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Clare Foster #3
Below Mercury
ASIN B0058IYAZK moved to the most recent edition here
Mercury – closest planet to the Sun. In the permanent darkness of Chao Meng-fu crater lie vast fields of ice that that have never seen the Sun, and the ruins of Erebus Mine, abandoned and forgotten after a devastating explosion that claimed the lives of 257 people. After an eight-year legal battle, the relatives of the victims have finally succeeded in forcing the Space Accidents Board to reopen its investigation. Matt Crawford, a mine engineer who escaped the disaster, joins a team sent back to the mine to discover the true cause of the accident. The team is led by Clare Foster, a pilot in the U.S. Astronautics Corps, who has taken on the mission in the hope of rebuilding her career after a near-miss incident.
But powerful forces are determined that what lies hidden in the mine will never be uncovered, and have taken steps to ensure that the mission team will never return. Stranded on Mercury, the team are divided by internal conflict, and a growing realisation of what really happened in the mine. Soon Matt and Clare are thrown together in a desperate race for survival against an implacable enemy that will not rest until it has killed them all …
The second Kindle edition includes updated background material on Mercury, an excerpt from the newly-released prequel Acid Sky, and a Kindle Exclusive bonus chapter. Featuring updated line drawings and maps, a highly detailed background story, and magnificent visions of the Sun's innermost planet.
Mercury – closest planet to the Sun. In the permanent darkness of Chao Meng-fu crater lie vast fields of ice that that have never seen the Sun, and the ruins of Erebus Mine, abandoned and forgotten after a devastating explosion that claimed the lives of 257 people. After an eight-year legal battle, the relatives of the victims have finally succeeded in forcing the Space Accidents Board to reopen its investigation. Matt Crawford, a mine engineer who escaped the disaster, joins a team sent back to the mine to discover the true cause of the accident. The team is led by Clare Foster, a pilot in the U.S. Astronautics Corps, who has taken on the mission in the hope of rebuilding her career after a near-miss incident.
But powerful forces are determined that what lies hidden in the mine will never be uncovered, and have taken steps to ensure that the mission team will never return. Stranded on Mercury, the team are divided by internal conflict, and a growing realisation of what really happened in the mine. Soon Matt and Clare are thrown together in a desperate race for survival against an implacable enemy that will not rest until it has killed them all …
The second Kindle edition includes updated background material on Mercury, an excerpt from the newly-released prequel Acid Sky, and a Kindle Exclusive bonus chapter. Featuring updated line drawings and maps, a highly detailed background story, and magnificent visions of the Sun's innermost planet.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
24 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Mark Anson
3 books16 followersMark Anson has had a lifelong interest in reading and writing science fiction thrillers and adventures, and spends considerable effort researching and creating the highly detailed and scientifically accurate settings and drawings for his novels.
‘I think it’s important to get accuracy and consistency in any fictional setting – whether it’s a historical romance or a science fiction adventure set on a distant planet. To me, the background is as essential as the story itself, and I strive to make it as believable as possible.’
Mark lives with his wife in the depths of the Suffolk countryside with horses, cats and various other animals. He is currently working on the next novel in the series, which is set between the events of ‘Acid Sky’ and ‘Below Mercury’, and is set in space, beyond the orbit of Mars.
‘I think it’s important to get accuracy and consistency in any fictional setting – whether it’s a historical romance or a science fiction adventure set on a distant planet. To me, the background is as essential as the story itself, and I strive to make it as believable as possible.’
Mark lives with his wife in the depths of the Suffolk countryside with horses, cats and various other animals. He is currently working on the next novel in the series, which is set between the events of ‘Acid Sky’ and ‘Below Mercury’, and is set in space, beyond the orbit of Mars.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 41 reviews
January 12, 2013
HOLY. CRAP.
After nearly 8 years, the government is finally reopening an investigation into an accident at a mine in Mercury that killed over 200 people. A team of six people; a pilot, copilot, two scientists, and two observers head to the planet to begin an investigation. But they get more than they bargained for.
I could not believe the pace of this book. It was a science-laden story, but not so heavy that I couldn't understand it. But it was definitely a fast-paced, hair raising adventure! I could not put it down -- I was at such a great part that I was almost late back from lunch. It's too early to say this is the best book of the year, but it is so far! If you want badass sci-fi, then you want this book.
After nearly 8 years, the government is finally reopening an investigation into an accident at a mine in Mercury that killed over 200 people. A team of six people; a pilot, copilot, two scientists, and two observers head to the planet to begin an investigation. But they get more than they bargained for.
I could not believe the pace of this book. It was a science-laden story, but not so heavy that I couldn't understand it. But it was definitely a fast-paced, hair raising adventure! I could not put it down -- I was at such a great part that I was almost late back from lunch. It's too early to say this is the best book of the year, but it is so far! If you want badass sci-fi, then you want this book.
April 17, 2013
The kindle store seems awash with nonsense these days, so I was a little wary when I read the reviews for this book. I was pleasantly surprised, it's not a bad effort at all. This author has either done his research very thoroughly or was involved in mining at some point.
As an ex mining engineer I enjoyed that aspect of it. However as a story I thought it was a little shallow, there was a great opportunity to examine the relationships between the members of the investigation crew but this wasn't developed very well at all.
As an ex mining engineer I enjoyed that aspect of it. However as a story I thought it was a little shallow, there was a great opportunity to examine the relationships between the members of the investigation crew but this wasn't developed very well at all.
October 8, 2013
First half was a slog, second half interesting. The F word dropped all over (where's his creativity then?) when it got dramatic.
I did like this book, and his writing made me feel like I was there, but it was a slog for the first half of the book. Yes, because he went through every tiny step of a rocket launch and orbital flight I felt like I was there but it was tedious and after a few pages I just wanted to BE at mercury already. (Was he trying to teach a lesson in space flight and the long boring hours you need to endure there?....CHECK, mission accomplished.) The second half of the book was more exciting and suspenseful as I became very interested in what they were finding and the plot was much more interesting. My engineering mind appreciated the realistic details right up until the very last section where it got unrealistic for a minute, but he even notes that there was some reality suspended for the cause of drama... made me laugh when I read that in the after notes.\
More cons: Too many F bombs and too much blood, though not overly graphic.
I did like this book, and his writing made me feel like I was there, but it was a slog for the first half of the book. Yes, because he went through every tiny step of a rocket launch and orbital flight I felt like I was there but it was tedious and after a few pages I just wanted to BE at mercury already. (Was he trying to teach a lesson in space flight and the long boring hours you need to endure there?....CHECK, mission accomplished.) The second half of the book was more exciting and suspenseful as I became very interested in what they were finding and the plot was much more interesting. My engineering mind appreciated the realistic details right up until the very last section where it got unrealistic for a minute, but he even notes that there was some reality suspended for the cause of drama... made me laugh when I read that in the after notes.\
More cons: Too many F bombs and too much blood, though not overly graphic.
February 19, 2014
This book often read more like a military history book than science fiction, but if you look at what defines sci-fi, this is what sci-fi is. It is based on actual science, and even actual events, and is feasible as possible fact. I agree with some of the other reviewers who said that the first half of the book was heavy on the launching of the spaceplane but I'm enough of a technogeek to get into that kind of thing. The real action begins when the crew reaches Mercury and doesn't really stop. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, guess I wanted more revenge but you knew what was going to happen so it's okay.
I couldn't quite bring myself to give this one five stars. I don't give five stars easily anyway. The writing is excellent and the author's knowledge of the subject is top notch. I was just not quite ready to go the distance and I don't even have any real good reasons. That said, Below Mercury is well worth the time for anyone who likes sci-fi or just a good old seat of the pants thriller.
I couldn't quite bring myself to give this one five stars. I don't give five stars easily anyway. The writing is excellent and the author's knowledge of the subject is top notch. I was just not quite ready to go the distance and I don't even have any real good reasons. That said, Below Mercury is well worth the time for anyone who likes sci-fi or just a good old seat of the pants thriller.
November 6, 2018
Wie interessant unser Sonnensystem sein kann - das zeigt uns Mark Anson anhand des Merkurs. Es handelt sich um einen sehr gut geschriebenen Hard-SF-Thriller der spannend unterhält und in dem der Merkur plastisch vorgestellt wird, wie ich das in noch keinem anderen Buch gesehen habe. Tatsächlich beschreibt Anson den Merkur landschaftlich so detailliert und realistisch, dass man ihm glauben könnte, dass er schon dort gewesen ist. Die Landschaftsbilder sind unglaublich eindrucksvoll und schön, auch wenn man sich dass bei einer kargen Extremwelt wie dem Merkur kaum vorstellen kann. Das Gesamtkonzept des Romans ist stimmig und intelligent durchdacht und der Spannungsbogen nimmt während des ganzen Buches stetig zu. Was man ankreiden könnte, wäre vielleicht, dass gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen praktisch komplett unter den Tisch fallen. Die Menschen als solche scheinen sich bis zum Jahre 2150 nicht weiterentwickelt zu haben - die Protagonisten benehmen sich komplett wie Menschen zu Beginn des 21 Jahrhunderts. Tatsächlich aber macht es keinen Sinn Anson dies anzukreiden, denn er erhebt in diesem Roman auch nicht den Anspruch die gesellschaftliche Entwicklung der Menschen zu beleuchten, sondern er beschreibt, warum Menschen auf dem Merkur sind, unter welchen Bedingungen sie dort leben, wie sie dort hinkommen und welche Probleme bei all dem auftreten können. Und das macht er hervorragend. Leider wurde das Buch noch nicht ins Deutsche übersetzt obwohl es das definitiv verdient hat. Für SF-Fans die einigermaßen auf Englisch lesen können: klare Leseempfehlung!
October 11, 2021
Below Mercury is a fantastic story where humans have now managed to colonise other planets and developed technology to allow us to now mine other planets for the resources we need but when an explosion rocks a mine and leads to a loss of human life can the families get the real answers or will things be covered up? This book sees us follow Clare Foster who is to pilot the mission to the mine to discover what actually happened but will the journey be safe and what will she find when she gets there?
This is a brilliant story that is written perfectly. The author has an amazing attention to detail and I found myself drawn in to this book more and more so that when I reached the end I was straight away looking for more from the author. This is very much well worth checking out.
This is a brilliant story that is written perfectly. The author has an amazing attention to detail and I found myself drawn in to this book more and more so that when I reached the end I was straight away looking for more from the author. This is very much well worth checking out.
December 12, 2020
Below Mercury by Mark Anson
I approached this novel as a "regular joe" reader would. I love science and have read many sci-fi works, enjoying most. This one, sadly, is not liked much. In the beginning it reads as a dry, long report, not broken up as much as it should have been. The plot is good, but for some wording errors it breaks apart my engrossed attempts to read. The tale ends fine, then it presents more dry reading about the story. This is a story I will not read again, nor keep on my tablets.
Taborri Walker, author of the Earth Maid series on Amazon.com
I approached this novel as a "regular joe" reader would. I love science and have read many sci-fi works, enjoying most. This one, sadly, is not liked much. In the beginning it reads as a dry, long report, not broken up as much as it should have been. The plot is good, but for some wording errors it breaks apart my engrossed attempts to read. The tale ends fine, then it presents more dry reading about the story. This is a story I will not read again, nor keep on my tablets.
Taborri Walker, author of the Earth Maid series on Amazon.com
July 7, 2018
Great Read
This story kept my attention all the way to the end. The storyline and the science were both believable and easy to read. Very unlike other books where I had to force myself to not think too much on the details as the were so ridiculous and completely outside the realm of possibility. I highly recommend this to everyone who likes a good sci fi story that keeps you guessing.
