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Infinity Frontiers: A gripping psychological sci-fi novel about ambition, identity, and the cost of expansion

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341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2026

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Melissa Field

25 books15 followers

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5 stars
9 (64%)
4 stars
2 (14%)
3 stars
3 (21%)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Khushi.
226 reviews7 followers
April 6, 2026
This book talks about five astronauts who set off on a journey to Mars, away from Earth, in which they will spend nine months. This journey is frightening since they do not know whether they will be coming back after such a long period of absence from their homes and families or not. It takes a lot of courage and determination to leave one's family members behind in order to undertake a journey like this where anything can happen. This book brings out the aspect of courage as well as fear for this kind of situation.

The book starts with five astronauts setting off on their journey. Steve is the captain while the other four are called Harold, Deepika, Cressida, and Miguel. Their purpose of visiting the Red Planet is to work on its colonization process. The story seems to be just an adventure of astronauts visiting the Red Planet and coming back. However, this story has a different element to it. It contains aspects of a psychological thriller.

The part of this book that I found the most interesting is the fact that the author has not concentrated only on the physical journey that the astronauts are undergoing. There is a great emphasis on the emotional and psychological journey too. It is quite easy to observe that all the three members of the team deal with the difficulties of life in space, distance from home, and passing time differently. This affects the way they are feeling throughout the journey and leads to an inevitable change in their mental state due to the lack of the initial motivation.

Despite the arrival to the destination planet, their stay is not going to last very long. They will spend only three months of the whole journey on Mars doing their job and collecting whatever they could.

However, the novel goes beyond the described trip and shows the consequences that follow once the mission is completed. The characters in the book experience things that transform them and make the whole mission different from their initial perception.

Using the experiences of all the members of the expedition, the author depicts not only the courage required to explore space but also the weaknesses of people who agree to participate in such expeditions. The story about the astronauts’ experiences is a part of a larger narrative that speaks about human courage and fears.

Thus, this book is a combination of stories about space exploration and psychological tension which makes it much more than the story about a trip to Mars.
Profile Image for Jennifer Rahn.
Author 20 books15 followers
March 5, 2026
Infinity Frontiers is a powerful, immersive story examining the breaking points of five astronauts as they combat isolation, stress, environmental changes, and separation from their families as they endure a return trip to Mars, where they must establish the foundations of a colony they will never see or return to. Not only does the book delve into how and when they break, it describes what happens afterwards, bringing the experience of reading it to completion. I was so drawn into the story that I felt like I was there, with the characters. As such, the book was quite unsettling, and since I couldn’t put it down, it really put my mind through the wringer—everything described was so plausible that I could see all of it actually happening. The author also uses the rather uncommon third-person-omniscient point-of-view to great effect. The narrative seamlessly flows from one character to another, carrying along the reader with it, through a multitude of experiences without the usual “head-hopping” that sometimes occurs with this POV. The storytelling does not cater to sensitivities, thus maintaining the integrity of the narrative. Overall, this novel delivers multiple gut punches and unrelentingly held my interest. Recommended.
Profile Image for Vidhika Yadav.
769 reviews37 followers
March 28, 2026
Book Review : " Infinity Frontiers " by Melissa Field
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This novel provides an incredibly insightful experience of what it’s like to be surrounded by the vastness of space as well as explore the depths of one’s self. Melissa Field’s writing takes a fresh look at these traditional definitions of “science fiction”; this particular book encompasses much more than just five astronauts traveling to Mars on a mission to prepare for colonizing the planet—it explores not only how much work and dedication go into being an astronaut, but the emotional turmoil and psychological struggles that each astronaut faces as they spend months in outer space.
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At first glance, one could assume that this would be an action-packed science fiction story filled with technological advances and exciting adventures; however, as the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly evident that the underlying theme is that of emotional openness and vulnerability. The author has done an admirable job at creating tangible examples of what it means to have good psychological preparation for all the characters in this story, as several astronauts have troublesome backgrounds or hold deep-seated issues. For example, while Steve is battling his own self-doubt, there are underlying tensions between two female astronauts that affect their performance and relationship with each other.
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In addition to presenting the emotional dimension of space travel, the author also examines the effects of individual ambition, social progress, and their differing definitions, on the individual and society at large. The author encourages readers to assess their own definitions of ambition, achievement, and how both can ultimately result in negative consequences.
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By utilizing an unexpected twist in the narrative, readers further understand that the process of space travel is actually both psychic and physical in nature. As humans, we live by our consciousness, and this story represents that thought beautifully through the intertwining themes of identity, resiliency, and survival.
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Profile Image for Mostly Murders.
148 reviews4 followers
April 10, 2026
How far is too far to go to get what you want?

Infinity Frontiers is a psychological drama in a science fiction setting, taking an intense look at the human mind under strain, and a cautionary tale of the dangers of overlooking the importance of mental health. It is not a story of astronauts fighting external dangers of hull breaches, stray meteors or airlock failures, but a chilling tale of how badly the human mind can deteriorate when it is placed in completely unfamiliar and unnatural conditions for too long.

