The Lost Stories: A Series of Cosmic Adventures - Karl El-Koura

Title: The Lost Stories: A Series of Cosmic Adventures
Author: Karl El-Koura
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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“The Lost Stories” is an amusing collection of episodic short stories written by Karl El-Koura that all end in various witty puns. These stories were written over several years and it therefore provides the reader with an interesting look at way in which the author’s writing style changes as the collection progresses.

The overall plot of this collection is the on-going adventures of Captain James Kollins, the rather self-obsessed captain of a spaceship called Deville. Throughout the collection he spends most of his time obsessing about a weekly “holodrama” entitled Captain Courageous and the Women who love him and it is only due to his loyal XO that his ship appears to function in a decent manner. Unfortunately his XO can’t protect him from himself all the time and he constantly manages to cause all sorts of havoc throughout the galaxy.

My first comment on the stories is that there is a religious sub-text to them that I didn’t find very subtle. However, I will say that I didn’t find it preachy and what El-Koura does is try and use a Christian twist in this collection of humorous stories to try and get across some of the messages of his faith.

Outside of this Christian element to the stories, they are all quite amusing and there is a definite Star Trek parody vibe to the entire collection. The use of puns towards the end of each story was quite an enjoyable little quirk that ensured I was always looking forward to the reveal. I will admit that some of the puns did make me groan out load, but this was always done with a smile on my face.

Overall, this was an enjoyable collection of fun Science Fiction stories that showcase some of El-Koura’s talent as a writer. I will admit that I probably enjoyed another of his collections entitled “Ooter's Place and Other Stories of Fear, Faith, and Love“ more but there is no doubt that “The Lost Stories” is an entertaining and amusing collection that should appeal to most fans of Science fiction provided you are not bothered by the underlying Christian messages.