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Discovery Series #1
Lunar Discovery: Let the Space Race Begin
A Contemporary Sci-Fi, Techno-Thriller, by Salvador Mercer, Author of the Claire-Agon Fantasy World Books.
When a Chinese rover discovers an alien technology on the dark side of the moon, it is up to Richard ‘Rock’ Crandon and his NASA team of scientists and engineers to devise a way to return before the Chinese and Russians.
Forced to deal with bureaucratic oversight and a complex team of personalities, Rock Crandon pushes his team to their limits.
With pressure mounting, the world is pushed closer to conflict and war as the NASA team finds itself seriously behind in the newly initiated space race. The future of mankind, its ideological and technological advances are at stake, as the world's super powers race to discover what lies on the dark side of the moon.
Who will get there first, and at what cost?
*****
Want to see the space race continue? Sign up for Salvador Mercer's newsletter and tell him to make it happen! Join Rock and his NASA crew on their journey to restore American Space Superiority.
Direct link to sign up for Salvador Mercer's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/benueb
When a Chinese rover discovers an alien technology on the dark side of the moon, it is up to Richard ‘Rock’ Crandon and his NASA team of scientists and engineers to devise a way to return before the Chinese and Russians.
Forced to deal with bureaucratic oversight and a complex team of personalities, Rock Crandon pushes his team to their limits.
With pressure mounting, the world is pushed closer to conflict and war as the NASA team finds itself seriously behind in the newly initiated space race. The future of mankind, its ideological and technological advances are at stake, as the world's super powers race to discover what lies on the dark side of the moon.
Who will get there first, and at what cost?
*****
Want to see the space race continue? Sign up for Salvador Mercer's newsletter and tell him to make it happen! Join Rock and his NASA crew on their journey to restore American Space Superiority.
Direct link to sign up for Salvador Mercer's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/benueb
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2015
831 people are currently reading
928 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
August 15, 2022
A possibly extraterrestrial object is discovered on the dark side of the moon. A space race for the ages starts as the United States, China and Russia all want to be the first to claim it.
I have to say, I absolutely love the concept. The plot is quite straight forward but there's always enough going on to keep it interesting. The plot just feels a bit stretched thin over so many pages. The characters also feel a bit shallow. Had the book been shortened a bit, I think the plot would stand out more. The story would feel more fast-paced and gripping. It would also help cover up the character flaws a little bit.
Overall, a decent start to a pretty interesting series. Though the way the story ends, it’s clear the best is yet to come.
I have to say, I absolutely love the concept. The plot is quite straight forward but there's always enough going on to keep it interesting. The plot just feels a bit stretched thin over so many pages. The characters also feel a bit shallow. Had the book been shortened a bit, I think the plot would stand out more. The story would feel more fast-paced and gripping. It would also help cover up the character flaws a little bit.
Overall, a decent start to a pretty interesting series. Though the way the story ends, it’s clear the best is yet to come.
January 12, 2020
Hmm interesting
It was quite introductory to the series with fast-paced action. Yet, it felt short and simple. Nothing twist and everything is within expectations parameter. Also, this book reminds me of a book called the Saturn running. Honestly, I thought there would be a firefight and bloody stalemate inside the alien whatever chamber. Let see with next book.
It was quite introductory to the series with fast-paced action. Yet, it felt short and simple. Nothing twist and everything is within expectations parameter. Also, this book reminds me of a book called the Saturn running. Honestly, I thought there would be a firefight and bloody stalemate inside the alien whatever chamber. Let see with next book.
February 16, 2020
A “near future” story I came close to putting down and moving on from for the first 35% or so of the book. By halftime I was starting to get interested. By the final third the excitement had me eager to get to the end.
Will I read the next book of the series? Maybe, the neat bow ending and puzzling decisions of the players on this stage doesn’t have me head over heels for the universe created, but I don’t hate it and may rejoin it in the future.
Will I read the next book of the series? Maybe, the neat bow ending and puzzling decisions of the players on this stage doesn’t have me head over heels for the universe created, but I don’t hate it and may rejoin it in the future.
September 19, 2019
I quit at 20%.
I like the concept of a space race to the dark side of the moon - to find an alien artifact! Unfortunately, that first 20% that I read is solely composed of meetings. Yes, meetings. They meet about the transmission. They meet about other meetings. Other countries meet and discuss plans. Things happen briefly, and then there's meetings about what happened, and more meetings about previous meetings. And more ... and more ... and finally I quit. You can't have the first 20% of the book be nothing but meetings, where literally NO ONE expresses any interest or passion in the subject. Nope. It's the space race, but everyone is irritated about having to be there, bored, and apparently doesn't have the interest to even speculate about the alien transmission/device.
If all your characters are bored of their minds, SO AM I.
I like the concept of a space race to the dark side of the moon - to find an alien artifact! Unfortunately, that first 20% that I read is solely composed of meetings. Yes, meetings. They meet about the transmission. They meet about other meetings. Other countries meet and discuss plans. Things happen briefly, and then there's meetings about what happened, and more meetings about previous meetings. And more ... and more ... and finally I quit. You can't have the first 20% of the book be nothing but meetings, where literally NO ONE expresses any interest or passion in the subject. Nope. It's the space race, but everyone is irritated about having to be there, bored, and apparently doesn't have the interest to even speculate about the alien transmission/device.
If all your characters are bored of their minds, SO AM I.
January 5, 2017
Too many science errors
In the first sentence the author insists that the oxygen in the air is burning.... oxygen is a catalyst in combustion and does not itself burn. That's why it's called oxidation.
Then the lead character I named Rock???? And it gets worse from their. I wish I hadn't bought it.
In the first sentence the author insists that the oxygen in the air is burning.... oxygen is a catalyst in combustion and does not itself burn. That's why it's called oxidation.
Then the lead character I named Rock???? And it gets worse from their. I wish I hadn't bought it.
August 24, 2019
Fantastic Book
This book deserves a five star rating. I stayed up late into the night reading this book as it was so exciting, so suspenseful that I could not put it down. The plot is fantastic, the science seemed realistic, and the characters are true to life . How the author managed to keep so many relevant characters in form is amazing. The astronauts and other space heroes are courageous and believable. The feats accomplished I in the face of horrible odds are so praise worthy, so brave, and as always professional. If you like suspense, space science , and heroes, you will rush to get this book.
This book deserves a five star rating. I stayed up late into the night reading this book as it was so exciting, so suspenseful that I could not put it down. The plot is fantastic, the science seemed realistic, and the characters are true to life . How the author managed to keep so many relevant characters in form is amazing. The astronauts and other space heroes are courageous and believable. The feats accomplished I in the face of horrible odds are so praise worthy, so brave, and as always professional. If you like suspense, space science , and heroes, you will rush to get this book.
September 29, 2023
Note: This book is quite similar to the book, "Encounter with Tiber" by Buzz Aldrin. Because of that similarity I knocked off a star. It was well done, nevertheless.
I doubt I will read this book again.
I doubt I will read this book again.
November 19, 2015
I picked up a copy of Lunar Discovery during a recent bargain promotion, and though the title & description made it look a little derivative, I thought it might be kind of fun. And although the stock characters of scientists and politicians could easily have been lifted from any number of science fiction novels, what I wasn't prepared for was how many hours would rapidly disappear as I got increasingly hooked on the exciting story within. Put simply, I couldn't put it down, and there were times when I had to force myself to stop reading so I could do other things like sleep! I love the early novels of Stephen Baxter (such as Voyage and Titan) and this book is undoubtedly inspired by those novels, although very much its own book. It is also worthy of comparison with those earlier classics.
The story is thick with science, orbital mechanics, physics and space hardware, and as such, it was right up my street – I know such things are not everybody’s cup of tea, but I can’t get enough of them. In some respects, the characters play second fiddle to the science, however with a story like this, the approach works very well, making for a fascinating and exciting voyage of discovery. The book is, for the most part, highly believable, and although it is set in the near future, the science employed is solid, well researched, and not at all far-fetched. The political machinations of the three nations involved are also frightening believable and bang up to date – you could just imagine such things happening right now if similar discoveries were to really take place. And it ends in a very satisfying way, leaving the possibility of other books to continue the story.
Simply put, Lunar Discovery is one of the best hard sci-fi novels I’ve read for years, and would make a very exciting movie. Hence, it scores a 9/10 rating from me. Well done to the author, and I do hope there will be further books in this series soon. Fantastic.
The story is thick with science, orbital mechanics, physics and space hardware, and as such, it was right up my street – I know such things are not everybody’s cup of tea, but I can’t get enough of them. In some respects, the characters play second fiddle to the science, however with a story like this, the approach works very well, making for a fascinating and exciting voyage of discovery. The book is, for the most part, highly believable, and although it is set in the near future, the science employed is solid, well researched, and not at all far-fetched. The political machinations of the three nations involved are also frightening believable and bang up to date – you could just imagine such things happening right now if similar discoveries were to really take place. And it ends in a very satisfying way, leaving the possibility of other books to continue the story.
Simply put, Lunar Discovery is one of the best hard sci-fi novels I’ve read for years, and would make a very exciting movie. Hence, it scores a 9/10 rating from me. Well done to the author, and I do hope there will be further books in this series soon. Fantastic.
September 28, 2019
What happens after the discovery of an artifact left on the lunar surface by an ancient civilization?
And what will happen when China, Russia, and the United States all set out to retrieve this alien artifact?
Three distinct voices . . . Chinese, Russian, and American . . . alternate in the telling of the tale as the efforts to retrieve the artifact build tension for the reader. The prologue of this story is likely to remind readers of the venerable short story “The Sentinel.” The real question is whether the story that follows is worthy of that particular introduction.
The answer to that is complicated. On the negative side, the characters tend toward being stereotypical, which makes it more difficult for readers to empathize with them. More importantly, if readers were to count the science errors [beginning with “the dark side of the moon”], it would swiftly become rather overwhelming.
In science fiction, significant changes in science usually come with extraterrestrial locations or characters. But when the author changes the way the science works, there’s always a credible explanation for that change. Otherwise, altering science makes the story vexing for readers. Earth readers know that oxygen doesn’t burn, so reading that “liquid oxygen ignited” is sure to pull them right out of the story.
The willing suspension of disbelief does not go so far as to overlook scientific inaccuracies. Good science fiction stories are wrapped around realistic advances in science based on the facts and nature of science itself and must be recognized as such, especially when they are set on this little third-from-the-sun planet populated by human beings.
Somehow, this story missed that fundamental requirement.
However, there are some nuggets of an exceptional story here, if only science does not become the sacrificial lamb on the altar of imaginative storytelling . . . .
And what will happen when China, Russia, and the United States all set out to retrieve this alien artifact?
Three distinct voices . . . Chinese, Russian, and American . . . alternate in the telling of the tale as the efforts to retrieve the artifact build tension for the reader. The prologue of this story is likely to remind readers of the venerable short story “The Sentinel.” The real question is whether the story that follows is worthy of that particular introduction.
The answer to that is complicated. On the negative side, the characters tend toward being stereotypical, which makes it more difficult for readers to empathize with them. More importantly, if readers were to count the science errors [beginning with “the dark side of the moon”], it would swiftly become rather overwhelming.
In science fiction, significant changes in science usually come with extraterrestrial locations or characters. But when the author changes the way the science works, there’s always a credible explanation for that change. Otherwise, altering science makes the story vexing for readers. Earth readers know that oxygen doesn’t burn, so reading that “liquid oxygen ignited” is sure to pull them right out of the story.
The willing suspension of disbelief does not go so far as to overlook scientific inaccuracies. Good science fiction stories are wrapped around realistic advances in science based on the facts and nature of science itself and must be recognized as such, especially when they are set on this little third-from-the-sun planet populated by human beings.
Somehow, this story missed that fundamental requirement.
However, there are some nuggets of an exceptional story here, if only science does not become the sacrificial lamb on the altar of imaginative storytelling . . . .
July 25, 2018
Title: Lunar Discovery: Let the Space Race Begin
Author: Salvador Mercer
Publication Date: Sep 2015
Genre: Sci-Fi
Score: 3/5
This is a novel about a discovery of an alien object on the moon and the race to recover it. Three nations, USA, Russia, and China are locked in a fight to get to the moon first and claim ownership of the alien object.
This is a very technical description of what it would take for a nation to land on the moon. So, there’s some plot and a lot of orbital, mechanical, and chemical engineering exposition. It was ok. There is a sequel, but I don’t think I’ll be following this one up. I listened to the audible version of this novel and it was performed well.
Author: Salvador Mercer
Publication Date: Sep 2015
Genre: Sci-Fi
Score: 3/5
This is a novel about a discovery of an alien object on the moon and the race to recover it. Three nations, USA, Russia, and China are locked in a fight to get to the moon first and claim ownership of the alien object.
This is a very technical description of what it would take for a nation to land on the moon. So, there’s some plot and a lot of orbital, mechanical, and chemical engineering exposition. It was ok. There is a sequel, but I don’t think I’ll be following this one up. I listened to the audible version of this novel and it was performed well.
January 12, 2016
A great beginning. A SciFi political nail biter! Will there be a sequal?
A fast paced drama involving the multinational space race scramble to claim an artifact discovered on the dark side of the moon! A literary feast with technology as the mane course.
A fast paced drama involving the multinational space race scramble to claim an artifact discovered on the dark side of the moon! A literary feast with technology as the mane course.
November 17, 2019
Lunar Discovery: Let the Space Race Begin is the first book in Salvador Mercer's Discovery Series. In the first installment of the series an alien signal is discovered coming from the Moon. The United States of America, Russia, and China all rush to get to the alien device first.
In both reading and writing, I prefer a character centric story. I adore falling in love and hating characters. This book offered no characters that I actually cared about. The most likable person was Tom and that was merely because a majority of his lines were amusing to read. If there was one person who got me through this book, it was Tom.
The way the author writes technical information makes it seem like they are attempting to put down the reader. It wasn't until half-way through the book that I started to groan whenever this happened. I adore Micheal Crichton who has footnotes and appendixes for some of his books. So the reason I don't like the technical aspects of this book isn't because I'm dumb or I just don't like this kind of book.
The book is mostly boring until near the very end. I was actually on the edge of my seat during the final pages of this book. It is sad it took that long for the book to make an actual impact on me.
One last thing: the President's name is Powers. I could not take her character seriously because of that. If the author had chosen a different name for her, I might've been able to connect with her character. Every time Powers' name came up I kept thinking of Professor Powers from the Animorphs series.
I would recommend this book to those that like a more hard science fiction book and don't like getting attached to characters.
In both reading and writing, I prefer a character centric story. I adore falling in love and hating characters. This book offered no characters that I actually cared about. The most likable person was Tom and that was merely because a majority of his lines were amusing to read. If there was one person who got me through this book, it was Tom.
The way the author writes technical information makes it seem like they are attempting to put down the reader. It wasn't until half-way through the book that I started to groan whenever this happened. I adore Micheal Crichton who has footnotes and appendixes for some of his books. So the reason I don't like the technical aspects of this book isn't because I'm dumb or I just don't like this kind of book.
The book is mostly boring until near the very end. I was actually on the edge of my seat during the final pages of this book. It is sad it took that long for the book to make an actual impact on me.
One last thing: the President's name is Powers. I could not take her character seriously because of that. If the author had chosen a different name for her, I might've been able to connect with her character. Every time Powers' name came up I kept thinking of Professor Powers from the Animorphs series.
I would recommend this book to those that like a more hard science fiction book and don't like getting attached to characters.
July 22, 2020
Lunar Discovey is like a technical manual simplified and dramatized—to good effect.
We follow several teams as they engineer their way to first place in a race for a newly discovered alien artifact on the moon.
I’m no rocket scientist, but the author has done his homework and polished his technical explanations enough to make me believe he is at least an amateur one. His descriptions shine without blinding us; they are believable, accessible, and enjoyable. The plot moves along at a steady clip on waves of engineering problems, big-picture espionage, and the mystery of “what is it?”.
As for the characters ... well, the technology is the main character here, so much so it’s the people who become interchangeable parts. The names of people in each group seem to be taken from the top 10 most common in each respective country—and apart from the guy with the nickname, I don’t really remember any of them.
Is this a problem? Not if you go into it with the right expectations.
There are also some editing issues, with sections repeated, as if the authored decided to move things around but forgot to delete the old version.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and am likely to pick up the second one.
3.5/5 Rivets
We follow several teams as they engineer their way to first place in a race for a newly discovered alien artifact on the moon.
I’m no rocket scientist, but the author has done his homework and polished his technical explanations enough to make me believe he is at least an amateur one. His descriptions shine without blinding us; they are believable, accessible, and enjoyable. The plot moves along at a steady clip on waves of engineering problems, big-picture espionage, and the mystery of “what is it?”.
As for the characters ... well, the technology is the main character here, so much so it’s the people who become interchangeable parts. The names of people in each group seem to be taken from the top 10 most common in each respective country—and apart from the guy with the nickname, I don’t really remember any of them.
Is this a problem? Not if you go into it with the right expectations.
There are also some editing issues, with sections repeated, as if the authored decided to move things around but forgot to delete the old version.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and am likely to pick up the second one.
3.5/5 Rivets
August 14, 2024
I’m a bit ashamed to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. There were some great characters, political issues, aliens, space travel, and lots of suspense. The problem is that I like my Science Fiction factually based and the science in this book lacks a lot of credibility.
That said, Lunar Discovery is a fun read. An alien object, transmitting on many wavelengths, is discovered on the moon. China, Russia, and the United States individually hastily put together rockets to land a taikonaut, cosmonaut, and/or astronaut on the moon to retrieve it. Of course, nothing cooperative but, rather, first nation there gets the advanced technology.
The book’s chapters shift around telling what is happening through the lens of each country’s space program. While the Chinese and Russian space programs are presented as being under the government’s thumb, the author does do a good job of also delving into the politics that control NASA.
If you like your science factual, you will find yourself gritting your teeth reading Lunar Discover. However, if you want a “techno-thriller” that focuses more on politics and adventure than science, you will enjoy this book, the first in Mercer’s Discovery trilogy.
That said, Lunar Discovery is a fun read. An alien object, transmitting on many wavelengths, is discovered on the moon. China, Russia, and the United States individually hastily put together rockets to land a taikonaut, cosmonaut, and/or astronaut on the moon to retrieve it. Of course, nothing cooperative but, rather, first nation there gets the advanced technology.
The book’s chapters shift around telling what is happening through the lens of each country’s space program. While the Chinese and Russian space programs are presented as being under the government’s thumb, the author does do a good job of also delving into the politics that control NASA.
If you like your science factual, you will find yourself gritting your teeth reading Lunar Discover. However, if you want a “techno-thriller” that focuses more on politics and adventure than science, you will enjoy this book, the first in Mercer’s Discovery trilogy.
February 7, 2022
Plot. China has discovered an alien object on the moon. China, Russia, and the United States are determined to possess the alien technology.
Liked. First contact! Friendly? Threatening? A creative space opera that will take you to the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and beyond. Pace, tempo, narration, and production are fine.
Not so hot. The DIscovery Series is more a story of world nations battling each other than the scientific wonder of first contact, even to the point of one country trying to destroy the object rather than let anyone else have it - and its purpose is yet unknown. Really? A bit of a stretch - are human beings this stupid? *yeah, they are*
The overall story is fine, just disappointed with the portrayal of humanity. Can't we all just get along for once? *sigh*
Lunar Discovery, Red Horizon, and Black Infinity are three books that make up the Discovery Series by Salvador Mercer. All books are narrated by Mark Boyett and range in length from eight to ten hours of listening, about 28 hours in total. Listen to all three in sequence or you'll miss character and event continuity. All released by Podium Audio from 2016-18.
Liked. First contact! Friendly? Threatening? A creative space opera that will take you to the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and beyond. Pace, tempo, narration, and production are fine.
Not so hot. The DIscovery Series is more a story of world nations battling each other than the scientific wonder of first contact, even to the point of one country trying to destroy the object rather than let anyone else have it - and its purpose is yet unknown. Really? A bit of a stretch - are human beings this stupid? *yeah, they are*
The overall story is fine, just disappointed with the portrayal of humanity. Can't we all just get along for once? *sigh*
Lunar Discovery, Red Horizon, and Black Infinity are three books that make up the Discovery Series by Salvador Mercer. All books are narrated by Mark Boyett and range in length from eight to ten hours of listening, about 28 hours in total. Listen to all three in sequence or you'll miss character and event continuity. All released by Podium Audio from 2016-18.
December 2, 2017
Great adventure story, in the vein of space race movies like Apollo 13 and Mission To Mars.
The story remains gripping and exciting from start to finish. Most of the characters are interesting, if a little stereotypical, although this works very well here.
There are some unnecessary tones of your standard American patriotism...
... but overall this detracts little from the thrill that must remind baby boomers of the first race to the moon in their childhood but also rings timely for today's generation eagerly awaiting the first manned missions to Mars.
The ending of the book hints at much larger stakes in the next installments of this new series and I, for one, am excited to pick those up.
The story remains gripping and exciting from start to finish. Most of the characters are interesting, if a little stereotypical, although this works very well here.
There are some unnecessary tones of your standard American patriotism...
... but overall this detracts little from the thrill that must remind baby boomers of the first race to the moon in their childhood but also rings timely for today's generation eagerly awaiting the first manned missions to Mars.
The ending of the book hints at much larger stakes in the next installments of this new series and I, for one, am excited to pick those up.
May 18, 2020
Probably my favorite book I've read so far this year. At the beginning I thought this was just going to wind up being a 2001: A Space odyssey ripoff. And while the are some similarities it is really a different story. The story is all about an alien object found on the dark side of the moon and a three-way race between China, Russia and the United States to get there.
The first 3/4 of the book is focused on the scientists and engineers in all three countries and their work on putting together the parts for manned moon missions. Most of the focus on the different countries trying to get a vehicle to the moon. There is a bit about the astronauts but mostly the ground teams.
The last 1/4 of the book focuses on the three countries individual missions and astronauts. There are several failures that occur and that one would expect with rushed missions. And not everything works out in the end for everyone.
Overall I thought it was a great read. Well written and more focused on what an actual mission would be like instead of the typical action hero stories. I look forward to getting to the other two books in the series.
The first 3/4 of the book is focused on the scientists and engineers in all three countries and their work on putting together the parts for manned moon missions. Most of the focus on the different countries trying to get a vehicle to the moon. There is a bit about the astronauts but mostly the ground teams.
The last 1/4 of the book focuses on the three countries individual missions and astronauts. There are several failures that occur and that one would expect with rushed missions. And not everything works out in the end for everyone.
Overall I thought it was a great read. Well written and more focused on what an actual mission would be like instead of the typical action hero stories. I look forward to getting to the other two books in the series.
May 23, 2020
A good story in search of an editor
I enjoyed the story quite a bit. The characters, the action, the tension, the tech... but the writing pulled me out of the story too many times. Especially near the beginning (or did I just get used to it?), there were too many long and convoluted sentences that needed to be read and reread to make sense of. Most of the writing is quite serviceable, but here and there it's a bit of a mess. When I'm reading, and I find myself thinking about how I would rewrite this sentence, or change that word, it's distracting, to say the least.
And then there's this: ""Too late," Julie said, watching the wall of intense light approaching them at an unbelievable rate of closure. She closed her eyes as the wall of light reached them, and prepared to die."
Hmmm... that's... sorry, but you can't "watch light approaching". How about "wall of annihilation", or "wall of destruction"? But "wall of light"? No.
However, like I said, I enjoyed the story. If it sounds like your kind of story, go for it, you will probably enjoy it as well.
I enjoyed the story quite a bit. The characters, the action, the tension, the tech... but the writing pulled me out of the story too many times. Especially near the beginning (or did I just get used to it?), there were too many long and convoluted sentences that needed to be read and reread to make sense of. Most of the writing is quite serviceable, but here and there it's a bit of a mess. When I'm reading, and I find myself thinking about how I would rewrite this sentence, or change that word, it's distracting, to say the least.
And then there's this: ""Too late," Julie said, watching the wall of intense light approaching them at an unbelievable rate of closure. She closed her eyes as the wall of light reached them, and prepared to die."
Hmmm... that's... sorry, but you can't "watch light approaching". How about "wall of annihilation", or "wall of destruction"? But "wall of light"? No.
However, like I said, I enjoyed the story. If it sounds like your kind of story, go for it, you will probably enjoy it as well.
June 11, 2022
What happens when we get an alien signal coming from the dark side of the moon? This was an exciting adventure! I randomly picked this book to read on my eReader during camping with my husband. I needed a scifi story to keep my husband hooked. Little did I know that I too was going to be enthralled with the story.
The plot was thrilling and suspenseful. At first, it reminded me of the movie, Contact, with the whole signal thing that NASA received. But the comparisons ended there. The race between the nations US, Russia, and China had me at the edge of my seat. My husband and I kept debating who was going to get to the moon first but of course we knew that the US would had to prevail somehow.
The story was heavily dialogued driven but it ran smoothly. I could easily see this becoming a film. This also meant that it had many characters. The characters were realistic and likeable, no matter what nation they came from.
As a whole, I highly enjoyed this read. It was not perfect because it did have many editing errors. However, this did not stop us from enjoying the book.
The plot was thrilling and suspenseful. At first, it reminded me of the movie, Contact, with the whole signal thing that NASA received. But the comparisons ended there. The race between the nations US, Russia, and China had me at the edge of my seat. My husband and I kept debating who was going to get to the moon first but of course we knew that the US would had to prevail somehow.
The story was heavily dialogued driven but it ran smoothly. I could easily see this becoming a film. This also meant that it had many characters. The characters were realistic and likeable, no matter what nation they came from.
As a whole, I highly enjoyed this read. It was not perfect because it did have many editing errors. However, this did not stop us from enjoying the book.
October 8, 2018
The story was well written, plot line was good (the author didn't waste the readers time with trivia), characters relatable, and the overall arc of the story predicable. Good for light reading, but nothing to really grab your attention and make you want to move forward. I did complete the reading on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and wasn't sorry about it, but nothing drove me to the next book. Part of the problem is that with all the stuff that has been published on alien encounters, it is hard to come up with something new and original. Give the contentiousness of the political climate today, the political aspects follow the current stresses between the US, Russia, and China. What would have been refreshing is something like "hey, aliens! let's forget our differences and pull together...". We need some optimism.
September 13, 2019
In the near future the Americans, the Chinese, and the Russians are in a race to the moon! In the near future the Chinese have a failed mission. In the near future the Americans pick up a signal coming from the moon, and alien signal. In the near future the Russians kick an American off their Earth orbiter and use it to get to the moon. In the near future the Chinese and the Russians are at the moon before the Americans. In the near future the Russian and Chinese missions fail. In the near future the Americans kick-ass and take names and save the day for everyone. In the near future the Americans figure out what the signal was. In the near future I will be enjoying the next book! Other than the use of "in the near future" starting every single transition from the three sides of the story I enjoyed this book very much! I can't wait to get the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2020
Characterization: decent. Exploration: decent. A bit formulaic: in the near future, humankind discovers a buried alien object on Earth’s moon. Nothing particularly new there. But still, this was a fun book. The first half was a lot of political posturing and the second half was far more exciting, when things started actually happening.
I did like the characters and became invested in their stories. Sci fi in general always gets a bad rap for weak characters. I liked the people in this story, and wanted (most of them) to succeed. Whereas I started it a bit skeptical (not necessarily the story’s fault, but I’m getting picky these days when a story doesn’t live up to, say, James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse series) by the end I was totally committed and knew I was in this trilogy for the long haul.
I did like the characters and became invested in their stories. Sci fi in general always gets a bad rap for weak characters. I liked the people in this story, and wanted (most of them) to succeed. Whereas I started it a bit skeptical (not necessarily the story’s fault, but I’m getting picky these days when a story doesn’t live up to, say, James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse series) by the end I was totally committed and knew I was in this trilogy for the long haul.
October 23, 2021
Lunar Discovery is a good example of what I call “Realistic Science Fiction”. In the near future, someone realizes there is an alien artifact on the far side of the Moon. Everything about it is very mysterious, and all the major nations of the world launch a space race to be the first to claim it.
It is realistic, in that the author portrays how each of the major nations immediately want this alien artifact. And if they can’t have it, then no one else can have it either. There is also human interest, telling details of different individuals involved. In my opinion, it is the story of the people involved that is the most engaging.
Since it is a near future story, the people have to travel to the Moon using rockets, not impulse power or some such thing. I found this to be an excellent read.
It is realistic, in that the author portrays how each of the major nations immediately want this alien artifact. And if they can’t have it, then no one else can have it either. There is also human interest, telling details of different individuals involved. In my opinion, it is the story of the people involved that is the most engaging.
Since it is a near future story, the people have to travel to the Moon using rockets, not impulse power or some such thing. I found this to be an excellent read.
January 19, 2025
The prologue sets us up – Neanderthals on the plains see a flash of light, and an enemy group are injected with ‘something’ that sets of humankind. It’s sci-fi, so in terms of getting us to aliens it’s not the worst. We jump forward to the near future, and an alien artefact is found on the moon. The Russians, Chinese and Americans are in a race to get to it first.
This is not terrible – the premise of fine. But there are some problems. Firstly, although we are in the near future, somewhat bizarrely a ‘spare’ Saturn V is found, dusted off and becomes Americans hi-tech answer to the problem. The characters are a bit thin. But the bigger problem is the language. It is very jargony, which makes for a jerky read. And one thing I couldn’t get past was the constant use of ‘auger’ to mean crash. Bizarre.
This is not terrible – the premise of fine. But there are some problems. Firstly, although we are in the near future, somewhat bizarrely a ‘spare’ Saturn V is found, dusted off and becomes Americans hi-tech answer to the problem. The characters are a bit thin. But the bigger problem is the language. It is very jargony, which makes for a jerky read. And one thing I couldn’t get past was the constant use of ‘auger’ to mean crash. Bizarre.
December 30, 2022
I really wanted to love this book. I love sci-fi. I see people are complaining about the inaccuracies and that wasn’t my issue. I don’t care if somethings accurate or not as far as Science goes I just want it to entertain me. I honestly felt like I was back in school, and they just kept spewing more and more random technical jargon at me and my brain just kept fogging over.
There were also way too many characters and situations to keep track of, and it just felt like a chore to listen to, but lately I feel obligated to finish things like this, so I’m happy to say it gets better in like chapter 29 or 30 like the last hour of listening it got really good.
I won’t be reading anymore of his books. I’ve learned he’s not my type of author.
There were also way too many characters and situations to keep track of, and it just felt like a chore to listen to, but lately I feel obligated to finish things like this, so I’m happy to say it gets better in like chapter 29 or 30 like the last hour of listening it got really good.
I won’t be reading anymore of his books. I’ve learned he’s not my type of author.
April 29, 2023
Mercer, Salvador. Lunar Discovery: Let the Space Race Begin. Kindle, 2015. Discovery Series 1.
Salvador Mercer tells us that Lunar Discovery is set in the near future, but except for a new space station or two, it might as well be set in the recent past. There seems to be no private industry involved in the American space program. When we need a heavy lift booster, we find some Apollo-era Saturn Vs. The book’s literary forebears go even further back. We begin with a scene straight out of Arthur C. Clarke’s “Sentinel” and 2001: A Space Odyssey. But there is plenty of action as we watch China, Russia, and the United States compete to get to the moon with rehabilitated and ad hoc technology. 3 stars.
Salvador Mercer tells us that Lunar Discovery is set in the near future, but except for a new space station or two, it might as well be set in the recent past. There seems to be no private industry involved in the American space program. When we need a heavy lift booster, we find some Apollo-era Saturn Vs. The book’s literary forebears go even further back. We begin with a scene straight out of Arthur C. Clarke’s “Sentinel” and 2001: A Space Odyssey. But there is plenty of action as we watch China, Russia, and the United States compete to get to the moon with rehabilitated and ad hoc technology. 3 stars.
November 5, 2019
An excellent lunar thriller. I couldn't put it down once I started. The plot is simple, the characters believable and the dialogue realistic. The novel is basically about a race between the three world superpowers to reach an ET object discovered by a Chinese probe on the dark side of the moon. The narrative flows easily and the novel is well researched too.
First book I've read by Salvador Mercer and it certainly won't be the last.
Lunar Discovery is the first in the "Discovery" Series trilogy. I can't wait to read the other two. With the first novel currently on special offer at Amazon there are no excuses for not purchasing and reading this novel. A great read.
First book I've read by Salvador Mercer and it certainly won't be the last.
Lunar Discovery is the first in the "Discovery" Series trilogy. I can't wait to read the other two. With the first novel currently on special offer at Amazon there are no excuses for not purchasing and reading this novel. A great read.
July 30, 2017
I started reading this and almost gave up after the first chapter or two but in the end I was glad I persevered. When a signal is discovered on the dark side of the moon, the Americans, the Chinese and the Russians begin a race to identify the source.
The writing wasn't the greatest (3 star) and would have benefited from more editing, but the story was excellent (5 star) and more than made up for it, so an average of 4 star seems fair.
If you enjoyed The Martian, you'll probably like this.
The writing wasn't the greatest (3 star) and would have benefited from more editing, but the story was excellent (5 star) and more than made up for it, so an average of 4 star seems fair.
If you enjoyed The Martian, you'll probably like this.
August 26, 2019
Enjoyable but maybe not everyone's cup of tea. I realised about halfway through the book that the artifact was not the purpose of the book. It's purely about the fight to get there first between the superpowers. The message clearly being that it is to humanity's detriment that we are unable to put cultural differences aside even in the face of ET contact.
A minor issue I had were the stereotypical names chosen. For example, the Russians were Ivan, Vladimir, Alexi, Olga. Better than being too complicated but kinda pulled me out of the story at times.
A minor issue I had were the stereotypical names chosen. For example, the Russians were Ivan, Vladimir, Alexi, Olga. Better than being too complicated but kinda pulled me out of the story at times.
March 26, 2021
Well done!
This is a really well-done sci-fi with so much realism you have to wonder if it actually happened. Well-developed characters and a very believable plot conspire to let you let your dinner get very cold while you race to the conclusion. The interactions of the characters as they deal with both the logistics and the politics of a tri-national space race to claim an alien object on the moon are as believable as it can get. The well-researched technical aspects support the plot beautifully. MORE, MORE, MR. MERCER!
This is a really well-done sci-fi with so much realism you have to wonder if it actually happened. Well-developed characters and a very believable plot conspire to let you let your dinner get very cold while you race to the conclusion. The interactions of the characters as they deal with both the logistics and the politics of a tri-national space race to claim an alien object on the moon are as believable as it can get. The well-researched technical aspects support the plot beautifully. MORE, MORE, MR. MERCER!
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