A volatile tech billionaire is determined to be the first to reach Mars, and to do so he is perfectly willing to recruit five astronauts who should never have been subjected to the pressure of sustained spaceflight. Already during the training on Earth, it is obvious that their clashing personalities will be an issue, but money talks louder than reason. The result? A chain of disastrous events set in motion as the five are isolated in space, leading to immense paranoia, depression and mental breakdowns.

To me, Infinity Frontiers is ultimately a story of the dangers of modern society prioritising performance, wealth and ego above mental health. It is also a reminder that the human mind isn't fixed and static, but organic, evolving and ever-changing. Hope, despair, love and hate are emotions that can coexist, and states of being that a person can switch between as their internal and external environment changes. Trauma can leave a person both weaker and stronger, and some broken minds can heal under the right circumstances, while others remain forever shattered beyond repair.

Recommended for readers who enjoy a thorough, nuanced, deep dive into the human psyche at its best and worst, and for anyone who appreciates the importance of mental health, and the dangers of sacrificing it on the altar of money and fame.

Many thanks to Melissa Field for the review copy of this novel. I received this copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
708 reviews8 followers
June 10, 2026
WOW is the only word that comes to mind as I sit here after just finishing this book. I’m finding it hard to even put my feelings about this book onto paper.

This book was amazing. Initially I wasn’t the biggest fan as I found it tedious in the beginning. The first 1/3 of the book dragged for me by boy am I glad I pushed through to read the entire book. Five astronauts go into space headed towards Mars. Their goal is to land on Mars and continue the work of setting up a new home on mars for the people of earth in the future. These are the first people on Mars as robots have done all the work until this point.

What I didn’t expect was the complete twisting of how I felt about each individual person that was a part of the crew. At times I cheered for them. Other times I despised them. At times I pitied them. I’m not sure I have ever read a book where the author did such a good job of having the reader intensely feel everything the characters were feeling.

I cried twice in this book. Two huge, ugly, snot filled cries. The kind of cries that make it so you can’t breathe and you can’t see. Hot tears that won’t stop falling and fall so fast you can’t see the page. I won’t give any spoilers to anyone that will read this story but have some tissues handy once you reach past the halfway point.

I wanted so much for Steve and while I understood everyone’s “ending” so to speak, Steve’s devastated me.

While the book was 45 chapters long, I wished it wouldn’t have ended in what felt like a very abrupt fashion to me. The last two lines of the book - They looked up at the stars, and they wondered out loud what came next. For themselves, and for all mankind. - I want to know what was next especially given the last sentence of chapter 44 which I am not going to write because it will give something away!

I guess long story short - I am so glad I read this book.

5 stars
111 reviews8 followers
March 10, 2026
Infinity Frontiers is a haunting, psychological masterclass that proves the most terrifying vacuum isn't the one outside the airlock, but the emotional void within the crew itself. By centering the mission on a group of brilliant misfits who all failed their psychological evaluations, the story transforms a standard Mars transit into a high-stakes pressure cooker of suppressed trauma and fragile egos. From Captain Steve’s crumbling facade of strength to the simmering rivalry between Deepika and Cressida, every character is a live wire waiting to snap in the "cold quiet" of deep space. It is a chilling, expertly paced exploration of human frailty that leaves you breathless, culminating in a dark, lingering mystery about the crew member who never made it home—a secret that transforms this space epic into a profound meditation on what we are willing to sacrifice to survive ourselves.
Profile Image for A. Reiter.
Author 2 books4 followers
April 10, 2026
This was a solid debut from an indie author, with complex characters and a psychological adventure that pulled me through the story. What I hadn’t fully appreciated before reading this, was the degree of mental fortitude required for isolating work. The author’s experience in these types of places (her bio lists Alaska and the Antarctica) shines through, as there is a close, intimate perception of how different characters respond to hardship in these circumstances—and how that affects the mission. I would have liked to have seen better payoff from certain aspects of the plot, but overall enjoyed the story and would recommend.
Profile Image for Solomon Woytowich.
Author 3 books11 followers
May 5, 2026
DNF!
Rating: 2.5/5

I really wanted to like this story! I’m a big sci-fi fan and the plot really caught my eye. However, I found it very hard to connect to the main characters. They were presented as experts in their fields but were shown time and time again to be unstable and unsuitable for their positions. I felt the story focused primarily on their weaknesses as individuals and never showcased any strengths.

On a technical note, I wasn’t a fan of how the book was formatted with the lack of justifications and added spacing. It didn’t make it unable to read, I just wasn’t a fan.
3 reviews
April 27, 2026
All the Wrong People Sent to Mars Together

This twisted psychological space mission is like the dystopian version of the Artemis II crew.

Instead of NASA founding a space launch it’s a multi-billionaire…. And instead of the most mentally and physically fit crew to launch into space, it’s a five person team of physiologically unstable astronauts.

Follow their insane journey to Mars and back, sanity not included.
7 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2026
is is a fantastic emotional journey through space & psyche. The characters are developed with care & thoughtfulness. I felt like I was traveling with them to Mars & experienced it through their minds. The author did a wonderful job weaving the mindset of an ego driven tech billionaire against the scientific curiosity of astronauts. The story is layered, thought provoking & heartbreakingly human. These characters will stay with me forever.
70 reviews
March 29, 2026
very good, kept me intrigued the whole read. kept me wanting to know what was coming next. a little sad.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews