Novelist Myke Cole's becoming a Sci-Fi heavyweight - and for good reason

Novelist Myke Cole is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in science fiction and for good reason.

Cole is the author of “Shadow Ops: Control Point” and “Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier,” which are set in a fictionalized, modern world in which a small percentage of the population has suddenly started acquiring magical powers. Most of these individuals, whose abilities range from the ability to control the weather to starting fires with their minds, are herded into armed forces around the world, where their abilities are used in the interests of their respective nations. Those who don’t join the military find themselves on the wrong side of the law and are often put down because their abilities are seen as too dangerous to be left loose and unsupervised.

Both books focus on the exploits of Oscar Britton, a young U.S. Army officer who is torn between doing what’s best for himself and what he’s told is best for his country. His ability to open magical gates between our world and a world that’s the source of all this new magic has made his a valuable asset to the U.S. military, but has also left him a prisoner in his own skin. At times, he’s seen as a hero and a model soldier, but none of that keeps him from being listed at the top of the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

“Control Point” was released in February 2012 and “Fortress Frontier” was released in February 2013. Both books have been critically acclaimed, have gained an army of loyal fans and have started raking in the awards. In fact, “Control Point” was named the winner of this year’s prestigious Compton Cook-Stephen Tall Memorial Award, which is awarded annually by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society to “recognize the best first science fiction, fantasy or horror novel of the year as selected by the membership of the BSFS.”

Cole’s novels have been described as “Black Hawk Down” meets “The X-Men” and that rings true for both of these outstanding books, which are very realistic and gritty, especially when it comes to descriptions of modern military life. Writing this sort of thing probably comes easy for Cole given his unique background. Currently an officer in the U.S. military, Cole has served three tours of duty in Iraq and was also called up to battle the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He’s been there and done that – and it shows in his writing.

Those of you in the reading audience who have read “Control Point” and “Fortress Frontier” will be pleased to hear that a third novel in Cole’s “Shadow Ops” series, “Breach Zone,” will be released next February. If that book is as good as the first two in the trilogy, then fans of the series will have a lot to look forward to.

In the end, I highly recommend that you check out “Control Point” and “Fortress Frontier” if you enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy and military fiction. Both books are available through major bookstores, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. You can also preorder copies of “Breach Zone,” which will hit store shelves in about seven months. I’m sure that I speak for many of Cole’s fans when I say that it’s going to feel like a long wait.