Who Needs a Hero

by Todd Hunter

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591291852
• ISBN13: 9781591291855
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Publish America
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Everyone needs a hero!

This is a creative, fast action sci-fi that I found to be very entertaining. I was surprised by how engrossed I was in this story since I am not a big fan of the sci-fi genre. Maybe I have been missing out on something?Aston West is the reluctant hero of the story. Situations keep arising to force him into the hero role that he could live without. His character comes to life with the well-written descriptive words of a writer with a vast imaginiation.I eagerly anticipate the sequel to this book. I truly feel that this book would be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Who needs a hero? We all do, and Aston could be just the one we are searching for.

WE NEED THIS HERO

What can you say about a bright, young writer after you've just completed reading his first novel? You observe the energy that launched its publication, you scour the reviews noting all the richly deserved accolades, adjectives and high praise that is given, and you wonder what one can add without appearing tediously repetitive.Indeed, Mr. Hunter could have take the easy route and heaped scene after scene of action on the literary plate and, on the way, developed a passably believable character who would zig and zag at all the right places and move the story forward to one massive climactic display of heroic legerdemain, efficiently destroying the enemy and wrapping everything up into a nice, neat, tidy package. The end.Not so with Mr. Hunter in his vision of "Who Needs a Hero." Enter Aston West: An imposing presence? He is thin, bordering on the skinny side. Coming, then, from a romantically appealing occupation? A detective, a doctor, a professor? Aston West is a galactic garbage collector, for Pete's sake! But, what of a love interest? Well, the nearest thing to a love interest would be Jeanie, an onboard computer, sporting a female persona. What you soon learn about Aston is this: things happen to him. He is not the Master of his Fate. He is not the great mover, not the initiator. He is swept up and moved along by the vagaries of life, he is embarrassingly out-drawn by a weapon-toting female, is later rescued by her; he is cheated out of what he rightfully has earned, is imprisoned, then released only after he promises to deliver human cargo to another part of the galaxy. Starting to sound familiar? Aston West is none other than "Everyman." He is "you," and he is "me." -- with this one, important caveat: Aston West is morally driven to do the right thing, at all costs. So, when push comes to shove - and it does -- when courage is called for - and it is -- he digs deep into his reserves and he rises to become a most laudable hero. . . and that makes all the difference.

Reluctant Hero

I read Who Needs A Hero with a sense of dread from the beginning, because I could tell from the size of the book that it wasn't going to take me nearly as far into the life of the main character--Aston West--as I wanted to go. Aston is such an engaging guy who keeps getting heroism dropped into his lap no matter how hard he tries to avoid it, and although he does his best to convince us that he's a cad, his true character shows through in everything he does.Who Needs A Hero is a fast-paced trip into Aston's world of space in the future that is sure to make the heart of any fan of Star Trek or Star Wars beat with joy. The plot is easy to follow without being simplistic or predictable, and the author's attention to detail puts the reader right in the middle of the action. I just hope Mr. Hunter gets the sequel done in hyperspeed.

From MyShelf.com

Aston West was once a pilot for the Gryphon Defense Force - but things have changed. Now, he works as a scavenger pirate, making his living by finding abandoned cargo and selling it to the highest bidder. A much safer line of work...or so he thought. During the delivery of a cargo of blue crystals to a contact on the planet Toris, he happens upon a seemingly deserted Rulusian freighter. His computer reports that there is cargo on board, and Aston's greed leads him to board the ship. Unfortunately, he finds much more than he bargained for. Along with a shipment of illegal weapons, he discovers the bodies of the Rulusian crew - and one survivor from the dead ship - a woman named Rione Sc'lari. As Torian ships surround the floating graveyard, Aston and Rione flee back to Aston's ship before they are destroyed with the rest of the freighter.Rione is an enigma. Who is she and what does she really want? There is a civil war raging on Toris - and Aston reluctantly finds himself thrust right in the middle of it. What is Rione's part in the danger that swirls around him? Before all his questions are answered, he will have to reach down deep inside himself to find out whether a trace of the man he used to be survives. The question may not be who needs a hero, but whether or not a hero can be found in the person of Aston West.T.M. Hunter has written a fast-paced, entertaining story that is hard to put down. The writing is clear and direct, and the plot will keep the reader turning the pages. The worlds he has created are creatively developed. Sci-fi readers will enjoy WHO NEEDS A HERO. So will anyone who likes a good story.

Midwest Book Review - flavor of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars"

I liked this book. T.M. Hunter's first space adventure has the humor and "very good at what they do" flavor of Star Trek and Star Wars, but with fewer heroes for me to worry over. Aston West has a history he would just as soon not think about. His lot as scavenger pirate seems to suit him just fine. Aston's only companionship is Jeanie, the Artificial Intelligence Computer, and a dwindling bottle of sweet Vladirian liquor. Just as boredom is about to overcome him, Aston encounters an apparently abandoned Rulusian freighter with illegal weapons in her hold. The freighter is strewn with Rulusian bodies, and protected by a scrappy woman firing a disintegrator cannon at the bewildered pirate. With that introduction to Rione, Aston's adventure begins. His "live and let live" attitude doesn't cut it anymore, not if he wants to survive to scavenge space in future times. The good and the bad of several star systems coerce him into helping them by various means. And Aston West is forced to win the day eventually, despite his personal philosophy of "Who needs a hero?" It is during the hair raising space fighter battles that we learn of Aston's other life, before he became a space pirate. The author packed a lot of action into this little book. The characters, regardless of their species or home planet, are realistic and believable. Aston West is humorous and effective as the reluctant hero. And I'm willing to bet we haven't seen the last of him in T.M. Hunter's books, so bring on the next one, Mr. Hunter.