Gambling on Common Sense: Rationality, Romance, and the Space Between: 1 (The Uncommon Universe) - Softcover

Briar, L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1962784010 ISBN 13: 9781962784016

Publisher: Laughing Briar Books LLC, 2025

Synopsis

Just one last bet...

Common Sense Officer Ash Payne can't say no to a bet, and the handsome Captain Lin Solis knows it. She just wanted to live up to her father’s legacy on board the Helios, but between her reckless crews’ pet alien, rogue AI, and an accursed pirate hat—she has her hands full.

After a bad beat at poker night to Solis, Ash is forced to hand over access to her CSO storage and all the dangers hidden within—dangers that threaten the one person Ash cares more about than legacy. Clone shenanigans, world-hopping, and a "it's complicated" romance are on the table. Will she be able to gamble her way out of this? Or will this uncommon universe stack the odds against her?

The Reviews

“Gambling on Common Sense is hilariously delightful! A lighthearted romp through the cosmos that will leave you wanting more.” - David Hankins, Award-Winning Author of Death and the Taxman

"In "Gambling on Common Sense," readers are taken on a thrilling journey through the cosmos, led by the charismatic and resourceful Common Sense Officer, Ash Payne. This fast-paced adventure masterfully blends humor, action, and poignant moments. Additionally, the cast of characters is uniquely entertaining and the world building across the universe is well-executed..." - Sam Ledel Author of eight novels with Bold Strokes Books

"Gambling on Common Sense is that rare Star Trek satire that also manages to be a very good Star Trek like universe…" - Nikhil Prabala Author of the Dutchess of Kokora

"A punny book, that will hit all your nerd hot spots! If you like Orville give this a try!" - Romance Read Along

The Feel

Gambling on Common Sense is a science fiction comedy with sprinklings of romance and fantastical elements. It is a character driven story with plenty of hijinks along the way. The prose is a bit like if Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's guide, Martha Well's Murderbot Diaries, and Arnold Drake's Guardians of the Galaxy gambled together. That is to say ... it's a fun romp through space, time, and pocket dimensions.

About this title

About the Authors

Solace is a Colorado Native and lifetime pursuer of creation and craft. He received his education in fine arts from Denver School of the arts and Metro University. He has sought to bring his abilities to many areas and media and has for many years looked to create works in the literary and gaming worlds. His dreams nearly came to an end when he was subject to a cliff fall accident and lost much of the use of his hands and dominant eye, along with brain damage and memory loss. Despite the drawback, he continued to work towards dreams and eventually relearned how to use his hand and create in new ways. Now he works diligently to continue a desire to bring life to ideas and imagery to write words. He creates visual works for his own stories and those around him. "Dreams do not die but change with the next journey and I am a wanderer for life." -Solace

At 4 years old, Briar's home burned down. Worried for her daughter, her mother began reading to her at night. The Hobbit, Harry Potter, and a waterfall of other stories gave Briar an appreciation for fiction's escapism. Unfortunately, this led to a terrible affliction called becoming a storyteller. As of writing these words, there is no known cure.She tried to fight it by studying magic-or as some call it-engineering at The Ohio State University. She even became a productive member of society, hopscotching across the USA in the age-old effort of "making a living." But after settling in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, she was forced to face the truth: sometimes, you just have to write things down.In their free time, Briar enjoys hiking, board gaming with friends, and stabbing people with foam swords. Today, they are the author of over 42 short stories, and their 535%-funded Kickstarter hit, Gambling on Common Sense: Rationality, Romance, and the Space Between, is now available on Amazon.

Solace is a Colorado Native and lifetime pursuer of creation and craft. He received his education in fine arts from Denver School of the arts and Metro University. He has sought to bring his abilities to many areas and media and has for many years looked to create works in the literary and gaming worlds. His dreams nearly came to an end when he was subject to a cliff fall accident and lost much of the use of his hands and dominant eye, along with brain damage and memory loss. Despite the drawback, he continued to work towards dreams and eventually relearned how to use his hand and create in new ways. Now he works diligently to continue a desire to bring life to ideas and imagery to write words. He creates visual works for his own stories and those around him. "Dreams do not die but change with the next journey and I am a wanderer for life." -Solace

I am an award-winning author writing from the thriving cornfields of Iowa where I live with my wife, daughter, and two dragons disguised as cats. My writing journey began in the oral tradition of convincing my daughter to Go To Sleep with inventive stories. That usually backfired. After years of Just One More Story, I began transcribing my midnight ramblings in an attempt to keep my storylines straight. Children are ruthless in identifying mistakes in fairy tales. I write lighthearted speculative fiction because that's what I love to read and-this is the important bit-there's not nearly enough humor in the world. I aim to change that, one story at a time.I joined the US Army after college and, through some glitch in the bureaucracy, convinced Uncle Sam to fund my wanderlust for twenty years. I have lived in and traveled through much of Europe, central Asia, and the United States. Now that I'm retired from the Army, I devote my time to my passions of writing, traveling with my family, and finding new ways to pay my mortgage.

Edition details

• Publisher: Laughing Briar Books LLC
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1962784010
• ISBN 13: 9781962784016
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Garcia Solace
• Number of pages: 357
• Editor: Hankins David