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The Atlantis Deception
The Atlantis Origins Project exists for "the exploration and scientific discovery of alien-inhabited worlds," and Isis and Janus have served in the program for over twenty years.
When a strange computer malfunction leaves them locked inside the arcology, a large dome at the center of the ship, they must figure out a way to get out.
But the arcology isn't empty. There are alien species, brought back for scientific study, inside as well.
And not all of these species are friendly...
When a strange computer malfunction leaves them locked inside the arcology, a large dome at the center of the ship, they must figure out a way to get out.
But the arcology isn't empty. There are alien species, brought back for scientific study, inside as well.
And not all of these species are friendly...
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
141 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2014
71 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Nick Thacker
109 books440 followersNick Thacker is a thriller author from Texas who lives in Hawaii. In his free time, he enjoys reading in a hammock on the beach, skiing, drinking whiskey, and hanging out with his beautiful wife, two dogs, and two daughters.
For more information, visit Nick online at www.nickthacker.com
In addition to his fiction work, Nick is the founder and lead of Sonata & Scribe, the only music studio focused on producing “soundtracks” for books and series. Find out more at www.SonataAndScribe.com.
In addition to his fiction work, Nick is the founder and lead of Sonata & Scribe, the only music studio focused on producing “soundtracks” for books and series. Find out more at www.SonataAndScribe.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 30, 2015
The 1-line Review:
The last 4 words were the most thrilling. There was too much ambiguity to get deeply invested.
The longer review:
This is a ‘Don’t read the last page first’ kind of story. Some people peak, but don’t; otherwise it kills the whole story. I have not read any other story in this series, and this story is readable if it is your first one. While this story is a good read for a sci-fi/thriller, it didn’t make me so invested as to want to read others from the series.
The ARC, essentially an alien collection vessel and mobile habitat, was filled with creatively dangerous species from a newly discovered planet. The crew member get trapped inside the recreated habitat and have to traverse the region in its entirety to get to a maintenance door and exit. The ship is cool, the creatures are cool. The action scenes and suspense are nice, but there is an amount of ambiguity from start to finish that kept me from getting deep into the story.
I think over-engineered technology drives the plot. That is to say, there would have been no danger if engineers had put door handles on all the automatic doors. Normally I don’t like when the storyline hinges on something so little. In this case I like it because it sheds some light on the way we are designing technology now. (Like key-less entry cars with electronic backup systems to open them in case of failure. If the electronics totally fail, you cant open the car…) Anyway the engineer in me is digressing…
Bottom Line:
Props to Thracker for writing this story in a month. If you like his work, I would say this book was better than Golden Crystal but not as good as The Depths. (Have not read Enigma Strain yet, so cant judge that one.)
Where the book lost a half star:
Why even enter the zoo in the first place. The team could have figured away to defend against one species in the conference room. And Malai (the one team member not trapped) could have blown open the conference door, rather than the door he actually blew up. Common sense wise, it dint make sense.
The team of explorers about the ARC (spaceship) refer to their specie’s traits and how they do or do not resemble those traits. But never do we get an inkling of what this species looks like. So I ended up thinking about them all as humans who talked kind of nerdy. All the actions they take sound human; walk, sit at tables, eat soup, sleep lying down, etc. All of that is entirely human, nothing stood out as different. However all the other species in this book were clearly set apart from earth species.
Every species was designated a number and no name. Makes sense, but at times I have to stop and think which were which because you can forget when every name is a number.
While the over-ingenuity lucked out as being a plus, the team suffered from single personality disorder. With maybe one or two exceptions, the essence of almost every team member was the same; logical to a fault, stick to protocol, little creativity, meticulous. The team was very ISTJ when an advanced society capable of space travel should be able to get a more diverse team together.
The last 4 words were the most thrilling. There was too much ambiguity to get deeply invested.
The longer review:
This is a ‘Don’t read the last page first’ kind of story. Some people peak, but don’t; otherwise it kills the whole story. I have not read any other story in this series, and this story is readable if it is your first one. While this story is a good read for a sci-fi/thriller, it didn’t make me so invested as to want to read others from the series.
The ARC, essentially an alien collection vessel and mobile habitat, was filled with creatively dangerous species from a newly discovered planet. The crew member get trapped inside the recreated habitat and have to traverse the region in its entirety to get to a maintenance door and exit. The ship is cool, the creatures are cool. The action scenes and suspense are nice, but there is an amount of ambiguity from start to finish that kept me from getting deep into the story.
I think over-engineered technology drives the plot. That is to say, there would have been no danger if engineers had put door handles on all the automatic doors. Normally I don’t like when the storyline hinges on something so little. In this case I like it because it sheds some light on the way we are designing technology now. (Like key-less entry cars with electronic backup systems to open them in case of failure. If the electronics totally fail, you cant open the car…) Anyway the engineer in me is digressing…
Bottom Line:
Props to Thracker for writing this story in a month. If you like his work, I would say this book was better than Golden Crystal but not as good as The Depths. (Have not read Enigma Strain yet, so cant judge that one.)
Where the book lost a half star:
Why even enter the zoo in the first place. The team could have figured away to defend against one species in the conference room. And Malai (the one team member not trapped) could have blown open the conference door, rather than the door he actually blew up. Common sense wise, it dint make sense.
The team of explorers about the ARC (spaceship) refer to their specie’s traits and how they do or do not resemble those traits. But never do we get an inkling of what this species looks like. So I ended up thinking about them all as humans who talked kind of nerdy. All the actions they take sound human; walk, sit at tables, eat soup, sleep lying down, etc. All of that is entirely human, nothing stood out as different. However all the other species in this book were clearly set apart from earth species.
Every species was designated a number and no name. Makes sense, but at times I have to stop and think which were which because you can forget when every name is a number.
While the over-ingenuity lucked out as being a plus, the team suffered from single personality disorder. With maybe one or two exceptions, the essence of almost every team member was the same; logical to a fault, stick to protocol, little creativity, meticulous. The team was very ISTJ when an advanced society capable of space travel should be able to get a more diverse team together.
May 12, 2017
GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!GOOD !!!
March 21, 2023
Makes you think
The characters are brought forth in stages. Humans doing things that they shouldn't be doing.
Don't expect the atmosphere to be compatible if another world is found with life.
The characters are brought forth in stages. Humans doing things that they shouldn't be doing.
Don't expect the atmosphere to be compatible if another world is found with life.
October 25, 2019
This book is awesome and packed with action and suspense. I will definitely be reading more of this series. Lovers of James Rollins should definitely read this.
April 20, 2015
A summary of my reaction to this book in simple terms:
What? Whaaaatt.... What? What! What. WHAT?!
In more comprehensive terms:
What?
I was a little confused at the beginning of the book. Maybe if I had read the original book it's based on, I might have a little more clue as to what was happening. Or maybe not. Well, the premise itself wasn't very confusing, but the repeatedly annoying allusion as to some major "decision" they made that was affecting them got a little confusing when no one wanted to actually say WHAT that decision was until midway through the book. I hate that.
Whaaaatt
Once they got that little detail out of the way, things got better, though I couldn't really see the relevance of that seemingly stupid decision.
What?
Until I did. And then I went, huh, really? But why?
What!
More revelations abound and things are starting to fall into place. I did get a little engrossed in the book although it really IS a very short book (I think I started reading at about 7.30pm whilst eating dinner and finished it at about 9.30pm, during which time I also cleared up the dinner table and washed the dishes and lazed about a little, so really, actual reading time is only a little over an hour. SO SHORT.)
What.
Okay. Plot twist that I didn't expect, but seems somewhat plausible. I'm not sure exactly what to think about it. But it moves the story along, so I guess it's fine.
WHAT?!
And then I get to like 97% of the book, and the final denouement is about to take place and my head is going "nonononononono. I know what's going to happen, and it's going to be so expected but so tragic and also so...[insert feeling that I don't know how to express]"
And yeah, it happened.
I think I read too much.
* Also, disclaimer that I was "gifted" this book by the author in exchange for an honest review as part of his review drive and giveaway.
What? Whaaaatt.... What? What! What. WHAT?!
In more comprehensive terms:
What?
I was a little confused at the beginning of the book. Maybe if I had read the original book it's based on, I might have a little more clue as to what was happening. Or maybe not. Well, the premise itself wasn't very confusing, but the repeatedly annoying allusion as to some major "decision" they made that was affecting them got a little confusing when no one wanted to actually say WHAT that decision was until midway through the book. I hate that.
Whaaaatt
Once they got that little detail out of the way, things got better, though I couldn't really see the relevance of that seemingly stupid decision.
What?
Until I did. And then I went, huh, really? But why?
What!
More revelations abound and things are starting to fall into place. I did get a little engrossed in the book although it really IS a very short book (I think I started reading at about 7.30pm whilst eating dinner and finished it at about 9.30pm, during which time I also cleared up the dinner table and washed the dishes and lazed about a little, so really, actual reading time is only a little over an hour. SO SHORT.)
What.
Okay. Plot twist that I didn't expect, but seems somewhat plausible. I'm not sure exactly what to think about it. But it moves the story along, so I guess it's fine.
WHAT?!
And then I get to like 97% of the book, and the final denouement is about to take place and my head is going "nonononononono. I know what's going to happen, and it's going to be so expected but so tragic and also so...[insert feeling that I don't know how to express]"
And yeah, it happened.
I think I read too much.
* Also, disclaimer that I was "gifted" this book by the author in exchange for an honest review as part of his review drive and giveaway.
April 20, 2015
A good author is able to create a "world" for his characters to inhabit and interact with each other. Some authors have developed complex "worlds" by writing a series of stories that goes on and on, sometimes for generations. It is no easy task for an author to remain true to his world, keeping everything in perspective and satisfying his reader's demands for new plots, intriguing relationships, and sparkling dialog. A truly great author can drop into another author's "world" and spin an entertaining yarn which grabs your interest (even if you know nothing about this "world"). Nick Thacker is such an author. When I heard that Nick had written a story set in the Atlantean world of A.G. Riddle, I was intrigued. I bought the book, (a rarity for me) based on my experience with Thacker's writing. I was not disappointed, the novella was very well done and the relationships between the characters was quite interesting. I enjoyed the style of flashing from character to character, as the story progressed; thus giving us a varied look at each situation they found themselves in. I grew up in the 1950s & 60s reading science fiction and this reminded me of those old stories in Astounding/Analog, Galaxy, and If. In fact I can picture a cover by Emsh ( Ed Emshwiller), showing Species 9 in the foreground. I heartily recommend this book to everyone as it will not only entertain you, it will also cause you to think (A worthy goal of many authors).
January 1, 2016
Nick Thacker’s short sci-fi thriller, The Atlantis Deception, is a hard SF offering written at the invitation of Amazon Publishing, and is set in the story world of A.G. Riddle’s Origin Mystery trilogy.
Thacker’s contribution actually starts a little slow.
Don’t let that fool you. This tale of a small crew of interstellar adventurers, whose mandate is to explore life-bearing worlds, collect non-sentient specimens for entertainment and scientific purposes, and then get those specimens home, quickly takes off faster than their ship. Deception is a page-turner in the finest tradition.
Thacker’s characters are well-developed and believable. Their interaction with each other is complex and layered with tension. The story begins with their ship’s departure from Planet 1457, after having collected several species that have caused much controversy amongst the crew. This controversy helps drive the mystery through the first half of the story.
The tension thickens as the crew finds itself inside the arcology meant to house the life forms they have collected. This problem is complicated by betrayal from within the ranks. Rather than a spoiler alert, I’ll just close here, and advise you to give The Atlantis Deception a quick read. That is all you’ll need, as you won’t be able to put it down until you’re done
Thacker’s contribution actually starts a little slow.
Don’t let that fool you. This tale of a small crew of interstellar adventurers, whose mandate is to explore life-bearing worlds, collect non-sentient specimens for entertainment and scientific purposes, and then get those specimens home, quickly takes off faster than their ship. Deception is a page-turner in the finest tradition.
Thacker’s characters are well-developed and believable. Their interaction with each other is complex and layered with tension. The story begins with their ship’s departure from Planet 1457, after having collected several species that have caused much controversy amongst the crew. This controversy helps drive the mystery through the first half of the story.
The tension thickens as the crew finds itself inside the arcology meant to house the life forms they have collected. This problem is complicated by betrayal from within the ranks. Rather than a spoiler alert, I’ll just close here, and advise you to give The Atlantis Deception a quick read. That is all you’ll need, as you won’t be able to put it down until you’re done
April 22, 2015
A quick burst of terrific writing
The Atlantis deception is a fast paced novella that builds tension on every page.
Being unfamiliar with AG Riddle's series that the Origin Mystery is based on I was a little lost in the beginning. But Thacker moves the POV from character to character and in no time I was up to speed on the world he is writing in. The character's interactions are complex and multi-layered so things are not always as they seem.
The ship's crew has been tasked with collecting species from other planets for entertainment and scientific purposes. The species are opposed to this idea, and let their feelings be known early on, and not in a pleasant way. As the crew tries to survive there are a few unexpected twists and then a surprising culmination.
Trackers amps up the suspense well in a short book. It's a good read.
The Atlantis deception is a fast paced novella that builds tension on every page.
Being unfamiliar with AG Riddle's series that the Origin Mystery is based on I was a little lost in the beginning. But Thacker moves the POV from character to character and in no time I was up to speed on the world he is writing in. The character's interactions are complex and multi-layered so things are not always as they seem.
The ship's crew has been tasked with collecting species from other planets for entertainment and scientific purposes. The species are opposed to this idea, and let their feelings be known early on, and not in a pleasant way. As the crew tries to survive there are a few unexpected twists and then a surprising culmination.
Trackers amps up the suspense well in a short book. It's a good read.
