(Note: The e-book version of this book is available for free and open-source in many formats at: bysoundalone.net) The surface of the ocean has become a contested place. International shipping is forced undersea, carried out by submarines fitted for transporting cargo. Captain Sylvia Percy and her small crew run one such boat, the Prospect. They fight a daily battle to keep their rusting sub from dropping into the depths. It's just another grimy job until they find themselves pursued by a military submarine driven by some inexplicable violent purpose. To survive, the crew of the Prospect push the machine that is their home to the very edge of its capabilities, while still trying to make their delivery on time. With a heritage that is equal parts 1960s submarine movie and 1970s trucker movie, By Sound Alone revels in the power of confined spaces and the dangerous operations that have always been the meat of compelling submarine stories. But it also breaks new ground with a setting of a fictional world where submarines are a critical part of global logistics networks. Derived from science fiction themes but never deviating from a commitment to realistic mid-century submarine mechanics and operations, this story propels a page-turner of a plot through a cinematic environment from which you will not want to surface. How about a bulleted list to make it easier for you? It’s free. Open-source-style free. It’s a page-turner. Full of submarine action and excitement! It’s cinematic — full of visual descriptions that put you right there in the control room of the submarine. There’s characters you’ll love, and characters you aren’t sure you love by the end. Realistic mid-century mechanics — no magic tech in this book. It’s well written. (That’s what people tell me anyway.) It was edited by a professional (who was not the author). It’s got women in leadership positions in a submarine story (it passes the Bechdel test) — how’s that for unusual? It has got a lovable homing pigeon. (Something for the bird lovers. Probably the only book you’ll ever read that has both a submarine and a pigeon.) It’s gritty and grimy and full of foul language. If you’re into that sort of thing.