This story kept my attention all the way to the end. The storyline and the science were both believable and easy to read. Very unlike other books where I had to force myself to not think too much on the details as the were so ridiculous and completely outside the realm of possibility. I highly recommend this to everyone who likes a good sci fi story that keeps you guessing.
October 6, 2018
Excellent story
Really enjoyed this read, the story held me all the way through the book, wish I final chapter has had a bit more information what happens when the survivors got back to earth
Really enjoyed this read, the story held me all the way through the book, wish I final chapter has had a bit more information what happens when the survivors got back to earth
March 3, 2017
Old fashioned sf
Good yarn marred by too much explaining. A little of that goes a long way. I ended up skipping far too much text.
Good yarn marred by too much explaining. A little of that goes a long way. I ended up skipping far too much text.
September 16, 2015
Below Mercury is a story about a return to an abandoned mine on Mercury to investigate a devastating accident, primarily following characters Matt Crawford and Clare Foster. An interesting premise, but the book unevenly shifts from hard science fiction procedural drama to mystery to thriller. There are several other reviews that liken the book to Crichton. This this a fair comparison of style, but it's not at the same level of craftsmanship as a Crichton book.
There is an overwhelming massive amount of expository writing in this book, much of which could be done without - it's descriptive but much of it is not needed to move the story forward. At least the first 50% of the book could be reduced to a few chapters - it feels like a massive prologue to a story that really doesn't start until getting to Mercury. The mystery part of the book was the most interesting - unexpected discoveries in the mine leading to a fracturing investigation. Too quickly though and without enough solid character development it dives into thriller with a plot twist and predictable over the top end. Save for the two main characters, the rest are predictable and two-dimensional.
The cadence of the book is definitely awkward and several drawn out scenes attempt to set tone that never pan out - an overly long spaceplane launch that seems meant to evoke some fears of flying - or misses an opportunity to set a tone - dark scary poorly lit mine on another planet but no claustrophobia or other psychological issues.
I really wanted to like this book especially given all the positive reviews and Kindle price (free). However, it misses the mark. It would have worked well as a short story had it focused more on the developing the characters and main story in the mine without all the exposition and the first half of the book.
There is an overwhelming massive amount of expository writing in this book, much of which could be done without - it's descriptive but much of it is not needed to move the story forward. At least the first 50% of the book could be reduced to a few chapters - it feels like a massive prologue to a story that really doesn't start until getting to Mercury. The mystery part of the book was the most interesting - unexpected discoveries in the mine leading to a fracturing investigation. Too quickly though and without enough solid character development it dives into thriller with a plot twist and predictable over the top end. Save for the two main characters, the rest are predictable and two-dimensional.
The cadence of the book is definitely awkward and several drawn out scenes attempt to set tone that never pan out - an overly long spaceplane launch that seems meant to evoke some fears of flying - or misses an opportunity to set a tone - dark scary poorly lit mine on another planet but no claustrophobia or other psychological issues.
I really wanted to like this book especially given all the positive reviews and Kindle price (free). However, it misses the mark. It would have worked well as a short story had it focused more on the developing the characters and main story in the mine without all the exposition and the first half of the book.
August 27, 2014
“Below Mercury” was published in 2013 and was written by Mark Anson. This is Mr. Anson’s second novel.
I was made aware of this book through http://www.moreforlessonline.com and
downloaded this book for free. This is a Science Fiction novel set on the planet Mercury in 2150. I would rate this book as ‘R’ as there is some Mature Language and Violence. The book is written in the third person, with the primary characters being Matt Crawford and Clare Foster.
Years before an accident at the Erebus Mine cause the deaths of 257 people. After years of legal wrangling, a mission is sent to make a final determination as to the cause of the accident. Clare takes the mission as pilot in an attempt to get her derailed career back.
Matt was a mining engineer at the Erebus Mine and was on his way back to Earth when the accident happened. Because he has sided with the families of those lost in the legal proceedings, he has not found another job with a mine operator.
A small team is assembled and they head to Mercury to investigate. The mining company has a lot to loose if anything found points to them as the cause of the accident. Once they reach Mercury, the hostile environment is not the only threat.
I thought that the plot was well developed and kept moving along. This was a good ‘Space’ novel, and did not stray too far outside the laws of physics. I enjoyed the eight hours I spent with the novel. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I was made aware of this book through http://www.moreforlessonline.com and
downloaded this book for free. This is a Science Fiction novel set on the planet Mercury in 2150. I would rate this book as ‘R’ as there is some Mature Language and Violence. The book is written in the third person, with the primary characters being Matt Crawford and Clare Foster.
Years before an accident at the Erebus Mine cause the deaths of 257 people. After years of legal wrangling, a mission is sent to make a final determination as to the cause of the accident. Clare takes the mission as pilot in an attempt to get her derailed career back.
Matt was a mining engineer at the Erebus Mine and was on his way back to Earth when the accident happened. Because he has sided with the families of those lost in the legal proceedings, he has not found another job with a mine operator.
A small team is assembled and they head to Mercury to investigate. The mining company has a lot to loose if anything found points to them as the cause of the accident. Once they reach Mercury, the hostile environment is not the only threat.
I thought that the plot was well developed and kept moving along. This was a good ‘Space’ novel, and did not stray too far outside the laws of physics. I enjoyed the eight hours I spent with the novel. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
February 25, 2014
Like many established genres science fiction comes in a variety of flavours (I may be getting confused with ice-cream!) and this book is firmly in the hard sci-fi camp, however don't let this put you off as it's also a cracking story. Reading it you can tell that the author has done his research and it all feels plausible, however knowledge alone doesn't make a good book.
The story concerns a terrible mining tragedy on the planet Mercury killing hundreds of people, the families claim that the investigation was a cover up by the corporation who owned the mine. After years of legal battles they manage to get the investigation re-opened and a team is sent to Mercury to find out what really happened.
It's an interesting story and the writer does a reasonably good job of balancing the technical details with the human side of the story. Occasionally he gets the balance wrong, but not enough to spoil the story. I had a couple of other issues with the book, the first was that I was hoping for something a little more surprising, although it is fitting with the tone of the story, I did feel it was a bit dry.
My other issue was that the ending felt abrupt, it does come to a satidfactory conclusion, but the last scene leaves it open for more, but is rather sudden. Still I enjoyed reading this a lot and is well worth checking out if you enjoy more serious science fiction and it's telling that I have immediately purchased the prequel to read more of the author's work.
The story concerns a terrible mining tragedy on the planet Mercury killing hundreds of people, the families claim that the investigation was a cover up by the corporation who owned the mine. After years of legal battles they manage to get the investigation re-opened and a team is sent to Mercury to find out what really happened.
It's an interesting story and the writer does a reasonably good job of balancing the technical details with the human side of the story. Occasionally he gets the balance wrong, but not enough to spoil the story. I had a couple of other issues with the book, the first was that I was hoping for something a little more surprising, although it is fitting with the tone of the story, I did feel it was a bit dry.
My other issue was that the ending felt abrupt, it does come to a satidfactory conclusion, but the last scene leaves it open for more, but is rather sudden. Still I enjoyed reading this a lot and is well worth checking out if you enjoy more serious science fiction and it's telling that I have immediately purchased the prequel to read more of the author's work.
May 14, 2014
Rated "I Liked It" and if you've got some time to kill I'd say it's worth reading. It's quite a slow start and the author goes into quite a lot of detail for things like landing/takeoff sequences and the science behind a lot of the environment but it really helps add to the feel of the book. Also, this is Sci-fi so if you're not expecting the science then you're in the wrong place.
After the book gets going and the main characters start on their way to where they need to go, it really picks up and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I think I got to the ~35 or 40% mark of the book and after that I finished in a day.
