(Originally published as The Progress of Mankind by Raymund Eich.)One man can make—or break—Earth’s iron grip on its galactic colonies: Stone Chalmers. Spy. Assassin. Earth’s top operative.On the newly-rediscovered colony world of Freeland, an Earth operative is murdered. Stone’s mission: journey through an artificial wormhole to the planet. Find the perpetrators. And terminate them.Going undercover, with a cover persona overlaid on his mind and genetic markers tweaked inside his cells, Stone expects an easy mission.But on encountering shadowy, powerful men and dangerous women, Stone discovers more than a plot that killed a fellow operative. A conspiracy plans a powerful blow against Earth’s control of the planet.A blow that will kill tens of thousands of colonists.A blow supported by treacherous forces inside the government of Earth.Join Stone on a distant planet in a headlong race against the clock in this, the first adventure in his complete four-novel series."[A] thriller-style science fiction tale that’s a quick and fun read.... A good start to a promising series." - Sfreader.com==========Want to learn more about science fiction author Raymund Eich? Here’s a Q&A to tell you more about this distinctive voice in new science fiction.First off: Raymund Eich. Am I spelling it correctly? And how do you pronounce it?That’s the correct spelling. My immigrant parents split the difference between the Anglo-French Raymond and the German Raimund.My last name is pronounced with a long-i vowel sound, like both syllables in Einstein. The preferred consonant sound is a sh. Overall, one syllable, eye-sh.Tough to pronounce, and also tough to spell. I’ve seen Elch, Einch, Etch, Eitch, Iech, Eric, and Erich. The misspellings used to bother me, but I’ve grown philosophical about them.What are some of your publishing credits?I’ve had short stories published in Analog science fiction and fact magazine and the sci fi anthology Surviving Tomorrow. And over a dozen novels and six short story collections are available as ebooks and paperback books, and some also as audiobooks.What's The Freeland Vendetta and the rest of the Stone Chalmers series about?As a kid, I thought the James Bond movies with Sean Connery were one of the coolest things ever. Even if they're dated, they're still a lot of fun. Scheming villains, femmes fatale, going into the enemy stronghold and blowing everything up. I wanted to capture some of that pulp action in this series.But I also had some deeper issues to explore. When does a strong government become a tyranny? How can an oppressed group resist? And unlike James Bond, Stone Chalmers changes as a result of his adventures. He's a different man by the end of book 4 than you'll meet in this book.We should read the Stone Chalmers series in order? I recommend it. The order is The Freeland Vendetta, The Trinity Deception, The Minerva Conspiracy, and The Terra Betrayal.Final question. Science fiction, sci fi, SF, speculative fiction, or spec fic?Is it an adventure on future Earth, an exploration of a distant planet, a discovery beyond the limits of human knowledge, or a journey across deep space? Then I’ll read it. The genre fiction label doesn’t matter.

The Legend of Robin Hood is reborn in the ashes of the American apocalypse. In the journal of a fallen enemy, Rob "Hood" Huntington finds pieces of himself. In the eyes of the ones he loves, he finds darkness he's never known. All he's ever wanted was peace and to be with his family. Now he's the only one left who can stop a mad ruler from destroying what's left of civilization.
My name is Rob Huntington. If this new world has shown me anything, it's that once things are taken from you, they are never coming back.
Good thing I never was a fast learner. Rob "Hood" Huntington never wanted this life. When civilization collapses, he quickly realizes he's a naturally gifted marksman. But he doesn't see himself as a killer. When his family is ripped from him amidst a war between two wasteland kings, how long can he hold onto his ideals?
And how far down the path of darkness is he willing to go to to save the ones he loves?
"I've read a lot of postapoc fiction... and I have to say this is a solid five-star story...I highly recommend this one." -FromTheWastes
"This post apocalyptic tale is one of those rare reads where writing skill, imagination and just plain grit combine to make a story worth reading." -Amazon Reviewer
"Gripping narrative, vibrant characters and good pacing. I enjoyed every moment of it. . .Characters are memorable for their genuine, human and relatable thoughts and reactions. Simultaneously humorous and bitter, story is certainly worth your time." -Amazon Reviewer
"The writing is superb… Pickering has a way making the characters believable and relatable while painting a beautifully clear picture of a violent and not so beautiful world. Hood is well paced, suspenseful and action packed but also has a lot of heart… it deals with the characters internal and external demons making the reader think what you would do in a certain situation." -Amazon Reviewer
The American Rebirth Series #1 Hood #2 Legends #3 American Rebirth American Rebirth Origins #1 Death in the Wastelands Over 2,000,000 pagereads on Kindle Unlimited in the first year of publication!
If you enjoyed I Am Legend, The Road, The Walking Dead, or The Last of Us, you won't want to miss HOOD!