Twisted Spaces: 1 / Destination Mars

by E.N. Abel, Rosi Milligan-Hoffmann (Editor)

The first personal computer was not built in a multi-billion dollar research centre of a Fortune 500 company, but in a garage in California. The world's first fusion reactor will not run in a high-tech corporate laboratory, but in an American backyard. And the first interstellar vessel … Book 1: Destination Mars Book 2: Epsilon Eridani Book 3: Into the Galaxy A group of young postgraduates builds a DIY space ship in a hidden location, using a brand new, superior technology. Their only voiced goal is to reach another star – with their own faster-than-light drive system. To lift off they need something they can't create themselves - but they know who can. So one day the director of CERN receives an unusual two hyper technologies - artificial gravitation and antimatter production - in exchange for a small favour. Quickly it is these technologies will change the face of world and they are worth trillions. As overpopulation has become the most dangerous threat for humanity, even one habitable planet within reach would ease the population pressure and alter the destiny of a desperate growing mankind. The interstellar drive is the key - whoever controls it, controls the immediate future. Then there are also economical new worlds mean new resouces … and fortunes are to be made. CERN is closely watched by all bigger intelligence services and the arrival of the Group's precious data is leaked. Although the CERN had to promise to place the data into the public domain, a merciless hunt starts Earth's superpowers want to get hold of the new technologies - and the Group members, no matter the price. And there are other interested parties ... A race starts that will determine the fate of our world. But discovering a new inhabitable world is only the beginning - the group's true intentions lie elsewhere. Book 1: Destination Mars Book 2: Epsilon Eridani Book 3: Into the Galaxy

392 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2014

Reviews

[Razer Head · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was quite good from a sci fi standpoint. If you like hard sci fi this one you'd probably like but while it was good at one point the characters itself were an absolute disaster.

Specifically Right at the beginning, his wife, the love of his life dies. The reason she dies is to buy time, even though they had assets for that, she goes and dies. I thought alright for the drama, right? Everyone likes a good drama. But the MC is so hardcore a few chapters later it seems his wife never died and at the end of the book which goes over 3 months he has a new love of his life. Jeez I'm not sure but I had a dog, I cried longer for xD

Yeah well, everything just moved to fast character wise in my opinion. Either let the romance out or write it right.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. A modern day Space Opera with just enough tension and intrigue to draw you into the race for space and even further Anyone who is a fan of SpaceX will love the backyard space startup that shows the world how to really get into space (under budget and on time).

[Roopkumar Balachandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one line of the novel which grabbed my attention to choose to read is this "The first personal computer was not built in a multi-billion dollar research centre of a Fortune 500 company, but in a garage in California. The world's first fusion reactor will not run in a high-tech corporate laboratory, but in an American backyard. And the first interstellar vessel …".

Michael MacMillan one of the Special Ops and his team Twisted Spaces designs a Spaceship with light drive system within five years, their long term plan is to travel interstellar and make a colony in Mars. The fuel for a such spaceship needs Tritium which can be provided by only one in the whole world is CERN.

Mike sends a message along with small sized grav generator to Dr.Ralf Kaiser the head of CERN he was astonished by the exhibit. Subsequently Mike uses the Chinese satellite to video call Dr.Kaiser. Their talk which was encrypted was decoded by an intelligent girl Chan under the command of Lian Xao the Head of Chinese Intelligence.

A mutual agreement between the Twisted spaces and CERN blooms. On one side Americans try to take control of the Twisted space base, with sacrifice of Mike's girlfriend they escape to space. But the Chinese who knows about the future of this gravity based transportation send their best spy to steal the grav generator but the plan foils.

As they cannot steal the machine they plan to kill all the members of the Twisted spaces in space by firing ICBM's which was easily evaded by the crew. And they retaliate with their sophisticated weapon as a warning.

Did Mike's vision of travel to Mars happened? What did Chinese do after their failure? What happens when the world comes to know the making of grav generator based transportation? How did Mike and his team gets hold of this unique achievement? Who helped him, is it the aliens? all these are answered in the remaining chapters of the novel.

A little knowledge about the work of Burkhard Heims quantum field theory will enhances our reading, the author has tried to give it as simple as possible. The leadership qualities of Michael MacMillan was extra ordinary. His shrewdness comes to light when facing the adversaries are breathtaking. Some of his quotes in the novel are like uttered by a World Leader.

"Only way we all can survive death is ... Through our children".

"survival of the many always supersedes survival of the one".

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, the author has cleverly paced the chapters when most of their action takes place in a sphere with only dialogs but added little bit of espionage and sentiments to overcome the drag. I received this kindle edition as free.

Waiting to read the second installment of this story.

[Vikarti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only minor issues I have with book are: some minor calculation errors (like how strong burst of 10 Kg antimatter will be - it's NOT 100 Mt), ICBM which moonlights as interceptor missile (in deepspace).
Major issue is it looks right now that this book is not about future. it's about alternate reality (read chapter 113, after that check CERN's site to knew how much antimatter they can produce right now). I would like to live in such world even if it will take a little longer to get there.