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The Martian Conspiracy
A rouge interplanetary cargo ship impacts central California, devastating the west coast of the United States. In the chaos and destruction, NASA engineer, John Orville, searches for his wife and son in the ruins near San Francisco. Time passes, and he transfers to the Martian colony. But troubles follow. A paramilitary unit arrives, a dome explodes, and John Orville discovers the true nature of his assignment.
Praise for The Martian
"A hard sci-fi novel with shades of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars, though much faster-paced. If, like me, you dream of living on Mars you should read this book.”- Graeme Shimmin, Author of A Kill in the Morning
“ The Martian Conspiracy takes readers on a futuristic journey, but it’s grounded in good storytelling and characters worth rooting for.” - Danielle Nadler, Deputy Editor, Northern Virginia Media Services
Praise for The Martian
"A hard sci-fi novel with shades of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars, though much faster-paced. If, like me, you dream of living on Mars you should read this book.”- Graeme Shimmin, Author of A Kill in the Morning
“ The Martian Conspiracy takes readers on a futuristic journey, but it’s grounded in good storytelling and characters worth rooting for.” - Danielle Nadler, Deputy Editor, Northern Virginia Media Services
- GenresScience FictionThriller
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2015
26 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
John A. Read
7 books14 followersShortly after his wife bought him a twelve-inch Dobsonian Telescope for Christmas (to be fair, she got leather boots), he joined the Mount Diablo Astronomical Society, volunteering as many as four nights per week under California's cloudless skies. In 2013 he published his first book, 50 Things to See with a Small Telescope. In 2016, John left corporate America, and in 2020, completed a four year astrophysics degree.
He recently won the Simon Newcomb for excellence in Science Communication by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, for his books: 50 Things to See on the Moon and 50 Things to See with a Telescope.
He recently won the Simon Newcomb for excellence in Science Communication by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, for his books: 50 Things to See on the Moon and 50 Things to See with a Telescope.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 19, 2015
This was a credible first fictional work by this author, so I'm giving it 3 stars, but it was very uneven. The story just couldn't decide what it wanted to be, a true science sort of SF or a space opera. The science ranged from quite good (The author has written a nonfiction book about the use of a small telescope.) to magical. At times, it was very detailed while other scenes were almost an outline & there wasn't a lot of depth of character, but I liked the few main ones.
Typical of so many first novels, the author tried to cover too much territory in one book. This would have been much better if it had been 2 novels or the first half, which takes place on Earth, had been backflashed or otherwise referred to in the latter half which takes place on Mars. There should have been a lot more detail about Martian life. I was very disappointed by the set up of the main problem. There were several other things like this that hurt the story, too.
I've read several books of this sort. Don't compare it to "The Martian", but rather Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or Pournelle's "Birth of Fire". (My add book link isn't working!)
There is no audio book edition listed, but it was well read by Chris Abell. The Audible link for the book is: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fant...
I was given the book free for an honest review & I might have been a bit charitable given the season. Still, I listened to the entire book which was over 7 hours without going to double speed, so it kept me engaged.
Typical of so many first novels, the author tried to cover too much territory in one book. This would have been much better if it had been 2 novels or the first half, which takes place on Earth, had been backflashed or otherwise referred to in the latter half which takes place on Mars. There should have been a lot more detail about Martian life. I was very disappointed by the set up of the main problem. There were several other things like this that hurt the story, too.
I've read several books of this sort. Don't compare it to "The Martian", but rather Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or Pournelle's "Birth of Fire". (My add book link isn't working!)
There is no audio book edition listed, but it was well read by Chris Abell. The Audible link for the book is: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fant...
I was given the book free for an honest review & I might have been a bit charitable given the season. Still, I listened to the entire book which was over 7 hours without going to double speed, so it kept me engaged.
September 10, 2015
OK. I’ll try to write this review in English. A summary in Bulgarian is available below.
(Много добра книга! В тази книга марсианските бури са представени по реалистичен начин – не издухват предмети като в книгата на Анди Уеър, а заплахата, която представляват, се дължи на статично електричество, което е съвместимо със съвременната наука. Освен това в тази книга има доста препратки към истинската космонавтика, които са направени по правилен начин. Марсианската колония използва слънчева енергия, но също така има и горивни клетки за съхранение на енергия. Има куп съвременни технологии, които са развити по оригинален начин, като 3D принтерите.
Освен това героите са представени по интересен и оригинален начин, не са еднакви, имат свой комплексен вътрешен свят и решенията им са продиктувани от вълнуващи, а не някакви насилени конфликти, както често се вижда в голяма част от книгите от тоя жанр).
So… how I got this book? After I got severely disappointed by Andy Weir’s “The Martian”, I looked for another sci-fi book about Mars. And luckily this one had a giveaway on Amazon for free. This was my chance to take it. John A. Read’s “The Martian Conspiracy” was mine!
At long last! We finally (FINALLY!) have a book that represents Mars storms properly. Andy Weir, your book sucks. It sucks! In contrast, Read’s book has everything what I want to see about storms. The Martian air is thin, yes. So you can’t have a very strong wind that’s able to blow out the colony, right? This doesn’t mean that Martian storms are completely harmless. They are able to generate static electricity. This is what could potentially make them hazardous. John Read does a great job about properly inserting Mars storms and their hazards in a novel. And he does it in a compelling way.
For that, I’m giving this book five stars.
This is also one of the few books in which we don’t have rotary spacecraft. That’s right, no huge cylinders with artificial gravity! I won’t spoil the storyline in this review too much, but I’ll say I liked how the rotary project went KABOOM and destroyed huge portions of the USA territory. So yes, no rotary spacecraft, but you get some nice generic spacecraft with cool simulations – like you go and play some tennis. Visuals are realistic, but you can’t trick your inner ear : )
There are also some good ties with modern space science. I almost got a déjà vu (errr, Genesis and Stardust capture) when Amelia ejected from the ascend vehicle. The colony on Mars operates mainly on solar power, but it also has fuel cells to store energy. We can also see 3D printers in action, which are considered the future of space colonization.
The book has interesting characters, the plot is dynamic and realistic. There are also some good plot twists.
I can hardly wait to see how how the story goes on in the sequel which is planned for 2016. And dear God, I hope Marie is still alive.
(Много добра книга! В тази книга марсианските бури са представени по реалистичен начин – не издухват предмети като в книгата на Анди Уеър, а заплахата, която представляват, се дължи на статично електричество, което е съвместимо със съвременната наука. Освен това в тази книга има доста препратки към истинската космонавтика, които са направени по правилен начин. Марсианската колония използва слънчева енергия, но също така има и горивни клетки за съхранение на енергия. Има куп съвременни технологии, които са развити по оригинален начин, като 3D принтерите.
Освен това героите са представени по интересен и оригинален начин, не са еднакви, имат свой комплексен вътрешен свят и решенията им са продиктувани от вълнуващи, а не някакви насилени конфликти, както често се вижда в голяма част от книгите от тоя жанр).
So… how I got this book? After I got severely disappointed by Andy Weir’s “The Martian”, I looked for another sci-fi book about Mars. And luckily this one had a giveaway on Amazon for free. This was my chance to take it. John A. Read’s “The Martian Conspiracy” was mine!
At long last! We finally (FINALLY!) have a book that represents Mars storms properly. Andy Weir, your book sucks. It sucks! In contrast, Read’s book has everything what I want to see about storms. The Martian air is thin, yes. So you can’t have a very strong wind that’s able to blow out the colony, right? This doesn’t mean that Martian storms are completely harmless. They are able to generate static electricity. This is what could potentially make them hazardous. John Read does a great job about properly inserting Mars storms and their hazards in a novel. And he does it in a compelling way.
For that, I’m giving this book five stars.
This is also one of the few books in which we don’t have rotary spacecraft. That’s right, no huge cylinders with artificial gravity! I won’t spoil the storyline in this review too much, but I’ll say I liked how the rotary project went KABOOM and destroyed huge portions of the USA territory. So yes, no rotary spacecraft, but you get some nice generic spacecraft with cool simulations – like you go and play some tennis. Visuals are realistic, but you can’t trick your inner ear : )
There are also some good ties with modern space science. I almost got a déjà vu (errr, Genesis and Stardust capture) when Amelia ejected from the ascend vehicle. The colony on Mars operates mainly on solar power, but it also has fuel cells to store energy. We can also see 3D printers in action, which are considered the future of space colonization.
The book has interesting characters, the plot is dynamic and realistic. There are also some good plot twists.
I can hardly wait to see how how the story goes on in the sequel which is planned for 2016. And dear God, I hope Marie is still alive.
April 4, 2016
My original The Martian Conspiracy audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
A tragedy strikes California as a piece of NASA engineering crashes down to Earth and John Orville, an engineer at NASA can’t do anything to stop it. He thinks that he’s lost everything too, his child and his wife in the crash. So, he signs up to work as an engineer on Mars. Once he arrives, he starts to notice that things aren’t so much like they seem. Follow John as he tries to uncover the real truth about what is really happening on the red planet.
Chris Abell did narration for this, and he does a wonderful job. I really thought that Chris used the perfect voice for Chris, and gave the other characters really believable and well-done voices too. The quality of this recording was perfect, with no noticeable issues.
The Martian Conspiracy started off a little weird. I was trying to figure out why we were in California. But the whole first third of the book is to set the scene for who John is and what his motives are. I actually had to pause the audiobook at one point to make sure that I was actually listening to this book. Funny though, right after I did that a scene took place that changes where we were pretty quickly. With that being said, I don’t think that the beginning was unnecessary, it was just a bit confused when I thought I was reading a book about Mars and it spent a good amount of time NOT on Mars.
After we got to Mars, the action really started to pick up. Part sleuth/mystery and part sci fi thriller – this book has something for a lot of readers. I found myself really enjoying the story and staying up too late to get further into the story.
The story arc and character arcs were really well done too. I enjoyed the progress that each character had throughout and the interaction between them.
Overall, a well done science fiction novel, that really had some thought involved in it. I like the mixture of mystery, science fiction, and thriller. It was something different from the average sci-fi book.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
A tragedy strikes California as a piece of NASA engineering crashes down to Earth and John Orville, an engineer at NASA can’t do anything to stop it. He thinks that he’s lost everything too, his child and his wife in the crash. So, he signs up to work as an engineer on Mars. Once he arrives, he starts to notice that things aren’t so much like they seem. Follow John as he tries to uncover the real truth about what is really happening on the red planet.
Chris Abell did narration for this, and he does a wonderful job. I really thought that Chris used the perfect voice for Chris, and gave the other characters really believable and well-done voices too. The quality of this recording was perfect, with no noticeable issues.
The Martian Conspiracy started off a little weird. I was trying to figure out why we were in California. But the whole first third of the book is to set the scene for who John is and what his motives are. I actually had to pause the audiobook at one point to make sure that I was actually listening to this book. Funny though, right after I did that a scene took place that changes where we were pretty quickly. With that being said, I don’t think that the beginning was unnecessary, it was just a bit confused when I thought I was reading a book about Mars and it spent a good amount of time NOT on Mars.
After we got to Mars, the action really started to pick up. Part sleuth/mystery and part sci fi thriller – this book has something for a lot of readers. I found myself really enjoying the story and staying up too late to get further into the story.
The story arc and character arcs were really well done too. I enjoyed the progress that each character had throughout and the interaction between them.
Overall, a well done science fiction novel, that really had some thought involved in it. I like the mixture of mystery, science fiction, and thriller. It was something different from the average sci-fi book.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
October 7, 2016
Also posted (with a Bonus Author Interview) on my blog Got My Book.
A rousing near future SF adventure reminiscent of classic favorites.
SERIES INFO: This is Book #1 in a planned trilogy. According to the author, Book #2 - The Callisto Deception, - will be published in Summer 2016 and #3 (tentatively titled The War of Storms) will be out “8-12 months later.”
Although the protagonist is an adult, this book reminded me of an updated version of some of my favorite Robert Heinlein juveniles. You take a bright but unexceptional individual and throw them into space, then watch what happens. The book is packed with excellent characters, including:
Our Hero (John) - NASA nerd turned driven survivor turned action hero, not afraid to think outside the box, willing to do what’s right in difficult situations.
The Comic Relief (Leeth) - an adventurous sort of everyday hero, he’s a nurse who chooses to use his skills in disaster relief areas and other difficult situations. And he’s Aussie, mate.
The Girl (No spoilers = no name) - being a woman myself, I was happy when Mr. Read added one to the mix (although it came fairly late in the book). Unlike me, she is a kick butt military officer who can hold her own with the men. Like John, she stands up for what’s right despite the possible consequences. And she represents an opportunity for a dash of romance. (Not with John, thankfully. I’m still holding out hope that he will eventually reunite with his wife.)
I am not a scientist myself, but the technology in the book seemed realistic. There was a good balance of including advanced technology but not dwelling on the details to the point of tedium. A few things that stood out for me were: the way the internet was used to track/connect individuals following the disaster (this is already happening now in a less organized form) / the fact that few people know how to drive their own cars (we’re taking the first steps towards this) / and the great VR exercise machines (just because they’re cool).
The story starts with a great big bang. Mr. Read manages to introduce John and create an emotional connection with his wife and son in a very short time, before everything hits the fan (i.e. California). After that, the first 25%, before we head for Mars, seemed a bit drawn out. I’m not sure what could be removed (maybe Eddie, but I’m thinking he might make a reappearance in a later book). I think the decision to jump forward a year once he arrives on Mars was a good one. It eliminates any additional dragging before we get to the “conspiracy,” and allows John to be confident/skilled in his job.
The latter part of the story is one action scene after another with barely any time to breathe in between (in a good way). And that last action scene was craaazy. The ending satisfactorily concludes the main “conspiracy” plot but leaves our crew with some serious issues to deal with in the next book.
The narration was great. Good accents and character distinction. The pacing was a bit slowish (I’m a fan of 1.25 speed); production was smooth; and female voices (although not very womanly) were acceptable.
FAVORITE PART(S): I appreciated that, while it was made clear that John is severely emotionally impacted by the loss of his family, the book didn’t wallow in the fact. / Fav scene - John trying to put his pants on in zero-g.
I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: Swearing (esp the 6 F words), although it is MUCH less than another recent Martian story we’ve all heard about. / humorous use of GOD as an acronym / Leeth’s attachment to alcohol.
MY RATINGS:
--Enjoyment: HIGH
--Re-readability: HIGH, although I will probably skip straight to the point where he boards the ship for Mars.
--Narrator Impact: HIGH - When I first started the book, Mr Abell sounded a lot like the narrator of one of my Heinlein audiobooks (I was surprised when I checked and it wasn’t him). This increased my enjoyment of the book, since it instantly put me in the right mood.
I received this book free in return for an honest review, courtesy of Audiobook Blast dot com.
The Martian Conspiracy by John Read; read by Chris Abell; produced independently in 2015 / Length: 7 hrs 32 min (Unabr) / Available through Audible & Amazon plus iTunes
A rousing near future SF adventure reminiscent of classic favorites.
SERIES INFO: This is Book #1 in a planned trilogy. According to the author, Book #2 - The Callisto Deception, - will be published in Summer 2016 and #3 (tentatively titled The War of Storms) will be out “8-12 months later.”
Although the protagonist is an adult, this book reminded me of an updated version of some of my favorite Robert Heinlein juveniles. You take a bright but unexceptional individual and throw them into space, then watch what happens. The book is packed with excellent characters, including:
Our Hero (John) - NASA nerd turned driven survivor turned action hero, not afraid to think outside the box, willing to do what’s right in difficult situations.
The Comic Relief (Leeth) - an adventurous sort of everyday hero, he’s a nurse who chooses to use his skills in disaster relief areas and other difficult situations. And he’s Aussie, mate.
The Girl (No spoilers = no name) - being a woman myself, I was happy when Mr. Read added one to the mix (although it came fairly late in the book). Unlike me, she is a kick butt military officer who can hold her own with the men. Like John, she stands up for what’s right despite the possible consequences. And she represents an opportunity for a dash of romance. (Not with John, thankfully. I’m still holding out hope that he will eventually reunite with his wife.)
I am not a scientist myself, but the technology in the book seemed realistic. There was a good balance of including advanced technology but not dwelling on the details to the point of tedium. A few things that stood out for me were: the way the internet was used to track/connect individuals following the disaster (this is already happening now in a less organized form) / the fact that few people know how to drive their own cars (we’re taking the first steps towards this) / and the great VR exercise machines (just because they’re cool).
The story starts with a great big bang. Mr. Read manages to introduce John and create an emotional connection with his wife and son in a very short time, before everything hits the fan (i.e. California). After that, the first 25%, before we head for Mars, seemed a bit drawn out. I’m not sure what could be removed (maybe Eddie, but I’m thinking he might make a reappearance in a later book). I think the decision to jump forward a year once he arrives on Mars was a good one. It eliminates any additional dragging before we get to the “conspiracy,” and allows John to be confident/skilled in his job.
The latter part of the story is one action scene after another with barely any time to breathe in between (in a good way). And that last action scene was craaazy. The ending satisfactorily concludes the main “conspiracy” plot but leaves our crew with some serious issues to deal with in the next book.
The narration was great. Good accents and character distinction. The pacing was a bit slowish (I’m a fan of 1.25 speed); production was smooth; and female voices (although not very womanly) were acceptable.
FAVORITE PART(S): I appreciated that, while it was made clear that John is severely emotionally impacted by the loss of his family, the book didn’t wallow in the fact. / Fav scene - John trying to put his pants on in zero-g.
I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: Swearing (esp the 6 F words), although it is MUCH less than another recent Martian story we’ve all heard about. / humorous use of GOD as an acronym / Leeth’s attachment to alcohol.
MY RATINGS:
--Enjoyment: HIGH
--Re-readability: HIGH, although I will probably skip straight to the point where he boards the ship for Mars.
--Narrator Impact: HIGH - When I first started the book, Mr Abell sounded a lot like the narrator of one of my Heinlein audiobooks (I was surprised when I checked and it wasn’t him). This increased my enjoyment of the book, since it instantly put me in the right mood.
I received this book free in return for an honest review, courtesy of Audiobook Blast dot com.
The Martian Conspiracy by John Read; read by Chris Abell; produced independently in 2015 / Length: 7 hrs 32 min (Unabr) / Available through Audible & Amazon plus iTunes
December 20, 2015
Sci-fi, Space, Adventure!
The description for this book grabbed me because I am into sci-fi adventures so it was my type of book. The problem with it being so well matched to my tasted is that having read so many in this genre, there is a higher bar for sci-fi adventure books. I received this audiobook at no cost in exchange for an honest review, and this one did not disappoint!
The story has what I would call two parts. In Part 1; we meet John Orville on Earth, and watch his life fall apart. We search with him for answers, feel the loss and pain as he tries to grieve and then move on. I’ll admit, while listening to this part I did wonder when leaving for Mars would happen, but on further consideration, going to Mars is a pretty significant commitment, and in the end it was nice to have spent the time basically coming to the same conclusion as John: That there was nothing really left for him on Earth so why not go to Mars? This part also had some engineering, NASA, aviation, military, and sci-fi pop culture shout-outs that I absolutely loved (any book that mentions one of my favourite airplanes and one of my favourite cancelled-before-its-time shows gains points with me). They wouldn’t have been in this book if not for this part of the story so I’m glad the author spent the time to develop it. The second part covers the journey and his new life on Mars. It all seems to go well until a military unit lands and John and his friends start realizing that something is not quite right.
I liked the near-future-ness of the story. The technology seemed to be a realistic imagining of what is possible in the not-too distant future, so there wasn’t any ‘magic’ technology – don’t get me wrong, I like those types of stories too. It’s just sometimes I want something a little more down to Earth…or Mars. The story also offered a fun mix of characters and scenery descriptions that were easy to visualize.
The narrator did a good job. There were a couple of accents done which helped to distinguish some of the characters. The only complaint I would have was one scene with a lot of dialogue back and forth between several characters where I couldn’t quite distinguish between two of the characters. There was a point or two where a background noise made me blink, but it was so low I think the only reason I noticed it was because I was so thoroughly engrossed. Otherwise, it was a pleasant listening experience and the narrator moved at a good pace. Overall I'd normally give it about 4 stars, but since I finished it a lot quicker than I planned because I wanted to know what was going to happen, it gets bumped to 4.5 stars.
If you like near-future sci-fi, space travel and adventure this will be a good listen!
The description for this book grabbed me because I am into sci-fi adventures so it was my type of book. The problem with it being so well matched to my tasted is that having read so many in this genre, there is a higher bar for sci-fi adventure books. I received this audiobook at no cost in exchange for an honest review, and this one did not disappoint!
The story has what I would call two parts. In Part 1; we meet John Orville on Earth, and watch his life fall apart. We search with him for answers, feel the loss and pain as he tries to grieve and then move on. I’ll admit, while listening to this part I did wonder when leaving for Mars would happen, but on further consideration, going to Mars is a pretty significant commitment, and in the end it was nice to have spent the time basically coming to the same conclusion as John: That there was nothing really left for him on Earth so why not go to Mars? This part also had some engineering, NASA, aviation, military, and sci-fi pop culture shout-outs that I absolutely loved (any book that mentions one of my favourite airplanes and one of my favourite cancelled-before-its-time shows gains points with me). They wouldn’t have been in this book if not for this part of the story so I’m glad the author spent the time to develop it. The second part covers the journey and his new life on Mars. It all seems to go well until a military unit lands and John and his friends start realizing that something is not quite right.
I liked the near-future-ness of the story. The technology seemed to be a realistic imagining of what is possible in the not-too distant future, so there wasn’t any ‘magic’ technology – don’t get me wrong, I like those types of stories too. It’s just sometimes I want something a little more down to Earth…or Mars. The story also offered a fun mix of characters and scenery descriptions that were easy to visualize.
The narrator did a good job. There were a couple of accents done which helped to distinguish some of the characters. The only complaint I would have was one scene with a lot of dialogue back and forth between several characters where I couldn’t quite distinguish between two of the characters. There was a point or two where a background noise made me blink, but it was so low I think the only reason I noticed it was because I was so thoroughly engrossed. Otherwise, it was a pleasant listening experience and the narrator moved at a good pace. Overall I'd normally give it about 4 stars, but since I finished it a lot quicker than I planned because I wanted to know what was going to happen, it gets bumped to 4.5 stars.
If you like near-future sci-fi, space travel and adventure this will be a good listen!
May 23, 2016
I received a free audiobook from the author in exchange for a honest review. So my comment here would be longer than usual. But my view is not impacted by the gift. And I do like the book.
This book has a somewhat unfortunate name. With Andy Weir's book of very similar name standing at the center of Science Friction and even Hollywood's spotlight lately, it is easy to mistake this book as a cheap rip-off of the same genre. I can assure you that this is not the case. Other than also happening on Mars and paying quite a bit of attention to technical detail, it is a whole different book, with a totally different storyline. (It did mention a Watney Building...brought a smile to my face. Not sure if intentional or not)
Also about the name, having the "Conspiracy" in the title kind of spoiled the story. It led me to think everything protagonist encounters is some sort of conspiracy. It let my imagination run wild at all the possibilities, so was a little disappointed when the conspiracy wasn't as elaborated as I had imagined.
On to the story itself, I think it's pretty good. The world is setting quite convincingly 60 years in the future. Autonomous cars, 3D printing, Hyperloop, drones, VTOL and other hot topics in mid-2010s are commonly seen. Although after a few repeated mentions it does feel a bit too intentional. They also make the book less timeless and clearly show which era when it was written. And...Skype? Really? In 2070s?
The plot itself is interesting. The conflict is quite well defined and explores a world where automation has eliminated the need for some people to have work. The characters have just enough room to demonstrate their own personalities (development, on the other hand, is not quite there. The book is just too short for that. But I'm okay with that)
I was expecting some follow up on the earth part of the story, but the Chekhov's gun still didn't fire towards the end. Turns out a sequel is in the plan. Will look forward reading it.
The audio book version is well produced as well. The narrator (Chris Abell) has just the right tone and speed to keep me engaged along the way.
This book has a somewhat unfortunate name. With Andy Weir's book of very similar name standing at the center of Science Friction and even Hollywood's spotlight lately, it is easy to mistake this book as a cheap rip-off of the same genre. I can assure you that this is not the case. Other than also happening on Mars and paying quite a bit of attention to technical detail, it is a whole different book, with a totally different storyline. (It did mention a Watney Building...brought a smile to my face. Not sure if intentional or not)
Also about the name, having the "Conspiracy" in the title kind of spoiled the story. It led me to think everything protagonist encounters is some sort of conspiracy. It let my imagination run wild at all the possibilities, so was a little disappointed when the conspiracy wasn't as elaborated as I had imagined.
On to the story itself, I think it's pretty good. The world is setting quite convincingly 60 years in the future. Autonomous cars, 3D printing, Hyperloop, drones, VTOL and other hot topics in mid-2010s are commonly seen. Although after a few repeated mentions it does feel a bit too intentional. They also make the book less timeless and clearly show which era when it was written. And...Skype? Really? In 2070s?
The plot itself is interesting. The conflict is quite well defined and explores a world where automation has eliminated the need for some people to have work. The characters have just enough room to demonstrate their own personalities (development, on the other hand, is not quite there. The book is just too short for that. But I'm okay with that)
I was expecting some follow up on the earth part of the story, but the Chekhov's gun still didn't fire towards the end. Turns out a sequel is in the plan. Will look forward reading it.
The audio book version is well produced as well. The narrator (Chris Abell) has just the right tone and speed to keep me engaged along the way.
March 27, 2016
A NASA Engineer Uncovers a big secret on Mars
4.5 out of 5 stars
John Orville is an engineer for NASA who witnesses a new space station/colony come crashing down into California quickly ending his career with NASA. His wife and child were near the impact zone, and he isn’t sure if they got out safely. After spending months helping the search and rescue team look for survivors, John is about to give up everything. Right after he has this realization he is visited by a hologram from the Martian Mining Company looking for his engineering expertise. He decides he has nothing tying him to Earth, and joins. After he arrives on the red planet he begins to realize quickly that things aren’t what they seem.
The narration was done by Chris Abell, and he did a wonderful job voicing John’s character. He also gave each character a different voice and they were really well done. I love when a narrator is able to give each character a voice of their own and make them all believable. The narration of this book really added something to the story.
The Martian Conspiracy starts off a little weird. We spend a lot of time on Earth for a story that’s named “The Martian” anything. Granted, it’s all needed to explain John and what is going on with him, but it was hard to understand for a while. I actually found myself making sure I was listening to the right book for a second. But the story then moves to Mars and it really picks up from there.
The story was incredibly detailed with story and character arcs that were incredibly well thought out.
Johns’ character himself was a really easy person to follow along with. The way that he was written makes him one of those characters that as the story progressive you really find yourself wanting to follow him to the ends of the Earth (or space).
Overall, this was a really enjoyable sci-fi/mystery/thriller. I found myself staying up late listening to this because I was enjoying it so much. Also, if you like planes — there is a lot of aeronautical stuff in this novel that will peak your interest.
Did you enjoy this review? Check out more on Brian's Book Blog
4.5 out of 5 stars
John Orville is an engineer for NASA who witnesses a new space station/colony come crashing down into California quickly ending his career with NASA. His wife and child were near the impact zone, and he isn’t sure if they got out safely. After spending months helping the search and rescue team look for survivors, John is about to give up everything. Right after he has this realization he is visited by a hologram from the Martian Mining Company looking for his engineering expertise. He decides he has nothing tying him to Earth, and joins. After he arrives on the red planet he begins to realize quickly that things aren’t what they seem.
The narration was done by Chris Abell, and he did a wonderful job voicing John’s character. He also gave each character a different voice and they were really well done. I love when a narrator is able to give each character a voice of their own and make them all believable. The narration of this book really added something to the story.
The Martian Conspiracy starts off a little weird. We spend a lot of time on Earth for a story that’s named “The Martian” anything. Granted, it’s all needed to explain John and what is going on with him, but it was hard to understand for a while. I actually found myself making sure I was listening to the right book for a second. But the story then moves to Mars and it really picks up from there.
The story was incredibly detailed with story and character arcs that were incredibly well thought out.
Johns’ character himself was a really easy person to follow along with. The way that he was written makes him one of those characters that as the story progressive you really find yourself wanting to follow him to the ends of the Earth (or space).
Overall, this was a really enjoyable sci-fi/mystery/thriller. I found myself staying up late listening to this because I was enjoying it so much. Also, if you like planes — there is a lot of aeronautical stuff in this novel that will peak your interest.
Did you enjoy this review? Check out more on Brian's Book Blog
January 25, 2016
The author has a most interesting vision of the not-so-distant future which is creative and believable. He has a great knowledge of space and aviation subjects, as his detailed descriptions put you squarely in John Orville's shoes and allow you to understand the story from the main character's perspective. You can feel the author's passion for aviation and science fiction throughout the chapters, and he made sure to include relate-able interpersonal storylines between the characters. I really enjoyed his creativity in terms of technological advancements and gadgets as well as the diversity of his characters. There were surprises in the story and unexpected turns which kept me flipping the pages to see what happens next. The Martian Conspiracy has a little something for everyone: science fiction, romance, conspiracies, excitement.
Straight up good read, I'm already looking forward to John Read's next book!
Straight up good read, I'm already looking forward to John Read's next book!
March 8, 2016
A very intense Sci-Fi novel, written in a captivating, fast-paced, style. The book, even though being a work of fantasy, is filled with plausible and realistic details about a future martian colony. From the book and the style of the author, we can clearly see how much he loves space and all things technical, and he did a good job in portraying his passions in the book without falling in the trap of clichés and technological nonsense such as many other Sci-Fi writers do. There are cars which are driven automatically, electric aircraft, space colonies and space shuttles... and of course, villains with a crazy plan.
I enjoyed the book thoroughly, and am looking forward to his next book.
I enjoyed the book thoroughly, and am looking forward to his next book.
July 20, 2020
I enjoyed this story, especially the first half. There are some great descriptions, and it's obvious the author knows what he's talking about when it comes to planes, flight, and lots of technical/scientific details (without bogging the story down with those details). The plot is exciting and the characters are all distinct and interesting.
I took off a star because it's sadly obvious that the book has not been professionally edited. There are numerous errors in grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, especially when it comes to dialogue, and that made the book harder and more awkward to read. I took off another star because, while the book is written in first-person point of view, there are several scenes that inexplicably switch to third person and show us what other characters are doing/thinking, even though the main character wasn't present and had no way of knowing.
Overall, this is a very interesting science fiction novel, and I could picture the setting and action and imagine I was there. I would describe it as a good story that could have been great with a little more time and care.
I took off a star because it's sadly obvious that the book has not been professionally edited. There are numerous errors in grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, especially when it comes to dialogue, and that made the book harder and more awkward to read. I took off another star because, while the book is written in first-person point of view, there are several scenes that inexplicably switch to third person and show us what other characters are doing/thinking, even though the main character wasn't present and had no way of knowing.
Overall, this is a very interesting science fiction novel, and I could picture the setting and action and imagine I was there. I would describe it as a good story that could have been great with a little more time and care.
May 20, 2017
Tossed aside at around 70% in.
December 19, 2015
A very simple, quick read. I wanted to like it, just having come off The Martian high - I'm sure there will be comparisons - but it doesn't compare. That doesn't mean it was bad, just not enough depth to the plot or characters for my taste.
March 27, 2016
Modern day sci-fi pulp. Please recycle.
The plot is pretty straightforward, complete with obvious villains and minimal twists (more like gentle curves) and if you didn't see it coming you clearly haven't watched enough cartoons when you were a kid.
The plot is pretty straightforward, complete with obvious villains and minimal twists (more like gentle curves) and if you didn't see it coming you clearly haven't watched enough cartoons when you were a kid.
December 29, 2015
A technically well written book that loses a bit of steam just when things should be heating up. Nice versimilitude with the aviation and space details.
January 23, 2016
Probably the worst Mars book I've ever read. Reads like a comic book. Horrendous writing, atrocious narration, ludicrous characters.
Spare yourself.
Spare yourself.
May 12, 2016
Little bit too rough on the edges and quality fluctuated through the book.
January 26, 2016
I recommend
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