Red Planet Rising

by Andrew M. Seddon

Explore the two distinct worlds on the planet Mars in this science fiction thriller where Christians fear for their lives under the reign of a mysterious new leader.

Genres: Science Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

About the author

I was born in England, but have lived most of my life in the US... upstate NY, Maryland, West Virginia, and for the past 30 years, Montana. I am semi-retired, and my wonderful wife Olivia (a veterinarian) and I divide our time between Montana and Florida. Our dogs - Rex ,my German Shepherd, and Bakhita, Olivia's Chiweenie - love both places as well.

I began writing in 1990, both fiction and non-fiction. My genres are science fiction, historical fiction, and supernatural fiction (I don't like the term horror, but that's what Goodreads had me choose). I like mixing genres.

When not writing, my wife and I can be found running marathons, hiking, or travelling.

Reviews

[Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

British-born medical doctor Seddon, an evangelical Anglican [update note, 9/12/23: he subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism], is one of the best Christian voices in the science fiction genre today. His novels and stories are characterized by stylistic excellence, artistic plot development, believable and well- drawn characters (including strong females who can function as the full equals of males), and credible extrapolation from real -life scientific and social trends. He writes in the "hard" SF tradition --that is, the branch of the genre that sticks close to actual scientific plausibility-- and represents the current renaissance and flowering of this tradition into a medium for the exploration of actual human concerns, rather than just a showcase for scientific speculation (as much of the early hard SF was). All of these characteristics are in evidence here, as well as a quality of suspense which, once the groundwork is laid and events really begin to move, makes the book a gripping page turner.

Cult leader Maranan's agenda --worship of Mars as a goddess (cf. the present-day "Goddess Earth" movement) and persecution of Christians could be copied from the playbook of any number of current shapers of public opinion. So his portrait of a neo -pagan future society is 100% relevant to the present --a grim portrait of where current trends will take us if they aren't reversed. The book is not only entertainment, but food for serious thought.

[Larry Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Science fiction persecution of Christians in the future on Mars. Better than that sounds.