Pennsylvania is a very different kind of scifi, and that's part of what I loved about it. The story is told in a very easy to read narrative style that gets right into the meat of our main character's adventure. Jed is the oldest male in his Amish family and is about to take a journey to a distant planet to help humanity colonize their future home. Earth is suffering under a lingering war between the new tyrannical government, Transport, and rebel forces which make some areas far more dangerous than what the reader knows of America. This future-possible America is fascinating to imagine and experience through Jed, and that's just the backdrop. Before long we care about this young man and his journey into the unknown as he goes off alone, leaving his family behind.What can I say about his journey that won't spoil anything? I'd rather give you a glimpse of story elements that Mr. Bunker has in store. Jed will encounter the rebels of New Pennsylvania and instantly have to run for his life. As an Amish man, he will question the use of technology Mr. Bunker invented, BICE, and yet must use this mind-Internet implant to save lives. There is a girl who becomes special to him, and creates an extra layer of interest in his survival and success on this unexpected mission. Mr. Bunker throws a lot of twists, fascinating worldbuilding concepts and technologies, and unique characters into this addicting read. If you like futuristic technology and fast-paced stories, this is a must read. You'll be delighted at the new world this adventure explores and will demand more stories in the future. I don't read much science fiction, but I can still say with a sense of certainty that the Pennsylvania Omnibus is a distinctly original idea. Whoever heard of Amish science fiction? And surprisingly, it fit together. Jed Troyer is a young conservative Amish man who emigrates to New Pennsylvania, a distant planet where many have gone to find room and peace after our planet was torn apart by wars. But he doesn't find what he's looking for at all. The book is well edited, and for science fiction fans it could be a real winner. There are a couple of things near the beginning that irritated me, coincidences and the old, 'I can't tell you right now because it would just be too much to take in', but I'm glad I didn't stop there because those things are explained later and turn out to be part of the story for good reason, and not just because the author was trying to manufacture suspense.Personally, I didn't enjoy the story as much as real sci fi fans probably would, because there is SO MUCH explaining about what happens, and how things work, and computer technology. I got tired of it and wanted more to happen. And things do happen, it's just that the proportion was off for me. I also had a time with the love interest because I didn't feel it. They barely met and then they were in love, and that always takes away credibility for me. Still, I much prefer, 'I don't know you but you're wonderful and maybe we could get married' to 'I don't know you but you're hot so let's get in bed'. So in that sense it was nice, but I wish more page space had been devoted to character development and showing and less to telling and explaining.I enjoyed learning some things about Amish culture, since I don't know much, and there were some cool ideas in this story. There were some nice aha moments. I recommend to sci fi fans.Language: Clean.Sexual Content: None.Over-all Message/Plot: The plot made sense to me, I didn't notice any holes, but all the 'telling' (could even be categorized as info-dumping, but it's a fine line) took me out of it at times. If you don't mind details and long explanations, you will probably like this book.
What do You think about Pennsylvania Omnibus (2014)?
Interesting idea, but I lost interest 3/4 of the way through.
—Rayray
This is a very cool read! Go get it and read it!
—eura