I debated giving the book 4 stars but the slow beginning and abrupt ending held it back a bit. I really could have done with another few chapters explaining the aftermath. However I know a sequel is coming so maybe we'll get some expansion there.
I would recommend this as a quick enjoyable read and look forward to more from the author. I'm currently in the middle of Acid Sky.
After the book gets going and the main characters start on their way to where they need to go, it really picks up and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I think I got to the ~35 or 40% mark of the book and after that I finished in a day.
I debated giving the book 4 stars but the slow beginning and abrupt ending held it back a bit. I really could have done with another few chapters explaining the aftermath. However I know a sequel is coming so maybe we'll get some expansion there.
I would recommend this as a quick enjoyable read and look forward to more from the author. I'm currently in the middle of Acid Sky.
November 17, 2017
This is a hard sci-fi style book which is usually not part of my reading regiment, but the book was free and the sample was very well written and engaging. Well written and engaging should always be what every writer his aspiring to achieve; it makes any type of story worth reading and enjoying. Mark Anson, he's a very talented author whose story (strongly supported by what I could only imagine is many, many hours of research on the subject) is full of technical details and gripping realism that served perfectly to create tension and excitement. There are a seriousness and professionalism that were applied to this book that gives it a definite AAA/big publishing house feel. Even do I prefer the fun, fast pace, non-science focus of a good space-opera adventure, the pacing of this story combine with the quality of the writing kept me totally engage and entertain. I will be reading the follow-up books for sure.
April 16, 2015
J'aurais certainement mis 4 étoiles si j'avais pu croire au motif (dévoilé à la fin) ayant entraîné toute l'histoire Néanmoins, un très bon (je dirais même trop bref) moment de lecture, très documenté sans pour autant devenir un cours fastidieux
Je suis assez d'accord avec d'autres commentaires qui regrettent que la psychologie et les relations entre les divers personnages soient à peine ébauchées Je me serais plus attaché en en découvrant plus sur leurs différents parcours et aurais eu fortement envie de les retrouver dans d'autres expéditions (un peu comme a su le faire Ben Bova dans sa série sur le système solaire Moonwar, Venus, Mars et les autres titres)
Mais, boudiou, que ces trusts vampiriques, assoiffés de profits, m'agacent prodigieusement même s'ils inspirent de passionnants romans ...
Je suis assez d'accord avec d'autres commentaires qui regrettent que la psychologie et les relations entre les divers personnages soient à peine ébauchées Je me serais plus attaché en en découvrant plus sur leurs différents parcours et aurais eu fortement envie de les retrouver dans d'autres expéditions (un peu comme a su le faire Ben Bova dans sa série sur le système solaire Moonwar, Venus, Mars et les autres titres)
Mais, boudiou, que ces trusts vampiriques, assoiffés de profits, m'agacent prodigieusement même s'ils inspirent de passionnants romans ...
March 28, 2015
I imagine "hard science" sci fi fans will love this for the technical detail, including pages of background notes. Although at times I found the level of detail somewhat annoying--I wanted to get on with the story--it all came into play. More importantly, for me, there's a great story here, with solid characters. Some were good, some bad, and one, sadly, merely weak. In any event, I found it to be a great read and now I have to get the sequel.
September 15, 2014
This is a great space story. I was surprised to find a story about the planet Mercury and couldn't pass it up. The story is so well written that I could see this being made into a really good scifi movie. It is pretty intense and the characters are very good. I couldn't see where the story was going but found it logical, scary and exciting. It has a good ending too.
April 9, 2014
This is an excellent book. The science in it is solid and the storyline grows in intensity as the book progresses. Sci-fi fans should eat this up. It's pretty technical and very realistic. This is a master author, in my opinion.
July 22, 2014
Wow my first space story and I really glad I got this book. It was such a fast pace, the description was excellent and not to in-depth to be confusing. The story of powerful company's cover up and enjoyable characters which leaves you wanting more and sad it is over. Brilliant book a must read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 41 reviews