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Survive!: Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti g
In the twenty-third century, Earth’s scientists finally unlock the secret of faster than light travel, and humankind begins journeying to the stars. Unfortunately, the travel comes with perilous risks. While exploring the galaxy and looking for habitable worlds for human colonization, the United Earth Space Force exploratory ship, Copernicus , is destroyed by an encounter with an unexpected meteor storm as it orbits a newly discovered planet twelve light years from Earth. Of the more than one hundred scientists and crew members aboard, only a few escape to the surface of Planet Tau Ceti g—one being Chris Elliott, a thirty-six-year-old xenobiologist who now must struggle to help himself and the other survivors to stay alive on an unfriendly, alien world. With dwindling resources and no communication with Earth to coordinate a rescue, the group is forced to battle hostile elements and creatures never before seen by humans. Now only time will tell if any of them will live long enough to see a rescue. In this science fiction thriller, a young scientist leads the charge as he and the remaining crew members attempt to survive on an unwelcoming planet with nothing but ingenuity, perseverance, and hope.
292 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2014
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38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 30, 2022
Twelve light years from earth, what remains of the earth starship Copernicus orbits the planet Tau Ceti G. The few survivors of the ship’s encounter with a deadly meteor storm struggle to survive on a planet with hostile creatures and no way to contact their home planet. After months of hardship, they are finally rescued by another ship from earth. That is the plot of author Charles P. Graham’s first entry in his Survive! space saga, Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti G.
In his second Survive! novel, First Alien Contact, Graham reveals there was one more Copernicus survivor. Lieutenant Commander Valory Jeanne, of the United Earth Space Force, survived the battering of her ship only to find herself trapped aboard with no life pods in which she could escape to the planet below. Valory, an astrophysicist, is forced to use all her scientific knowledge to survive onboard the crippled ship and improvise sending a distress message to earth.
But this is not just another story of survival; it’s three stories in one. After returning to earth, several of the rescued Copernicus survivors are assigned to the space force’s newest faster-then-light ship, the Orion. Before the shin response to Valory’s galactic SOS. The rescue mission doesn’t go well; the new ship is plagued with teething problems, and the crew makes first contact with not one but four intelligence life forms, but not all of them friendly.
Graham’s story of survival, heroism, and diplomacy is a taut sci-fi thriller, with a great narration by Jonathan Andrew, and is a must read for space saga fans.
In his second Survive! novel, First Alien Contact, Graham reveals there was one more Copernicus survivor. Lieutenant Commander Valory Jeanne, of the United Earth Space Force, survived the battering of her ship only to find herself trapped aboard with no life pods in which she could escape to the planet below. Valory, an astrophysicist, is forced to use all her scientific knowledge to survive onboard the crippled ship and improvise sending a distress message to earth.
But this is not just another story of survival; it’s three stories in one. After returning to earth, several of the rescued Copernicus survivors are assigned to the space force’s newest faster-then-light ship, the Orion. Before the shin response to Valory’s galactic SOS. The rescue mission doesn’t go well; the new ship is plagued with teething problems, and the crew makes first contact with not one but four intelligence life forms, but not all of them friendly.
Graham’s story of survival, heroism, and diplomacy is a taut sci-fi thriller, with a great narration by Jonathan Andrew, and is a must read for space saga fans.
April 27, 2015
I think this book is awesome. I read the 1 star review from Samantha and disagree with her review. I didn't have any problem with differentiating the characters at all. Sometimes the author used a last name only, but most of the time he used the first name. That happens in all good books. I think she confused the XO with Sandy. Sandy was the flirty one, not the XO. I also didn't see any sexism in the story at all. I saw people trying to stay alive in a bad situation. Somehow she saw sexism in that the men were the ones to gather firewood. So what? Didn't she read that it was the women that dug the massive pit, and equally labored to build the shelter? Maybe the women were better cooks, after-all, Sandy was hired on as a cook. Samantha also reported incorrectly that Sandy's lover (Jay) said that she was confident in her abilities but welcomed criticism. Her lover said that she was confident in her abilities but admits her weaknesses. That's totally different. I think Samantha has a issue with men. It's very apparent in her writing when she said that she knows women "who don't need no man," along with her discourse with men v. women. Well, Samantha, true, there are women who "don't need no man," to succeed, but there are also many women who enjoy being with a man just because he is a man. I have many friends that are married to women like that.
Also,having a degree in psychology, I can say that psychological testing does not catch every human foible. On leadership. Leaders don't have to "know it all," to be an effective leader, but a good leader will know when to delegate authority to one who knows how to accomplish the task at hand. As a corporate executive, I do that all the time. It's necessary. Rather than fumble around and make mistakes, letting the employee that is good at performing the job makes me look good to my superiors.
I felt that I had to write this response to Samantha's negative rating of this book because in my opinion, the book was great. This was not meant to be demeaning in any way of her, because she is entitled to her opinion, but there were many facts that she had misrepresented that I felt the need to point some of them out.
Also,having a degree in psychology, I can say that psychological testing does not catch every human foible. On leadership. Leaders don't have to "know it all," to be an effective leader, but a good leader will know when to delegate authority to one who knows how to accomplish the task at hand. As a corporate executive, I do that all the time. It's necessary. Rather than fumble around and make mistakes, letting the employee that is good at performing the job makes me look good to my superiors.
I felt that I had to write this response to Samantha's negative rating of this book because in my opinion, the book was great. This was not meant to be demeaning in any way of her, because she is entitled to her opinion, but there were many facts that she had misrepresented that I felt the need to point some of them out.
December 26, 2015
What do you get when you mix equal parts of Andy Weir’s The Martian with Johann David Wyss’s Swiss Family Robinson and a dash of Wild Kingdom? You get Charles P. Graham’s debut sci-fi novel Survive! Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti g.
The space exploration ship Copernicus, one of Earth’s first faster than light ships capable of exploring the galaxy, is orbiting Tau Ceti g when an undetected meteor storm fatally damages the ship. Only seven crew members survive, fleeing to the planet’s surface in three escape pods. Each survivor is a specialist in an area of science or technology. To survive, they must use that knowledge as well as learn ancient skills like bow hunting, spearfishing, and tanning hides.
Much like Weir, author Graham is at his best describing the science the crew members use to survive. A long-time member of the Civil Air Patrol—the U.S. Air Force’s auxiliary force used primarily for search and rescue—Graham also has an impressive knowledge of survival techniques.
The author also authentically creates the flora and fauna of an alien world, including the most memorable characters of the story—a colony of intelligent, paddle-tailed mammals the survivors call pidoggs who become the humans’ constant companion. The pidoggs are guaranteed to warm the heart of any animal lover.
Survive! Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti g is an enjoyable book for readers of all ages.
The space exploration ship Copernicus, one of Earth’s first faster than light ships capable of exploring the galaxy, is orbiting Tau Ceti g when an undetected meteor storm fatally damages the ship. Only seven crew members survive, fleeing to the planet’s surface in three escape pods. Each survivor is a specialist in an area of science or technology. To survive, they must use that knowledge as well as learn ancient skills like bow hunting, spearfishing, and tanning hides.
Much like Weir, author Graham is at his best describing the science the crew members use to survive. A long-time member of the Civil Air Patrol—the U.S. Air Force’s auxiliary force used primarily for search and rescue—Graham also has an impressive knowledge of survival techniques.
The author also authentically creates the flora and fauna of an alien world, including the most memorable characters of the story—a colony of intelligent, paddle-tailed mammals the survivors call pidoggs who become the humans’ constant companion. The pidoggs are guaranteed to warm the heart of any animal lover.
Survive! Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti g is an enjoyable book for readers of all ages.
January 25, 2015
I met the author of this and bought a copy, which he signed. I actually really loves this romping sci-fi adventure! The characters were relatable and the plot was quick moving. The book read quickly and there was certainly room for a sequel, which I really look forward to.
June 9, 2020
I have several big problems with this book.
The most glaring is the dialogue. It feels so plastic and flows terribly. None of the characters sound like real people, rather they speak like characters in a soap opera. It's also incredibly irritating when, at the slightest prompt, characters will go into 'exposition-mode' and just relay their life story on a dime. So weird.
Another big issue I have is the characters. I normally cringe when you see low star reviews from reviewers complaining about the female characters... with a huge caveat, I'd have to say it's kinda earned here.
I should add, it's only earned because of the unique circumstances of the premise. If the cast of characters were passengers on an aeroplane that crash-landed on a deserted island, they'd be totally fine! Or a team of researchers stranded somewhere without a means of contacting aid? Sure.
These people are survivors of humanity's SECOND deep space voyage. To become an astronaut today, you need to be pretty freaking incredible. To get on one of the first deep-space scientific missions? From a pool of a supposed 'United Earth' there is no way they're picking anyone but literal geniuses. The best of the best that humanity has to offer...
Sandy is a cook. That's about it.
There is no way she belongs on that ship. There's no way you spend billions to put a COOK on such a ship. You'd make sure one of your genius engineers or biologists can scramble some eggs for christ's sake. One of the other females is the XO of the ship who immediately relinquishes command at the first opportunity... I don't even remember what the point of the third woman. The fourth was a doctor. She's fine (though she still feels a bit under-qualified).
Ultimately, this book is between frustrating and forgettable for me (I'm sure I had another big critique, but I just can't remember and I listened to the entire book today...). I'm not sure I'll continue.
The most glaring is the dialogue. It feels so plastic and flows terribly. None of the characters sound like real people, rather they speak like characters in a soap opera. It's also incredibly irritating when, at the slightest prompt, characters will go into 'exposition-mode' and just relay their life story on a dime. So weird.
Another big issue I have is the characters. I normally cringe when you see low star reviews from reviewers complaining about the female characters... with a huge caveat, I'd have to say it's kinda earned here.
I should add, it's only earned because of the unique circumstances of the premise. If the cast of characters were passengers on an aeroplane that crash-landed on a deserted island, they'd be totally fine! Or a team of researchers stranded somewhere without a means of contacting aid? Sure.
These people are survivors of humanity's SECOND deep space voyage. To become an astronaut today, you need to be pretty freaking incredible. To get on one of the first deep-space scientific missions? From a pool of a supposed 'United Earth' there is no way they're picking anyone but literal geniuses. The best of the best that humanity has to offer...
Sandy is a cook. That's about it.
There is no way she belongs on that ship. There's no way you spend billions to put a COOK on such a ship. You'd make sure one of your genius engineers or biologists can scramble some eggs for christ's sake. One of the other females is the XO of the ship who immediately relinquishes command at the first opportunity... I don't even remember what the point of the third woman. The fourth was a doctor. She's fine (though she still feels a bit under-qualified).
Ultimately, this book is between frustrating and forgettable for me (I'm sure I had another big critique, but I just can't remember and I listened to the entire book today...). I'm not sure I'll continue.
September 9, 2018
Good adventure story.
I love these type of stories. Some of expressions of the author were nerdy and prudish. A few things were annoying, like the descriptions of the people, -saying his 180 centimeters became 190, instead of just saying he stretched - was a little absurd. Plus the fact that there was no diversity in the survivor was troubling. I like the world created. Liked the pigdoggs. I enjoyed the story.
I love these type of stories. Some of expressions of the author were nerdy and prudish. A few things were annoying, like the descriptions of the people, -saying his 180 centimeters became 190, instead of just saying he stretched - was a little absurd. Plus the fact that there was no diversity in the survivor was troubling. I like the world created. Liked the pigdoggs. I enjoyed the story.
February 5, 2020
Very well done.
March 11, 2016
Many things make a storyteller great: striking ideas, a clear and consistent style and voice, and a deep understanding of pacing and flow among them. This story has some but not all of these elements which is a shame because the author is so personable (I met him and bought his book at a signing) and I really wanted to love his work. There are pitfalls many newer authors fall into and one of them is a myopic focus on the ideas that shape the story during the author’s time spent world-building but a poor execution of them due to a lack of understanding of other important things such as plot structure, character development, or character motivation.
This story’s development seems too sparing in some parts and overwhelmingly full of info-dumps in others. This left me confused at times, and at other times a bit bored. Conflict in story isn’t just about the challenges one faces against the elements, but within oneself, and between the people, and other life-forms one encounters. The main character in this story is what one might call a Mary Sue, or in this instance, since the main character is male, we might call him a Marty Stu. He is great at everything leaving very little room for his other characters to step in and do cool things in their own right.
Also, key female characters’ motivations and actions don’t mesh, so they end up becoming disappointing caricatures of believable people. For example, why would a person trusted with captaining a ship ever just hand over leadership of a ground mission to a junior crew member, and keep behaving passively throughout the long struggle they find themselves facing throughout a majority of the story, only to become the love interest at the end when everyone’s safely back in space? The motives and actions did not appear to go together.
Despite these flaws, I did like the ideas Dr. Graham came up with regarding the sorts of alien life which the crew encounters while struggling to survive on the planet’s surface. And of course this is very important to me as an avid reader of science fiction stories. I want to learn about the “what if” of it all. So I do give the author kudos for his world development as the highlight of why one might wish to read this book.
This story’s development seems too sparing in some parts and overwhelmingly full of info-dumps in others. This left me confused at times, and at other times a bit bored. Conflict in story isn’t just about the challenges one faces against the elements, but within oneself, and between the people, and other life-forms one encounters. The main character in this story is what one might call a Mary Sue, or in this instance, since the main character is male, we might call him a Marty Stu. He is great at everything leaving very little room for his other characters to step in and do cool things in their own right.
Also, key female characters’ motivations and actions don’t mesh, so they end up becoming disappointing caricatures of believable people. For example, why would a person trusted with captaining a ship ever just hand over leadership of a ground mission to a junior crew member, and keep behaving passively throughout the long struggle they find themselves facing throughout a majority of the story, only to become the love interest at the end when everyone’s safely back in space? The motives and actions did not appear to go together.
Despite these flaws, I did like the ideas Dr. Graham came up with regarding the sorts of alien life which the crew encounters while struggling to survive on the planet’s surface. And of course this is very important to me as an avid reader of science fiction stories. I want to learn about the “what if” of it all. So I do give the author kudos for his world development as the highlight of why one might wish to read this book.
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February 4, 2019The Wide Open Spaces of Scifi
Science fiction often operates by projecting contemporary issues onto the future, a strategy that puts them in new contexts where we can better understand them. In short, the present is projected into the future to create insight. Dystopian novels like Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 or Huxley’s Brave New World are obvious examples of such writing. But science fiction has many other formulations that integrate varying degrees of scientific reference. Star Wars rests on Joseph Campbell’s description of “the hero’s journey” and visual spectacle. Ursula LeGuin’s Left Hand of Darkness locates questions of gender and politics in geography and the heroic quest of polar exploration. Stanislaw Lem’s fiction takes language and its representational failures as the core of his fiction. In short, science fiction doesn’t categorize easily . . . and that’s its pleasure.
In the midst of this jumbled genre comes Charles Graham’s Survive series whose first novel, Marooned on Planet Tau Cetig uses America’s westward expansion as the underlying template for a story of exploration, loss, and recovery that includes re-inventions of the threats faced by American pioneers: buffalo-type stampedes, terrifying bear-like carnivores, and the relentless rain and wind of the prairie. Each of these historical sources are transformed so that we recognize their source, but in a way that ultimately asks us to think of science fiction as not only a projection of the present onto the future, but also as the persistence of history into the present and thence to our future. It’s a sophisticated move on Graham’s part, and it makes the book compelling as both a science fiction tale and as a consideration of science fiction itself.
Science fiction often operates by projecting contemporary issues onto the future, a strategy that puts them in new contexts where we can better understand them. In short, the present is projected into the future to create insight. Dystopian novels like Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 or Huxley’s Brave New World are obvious examples of such writing. But science fiction has many other formulations that integrate varying degrees of scientific reference. Star Wars rests on Joseph Campbell’s description of “the hero’s journey” and visual spectacle. Ursula LeGuin’s Left Hand of Darkness locates questions of gender and politics in geography and the heroic quest of polar exploration. Stanislaw Lem’s fiction takes language and its representational failures as the core of his fiction. In short, science fiction doesn’t categorize easily . . . and that’s its pleasure.
In the midst of this jumbled genre comes Charles Graham’s Survive series whose first novel, Marooned on Planet Tau Cetig uses America’s westward expansion as the underlying template for a story of exploration, loss, and recovery that includes re-inventions of the threats faced by American pioneers: buffalo-type stampedes, terrifying bear-like carnivores, and the relentless rain and wind of the prairie. Each of these historical sources are transformed so that we recognize their source, but in a way that ultimately asks us to think of science fiction as not only a projection of the present onto the future, but also as the persistence of history into the present and thence to our future. It’s a sophisticated move on Graham’s part, and it makes the book compelling as both a science fiction tale and as a consideration of science fiction itself.
May 24, 2016
It’s a Sci-Fi themed month!
What a thrilling read by Charles P. Graham. If you miss the first book, Survive!: Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti g, you can find it by clicking here, or you can read this book as a stand-alone. I actually read them out of order, but Charles is so great at creating a solid starting and stopping point for these books, that you can jump right in anywhere.
I was most surprised by how imaginative his other world is. Complete with ‘Pidoggs’, and other alien species, you can’t help but imagine that one day, these worlds may one day be our reality. I also enjoyed how through this author is about including details once would barely think about, like how these ships operate and how life is sustained while traveling deep into space.
This is a well written book, that I’m calling a ‘Must-Read’, even if you’re not sure that this genre is for you. The character and world building feels like it could slip into present day, as if this is something we could experience in our lifetimes. This book is packed with action, meticulous sub-plots, and charged with emotion, I think you’ll agree that it’s hard to put down!
What a thrilling read by Charles P. Graham. If you miss the first book, Survive!: Marooned on Planet Tau Ceti g, you can find it by clicking here, or you can read this book as a stand-alone. I actually read them out of order, but Charles is so great at creating a solid starting and stopping point for these books, that you can jump right in anywhere.
I was most surprised by how imaginative his other world is. Complete with ‘Pidoggs’, and other alien species, you can’t help but imagine that one day, these worlds may one day be our reality. I also enjoyed how through this author is about including details once would barely think about, like how these ships operate and how life is sustained while traveling deep into space.
This is a well written book, that I’m calling a ‘Must-Read’, even if you’re not sure that this genre is for you. The character and world building feels like it could slip into present day, as if this is something we could experience in our lifetimes. This book is packed with action, meticulous sub-plots, and charged with emotion, I think you’ll agree that it’s hard to put down!
January 5, 2017
I so wanted to love this book more. Met the author a really nice Star Trek fan. Unfortunately the plot is slightly more complex than an original series Star Trek episode. In under 300 pages every disaster scenario is solved within 3 pages to a chapter at most. There are too many characters with paper thin back stories and no real personality. There is Chris the wonder man who knows how to do everything. And everyone else. I am not sure who the audience is for either. It is more or less a Star Trek novel level of reading. Not the newer ones but the older campy ones. I stress the Star Trek comparison since at the end when all are rescued (again all danger easily solved so no stakes) the lovers get offered a position on a Next Generation star ship that goes faster and is bigger and will allow families for s five year mission. Sound familiar? I have the sequel and will read it as there was so much to like I just wish there was more meat to this new universe that did not feel like pilot episode.
August 26, 2019
Big improvement over the first book. Started to get a feel for this universe. It is very close to Star Trek Enterprise in premise. I would love to read a third book in the series if one ever comes. Out. Although improved there is still the problem of this being a by the numbers book of action/disaster lasts for one chapter if that and magically solved within 5 pages. This is more age range for 8-15 than adults. Also there are typos like 5-10+ of words and sentence structure that should have been caught in proof-reading stages.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews