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The Meteor #1
The Meteor
The new page-turner from million-selling author Joshua T. Calvert!
From the darkness of space…
…a global killer asteroid was on a collision course.
Will the world’s turmoil destroy mankind before it arrives?
Astronaut Lee Rifkin’s life is about to change. NASA has done the math. The space object named Cassandra 22007 is not behaving as expected. He will lead a team on a cutting-edge ship to get a closer look.
But another group wants to get there first.
Who is this shadow organization that seems to be one step ahead of them?
Agent Jenna Haynes works to put together the pieces that will pull the veil off those who seem to have known about Cassandra’s arrival since long before NASA spotted it.
What is their goal?
You’ll love this science fiction thriller because the twists and hidden agendas will keep you turning the pages all the way to the end.
Get it now.
From the darkness of space…
…a global killer asteroid was on a collision course.
Will the world’s turmoil destroy mankind before it arrives?
Astronaut Lee Rifkin’s life is about to change. NASA has done the math. The space object named Cassandra 22007 is not behaving as expected. He will lead a team on a cutting-edge ship to get a closer look.
But another group wants to get there first.
Who is this shadow organization that seems to be one step ahead of them?
Agent Jenna Haynes works to put together the pieces that will pull the veil off those who seem to have known about Cassandra’s arrival since long before NASA spotted it.
What is their goal?
You’ll love this science fiction thriller because the twists and hidden agendas will keep you turning the pages all the way to the end.
Get it now.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2024
1267 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
Joshua T. Calvert
52 books250 followersJoshua T. Calvert has traveled the world--on foot, by Jeep, by bicycle, by motorcycle, and lots of other ways besides. As you might imagine, he's seen many things most people never see - including an Iranian prison cell, from the inside! In Kyrgyzstan, he fared slightly better, narrowly avoiding being kidnapped for ransom. Skydiver, scuba diver, martial artist, adventurer - his goal is to experience everything possible, and then make it real to you in his books. And he's made a good run of it so far: in the Philippines, he did police training on multiple types of firearms (despite being no fan of guns himself); dove in Asian waters among sharks and shipwrecks; and patrolled with Sumatran jungle rangers.
That's what defines Calvert's approach to method writing: pushing himself beyond his own limits, to experience first-hand what his characters experience, to make your immersion in his stories as deep as it can be.
For Ganymede Rises, after a slight detour with some smugglers in the deserts of Uzbekistan and the steppes of Mongolia, he traveled by dogsled and snowshoe to the Arctic Circle to experience first-hand what it's like to be utterly isolated in the coldest place on Earth. For his book The Fossil, he sat with professional pilots in flight simulators for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft to learn what it's like to fly a passenger jet. His latest adventure: a parabolic flight with European Space Agency astronauts, to experience zero-gravity. All so he can describe it to you, in his own words.
That's what defines Calvert's approach to method writing: pushing himself beyond his own limits, to experience first-hand what his characters experience, to make your immersion in his stories as deep as it can be.
For Ganymede Rises, after a slight detour with some smugglers in the deserts of Uzbekistan and the steppes of Mongolia, he traveled by dogsled and snowshoe to the Arctic Circle to experience first-hand what it's like to be utterly isolated in the coldest place on Earth. For his book The Fossil, he sat with professional pilots in flight simulators for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft to learn what it's like to fly a passenger jet. His latest adventure: a parabolic flight with European Space Agency astronauts, to experience zero-gravity. All so he can describe it to you, in his own words.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 8, 2025
Very exciting!
The Meteor
By Joshua T. Calvert
This book have several stories going on at the same time, and at the end part on two of them are coming together. It's not a complete novel but not a cliffhanger. It's more a book in progress. 😊 Definitely plan to eventually read more books in the series.
The Meteor
By Joshua T. Calvert
This book have several stories going on at the same time, and at the end part on two of them are coming together. It's not a complete novel but not a cliffhanger. It's more a book in progress. 😊 Definitely plan to eventually read more books in the series.
November 8, 2024
I feel ripped off
I’m getting quite annoyed with the current trend of writing half a novel and publishing it while forcing readers to pay for another “half” and wait for the rest of the story.
That said, I’m anticipating another good tale, even if it means slogging through another 400 pages of slow buildup.
I was quite annoyed to find a few technical mistakes, which are unforgivable in any author who is capable of doing proper research. First, the merchant marine veteran in me gagged at the passage where a character leaves the Triton One’s bridge and takes the stairs UP to the quarterdeck. A ship’s quarterdeck is never a level above the bridge, at least not on any vessel I can imagine.
The second silly error, a sin committed by many in the sci-fi and techno thriller genre, is the “positioning” of a geostationary satellite in the northern or southern hemisphere. Orbital mechanics require a geostationary satellite to be over a spot on the equator. Any deviation above or below the equator makes the satellite “geosynchronous” which means it will maintain a position on the same longitude, but appear to an observer on the ground to bob north and south over each 24-hour period.
I’m getting quite annoyed with the current trend of writing half a novel and publishing it while forcing readers to pay for another “half” and wait for the rest of the story.
That said, I’m anticipating another good tale, even if it means slogging through another 400 pages of slow buildup.
I was quite annoyed to find a few technical mistakes, which are unforgivable in any author who is capable of doing proper research. First, the merchant marine veteran in me gagged at the passage where a character leaves the Triton One’s bridge and takes the stairs UP to the quarterdeck. A ship’s quarterdeck is never a level above the bridge, at least not on any vessel I can imagine.
The second silly error, a sin committed by many in the sci-fi and techno thriller genre, is the “positioning” of a geostationary satellite in the northern or southern hemisphere. Orbital mechanics require a geostationary satellite to be over a spot on the equator. Any deviation above or below the equator makes the satellite “geosynchronous” which means it will maintain a position on the same longitude, but appear to an observer on the ground to bob north and south over each 24-hour period.
November 19, 2024
What happens after a meteor strike? Ignorance is bliss…
January 18, 2025
Was this an early book/series written by this author before he learned more of his craft? As many of the other reviews point out, there are scientific, technical and other types of factual errors that are an immediate turn-off to the well-informed reader. Most sci fi readers are in fact very knowledgeable, and most will research with a quick online search any information that is presented as fact to be sure that they understand it. Meteors don't behave as this meteor behaves, but Calvert tells us it is not a craft, but an asteroid. Can't change the laws of physics. Can't hunt for Spanish galleons off Hawaii because they didn't sail there and you can't rewrite history. When you write about a topic, you better get the most basic as well as arcane facts right. Readers won't tolerate magic unless you are writing fantasy. Secondly, the three plot lines are confusing. Yes, this is meant to be the opener of a multi-book series, but you can't give some indication of how diverse story lines are going to join up at a later time or your reader is left totally confused. Grammatical errors should not exist. Not with apps that fix grammar, not with human editors. This is clearly a book in which the plot line determines what the characters are going to do in order for the story to unfold, as opposed to events occurring as a result of character driven choices. Many good books are plot driven. But to ignore any attempt to make the characters act as individuals as opposed to collections of stereotypes is a real let down to the reader. You can't root for a two-dimensional cardboard cut-out of a hero or heroine. And please stop infantile sexualization of female characters. Women buy a lot of books. Remember that. I am not sure I can continue the series. If this is what earth is like, then I would rather see it turned to rubble.
December 31, 2024
The only reason this book is getting a 2 star is because the plot was interesting, if you filled in the plot holes.
This is supposed to be about a race to get to a strange meteor and figure out why it is strange. (This is not a good reason). But at first it's a YouTuber who doesn't even know how to do his job. Then it's a clusterfuck of things that never really seems to come together. Then it ends in the middle.
However, my biggest problem with it is that it is so badly written. There are technical errors, there are grammatical errors, in the beginning, a scientist from Austria living in Spain is using American slang, idioms and turns of phrase. Linguistically, the author doesn't know how any of them would actually speak. The dialogue is painfully bad. The men think they're being clever by flirting or commenting on the women but they come off as lame, sexist and a little stupid.
This author is more interested in talking about how great he is because of all his travels (and yes, I absolutely believe he is writing about himself as the main character) than he is in writing. He clearly has not taken writing classes and is not one of the lucky who were born to it.
This is not worth the read.
This is supposed to be about a race to get to a strange meteor and figure out why it is strange. (This is not a good reason). But at first it's a YouTuber who doesn't even know how to do his job. Then it's a clusterfuck of things that never really seems to come together. Then it ends in the middle.
However, my biggest problem with it is that it is so badly written. There are technical errors, there are grammatical errors, in the beginning, a scientist from Austria living in Spain is using American slang, idioms and turns of phrase. Linguistically, the author doesn't know how any of them would actually speak. The dialogue is painfully bad. The men think they're being clever by flirting or commenting on the women but they come off as lame, sexist and a little stupid.
This author is more interested in talking about how great he is because of all his travels (and yes, I absolutely believe he is writing about himself as the main character) than he is in writing. He clearly has not taken writing classes and is not one of the lucky who were born to it.
This is not worth the read.
November 22, 2024
Pretty good...
I enjoy a lot of Calvert's stuff. For me, it meets a need of having good hard sci-fi that is regularly available (he seems very prolific), whose story and characters are compelling, and delivered in a manner that isn't preachy about contemporary real-world issues. I enjoyed this story because, in addition to the qualities above, was a succinct and taut sci-fi thriller which laid out a decent foundation for the series.
What I didn't care for was a Mary Sue CIA agent and some too-convenient happenings that border on ex machina. Still, I'm buying the next in the series tomorrow...
I enjoy a lot of Calvert's stuff. For me, it meets a need of having good hard sci-fi that is regularly available (he seems very prolific), whose story and characters are compelling, and delivered in a manner that isn't preachy about contemporary real-world issues. I enjoyed this story because, in addition to the qualities above, was a succinct and taut sci-fi thriller which laid out a decent foundation for the series.
What I didn't care for was a Mary Sue CIA agent and some too-convenient happenings that border on ex machina. Still, I'm buying the next in the series tomorrow...
July 20, 2025
Episodic story telling with a sci-fi tinge of international intrigue
This first episode of the four volume novel called The Meteor (subtitle The Asteroid- subtitle “where is this chapter’s GPS?”) is composed of multiple casts of seemingly unconnected characters roaming earth and space who have independent views or connect to, maybe, an asteroid that wants to become a meteor when it grows up. My cudos for pulling me along and creating enough curiosity to buy installment 2. Sometimes the mystery of what is over the next hill, behind the next corner and past the next wave is enough to turn the page. Very well written in parts.
This first episode of the four volume novel called The Meteor (subtitle The Asteroid- subtitle “where is this chapter’s GPS?”) is composed of multiple casts of seemingly unconnected characters roaming earth and space who have independent views or connect to, maybe, an asteroid that wants to become a meteor when it grows up. My cudos for pulling me along and creating enough curiosity to buy installment 2. Sometimes the mystery of what is over the next hill, behind the next corner and past the next wave is enough to turn the page. Very well written in parts.
November 18, 2024
Some Major Plot Holes
There isn't nor can there be treasure hunting in the waters off Hawaii. The islands are volcanoes that rise directly off the ocean floor representing some of the tallest mountains in the world in the deepest water. There are no Spanish gallons sunk there. The start of this book makes a big deal about treasure hunting off Oahu. I live here. Not possible. Never happened or will happen. This is a MAJOR plot hole. The writing is good, but it was really hard to get past the original premise.
There isn't nor can there be treasure hunting in the waters off Hawaii. The islands are volcanoes that rise directly off the ocean floor representing some of the tallest mountains in the world in the deepest water. There are no Spanish gallons sunk there. The start of this book makes a big deal about treasure hunting off Oahu. I live here. Not possible. Never happened or will happen. This is a MAJOR plot hole. The writing is good, but it was really hard to get past the original premise.
November 21, 2024
I wanted to like this book. I really did. But its three disjointed stories awkwardly threaded together. One of the stories has to do with the ISS, one has to do with a CIA operative in SE Asia and China, and one has to do with a treasure hunting trawler.
The ISS story does not interact with the other two at all, except that it takes place at the same time and it also involves the titular Meteor. The other two stories do not join up until the very end of the book, at which point they will diverge for another book.
The ISS story does not interact with the other two at all, except that it takes place at the same time and it also involves the titular Meteor. The other two stories do not join up until the very end of the book, at which point they will diverge for another book.
September 14, 2024
An excellent sci-fi thriller
The Meteor is a Douglas Preston-esque sci-fi thriller about a mysterious object in space on a collision course with earth, but it doesn't behave like any known celestial object. Masterfully interwoven with real events, it reads as much like non-fiction book as a thriller. The book sets up future events superbly, pitting global powers against each other. I can't wait for the next book!!!!
The Meteor is a Douglas Preston-esque sci-fi thriller about a mysterious object in space on a collision course with earth, but it doesn't behave like any known celestial object. Masterfully interwoven with real events, it reads as much like non-fiction book as a thriller. The book sets up future events superbly, pitting global powers against each other. I can't wait for the next book!!!!
October 10, 2024
This was an entertaining book, with three story lines that didn’t appear to have any commonality, until the epilogues. The three story lines for Jenna, Branson, and Lee help to keep the book’s action moving quickly, with all characters, including support ones, properly developed. I enjoyed every page of this first book of the series. The epilogues provide a tease for the next book, which I definitely want to read!
November 27, 2024
an excellent, exciting book
Fiction at its best. The Meteor is actually four stories that I can’t wait to see how they meld. Mr. Calvert is an excellent writer. I was really impressed with his myriad knowledge—laced with fiction but plausible—of several scientific disciplines. All four of his protagonists are intriguing, their stories are all portrayed around a central theme and are deftly intertwined. I’m looking forward to finishing this remarkable trilogy.
Fiction at its best. The Meteor is actually four stories that I can’t wait to see how they meld. Mr. Calvert is an excellent writer. I was really impressed with his myriad knowledge—laced with fiction but plausible—of several scientific disciplines. All four of his protagonists are intriguing, their stories are all portrayed around a central theme and are deftly intertwined. I’m looking forward to finishing this remarkable trilogy.
December 9, 2024
Fun, but irritating in the end
This is not a book, it's part of a book. It ended abruptly and you have to buy the next one for any sort of catharsis or closure.
It was fun while it lasted, but it's not even a cliffhanger, it's just mid-story. Turn the page and the book ends.
There were the several epilogues, which were just the next chapter and still the same. I was thinking, "Epilogue? Where was the ending? You can't have an epilogue without an ending."
This is not a book, it's part of a book. It ended abruptly and you have to buy the next one for any sort of catharsis or closure.
It was fun while it lasted, but it's not even a cliffhanger, it's just mid-story. Turn the page and the book ends.
There were the several epilogues, which were just the next chapter and still the same. I was thinking, "Epilogue? Where was the ending? You can't have an epilogue without an ending."
October 7, 2024
Jumps around. Is it science fiction? A spy thriller? A medical drama? Hard to tell. The story finally coheres about 100 pages in.
Most characters are fictional but the author inexplicably works in Elon Musk, with a fan-boy tone that’s unpleasant to those of us who regard him as a right wing jerk. He needs to be written out.
Most characters are fictional but the author inexplicably works in Elon Musk, with a fan-boy tone that’s unpleasant to those of us who regard him as a right wing jerk. He needs to be written out.
October 15, 2024
An Amalgam of Dramas
United by a mysterious meteor, several otherwise unrelated stories and characters play out their dramas. The ending craves the next volume, yet I do wonder how much clarity will be offered. Good characters with challenging stories and everything, including the meteor, is still up in the air.
United by a mysterious meteor, several otherwise unrelated stories and characters play out their dramas. The ending craves the next volume, yet I do wonder how much clarity will be offered. Good characters with challenging stories and everything, including the meteor, is still up in the air.
January 7, 2025
What a cracking good read
Great character developments and very well written up to date.....think of Apophis 2029!, an asteroid/comet which will pass so close to earth it will be under the geo synchronous satellites orbiting earth, great book cant wait to read the second instalment
Great character developments and very well written up to date.....think of Apophis 2029!, an asteroid/comet which will pass so close to earth it will be under the geo synchronous satellites orbiting earth, great book cant wait to read the second instalment
August 24, 2025
Too many subplots gets confusing
I initially started to love this exciting drama with lots of potential. Unfortunately the author threw in too many subplots that ate up too much and distracted us from the main focus. We don't need to spend pages in a secret forest. I almost gave up and returned the book, but now I have to get book two and see if it joust as distracting
I initially started to love this exciting drama with lots of potential. Unfortunately the author threw in too many subplots that ate up too much and distracted us from the main focus. We don't need to spend pages in a secret forest. I almost gave up and returned the book, but now I have to get book two and see if it joust as distracting
September 7, 2024
I read about 25% of this and there was about 1% of that having to do with a potential meteor and 99% a bunch of other stuff. Maybe it all ties together in the end but I wasn’t interested enough to stick around and find out.
October 2, 2024
The Meteor
This book seemed to be written by one of my former students. I was lost by the book. It may end up being a great book but it seemed to be written in a written with no purpose.
This book seemed to be written by one of my former students. I was lost by the book. It may end up being a great book but it seemed to be written in a written with no purpose.
October 3, 2024
confusing
It jumps back-and-forth too much. Leaves you wanting more before it jumps again. Need to understandit all better. Good writing but too many questions for the reader to have a firm grip on this story.
It jumps back-and-forth too much. Leaves you wanting more before it jumps again. Need to understandit all better. Good writing but too many questions for the reader to have a firm grip on this story.
October 11, 2024
Looking forward to the next installment
Good read, but as I saw in other reviews, there are a lot of editorial and grammatical issues. That being said, it was a good, fast read. Looking forward to the next book.
Good read, but as I saw in other reviews, there are a lot of editorial and grammatical issues. That being said, it was a good, fast read. Looking forward to the next book.
December 1, 2024
Great story
This is a very good story. It is fast moving with lots of action and great suspense with a great cast of characters. My favorite character is Branson, he's funny at times and serious at others. I recommend reading this to all that love science fiction.
This is a very good story. It is fast moving with lots of action and great suspense with a great cast of characters. My favorite character is Branson, he's funny at times and serious at others. I recommend reading this to all that love science fiction.
December 8, 2024
Great Start to the Series
I enjoyed The Meteor immensely. Calvert has brought together great characters, mystery, and a complex but entertaining plot. I can’t wait for the next book!
I enjoyed The Meteor immensely. Calvert has brought together great characters, mystery, and a complex but entertaining plot. I can’t wait for the next book!
December 24, 2024
Interesting!
This is a good read. Several subplots, plenty of action, and interesting characters. The book starts slowly and builds slowly but does pick up. Maybe fewer characters and a faster beginning would help.
This is a good read. Several subplots, plenty of action, and interesting characters. The book starts slowly and builds slowly but does pick up. Maybe fewer characters and a faster beginning would help.
January 1, 2025
intertwining stories
A fan of the author for years now, I was impressed at how three different stories took place that somehow logically ended up coming together in the end. I look forward to reading the next books.
A fan of the author for years now, I was impressed at how three different stories took place that somehow logically ended up coming together in the end. I look forward to reading the next books.
January 22, 2025
Fast paced and intriguing
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the way the main characters were slowly brought together by their own adventures. By the end of this first book I'm still trying to guess what the Meteor is and what it is doing. I'm looking forward to part 2.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the way the main characters were slowly brought together by their own adventures. By the end of this first book I'm still trying to guess what the Meteor is and what it is doing. I'm looking forward to part 2.
April 1, 2025
Great read
I love how the story just took off from page one, I enjoyed the twists and turns in the storyline, I also enjoyed the characters I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes in book two, you will not be disappointed in this series
I love how the story just took off from page one, I enjoyed the twists and turns in the storyline, I also enjoyed the characters I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes in book two, you will not be disappointed in this series
September 10, 2024
The Meteor.
I certainly hope there is a follow up to this opening novel. I've been left on a cliff hanger! More please Mr Calvert.🙂
I certainly hope there is a follow up to this opening novel. I've been left on a cliff hanger! More please Mr Calvert.🙂
September 19, 2024
The Meteor
While this book was certainly interesting, it left a lot of mystery. That has to be resolved in another book. I hope the next in the series is available.
While this book was certainly interesting, it left a lot of mystery. That has to be resolved in another book. I hope the next in the series is available.
October 15, 2024
page turner
Fun fast read and hard to put down. Good start to the characters and hoping they get fleshed out more in the next book.
Fun fast read and hard to put down. Good start to the characters and hoping they get fleshed out more in the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews