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Moonbase Armstrong
Not yet published
Expected 14 Mar 26Space exploration is a dangerous business...Moonbase A multi-national outpost in the moon’s south polar region, just outside of Shackleton Crater. Led by Commander John Freeman and Mission Officer Fred Phelps, a dedicated crew of scientists and engineers work towards creating humanity’s future.
But when the Consortium X-25 explodes on approach, killing all six astronauts aboard, the men and women of Armstrong are thrown into disarray. As accident investigator Lindsay Clark brings all of her abilities to bear in an attempt to solve the mystery of the explosion, the crew of Armstrong must find a way to bring the remains of their friends home...if there are any left to find at all.
But when the Consortium X-25 explodes on approach, killing all six astronauts aboard, the men and women of Armstrong are thrown into disarray. As accident investigator Lindsay Clark brings all of her abilities to bear in an attempt to solve the mystery of the explosion, the crew of Armstrong must find a way to bring the remains of their friends home...if there are any left to find at all.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy
What looked to be an exciting conspiracy-driven thriller turned out to be little more than a plodding space soap opera. "Moonbase Armstrong" starts with a bang (literally) when the Consortium X-25 coming to the moon from Earth, blows up just minutes before touch down.
The astronauts watching from the moon are aghast by the tragedy, at least partly, because many of them were close to the 6 people killed in the explosion. From that point, the basic plot of the book becomes attempting to find out the reason for the explosion (was it an accident or terrorism?) and gathering the remains of the stricken astronauts.
Author Robert B. Marks shows off an impressive knowledge and imagination of what life on a moonbase might be like in the novel. He creates a variety of fleshed-out characters (some likeable, some not) and uses them to drive the story. Unfortunately, there was just not enough action (and too much soap opera) to keep me engaged in the story. More than half of the book is used to describe how the astronauts go about trying to gather the remains of the dead astronauts. There seemed to be a high number of "fluff" type scenes in the book that really carried little weight.
There were a couple of parts of the book that I really had trouble with. One, a priest who struggles to use correct grammar and speak proper English. And two, near the end of the book when one of the rovers used to look for remains goes rogue and is not immediately contacted by the moonbase for not following orders. There are some other things about some of the characters themselves that were pretty irritating, but I will refrain from nitpicking.
Those who enjoy character-driven, soap-opera-type novels may find a certain appeal in "Moonbase Armstrong", but this reader found it as cold and desolate as the moon itself. 2 and 1/2 stars.
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program and am leaving this review voluntarily.
The astronauts watching from the moon are aghast by the tragedy, at least partly, because many of them were close to the 6 people killed in the explosion. From that point, the basic plot of the book becomes attempting to find out the reason for the explosion (was it an accident or terrorism?) and gathering the remains of the stricken astronauts.
Author Robert B. Marks shows off an impressive knowledge and imagination of what life on a moonbase might be like in the novel. He creates a variety of fleshed-out characters (some likeable, some not) and uses them to drive the story. Unfortunately, there was just not enough action (and too much soap opera) to keep me engaged in the story. More than half of the book is used to describe how the astronauts go about trying to gather the remains of the dead astronauts. There seemed to be a high number of "fluff" type scenes in the book that really carried little weight.
There were a couple of parts of the book that I really had trouble with. One, a priest who struggles to use correct grammar and speak proper English. And two, near the end of the book when one of the rovers used to look for remains goes rogue and is not immediately contacted by the moonbase for not following orders. There are some other things about some of the characters themselves that were pretty irritating, but I will refrain from nitpicking.
Those who enjoy character-driven, soap-opera-type novels may find a certain appeal in "Moonbase Armstrong", but this reader found it as cold and desolate as the moon itself. 2 and 1/2 stars.
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Review of eBook
Consortium X-25, on approach to Gateway Station, is in communication with Emily Davies, at Moonbase Armstrong. Everything is nominal; at Gateway Station, the crew of Consortium X-25 will find robots and a lander.
All proceeds as expected until Emily requests a fuel update. She receives no reply.
All that remains of Consortium X-25 . . . and her crew of six . . . is a glowing trail of debris.
=========
Despite the establishment of a lunar base, space travel and exploration remains dangerous. The base, manned by scientists and engineers, consider Moonbase Armstrong part of mankind’s future.
Readers are introduced to the men and women stationed at the base; the unfolding story reveals how each of them copes with the loss of the six astronauts. At the same time, an investigation is begun into the explosion that destroyed Consortium X-25.
The story is primarily a character study; more of a look into the different ways people cope with unexpected tragedy. The moonbase setting, and the logistical requirements for traveling across the lunar surface create a unique setting for this telling of this tale.
Readers who enjoy character-driven books are sure to appreciate this unique science fiction story.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Consortium X-25, on approach to Gateway Station, is in communication with Emily Davies, at Moonbase Armstrong. Everything is nominal; at Gateway Station, the crew of Consortium X-25 will find robots and a lander.
All proceeds as expected until Emily requests a fuel update. She receives no reply.
All that remains of Consortium X-25 . . . and her crew of six . . . is a glowing trail of debris.
=========
Despite the establishment of a lunar base, space travel and exploration remains dangerous. The base, manned by scientists and engineers, consider Moonbase Armstrong part of mankind’s future.
Readers are introduced to the men and women stationed at the base; the unfolding story reveals how each of them copes with the loss of the six astronauts. At the same time, an investigation is begun into the explosion that destroyed Consortium X-25.
The story is primarily a character study; more of a look into the different ways people cope with unexpected tragedy. The moonbase setting, and the logistical requirements for traveling across the lunar surface create a unique setting for this telling of this tale.
Readers who enjoy character-driven books are sure to appreciate this unique science fiction story.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
[Disclaimer: I got this book via LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program]
Humans have set bases on the Moon: the Western one is called Moonbase Armstrong. Life goes on normally (for what normalcy we can have on the Moon...) when a spaceship explodes while approaching the base. An investigation starts, with two civilian experts sent on the Moon to try and understand what happened: in the meantime we follow the thoughts of many astronauts of the base, who first of all want to retrieve the bodies of their fellows.
Marks does a good work in the Hard SF department: maybe he is a bit verbose, but manages to explain how could a moonbase be, given the present state of the art. However, I feel there's something lacking in the developement of the characters. It's good that their problems are shown and followed, but when I arrived at the end of the book I had the feeling that there was no real solution, just dangling threads. Even the religious subplot is unresolved, which is a kind of shame since it's clear that the author is really interested in it, since he purs a resident priest.
Humans have set bases on the Moon: the Western one is called Moonbase Armstrong. Life goes on normally (for what normalcy we can have on the Moon...) when a spaceship explodes while approaching the base. An investigation starts, with two civilian experts sent on the Moon to try and understand what happened: in the meantime we follow the thoughts of many astronauts of the base, who first of all want to retrieve the bodies of their fellows.
Marks does a good work in the Hard SF department: maybe he is a bit verbose, but manages to explain how could a moonbase be, given the present state of the art. However, I feel there's something lacking in the developement of the characters. It's good that their problems are shown and followed, but when I arrived at the end of the book I had the feeling that there was no real solution, just dangling threads. Even the religious subplot is unresolved, which is a kind of shame since it's clear that the author is really interested in it, since he purs a resident priest.
Read
January 9, 2026Moonbase Armstrong is an engrossing near-future extrapolation of a man-made habitat on the moon. The core of this story is the transformative impact of Moonbase Armstrong on every person connected with its development and mission. The story is driven by characters who are as real as the people next door, and as varied as the cultures of the world. The story explores how each one responds when a shocking and tragic incident disrupts the function of the station. The author deftly explores the constellation of factors environmental, political, personal, technological and more that must affect the humans who inhabit a moon station in early development. Technical details and extrapolations are as excellent as the character development.
Review of advance copy
A futuristic moonbase is awaiting the arrival of Consortium X-25, a spaceship bringing six more astronauts. They lose communication with the spacecraft and see glowing debris raining down to the moon’s surface. They all had friends on the lost crew. The possibility of finding their bodies is remote in the harsh climate but they must search.
Told in the various viewpoints as they recall their friends during the search. An underlying theme is, Why didn’t God save them? Realistic questions and not anti-Christian. Space is a dangerous business.
Written for the general market, contains strong language and alternative lifestyles.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews