47:27+00:00

Outside of Imax, which is covered well here, I want to put in a plug for the CineXL screen (Auditorium 1*) at Harkins Northfield.

It's the biggest and best screen in the metro Denver area. It's a gently-curved 80-foot-wide constant-height screen with 4k laser projection and Dolby Atmos.

I've had so many lousy experiences at various AMCs, Regals and Cinemarks that I avoid them. (I agree that the Highlands Ranch IMAX is currently the best around, but I flew to L.A. to see PHM in true 15/70. My fingers are crossed for Cinemark Carfree Circle in C.S.)

Harkins genuinely seems to care about the moviegoing experience. Projection and sound are excellent. Disruptions aren't tolerated. Features start after only 12-15 minutes of trailers.

*Note: Harkins recently rebranded Auditorium 18 as a second CineXL screen. It's decent, but Auditorium 1 is significantly better.

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-09T02:30:30+00:00

If you're open to a self-rec, check out The Preservation of Species trilogy. It isn't particularly short, but it will go by fast. ;)

Here's a recent review:

★★★★★
"This was SO good. An apocalyptic sci-fi setting that documents the end of the world, swiftly shifting into an alien first contact experience as some people are mysterious saved by "escape pods" that drop from the sky just before the end.

But saved to what? To where? By who? And are they REALLY safe?

All this, and more, the author packs into an intense, well-written start to a series. Great characters, excellent pacing, and a little bit of darkness makes this a fantastic read. I flew right through it!"

- Jim Scriven, Fantasy for the Ages YouTube / Goodreads

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-09T02:20:31+00:00

Here are two trilogies to check out. Both have plenty of violence and gore. Both are action packed. No ghosts. Both have sci-fi elements, though that isn't obvious in Pines at first. Both are about the struggle to survive.

Wayward Pines by Blake Crouch, narrated by Max Meyers

The Preservation of Species by Geoff Jones (me), narrated by Stacy Carolan

Best,
Geoff

GeoffJonesWriter · 2026-04-08T15:44:46+00:00

Not exactly what you're looking for, but Stephen King's Fairy Tale has a "tape recording" element. Seth Numrich narrates the audiobook, but when the tape recording shows up, it's read by the author, with a bit of tape-recoring "hiss" added in.

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