M Pax, Author at M. Pax

The Void (2001) Movie Review

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / M Pax / September 11, 2026

Stargate Meets Highlander in The Void

Two powerhouses of science fiction teamed up in The Void, a story about black hole and collider science gone wrong.

I’d guess, based on Amanda Tapping’s haircut and the technology (hello, floppy disks), that this was made sometime during the Stargate era. IMDb confirms it: 2001.

Both actors do a credible job, but the story itself is rather dull. Their natural charisma does a lot of heavy lifting here and honestly more than the story does. Amanda’s character, Eva, sits comfortably in her Sam Carter wheelhouse, delivering technobabble with her usual effortless confidence.

Stephen (Adrian Paul) has the opposite problem: he’s a bit too passive. I kept wanting him to take more of a driving role instead of being bossed around by Eva. That imbalance is not the major issue of the movie, however.

It’s not a terrible watch, but it never quite comes alive. With a stronger plot and a more balanced dynamic between the leads, it could have been something memorable.

As it stands, I give The Void a 2.5 beer rating. You’ll need at least two beers to really enjoy it. Without Adrian Paul and Amanda Tapping, that drops closer to a 4-beer experience.

Hey, I watch these movies so you don’t have to. However, if you find Adrian and Amanda irresistible, The Void can be watched in its entirety on YouTube. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T53jr35M8M

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Closeted Magic

World Building Spotlight / M Pax / September 8, 2026

A worldbuilding post from the Rifters universe…

There is a closet in the Caslow County Library, where Daelin Long serves as librarian. Sometimes it exists, and sometimes it doesn’t. When it does, it can be found one door beyond the restroom.

At first glance, the closet looks completely ordinary. The wooden doorframe is carved with strange symbols, but the door itself appears unremarkable. Beyond it is a small storage room, only about five feet by three feet.

The symbols on the doorframe respond only to the librarian, and only if the library has accepted that person as its true librarian. When the true librarian touches one of the symbols, it glows blue.

The closet is far more than a storage room. The librarian can use it to jump between universes, allowing the closet to hide and shield them from dangers coming through the rift or from enemies pursuing them. The closet can also enchant portraits, transforming them into vehicles for communication across universes.

Like all objects and devices derived from the rift and its energies, the closet’s magic is available only during the season of the rift, which lasts from the summer solstice to the fall equinox.

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A Mission Into Certain Death: Clockwork Boys Book Review

Book Review, Fantasy / M Pax / September 4, 2026

An entertaining road mission where criminals become reluctant heroes on a journey that feels doomed from the start…

T. Kingfisher excels at creating unusual, deeply human characters who fall far outside the typical fantasy cast. In Clockwork Boys, she assembles a small, uneasy band of criminals and outcasts and sends them toward what is essentially a death sentence and one they all understand, but accept anyway because the alternative is worse.

The premise is deceptively simple: a war-torn realm is threatened by terrifying mechanical soldiers known as the Clockwork Boys. To stop them, a group of prisoners is sent on an almost impossible mission. They must travel into enemy territory, reach the city behind the war machine, and uncover something useful enough to turn the tide. Survival is unlikely.

The group itself is where Kingfisher’s strength truly shows.

We follow:

Slate, a gifted forger who was finally caught
Caliban, a paladin who once became a vessel for a demon and committed mass murder
Brenner, an assassin with a healthy does of snark
and Learned Edmund, a young scholar with no idea what he’s gotten himself into

None of them are heroes in the traditional sense. All are deeply flawed. And yet, they are bound together by necessity, magical compulsion, and a shared understanding that prison or execution is the only alternative to this mission.

At first, their motivation is simple: survive because they must. A magical tattoo ensures compliance, punishing any attempt to abandon the mission. But as the journey progresses, something more complicated emerges. Loyalty forms in unlikely places. And the mission slowly becomes less about survival and more about what kind of people they are becoming on the road.

Kingfisher handles this evolution with remarkable ease. The world feels lived-in without being over-explained, and the plot moves forward without losing focus on character. There’s a steady undercurrent of dark twists, which builds the dread and the urgency.

What stood out most to me is how effortlessly Kingfisher takes what could be really complex and lets it read easily. The characters are distinct, flawed, and constantly negotiating their place within the group.

By the end, I was already reaching for the sequel. Not because the story ends before its done, but because I wanted more time with this strange, reluctant band of travelers moving toward an uncertain fate.

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Back on Course… Steady I Go

Dimensions Report / M Pax / September 1, 2026

Rifters editing moves forward…

🛰️ Project Zero: Short Stories

Status: In progress. Finished two stories. Working on a third that needs some marination. Submissions have gone out.

🌌 Project One: Completing the Rifters Series

Status: Editing steadily for The Generals, Rifters Book 5. When that’s done, I’ll start on The Warder, Rifters Book 6. Past the halfway point in the second edit of The Generals. This is the “this book really sucks” phase, the phase where I’m basically rewriting the word vomit of the first draft. Now always, but more often than not I’m rewriting, shaping, molding, replacing vague words with betters ones. After this pass, the editing will speed up.

I’ll be releasing The Generals and The Warder through Kickstarter first. After the campaign ends, the books will be available at retailers, but there will be a 3–6 month delay. If you want early access, you can sign up for the Kickstarter pre-launch so you’re notified the moment it goes live. Signup to be notified the second it goes live! PRELAUNCH

The Generals (Rifters Book 5): First edit has started
The Warder (Rifters Book 6): First draft is done!
Kickstarter exclusive story, The Legacy, outlined.

🚀 Project Two: Ravenwind

Status: Outlining in progress!

This is an unexpected new series based on my love of The Witcher, Legends & Lattes, The Khthonia LitRPG series (so good!) by Christine Rains, T. Kingfisher, Lois MacMaster Bujold, Murderbot, and Morrowind, which I ~~maybe~~ did play at least 100 times.

Currently, I’m getting to know my main cast better. There are more details about this brewing series on Discord. If you want to come hang out, you can also help shape cover design and other story decisions. Come join me at Paxport!

🐉 Project Three: Space Dragons

Status: In the line up after the Ravenwind series is complete

This story was born because of a crazy ass playlist I made on Spotify of every song I ever liked no matter the genre or mood. It is really nuts, but I love it, and I love the crazy story idea it spawned. I will most likely couple this release with a Kickstarter that will put the full Backworlds series into print with a bonus story added to each novel. Stay tuned!

🌙 Project Four: Hetty Locklear Series Now The Hybrids Series

Status: In the line up after the Space Dragons series is complete

I’ll be giving The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear a partial rewrite, new title, and a new cover, but it will be the same content. Currently, I unpublished the first book until I get the rest of it written and ready to go. I have the new covers! Hate that I have to wait to show them off. Have made more notes on what to do with the new stories. The titles will be: Cloaks, Powers, and Masks. Planned a permafree story with a working title of Invisible, an extra story for fans called Lairs, and a Kickstarter exclusive comic. Have rough ideas as to what each book will be about.

The Backworlds and Space Squad 51 series are now complete.

Stay connected for more adventures from the M. Pax Dimension. Want those extra books available only through me? I’d love to have you join the MPAX DIMENSION

Stay tuned and peace out,
M. Pax

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What if the perfect life is built on a lie?

Science Fiction Books, Speculative Fiction / M Pax / August 25, 2026

From the Worlds of M. Pax…

In Corrosive, Bex has been given everything she was promised. A homestead. Precious seeds to grow. And her ideal companion: a dreambot programmed to be everything she wants. It sounds like paradise.

Until she arrives at her assigned land and discovers someone else is already there.

A man. A man who questions everything she’s been taught. A man whose ideas are considered dangerous.

Because when the world you’ve trusted starts showing cracks, the hardest question isn’t whether the system is wrong. It’s whether you’re brave enough to find out.

Corrosive is one of four stories included in The Rogue Element anthology—a collection of science fiction tales about people who discover that the worlds they know may not be the worlds they were promised.

Which story will challenge your assumptions?

ROGUE ELEMENT

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Mickey 7: Dying Isn’t the Worst Part

Book Review, Science Fiction Books / M Pax / August 21, 2026

Science Fiction Book Review

A snarky, surprisingly thoughtful ride through life, death, and identity on a struggling space colony.

Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton is a fun foray into life on a struggling space colony with a premise that’s a little darker than it first appears.

At its core, the story asks a deeply philosophical question: If you’re a copy, are you still you or someone else entirely?

Fortunately, the book never gets too heavy. Mickey himself keeps things grounded with a steady stream of snark, even as his situation grows increasingly grim. And grim it is.

Mickey signs up as an “expendable” on a colonization mission, essentially volunteering to die over and over again, however the crew needs him to. When he dies, a new version of him is printed with his memories intact, ready to go again. It’s a job no one else wants for obvious reasons.

Despite the dark setup, the story stays surprisingly light. Mickey’s voice carries the narrative, and his awareness of how bizarre everything is makes the reader feel in on the joke.

The book also brushes up against bigger ideas without getting bogged down in them. Questions of identity, the ethics of cloning, and even colonialism slip in around the edges. There’s a sense that humanity’s instinct to conquer and reshape new worlds doesn’t quite fit especially on a planet we weren’t meant for.

Still, Mickey 7 doesn’t linger too long in the heavy stuff. It keeps things moving, balancing its darker themes with humor and momentum.

If you’re looking for science fiction that’s thoughtful but not overwhelming, something that makes you think a little while still being fun to read, this one hits that sweet spot.

And if you ever find yourself thinking, “This is getting weird…” Mickey’s thinking the same thing.

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Author name: M Pax