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Drifting Away
2287. The Martian Republic is an established country on Mars. The planet was colonised in the late 21st century. During all this time, the Martian Republic has been on a level-playing field with Earth. Since the beginning of colonisation, Mars was seen as a stepping stone on humankind's way to the stars. Not all is well though. The Martian Republic is gradually getting farther apart from Earth and the societies on the two planets are losing interest in each other. The Earth Association is trying to fight against this increasing separation. Among its activities is an exchange programme for Mars children. The programme seems to work well, helping establish ties between the newest generations on Earth and Mars. However, suddenly children start dying of measles, an illness against which, it soon becomes clear, the humans born on Mars do not have any antibodies. Detective Inspector Harry Strickned, of the Aaltrin Police Department, investigates, with the help of Marko Slavik, a space marshal, on Earth. Are these deaths just an unfortunate coincidence or is there a bigger plan behind them?
312 pages, ebook
First published May 15, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 26, 2013
Drifting Away
*I received this book free in a Goodreads giveaway. My sincerest thanks to Goodreads and the author Stefano Costantini.*
What follows is an honest review. I appreciate how difficult it is to write a full length novel. I cannot say I have achieved this. As a reader I retain my right to fair criticism. The point of this review is to share my feelings on aspects of this book as a reader, not to hurt anyone's feelings. Where this review is quoted from, used, reproduced, etc., I reserve the right to be credited as author of this review in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
It is the year 2287 and Mars has been colonised. How much similarity do the inhabitants of Earth and Mars maintain after so long spent apart? The title of the novel refers to how the two planets are drifting away from each other. Nice idea behind the novel.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The concept is quite novel. A conspiracy arises to sever relations between Earth and Mars. A police officer from Mars and a space marshal from Earth try to find the cause between a series of children dying of measles and their parents' following suicides. Measles is a fatal illness to Martians, lacking the genetic make-up to fight it off, having been separated from Earth for so long. Who could be responsible for such a heinous scheme? Could it be a political extremist? Or could it be something much worse and deeper?
The book seems set to be an interesting sci-fi crime thriller. Unfortunately the first 100 pages or so are very uneventful, dull and full of heavy background information which could have been spread out a little better, and some omitted.
The worst thing about the book was the very wooden writing style:
It is written like this. Something happens.
Then something else happens. The character goes over to this place and sees that person. The character thinks. There is no flair or emotion, things are plainly stated. That is all. And it goes on. And on. Lifelessly.
I really hated this, and it was grating to me throughout the whole novel. I didn't like how the dialogue of the characters was exactly the same as the rest of the prose. It felt so dry, lifeless, and unrealistic. There were no mannerisms in the speech for me to identify with, no facial expressions for me to gauge, and no individuality for each character. They all spoke in the same way.
I would have liked a more decorated prose. Writing style is extremely important to me in a book. The style in this book was not to my taste. There are almost no metaphors or similes, and very little symbolism to savour. I just had no room for imagination and no room for interpretation. The main theme of alienation is one dimensional to the extent that the ending is very predictable. Also, the several typos and grammatical errors annoyed me.
However, things do pick up towards the end and the pace becomes better in the last 100 pages with the plot developing nicely. But I just found it so difficult to care for these robotic characters, which made me struggle in reading this book to the end.
One thing I did like about the book was some of the explanations of things in this future world, such as the interior of space shuttles travelling between Mars and Earth and the train stations with accelerated platforms so that people could get on and off without the train decelerating.
The concept is nice, but the writing was not for me. I just want some emotion, something I can relate to, and some decoration to turn the prose into something I could appreciate and quote from. After all, a novel well written should be its own form of art to be appreciated and savoured through reading.
*I received this book free in a Goodreads giveaway. My sincerest thanks to Goodreads and the author Stefano Costantini.*
What follows is an honest review. I appreciate how difficult it is to write a full length novel. I cannot say I have achieved this. As a reader I retain my right to fair criticism. The point of this review is to share my feelings on aspects of this book as a reader, not to hurt anyone's feelings. Where this review is quoted from, used, reproduced, etc., I reserve the right to be credited as author of this review in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
It is the year 2287 and Mars has been colonised. How much similarity do the inhabitants of Earth and Mars maintain after so long spent apart? The title of the novel refers to how the two planets are drifting away from each other. Nice idea behind the novel.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The concept is quite novel. A conspiracy arises to sever relations between Earth and Mars. A police officer from Mars and a space marshal from Earth try to find the cause between a series of children dying of measles and their parents' following suicides. Measles is a fatal illness to Martians, lacking the genetic make-up to fight it off, having been separated from Earth for so long. Who could be responsible for such a heinous scheme? Could it be a political extremist? Or could it be something much worse and deeper?
The book seems set to be an interesting sci-fi crime thriller. Unfortunately the first 100 pages or so are very uneventful, dull and full of heavy background information which could have been spread out a little better, and some omitted.
The worst thing about the book was the very wooden writing style:
It is written like this. Something happens.
Then something else happens. The character goes over to this place and sees that person. The character thinks. There is no flair or emotion, things are plainly stated. That is all. And it goes on. And on. Lifelessly.
I really hated this, and it was grating to me throughout the whole novel. I didn't like how the dialogue of the characters was exactly the same as the rest of the prose. It felt so dry, lifeless, and unrealistic. There were no mannerisms in the speech for me to identify with, no facial expressions for me to gauge, and no individuality for each character. They all spoke in the same way.
I would have liked a more decorated prose. Writing style is extremely important to me in a book. The style in this book was not to my taste. There are almost no metaphors or similes, and very little symbolism to savour. I just had no room for imagination and no room for interpretation. The main theme of alienation is one dimensional to the extent that the ending is very predictable. Also, the several typos and grammatical errors annoyed me.
However, things do pick up towards the end and the pace becomes better in the last 100 pages with the plot developing nicely. But I just found it so difficult to care for these robotic characters, which made me struggle in reading this book to the end.
One thing I did like about the book was some of the explanations of things in this future world, such as the interior of space shuttles travelling between Mars and Earth and the train stations with accelerated platforms so that people could get on and off without the train decelerating.
The concept is nice, but the writing was not for me. I just want some emotion, something I can relate to, and some decoration to turn the prose into something I could appreciate and quote from. After all, a novel well written should be its own form of art to be appreciated and savoured through reading.
August 5, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Many thanks to Stefano Costantini for this. That being said, the following is my considered review of the book.
This book attracted my attention with its striking cover and its unusual subject matter – a future where humans have annexed and populated the planet Mars. The story is based around the idea that while the original plan was for the two planets to retain close links with each other, the two societies are starting to draw apart. Within this context, some children sent to visit Earth from Mars begin to die from measles. This, along with the subsequent suicides of their mothers, is investigated by a Martian policeman and an Earth-based space marshal.
Very soon after starting this book however, I got the impression that it was either an English translation of a book originally written in another language, or had been written by someone for whom English was not their first language. Unfortunately, the minor errors were quite frequent so it was a distraction from the story itself and therefore did not flow well.
These included errors of spelling and grammar, and strange terminology such as “they would have done” rather than “they did” leading the reader to wonder ‘did it happen or not?’
Dialogue was not defined by quotation marks so it was not always clear if the character was talking or thinking. Also, the dialogue was somewhat wooden – conversation didn’t flow well and could have been more expressive. It was hard as a reader to care about the characters. In fact the only one I began to care about died a third of the way through the book!
There were a few contradictions. When Marko seemed to have been following the case for a few days, Harry mentioned it had been a few weeks. Later when it seemed a few weeks had passed, Harry referred to working on the case for “the last few months”. This didn’t make sense. When talking about McLure, Moran stated that “(the Recasent Centre) were interested in his ideas, more than anything.” But on the very next page states “As I said, I think they were interested in McLure(‘s) techniques, not his ideas”. There were likewise contradictions in the life expectancy and retirement ages.
I noted several references to the different Martian dialect but this was never illustrated. I would have loved to have read examples of this.
I feel the story itself has great potential and I would have enjoyed it far more had it not been for the language irregularities. I genuinely feel that his novel would benefit greatly from a re-draft to address the above points with proofreading from a native-English speaking editor who would ensure that the nuances and ‘turns of phrase’ of the language would allow the story to read well (in addition to spelling etc).
This book attracted my attention with its striking cover and its unusual subject matter – a future where humans have annexed and populated the planet Mars. The story is based around the idea that while the original plan was for the two planets to retain close links with each other, the two societies are starting to draw apart. Within this context, some children sent to visit Earth from Mars begin to die from measles. This, along with the subsequent suicides of their mothers, is investigated by a Martian policeman and an Earth-based space marshal.
Very soon after starting this book however, I got the impression that it was either an English translation of a book originally written in another language, or had been written by someone for whom English was not their first language. Unfortunately, the minor errors were quite frequent so it was a distraction from the story itself and therefore did not flow well.
These included errors of spelling and grammar, and strange terminology such as “they would have done” rather than “they did” leading the reader to wonder ‘did it happen or not?’
Dialogue was not defined by quotation marks so it was not always clear if the character was talking or thinking. Also, the dialogue was somewhat wooden – conversation didn’t flow well and could have been more expressive. It was hard as a reader to care about the characters. In fact the only one I began to care about died a third of the way through the book!
There were a few contradictions. When Marko seemed to have been following the case for a few days, Harry mentioned it had been a few weeks. Later when it seemed a few weeks had passed, Harry referred to working on the case for “the last few months”. This didn’t make sense. When talking about McLure, Moran stated that “(the Recasent Centre) were interested in his ideas, more than anything.” But on the very next page states “As I said, I think they were interested in McLure(‘s) techniques, not his ideas”. There were likewise contradictions in the life expectancy and retirement ages.
I noted several references to the different Martian dialect but this was never illustrated. I would have loved to have read examples of this.
I feel the story itself has great potential and I would have enjoyed it far more had it not been for the language irregularities. I genuinely feel that his novel would benefit greatly from a re-draft to address the above points with proofreading from a native-English speaking editor who would ensure that the nuances and ‘turns of phrase’ of the language would allow the story to read well (in addition to spelling etc).
June 26, 2013
I am the semi-official resident reviewer of science fiction, and as somebody who’s written two SF novels set on Mars, I confess to just a bit of an interest in Mars. (I’m not addicted – I can quit any time. Really.) So, when Stefano Costantini’s query for a Mars-based novel hit my inbox, I accepted. Alas, I am underwhelmed with Mr. Costantini’s novel Drifting Away.
From the back-cover blurb, the set-up is that in the late 23rd Century, Mars is an independent republic, yet one in which (at fair inconvenience) they forcibly synchronize their 24.5 hour day to Earth’s 24.0 hour clock. (This means waking up in the “morning” when it’s full dark outside and going to bed at local sunrise.) At any rate, the two planets are drifting away, so the Earth Association is attempting to combat this drift by running a youth exchange program. Yet Martian kids are suddenly dying of measles, and their despondent mothers are killing themselves. A pair of men decides to investigate.
Executed competently, this could have been an interesting book, and the twist ending could have worked nicely. It was not executed competently. Some of this is mechanical. For example, Costantini doesn’t use quotes to separate dialog, rather dashes. Speaking of dialog, most of the book’s dialog does not sound like real humans talking to one another; rather it is exposition or declaration.
Speaking of exposition, the first sixteen (albeit brief) chapters are nothing but exposition. The world exposed therein is somewhat interesting, but still, sixteen (16) (!) chapters of exposition? Nor does Costantini seem to have a good grasp on the logistics of living on Mars. On his Mars, one can move from building to building merely by wearing a breathing mask. On the real Mars, current surface pressure is way too low for that to happen. Nor has Costantini heard of centrifugal force – his long-haul spaceliners are zero-gee the whole way.
In short, I was underwhelmed by Drifting Away.
From the back-cover blurb, the set-up is that in the late 23rd Century, Mars is an independent republic, yet one in which (at fair inconvenience) they forcibly synchronize their 24.5 hour day to Earth’s 24.0 hour clock. (This means waking up in the “morning” when it’s full dark outside and going to bed at local sunrise.) At any rate, the two planets are drifting away, so the Earth Association is attempting to combat this drift by running a youth exchange program. Yet Martian kids are suddenly dying of measles, and their despondent mothers are killing themselves. A pair of men decides to investigate.
Executed competently, this could have been an interesting book, and the twist ending could have worked nicely. It was not executed competently. Some of this is mechanical. For example, Costantini doesn’t use quotes to separate dialog, rather dashes. Speaking of dialog, most of the book’s dialog does not sound like real humans talking to one another; rather it is exposition or declaration.
Speaking of exposition, the first sixteen (albeit brief) chapters are nothing but exposition. The world exposed therein is somewhat interesting, but still, sixteen (16) (!) chapters of exposition? Nor does Costantini seem to have a good grasp on the logistics of living on Mars. On his Mars, one can move from building to building merely by wearing a breathing mask. On the real Mars, current surface pressure is way too low for that to happen. Nor has Costantini heard of centrifugal force – his long-haul spaceliners are zero-gee the whole way.
In short, I was underwhelmed by Drifting Away.
March 13, 2014
Drifting away just screams potential. With themes of love and loss, of disconnection and rootlessness, this is a story with big ideas. With Mars colonised, it's inhabitants are evolving; sociologically, culturally and perhaps physically, in their own direction. A direction taking them on a differing trajectory to that of Mother Earth.
The grand sweep of ideas here form the back-drop to an old-fashioned conspiracy laden mystery. I found myself becoming frustrated with the characters. Some of the dialogue could have been better thought out. In fact, the writing overall lacked any real flow and seemed to jump around quite a bit.
I really liked the set-up: two worlds, once joined, trying to define their respective destinies; but I felt the structure of the novel needed a more focused approach. With a more streamlined narrative and attention paid to the authenticity of character interactions this could be a substantial story. As it stands it lacks any real heft.
I feel that there is a really good novel here waiting to break out, and the author does conjure some compelling scenarios. There are several moments where a flash of inspiration has thrown up a memorable description or image but these are too few. I hope the author returns to the big ideas here as I feel they, and he, have a lot more to offer.
I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but all opinions are my own.
The grand sweep of ideas here form the back-drop to an old-fashioned conspiracy laden mystery. I found myself becoming frustrated with the characters. Some of the dialogue could have been better thought out. In fact, the writing overall lacked any real flow and seemed to jump around quite a bit.
I really liked the set-up: two worlds, once joined, trying to define their respective destinies; but I felt the structure of the novel needed a more focused approach. With a more streamlined narrative and attention paid to the authenticity of character interactions this could be a substantial story. As it stands it lacks any real heft.
I feel that there is a really good novel here waiting to break out, and the author does conjure some compelling scenarios. There are several moments where a flash of inspiration has thrown up a memorable description or image but these are too few. I hope the author returns to the big ideas here as I feel they, and he, have a lot more to offer.
I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but all opinions are my own.
June 26, 2013
* GOODREADS GIVEAWAY *
I was excited when I got this book from Stefano. I wanted to read something different from what I usually read and 'Drifting Away' sounded like it.
I love the cover! (That may not be the best indication that the book is 'good', but still, it attracts readers). It's very simple and lovely and looks different from the majority of modern novels. And I must say I actually like the plot. Relationship between Earth and Mars, measles, suicides - not my kind of thing and despite the plot being a bit slow at the beginning, it speeds up and I've read 'Drifting Away' in one evening. It is quite interesting how Stefano sees the future of Earth (and Mars), eg. independent Scotland, cancer treatment, etc. I'm not an expert, so it is difficult for me to tell if it's convincing, but it's definitely interesting to read.
And what do I know about Mars? Well, nothing. And I can't say that 'Drifting Away' encourages me to learn something about it. But I also think that even the best masterpiece wouldn't :)
There are some spelling errors that may be distracting, but 'Drifting Away' is worth reading and if you are a fan of Mars, then give it a try.
I was excited when I got this book from Stefano. I wanted to read something different from what I usually read and 'Drifting Away' sounded like it.
I love the cover! (That may not be the best indication that the book is 'good', but still, it attracts readers). It's very simple and lovely and looks different from the majority of modern novels. And I must say I actually like the plot. Relationship between Earth and Mars, measles, suicides - not my kind of thing and despite the plot being a bit slow at the beginning, it speeds up and I've read 'Drifting Away' in one evening. It is quite interesting how Stefano sees the future of Earth (and Mars), eg. independent Scotland, cancer treatment, etc. I'm not an expert, so it is difficult for me to tell if it's convincing, but it's definitely interesting to read.
And what do I know about Mars? Well, nothing. And I can't say that 'Drifting Away' encourages me to learn something about it. But I also think that even the best masterpiece wouldn't :)
There are some spelling errors that may be distracting, but 'Drifting Away' is worth reading and if you are a fan of Mars, then give it a try.
July 3, 2021
I loved the story and the buildup of plot for further books.
June 13, 2013
Rating: 7.0/10.0
Review: Stefano Constantini’s Drifting Away had a mind bending tale. As humans, we’ve always wanted to reach the stars, inhabit other planets, and go beyond our means of survival to test our limits. Drifting Away allows you to take yourself on a ride to do all of these and more. The story line was fantastic once you got past all the information. However, the information in the beginning was required to go through because the rest wouldn’t have made sense. I wish the information wasn’t as much as hinderance to the story. This is why I gave it a 7 instead of an 8 or 9. The story (past the back story) was absolutely thrilling. The way the characters got in your head and the major twist at the end left you yearning for more. Props to Stefano on his first book, and a beautifully simplistic cover. I love it!
Reviewed by IABookReviews.com
Review: Stefano Constantini’s Drifting Away had a mind bending tale. As humans, we’ve always wanted to reach the stars, inhabit other planets, and go beyond our means of survival to test our limits. Drifting Away allows you to take yourself on a ride to do all of these and more. The story line was fantastic once you got past all the information. However, the information in the beginning was required to go through because the rest wouldn’t have made sense. I wish the information wasn’t as much as hinderance to the story. This is why I gave it a 7 instead of an 8 or 9. The story (past the back story) was absolutely thrilling. The way the characters got in your head and the major twist at the end left you yearning for more. Props to Stefano on his first book, and a beautifully simplistic cover. I love it!
Reviewed by IABookReviews.com
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