Title: Trigger
Author: Todd Durrant
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Science Fiction
Year Published: 2009
Number of Pages: 380
Binding: Large format paperback
ISBN10: 1432711520
ISBN13: 978-1-4327-1152-8
Price: $18.95

Reviewed by Trevor Holyoak

Todd Durrant has been known for a number of years for his “synthpop”
music store and publishing business, A Different Drum. With Trigger, he
takes his foray into the world of science fiction.

The story takes place in several different times and places, all set in
the future. It begins on Earth, in the year 2075 A.D. with the invasion
of robots, which are dubbed droids. We are then whisked to 2155 where a
ship is orbiting Earth, trying to gather information for an attack to
take it back from the droids.

Meanwhile on Jupiter in 2048, a company that has been successful in
inventing technologies that enable interplanetary travel, synthetic
food, and powerful weapons, decides to start a new project to try to
redeem themselves after realizing that their work is being put towards
destructive ends. They plan to secretly build a machine to silently
monitor Earth from afar, in the hopes that if the time ever comes that
it is needed, it can keep the human race from being destroyed or
destroying itself.

And in a distant system called Epsilon Eridani in 2140, where humans are
eking out a living after having escaped from the earth during the
attacks in 2075, dissension is brewing between those who would like to
try to take the Earth back at any cost, and those who would like to
continue to populate and survive in space. A leader emerges among those
wanting to continue doing their best in space, even as a military
organization forms and begins launching an attack to reclaim their lost
planet.

The story has suspense, intrigue, and even some romance. The potential
paradoxes of time travel are explored, and there are some exciting
battles. Rather than being a story of good against evil, it is one of
people – and machines – with diverse beliefs, understandings, and
motivations. They all have the best of intentions, but they are at odds
with each other and the answers are not clear cut.

I found the book to be very enjoyable reading. It was a little confusing
at first, as it kept switching between different times and places, but
once I became familiar with the various characters and their
environments, it became very comfortable. There are hints of what is
going on throughout the book, but it is written skillfully enough that I
discovered much of it along with the characters, rather than being too
predictable. The ending is satisfying but not conclusive; it leaves you
thinking. It also seems to lead into a sequel, which the author is
already working on.

The author is LDS, but the book is not preachy. There is no profanity,
and everything is kept at a PG level. There is mention of the City of
Enoch and an unreferenced passage from the Book of Mormon: “It is the
ability to reason and philosophize as a true intelligence that allows a
man to take up his sword against his own brother and declare, ‘it is
better that one man perish than an entire nation dwindle in ignorance
and unbelief.’” I am reminded somewhat of Orson Scott Card, and I think
that his readers would also enjoy this book.

I read the first edition of the book, which contains a number of
grammatical and typographical errors. However, they have been fixed for
the second edition which is coming out next week. If you enjoy the book
as much as I did and are a collector, you may want to try to procure
copies of both editions.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading science
fiction, thought-provoking fiction, or just a good, clean, fun story. I
think that this could be the beginning of a new and rewarding career for
the author.

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