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Perigee
Reviewers have called it "a real barn-burner" and "the best darned 'sci-fi' novel I've read in years." Look for the sequel, FARSIDE, available now!
Stranded in orbit, with no way home before the air runs out…
A veteran pilot flying a revolutionary spaceplane,
A media mogul on an urgent mission halfway around the world,
And an aerospace legend fighting to save his legacy, in the face of a government that would stand aside to let it be destroyed.
At hypersonic speed, Arthur Hammond’s fleet of Clipper spaceplanes has become the premium choice for high-flying travel, placing every corner of the globe within a few hours’ reach. But when the line’s flagship is marooned in space with its VIP clients, the crew must fight to keep everyone alive while knowing that help may never arrive.
As they struggle with failing life support and increasingly desperate passengers, their colleagues back on Earth scramble to mount an audacious rescue. A contentious mix of old airline hands and NASA veterans, they will face shocking betrayals in a battle to save their friends.
In this race against time, Hammond must confront an onslaught of horrendous press, nitpicking bureaucrats, and dubious financiers – all of them pawns in a larger game, with his business empire as the prize. Amid a spreading web of industrial espionage, he may find the truth to be worse than imagined.
And in space, one man will discover that escape may demand a terrible sacrifice.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Stranded in orbit, with no way home before the air runs out…
A veteran pilot flying a revolutionary spaceplane,
A media mogul on an urgent mission halfway around the world,
And an aerospace legend fighting to save his legacy, in the face of a government that would stand aside to let it be destroyed.
At hypersonic speed, Arthur Hammond’s fleet of Clipper spaceplanes has become the premium choice for high-flying travel, placing every corner of the globe within a few hours’ reach. But when the line’s flagship is marooned in space with its VIP clients, the crew must fight to keep everyone alive while knowing that help may never arrive.
As they struggle with failing life support and increasingly desperate passengers, their colleagues back on Earth scramble to mount an audacious rescue. A contentious mix of old airline hands and NASA veterans, they will face shocking betrayals in a battle to save their friends.
In this race against time, Hammond must confront an onslaught of horrendous press, nitpicking bureaucrats, and dubious financiers – all of them pawns in a larger game, with his business empire as the prize. Amid a spreading web of industrial espionage, he may find the truth to be worse than imagined.
And in space, one man will discover that escape may demand a terrible sacrifice.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
- GenresScience FictionFiction
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 23, 2011
14 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Chiles
15 books117 followersPatrick Chiles began his writing career with the self-published novels PERIGEE and FARSIDE. His subsequent novels with Baen Books, FROZEN ORBIT, ESCAPE ORBIT, FRONTIER, and INTERSTELLAR MEDIC: THE LONG RUN have established him as a rising talent in adventurous, near-future science fiction. Born from the author’s fascination with practical space travel and love for Cold War technothrillers, his novels feature plausible technology that leverage his military and aviation experience to create stories with engaging, relatable characters on astonishing adventures: “ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.”
He also contributed to the 2021 anthology, WORLD BREAKERS, with Larry Correia and David Weber, the 2022 anthology, WORLDS LONG LOST, with Orson Scott Card and Christopher Ruocchio, and was the headline author of 2023’s THE ROSS 248 PROJECT.
Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business flight operations, he now works for an aviation safety consulting firm when he is not writing. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and a lethargic dachshund.
He also contributed to the 2021 anthology, WORLD BREAKERS, with Larry Correia and David Weber, the 2022 anthology, WORLDS LONG LOST, with Orson Scott Card and Christopher Ruocchio, and was the headline author of 2023’s THE ROSS 248 PROJECT.
Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business flight operations, he now works for an aviation safety consulting firm when he is not writing. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and a lethargic dachshund.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 8, 2013
Excellent. Apollo 13 meets The Poseidon Adventure.
Wow. Good story, good science, good storytelling. Deception, heroism, retribution and self-sacrifice. What's not to like? No, there's no blood and gore or sex; like I said . . . .
Maybe not a pure five-star, but, because this is 's first novel, I'm giving him extra credit. Looking forward to more.
A outstanding read.
Wow. Good story, good science, good storytelling. Deception, heroism, retribution and self-sacrifice. What's not to like? No, there's no blood and gore or sex; like I said . . . .
Maybe not a pure five-star, but, because this is 's first novel, I'm giving him extra credit. Looking forward to more.
A outstanding read.
May 9, 2012
Perigee is a science fiction thriller and the first of hopefully many offerings from new author Patrick Chiles. It is an eloquent work of near future science fiction. The writer's clarity and ability to present a fair amount of technical information without confusing the reader is commendable. In fact, I believe the quality of writing may be the novel's greatest strength.
Closer to hard science fiction than thriller, Perigee is the story of a potential disaster in the sub space air travel industry when passenger craft, the Austral Clipper, experiences technical failure and is marooned in orbit. When a daring rescue attempt fails, the crew is faced with dwindling options and desperate passengers, one of whom becomes problematic. In places, the story has elements of suspense particularly when building up the industrial espionage and sabotage aspects of it.
For me, the story was slow to develop but worth it in the end. In the final third of the book the pace picked up and a few more connections could be made. I would have preferred more action in the story and less of the realistic sounding character interactions, as odd as that seems. Given the author's background I have no doubt the technical conversations and various government agency involvements make for an authentic reading experience. Unfortunately, I found that the jargon and feeling of being right in the middle of planning and operation type discussions just didn't hold my interest. It's entirely a personal preference and readers of hard fiction, or those more familiar with the aeronautical field might find this a thoroughly enjoyable read. The technical descriptions were fascinating and the casual toned author's note at the end was almost as interesting as the story.
Throughout the novel the writing was superb and based on the quality, this book would easily rate between four and five stars. However, most book review ratings are based on personal preference and how much the reader liked the story. In that respect, for me it was less. I still think it would be a highly worthwhile read for technically inclined science fiction fans.
Closer to hard science fiction than thriller, Perigee is the story of a potential disaster in the sub space air travel industry when passenger craft, the Austral Clipper, experiences technical failure and is marooned in orbit. When a daring rescue attempt fails, the crew is faced with dwindling options and desperate passengers, one of whom becomes problematic. In places, the story has elements of suspense particularly when building up the industrial espionage and sabotage aspects of it.
For me, the story was slow to develop but worth it in the end. In the final third of the book the pace picked up and a few more connections could be made. I would have preferred more action in the story and less of the realistic sounding character interactions, as odd as that seems. Given the author's background I have no doubt the technical conversations and various government agency involvements make for an authentic reading experience. Unfortunately, I found that the jargon and feeling of being right in the middle of planning and operation type discussions just didn't hold my interest. It's entirely a personal preference and readers of hard fiction, or those more familiar with the aeronautical field might find this a thoroughly enjoyable read. The technical descriptions were fascinating and the casual toned author's note at the end was almost as interesting as the story.
Throughout the novel the writing was superb and based on the quality, this book would easily rate between four and five stars. However, most book review ratings are based on personal preference and how much the reader liked the story. In that respect, for me it was less. I still think it would be a highly worthwhile read for technically inclined science fiction fans.
May 13, 2012
Perigee is a science fiction thriller and the first of hopefully many offerings from new author Patrick Chiles. It is an eloquent work of near future science fiction. The writer's clarity and ability to present a fair amount of technical information without confusing the reader is commendable. In fact, I believe the quality of writing may be the novel's greatest strength.
Closer to hard science fiction than thriller, Perigee is the story of a potential disaster in the sub space air travel industry when passenger craft, the Austral Clipper, experiences technical failure and is marooned in orbit. When a daring rescue attempt fails, the crew is faced with dwindling options and desperate passengers, one of whom becomes problematic. In places, the story has elements of suspense particularly when building up the industrial espionage and sabotage aspects of it.
For me, the story was slow to develop but worth it in the end. In the final third of the book the pace picked up and a few more connections could be made. I would have preferred more action in the story and less of the realistic sounding character interactions, as odd as that seems. Given the author's background I have no doubt the technical conversations and various government agency involvements make for an authentic reading experience. Unfortunately, I found that the jargon and feeling of being right in the middle of planning and operation type discussions just didn't hold my interest. It's entirely a personal preference and readers of hard fiction, or those more familiar with the aeronautical field might find this a thoroughly enjoyable read. The technical descriptions were fascinating and the casual toned author's note at the end was almost as interesting as the story.
Throughout the novel the writing was superb and based on the quality, this book would easily rate between four and five stars. However, most book review ratings are based on personal preference and how much the reader liked the story. In that respect, for me it was less. I still think it would be a highly worthwhile read for technically inclined science fiction fans.
Closer to hard science fiction than thriller, Perigee is the story of a potential disaster in the sub space air travel industry when passenger craft, the Austral Clipper, experiences technical failure and is marooned in orbit. When a daring rescue attempt fails, the crew is faced with dwindling options and desperate passengers, one of whom becomes problematic. In places, the story has elements of suspense particularly when building up the industrial espionage and sabotage aspects of it.
For me, the story was slow to develop but worth it in the end. In the final third of the book the pace picked up and a few more connections could be made. I would have preferred more action in the story and less of the realistic sounding character interactions, as odd as that seems. Given the author's background I have no doubt the technical conversations and various government agency involvements make for an authentic reading experience. Unfortunately, I found that the jargon and feeling of being right in the middle of planning and operation type discussions just didn't hold my interest. It's entirely a personal preference and readers of hard fiction, or those more familiar with the aeronautical field might find this a thoroughly enjoyable read. The technical descriptions were fascinating and the casual toned author's note at the end was almost as interesting as the story.
Throughout the novel the writing was superb and based on the quality, this book would easily rate between four and five stars. However, most book review ratings are based on personal preference and how much the reader liked the story. In that respect, for me it was less. I still think it would be a highly worthwhile read for technically inclined science fiction fans.
December 31, 2012
“Perigee” may be my first science fiction thriller involving spacecraft. My first impression of this book was definitely a big wow in terms of the author’s technical know-how of spacecraft (and anything that flies, actually!), so I wasn’t at all surprised when I found out that Patrick Chiles is a “seasoned veteran of the airline industry”!
Undoubtedly, this book cannot survive without all the technical jargon, but sometimes I wished the author had made some of the descriptions and explanations simpler for readers like me. There were times when I had to re-read certain parts to familiarize myself with the parts of the spacecraft and operations in order to fully appreciate the plot, and it’s moments like these that take away part of the suspense and excitement. Another minor complaint is the predictability of the plot, given away partly by the synopsis and partly by the author’s style of writing which reveals more than it should at various stages of the storyline.
Otherwise, I loved this book. There’s a big cast of personable, likeable characters living out this highly exciting adventure and there’s so much happening every step of the way so it’s impossible for a reader to be bored. “Perigee” is certainly a departure from my usual reading preference, but I enjoyed it! Exact rating : 3.5
Undoubtedly, this book cannot survive without all the technical jargon, but sometimes I wished the author had made some of the descriptions and explanations simpler for readers like me. There were times when I had to re-read certain parts to familiarize myself with the parts of the spacecraft and operations in order to fully appreciate the plot, and it’s moments like these that take away part of the suspense and excitement. Another minor complaint is the predictability of the plot, given away partly by the synopsis and partly by the author’s style of writing which reveals more than it should at various stages of the storyline.
Otherwise, I loved this book. There’s a big cast of personable, likeable characters living out this highly exciting adventure and there’s so much happening every step of the way so it’s impossible for a reader to be bored. “Perigee” is certainly a departure from my usual reading preference, but I enjoyed it! Exact rating : 3.5
January 30, 2012
I took advantage of the $0.00 discounted price on Amazon's kindle store to download this very enjoyable read. It some ways it reminded me of Apollo 13 (the movie) and I found the "back on earth" and "stuck in space" heroes to be equally inspiring. Set in the near future, shortly after the introduction of near-space commercial flights, there's good - but not overwhelming - detail of the technical aspects of spaceplanes and flight.
More compelling, for me, were the people, especially the strong female characters: the former shuttle pilot, the NASA night shift supervisor and the space plane flight attendant. I also appreciated the love story between the chief pilot and his wife.
If I could award half stars, I'd probably give this first book by Patrick Chiles a 3.5. I look forward to his next offering.
More compelling, for me, were the people, especially the strong female characters: the former shuttle pilot, the NASA night shift supervisor and the space plane flight attendant. I also appreciated the love story between the chief pilot and his wife.
If I could award half stars, I'd probably give this first book by Patrick Chiles a 3.5. I look forward to his next offering.
March 14, 2017
Polaris Airlines runs the first fleet of suborbital passenger transports, brainchild of industrialist and owner Walt Hammond. Flight 501 is a private charter from Denver to Singapore. Due to a malfunction it becomes stranded in orbit.
This is good clean fun if you like aerospace and a thrilling story. The characters ring true, especially the pilots, engineers and operations staff at the airline. I did sometimes have a hard time telling minor characters apart, since Mr. Chiles's world is almost exclusively populated by "ordinary white people" straight from Central Casting.
It falls over a bit on the technical details, which is unfortunate since in a technothriller like this the technical details are essential. The explanations are often lacking in the clarity needed for mainstream prose. There are also inconsistencies in the text which should have been caught in editing. For example, one paragraph will mention thin cirrus clouds and afternoon sun, then the next will speak of an aircraft "breaking out of the overcast."
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=2031
This is good clean fun if you like aerospace and a thrilling story. The characters ring true, especially the pilots, engineers and operations staff at the airline. I did sometimes have a hard time telling minor characters apart, since Mr. Chiles's world is almost exclusively populated by "ordinary white people" straight from Central Casting.
It falls over a bit on the technical details, which is unfortunate since in a technothriller like this the technical details are essential. The explanations are often lacking in the clarity needed for mainstream prose. There are also inconsistencies in the text which should have been caught in editing. For example, one paragraph will mention thin cirrus clouds and afternoon sun, then the next will speak of an aircraft "breaking out of the overcast."
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=2031
August 22, 2023
I read the last two books in the series first and then discovered this and it's sequel.
For Chris Childs first book, this is a great roller coaster ride of emotion and thrill. The characters are relatable, and you really want them to succeed.
I saw a similar story on TV in 1985 called Starflight One, starring Lee Majors, about a new rocket plane that ends up in orbit. That was fun, but this story by Childs is far more compelling. I hope he writes many more stories in this series
For Chris Childs first book, this is a great roller coaster ride of emotion and thrill. The characters are relatable, and you really want them to succeed.
I saw a similar story on TV in 1985 called Starflight One, starring Lee Majors, about a new rocket plane that ends up in orbit. That was fun, but this story by Childs is far more compelling. I hope he writes many more stories in this series
April 26, 2023
Once things started "going wrong", I burned through it. It's exactly what the cover suggests. Just the kind of near future hard sf I like, with orbital terms like perigee and apogee and spaceplanes. It's somewhat topical even. It's not too long either, 6hr 50 min reading time according to kindle app (page count is meaningless, and there's no audiobook yet). I think I liked it a little bit more than Frontier, my first book by him. It could easily be a movie, although I think tv series are a better fit for novels.
February 5, 2020
What a wild ride (literally)!! Great, near-time hard scifi.
April 13, 2024
so much wasted potential here..
February 14, 2013
Scroll down for English version
Un giretto in orbita
Se amate aerei, navette spaziali, stazioni orbitanti e vi piacciono le storie che hanno a che fare con la NASA, dovete leggere questo libro.
Lo comprai semplicemente perché mi piacque la copertina e il titolo. Quella specie di aereo, che poi scoprii essere uno spaceplane (un aereo che funziona sia nell’atmosfera che nello spazio), sperduto in orbita, che aveva tutta l’aria di essere nei guai, mi fece subito presagire una storia interessante. E non sono stata delusa.
La trama di questo tecno-thriller è intrigante. È ambientata in un prossimo futuro in cui vengono usati degli spaceplane per viaggiare tra due punti agli antipodi della Terra. Questi velivoli, chiamati clipper, hanno una propulsione tale da portarli quasi in orbita, disegnando una traiettoria parabolica, per poi scendere verso la destinazione finale, che viene raggiunta in un paio d’ore. Durante il viaggio, molto costoso, i passeggeri provano per un breve periodo di tempo, in cui il clipper si trova in caduta libera, la sensazione di assenza di gravità.
L’autore, Patrick Chiles, è un pilota, ha fatto diversi lavori nel campo dell’aviazione ed ha scritto numerosi articoli in riviste che si occupano anche di voli spaziali. Insomma si tratta di un esperto, sia della parte tecnica che di quella umana riguardante il volo e lo spazio. Leggendo il suo libro, tutto questo appare evidente. Il ritmo della storia è avvincente, i dialoghi sono ben orchestrati e ti danno l’impressione di trovarti lì sul clipper o il controllo missione o sulla stazione orbitante. Nuove emozioni sono sempre dietro l’angolo, rendendo la lettura davvero molto divertente oltre che istruttiva. Questa è caratterizzata da un buon equilibro tra la parte tecnica e quella romanzata, che ne assicura la credibilità. È un peccato che libri del genere non arrivino al mercato italiano, perché ce ne sarebbe davvero bisogno. Questo libro è uno dei tanti esempi di prodotti di gran valore scritti da autori indipendenti.
Se dovessi definirlo con una parola, sarebbe entusiasmante, sotto tutti i punti di vista. Leggetelo.
A ride in orbit
If you love airplanes, spacecraft, orbiting stations and stories that have to do with NASA, you must read this book.
I bought it simply because I liked the cover and the title. That sort of airplane, that I later found out to be a spaceplane (a plane that works both in the atmosphere and in space), lost in orbit, which seemed to be in trouble, made me immediately portend an interesting story. And I was not disappointed.
The plot of this techno-thriller is intriguing. It is set in a future when spaceplanes are used to travel between two antipodal points on Earth. These aircrafts, called clippers, have a drive that can almost bring them to orbit, drawing a parabolic trajectory, and then down to the final destination, which is reached in a few hours. During the journey, a very expensive one, the passengers feel the sensation of weightlessness for a short period of time, in which the clipper is in free fall.
The author, Patrick Chiles, is a pilot, has made several works in the field of aviation and has written numerous articles in magazines which deal with space flight. In short, he is an expert, both for the technical and the human part concerning flight and space. Reading his book, all this appears obvious. The pace of the story is compelling, the dialogue is well-orchestrated and you are given the impression to find yourselves there on the clipper or in the mission control or on the space station. New emotions are always around the corner, making the reading fun as well as instructive. It is actually characterized by a good balance between the technical part and fiction, which ensures credibility. It is a pity that such books do not arrive to the Italian market, because there would really be the need for them. This book is one of many examples of good value products written by independent authors.
If I had to define it with a word, it would be thrilling, under all points of view. Read it.
Un giretto in orbita
Se amate aerei, navette spaziali, stazioni orbitanti e vi piacciono le storie che hanno a che fare con la NASA, dovete leggere questo libro.
Lo comprai semplicemente perché mi piacque la copertina e il titolo. Quella specie di aereo, che poi scoprii essere uno spaceplane (un aereo che funziona sia nell’atmosfera che nello spazio), sperduto in orbita, che aveva tutta l’aria di essere nei guai, mi fece subito presagire una storia interessante. E non sono stata delusa.
La trama di questo tecno-thriller è intrigante. È ambientata in un prossimo futuro in cui vengono usati degli spaceplane per viaggiare tra due punti agli antipodi della Terra. Questi velivoli, chiamati clipper, hanno una propulsione tale da portarli quasi in orbita, disegnando una traiettoria parabolica, per poi scendere verso la destinazione finale, che viene raggiunta in un paio d’ore. Durante il viaggio, molto costoso, i passeggeri provano per un breve periodo di tempo, in cui il clipper si trova in caduta libera, la sensazione di assenza di gravità.
L’autore, Patrick Chiles, è un pilota, ha fatto diversi lavori nel campo dell’aviazione ed ha scritto numerosi articoli in riviste che si occupano anche di voli spaziali. Insomma si tratta di un esperto, sia della parte tecnica che di quella umana riguardante il volo e lo spazio. Leggendo il suo libro, tutto questo appare evidente. Il ritmo della storia è avvincente, i dialoghi sono ben orchestrati e ti danno l’impressione di trovarti lì sul clipper o il controllo missione o sulla stazione orbitante. Nuove emozioni sono sempre dietro l’angolo, rendendo la lettura davvero molto divertente oltre che istruttiva. Questa è caratterizzata da un buon equilibro tra la parte tecnica e quella romanzata, che ne assicura la credibilità. È un peccato che libri del genere non arrivino al mercato italiano, perché ce ne sarebbe davvero bisogno. Questo libro è uno dei tanti esempi di prodotti di gran valore scritti da autori indipendenti.
Se dovessi definirlo con una parola, sarebbe entusiasmante, sotto tutti i punti di vista. Leggetelo.
A ride in orbit
If you love airplanes, spacecraft, orbiting stations and stories that have to do with NASA, you must read this book.
I bought it simply because I liked the cover and the title. That sort of airplane, that I later found out to be a spaceplane (a plane that works both in the atmosphere and in space), lost in orbit, which seemed to be in trouble, made me immediately portend an interesting story. And I was not disappointed.
The plot of this techno-thriller is intriguing. It is set in a future when spaceplanes are used to travel between two antipodal points on Earth. These aircrafts, called clippers, have a drive that can almost bring them to orbit, drawing a parabolic trajectory, and then down to the final destination, which is reached in a few hours. During the journey, a very expensive one, the passengers feel the sensation of weightlessness for a short period of time, in which the clipper is in free fall.
The author, Patrick Chiles, is a pilot, has made several works in the field of aviation and has written numerous articles in magazines which deal with space flight. In short, he is an expert, both for the technical and the human part concerning flight and space. Reading his book, all this appears obvious. The pace of the story is compelling, the dialogue is well-orchestrated and you are given the impression to find yourselves there on the clipper or in the mission control or on the space station. New emotions are always around the corner, making the reading fun as well as instructive. It is actually characterized by a good balance between the technical part and fiction, which ensures credibility. It is a pity that such books do not arrive to the Italian market, because there would really be the need for them. This book is one of many examples of good value products written by independent authors.
If I had to define it with a word, it would be thrilling, under all points of view. Read it.
November 4, 2012
Perigee is the first novel by a seasoned veteran of the airline industry. He envisages NASA reduced to minding the International Space Station (ISS) and a booming civilian operation offering point-to-point suborbital flights on a combined jet/rocket vehicle. Obviously, it caters to the super-rich. One such one-percenter, a stereotypical blustering, demanding man, hires the spaceplane for a quick hop to Asia. It becomes stranded in orbit. The company hastily dispatches a rescue flight, which also malfunctions, but returns to earth. Out of options and with life-support limited, they take refuge at the ISS. An insane plan to fly the spaceplane back to earth succeeds. Mixed in is sabotage, but we don't want to give it away, right? Chiles handles the revelation very well, putting the reader in the loop before the affected characters, but keeping up the mystery. There are plenty of characters in various locales, plenty of technical and historical detail, generously explained to readers without condescension (and without simply letting it pass over our heads). As everything ends (mostly) happily, Chiles in concluding Notes explains why the whole idea of commercial spaceplanes is impossibly far-fetched. It is credit to his story-telling that this comes as a huge disappointment.
May 25, 2012
This was a very enjoyable foray into "near future science fiction". When I was younger I really loved SciFi as my favorite fiction genre. Over the years I drifted away, no longer interested in "space opera" using questionable physics as the scientific back story. More recently I began revisiting the genre by reading Ben Bova's novels looking at the near future. But, Mr. Chiles has done a good job a dealing with a plausible future. In his afterword he explores the origins of this novel and the elements that are already in place today.
Yes, there are weaknesses, character development could be better but that is common to the genre. He uses a lot of jargon and that, while making reading more difficult and less enjoyable, give the story more believability.
Without repeating the synopsis, better done by others, I think this borrows much from the old Airport movies/novels, that disaster storyline that I used to love, where the disaster is really the main character and the people are the supporting cast.
I, for one, will look forward to more work from this author and he is promising to deliver.
Yes, there are weaknesses, character development could be better but that is common to the genre. He uses a lot of jargon and that, while making reading more difficult and less enjoyable, give the story more believability.
Without repeating the synopsis, better done by others, I think this borrows much from the old Airport movies/novels, that disaster storyline that I used to love, where the disaster is really the main character and the people are the supporting cast.
I, for one, will look forward to more work from this author and he is promising to deliver.
July 5, 2016
Lyle Lovett described one of his songs as "a cheatin' song about Mexican food." This is a love story about aviation engineering. If you are partial to such things, rejoice, because PERIGEE is a love letter to aerodynamics and thrust vectors and G-forces and great big huge giant spaceplanes that accidentally fling themselves into orbit. PERIGEE consciously echoes "Apollo 13" (and, unconsciously, "Gravity") in its telling of the efforts to rescue the crew and passengers of a Denver-to-Singapore suborbital flight that unexpectedly goes orbital. PERIGEE is white-knuckle storytelling, marred only slightly by a significant lack of characterization. If your idea of romance involves yaw thrusters and Soyuz capsules and NTSB regulations, this is the book for you. (I am not even being sarcastic here.)
April 7, 2012
I liked it and the only reason it didn't get a 4-star rating from me is I'm technologically incompetent and get annoyed at myself for feeling lost with it. The author is obviously very well grounded in the technology and writes very believably about the near-future technology.
It should appeal to hard sci-fi fans, though it may be a bit slow paced for the action/adventure readers. I would have liked more character development, more sense of individualism and a little more expansion of the sabotage/espionage plot angle but that is again, a personal preference.
Overall, a well written and an enjoyable entry in the hard sci-fi genre and an interesting look at the possible issues that could be involved in commercial 'space travel'.
It should appeal to hard sci-fi fans, though it may be a bit slow paced for the action/adventure readers. I would have liked more character development, more sense of individualism and a little more expansion of the sabotage/espionage plot angle but that is again, a personal preference.
Overall, a well written and an enjoyable entry in the hard sci-fi genre and an interesting look at the possible issues that could be involved in commercial 'space travel'.
March 23, 2012
A private company is providing airline service with trans-orbital flights. They are also working on developing a space shuttle replacement. When a millionaire charters one of the planes for a flight from Denver to Singapore with only a few aids the company and the pilot take advantage of the flight to attempt a record breaking transit. All is going well until the engines refuse to shut down and all attempts do so fail. The result is that the plane is boosted into orbit and doesn’t have the fuel to de orbit and return to earth. What follows are the attempts to rescue the passengers and crew and to discover what caused the malfunction in the first place. Another good Kindle freebee.
July 14, 2012
A great story! I thought the balance of science and plot was really excellent -- there was enough scientific terms and ideas involved to make the story believable, but not enough to make it uninteresting. It was a great climax, especially with the new, original plot and the realistic characters.
I didn't like the changing of viewpoints, though -- one or two to show the plot unfolding in different places would have been enough, but I felt like the viewpoint of every character was expressed through the story and it made it really confusing.
I didn't like the changing of viewpoints, though -- one or two to show the plot unfolding in different places would have been enough, but I felt like the viewpoint of every character was expressed through the story and it made it really confusing.
January 30, 2012
Picked this up free from Amazon for the Kindle. Probably more like a 2.5. A near future sci-fi thriller that the astronaut-types would enjoy. There was quite a lot of detail about spaceflight that I found unnecessary. It demonstrates, perhaps, that the author knows his stuff (I wouldn't know). However, it distracted me from the story he was trying to tell. It was entertaining, but nothing special.
June 24, 2016
Great science story
It is well written. Not cheesy. So nice to read a sci find with human characters and just enough hard science to make it real.
Wonderful to read about women given more of a role in the action.
Exciting to read about real developments in the private sector as it is obvious the U.S. space program is dead in the water.
Best of all for me is the quiet faith woven into the story.
It is well written. Not cheesy. So nice to read a sci find with human characters and just enough hard science to make it real.
Wonderful to read about women given more of a role in the action.
Exciting to read about real developments in the private sector as it is obvious the U.S. space program is dead in the water.
Best of all for me is the quiet faith woven into the story.
March 4, 2012
Great story of human triumph in tragic conditions. The characters are the top in their fields but are easily identified with as they struggle to survive. According to the Joker, we are supposed to eat each other when our "Rules of society" break down. This book shows us once again that there are good people in our midst. Not all is lost.
July 11, 2012
I was ready for a change of pace and chose this book randomly. It was entertaining. I thought it might have some plot twists that would catch me off guard but the truth is that these 'twists' were pretty predictable. It probably didn't help that I talked to an engineering friend about halfway through and he said that a lot of what I was describing wasn't really probable.
January 14, 2013
I love technology based stories. I'm a sucker for anything to do with space..I have no clue if the technical jargon is correct but it doesn't really matter.This falls into the realms of what might conceivably happen not too far off in the future..commercial spaceflight with all its attendant risks..would you be brave enough?
February 20, 2012
An excellent, engrossing read, with just the right amount of scientific explanation for a humanities nerd like me (as in, it made sense without making me glaze over). The sciency-stuff was balanced by well-developed and interesting characters.
November 8, 2012
I would have given this 4 stars for the story but I know NOTHING about flying and aeronautics and physics and math so I got bogged down a little in some parts. Really fun and exciting read though and will look for more by this author.
April 21, 2012
An excellent book, which held my attention throughout. Drama, humour, loss, betrayal and the peril of space! The characters are real, the story believable. I can see it as a movie. :-)
July 28, 2013
I liked this book Even though it's not really the kind of book I would normally read. It was suspenceful and had just the right pace.
May 18, 2012
extremely entertaining and believable!
Want to read
June 28, 2012Kindle free download 6/28/12.
December 8, 2013
Unique plot that unfolds in unexpected ways. Not quite science fiction but just as enjoyable. Author is very knowledgeable on space flight and uses its vernacular to write a very believable story.
February 1, 2017
Great science fiction thriller that gets the science right! Looking forward to future books by Patrick Chiles.
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