Starlost

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Jason is a smart kid—and more than a bit of a dreamer—living with his grandfather in a restored windmill on the edge of a quiet town.

They’ve got each other, a sky full of stars, friendly neighbors, and the kind of peaceful life that feels like it could last forever.

Until one night, something falls from the sky—something strange and powerful enough to set off a high-stakes chain of events with consequences far beyond their little hillside garden. Can our protagonist stay ahead of the shadowy players and resolve the situation in time to prevent disaster?

This is a sci-fi adventure filled with mysterious artifacts, real life science, alien ecosystems, xenobiology, hyperadvanced (but grounded) tech, and—above all—characters I hope you’ll come to love.

Please do be wary of the squids.

– Max

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: SlowSmith

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 5
Views: 4,747

Chapters(20 total)

What readers say about Starlost

“STORY We follow Jason along as he introduces us to an unassuming life on a farm. But nothing is what it seems. Throughout the lengths of the chapters, which usually carry a lighter tone, I couldn't help but be at the edge of my seat. It's like something is…”
EthanKantosRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“There’s something quietly magical about the beginning of this story. It doesn’t open with a bang or a world-ending event—but with life. Real, slow, textured life. A quiet old mill on a hill, a garden, a chicken coop, and two people just going about their da…”
Chetan VashisthaRoyal Road4.5 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(4)

EthanKantosRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
STORY
We follow Jason along as he introduces us to an unassuming life on a farm. But nothing is what it seems. Throughout the lengths of the chapters, which usually carry a lighter tone, I couldn't help but be at the edge of my seat. It's like something is building up, a low noise you can't hear at first, but it gets louder with each chapter... it's about to explode. And I'm hooked.
STYLE
The prose is evocative and to the point. The authors describes the scene enough to immerse the reader then it's straight to character buildup and spreading bread crumbs about the plot.
I've actually lost myself while readying these chapters, losing the myself in the scene and perfectly picturing what Jason was showing us. Honestly surprise how Starlost doesn't have a few hundred followers more!
GRAMMAR
M. Lobo does a terrific job here. Couldn't spot a single typo, and that's great.
CHARACTER
Jason and his Grampa (not-grampa) John are lighthearted and kind people living a simple life, or at least that's what it seems. Under the surface, it's hinted that John is way more than what meets the eye. Jason himself has mysterious origins, both when it comes to why he ended up with his grampa and why the stone seemed to almost... choose him.
Napoleon stole the scene for the chapter he was on, and I'd be happy to read more about him!
Chetan VashisthaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
There’s something quietly magical about the beginning of this story. It doesn’t open with a bang or a world-ending event—but with life. Real, slow, textured life. A quiet old mill on a hill, a garden, a chicken coop, and two people just going about their day. It’s peaceful. Comforting. Which is exactly why, when the strange things do start to happen, they hit like a jolt of cold water down your spine.
The story follows Jason, a teenage boy who’s been living with John in the countryside, and right away, he feels like someone you know—or maybe someone you were. There’s something refreshingly honest about him: awkward, observant, a little weird in the best way. His introspective moment in the shower, where he zones out and lets himself feel suspended in space, is one of those details that really sticks—not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s so real.
And then, of course, everything starts to go sideways. The scene in the bathroom is fantastic—tense, vivid, and just surreal enough to feel uncanny rather than over-the-top. The image of the pants stuck unnaturally high on the wall? Perfectly unsettling. The cold, the flickering light, the vibrating stone—it’s sci-fi with a bit of ghost story mood, and the pacing is excellent. You feel Jason’s confusion and fear in your chest.
Running parallel to his story is a second thread, this time following a sleep-deprived scientist being whisked away in a covert operation. This chapter feels like flipping the coin: while Jason is discovering something firsthand and emotionally, the professor (who I already love, by the way) is viewing it through data, jargon, and government red tape. And yet, she’s just as curious and compelling. It sets up a great dynamic that I can’t wait to see explored further—one character in the mystery, the other trying to solve it from the outside.
The writing itself is a pleasure to read. It’s detailed but not heavy, expressive but never showy. You can tell the author cares about the world and the chara
The Writer MeaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
As of the first episode, we encounter a slow but solid introduction to the story. Although we don't know much about our character Jason, we get basic information that will warm us up to the story, which I think is great. I think it's a pretty good introduction to the story.
There are some confusing sentences. Especially for those whose native language is not English. The clarity in some stories may not be in this story, and this is definitely not a good thing. Overly long sentences are definitely unnecessary. Sometimes it causes the imaginary connection between the scene and the reader to be broken.
The story is nice and the flow leaves a nice taste with it. I must say that waiting too long before the events can cause some readers to lose interest. Everyone has an ordinary life. I believe that it is quite possible to tell the events while introducing the world. Of course, the events should also unfold slowly in a way that suits the style of this story. Otherwise, there may be a disharmony in the story.
If we talk about the characters, Grandpa John looks like the classic American grandfather I see in the movies. Or it would be more accurate to say that he looks like a father rather than a grandfather. The relationship between the characters is very nice and offers flexibility. I have no hesitation in saying that this story is worth reading.
David'sRelicbladeRoyal Road
★★★ 3.0
As of this review, read up to chapter 5. And so far, the story shows great promise. The characters are well developed and have distinct personalities. The story itself is intriguing and leaves a great cliffhanger at the end of each chapter for that 'just one more chapter' feel. With a few edits and a little polish, this story should easily make a 4-star rating.