April 30, 2015
The Atlantis Deception is set in outer space in the future as a crew of highly trained, but somehow impractical scientists and volunteers, collect plant and animal species from alien planets to bring home for zoo-like public entertainment. With the ship’s crew is enclosed in an aging spacecraft filled with a variety of strange and sometimes dangerous wild critters, some predators, what could possibly go wrong?
This is a fast paced story about survival, teamwork and alien life. It is told from the point of view of several of the crew members as they all experience different aspects of the same unfolding adventure. A maniac, invisible hunters, and an ancient wrong all fit into the tale, leading to a surprise ending.
Thacker tells a good story here and keeps the action and interest high throughout the book. A short but enjoyable read.
This is a fast paced story about survival, teamwork and alien life. It is told from the point of view of several of the crew members as they all experience different aspects of the same unfolding adventure. A maniac, invisible hunters, and an ancient wrong all fit into the tale, leading to a surprise ending.
Thacker tells a good story here and keeps the action and interest high throughout the book. A short but enjoyable read.
July 12, 2015
This was a very quick and exciting read for me. The story telling, as it jumps between each character, was fun. Character development was sufficient for the length of the book. The plot itself was well setup and led to a satisfying conclusion. It reminded me of science fiction from a previous generation.
Nick will be an author that I keep a close eye on in the future. I am interested in what he can do with more room to develop and a wider canvas. I have place one of his previous books, Enigma Strain, on my future list.
Nick will be an author that I keep a close eye on in the future. I am interested in what he can do with more room to develop and a wider canvas. I have place one of his previous books, Enigma Strain, on my future list.
April 17, 2015
I have not read the original story that created this "Kindle World" but that was not a problem. I was fully engaged with the characters, trying to help them figure out a way out of their predicament. A couple times I wanted to slap one of them along side the head, but their behavior just made them more real. I think I used to work with one of them.
Nick took time to acquaint us with the characters and the setting and then turned on the action.
Good read, Nick.
Nick took time to acquaint us with the characters and the setting and then turned on the action.
Good read, Nick.
April 29, 2015
Futuristic Jurassic Park with aliens!
3.5 stars This well-written science fiction thriller has a varied cast of characters that kept me a bit confused in the beginning, but I knew well by the mid-point. Nice surprises and plenty of action left me intrigued and reading to the end.
I was "gifted" this book by the author in exchange for an honest review as part of his review drive and giveaway.
3.5 stars This well-written science fiction thriller has a varied cast of characters that kept me a bit confused in the beginning, but I knew well by the mid-point. Nice surprises and plenty of action left me intrigued and reading to the end.
I was "gifted" this book by the author in exchange for an honest review as part of his review drive and giveaway.
April 20, 2015
Super fast paced novella with action at every turn. This could have easily been a full novel with lots of juicy details but this one throws you right in and is fast paced til the end. Very enjoyable read. Loved the world and the characters.
May 3, 2015
This was my first read by Nick Thacker. The story was great. The characters are well developed and without sharing any spoiler alerts it was worth my time and effort. This is SciFi that is worthy. I look forward to reading more. The Atlantis Deception is a Goodread.
March 16, 2016
Captivating
Couldn't put it down until it was finished. I love when a book draws me in from the beginning. This book had some spine chilling moments. Moments that made you think, wow. I would love to be able to learn more about these characters.
Couldn't put it down until it was finished. I love when a book draws me in from the beginning. This book had some spine chilling moments. Moments that made you think, wow. I would love to be able to learn more about these characters.
April 22, 2016
Another thought provoking ride
For those who enjoyed the original books,this is a great offshoot. The style the book was written in was very captivating, the story a real page Turner and the storylines commentary on society very interesting
For those who enjoyed the original books,this is a great offshoot. The style the book was written in was very captivating, the story a real page Turner and the storylines commentary on society very interesting
March 17, 2015
The price enticed me ...........
......... and the story enthralled me. Great read from start to finish. Left me wanting more. Well worth the pennies it cost.
......... and the story enthralled me. Great read from start to finish. Left me wanting more. Well worth the pennies it cost.
January 4, 2016
I never suspected the ending! The characters were compelling and the futuristic setting was fun to learn about.
April 25, 2015
Finished reading this last night and it was a great story. Fascinating plot and interesting characters moved things along. This book definitey goes in my Read Again Collection.
July 9, 2015
Great Story and nice flow, can't wait for more..
January 1, 2017
An unexpected twist
The science crew is put in harms way on the trip home and the perpetrator and their saviors are connected by an unexpected twist of space and time.
The science crew is put in harms way on the trip home and the perpetrator and their saviors are connected by an unexpected twist of space and time.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews