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On Mars: Murder at Hellas Planitia
In 2019 Mike Lane travelled over 100 million miles to Mars, and became the first man to arrive safely on the planet … or so he thought. As it turned out, he wasn’t alone; and not all the locals welcomed him with open arms. Unbeknownst to him, the Red Planet was a rather busy place, filled with good and bad aliens; all with their own interplanetary agendas.
Blitowyn of Chernasai, the evil Eridani Master is getting pissed off with so many humans coming to Mars. It’s time for him to do something about it. An unexpected offer, however, shows him a way to get rid of the interlopers, while helping him rise in the ranks of prestige and power on his homeworld. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems, even for aliens.
Meanwhile, the North Koreans have an agenda of their own. Bitter over Western ways, and lack of respect from the rest of the world, they engage in a partnership with the evil aliens, the Eridani. The North Koreans hope to build a colony on Mars as well, in order to dominate the planet … with the help of their new alien friends.
As Mike is getting settled into his new surroundings, he is quickly befriended by Hlef; the beautiful, sexy, and witty alien-human hybrid; part of the clan of good aliens who are aligned with the American government, known as the Eben. Hlef helps him get settled in, and teaches him the ropes on Mars. They both quickly learn that love exceeds the boundaries of race, and that while they are quite different, they are also quite the same.
Then, out of nowhere, looming in the dark shadows of the galaxy, an ancient enemy of the Eben wait patiently for the perfect time to strike, and unleash an interplanetary war like none other. It is often said that revenge is “a dish best served cold”, and the Kuabatay have waited ten thousand years for dinnertime to arrive.
On Mars: Murder at Hellas Planitia, the sequel to On Mars: Pathfinder, offers the same intriguing look at the not-so-distant future; dabbling in science fiction fun, techno-babble, action, a little romance, and of course, some political humour. Dive back into the world of Mike Lane, Hlef, Achael, Gilda, the Eben, the Eridani Dominion, and the North Koreans for a taste of science fiction with a twist; as many different players vie for the political (and not-so-political) interests of the Red Planet.
Authors Note: This book contains scenes and themes not suitable for children under 16.
Blitowyn of Chernasai, the evil Eridani Master is getting pissed off with so many humans coming to Mars. It’s time for him to do something about it. An unexpected offer, however, shows him a way to get rid of the interlopers, while helping him rise in the ranks of prestige and power on his homeworld. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems, even for aliens.
Meanwhile, the North Koreans have an agenda of their own. Bitter over Western ways, and lack of respect from the rest of the world, they engage in a partnership with the evil aliens, the Eridani. The North Koreans hope to build a colony on Mars as well, in order to dominate the planet … with the help of their new alien friends.
As Mike is getting settled into his new surroundings, he is quickly befriended by Hlef; the beautiful, sexy, and witty alien-human hybrid; part of the clan of good aliens who are aligned with the American government, known as the Eben. Hlef helps him get settled in, and teaches him the ropes on Mars. They both quickly learn that love exceeds the boundaries of race, and that while they are quite different, they are also quite the same.
Then, out of nowhere, looming in the dark shadows of the galaxy, an ancient enemy of the Eben wait patiently for the perfect time to strike, and unleash an interplanetary war like none other. It is often said that revenge is “a dish best served cold”, and the Kuabatay have waited ten thousand years for dinnertime to arrive.
On Mars: Murder at Hellas Planitia, the sequel to On Mars: Pathfinder, offers the same intriguing look at the not-so-distant future; dabbling in science fiction fun, techno-babble, action, a little romance, and of course, some political humour. Dive back into the world of Mike Lane, Hlef, Achael, Gilda, the Eben, the Eridani Dominion, and the North Koreans for a taste of science fiction with a twist; as many different players vie for the political (and not-so-political) interests of the Red Planet.
Authors Note: This book contains scenes and themes not suitable for children under 16.
694 pages, Paperback
Published November 24, 2015
150 people want to read
About the author
Jim Melanson
15 books16 followersPoet, programmer, procrastinator, sci-fi geek, coffee snob, actor, writer, and devoted Christian (but not a MAGA, Christo-Fascist kind).
I'm a quiet and thoughtful man who tends to think deeply, and act slowly. Much of this inner reflection and self-assessment shows up in my writing. “Capturing what truly motivates us,” is how I describe my approach to both fiction and non-fiction. I've been told I have a very direct, and sometimes in-your-face, way of writing. I try to always use conversational language; and as one test reader of my first novel put it, “made the complexities of space flight seem almost understandable.”
I read my first novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder at the age of eight, and this began my love affair with the written word. My first foray into personal writing, as a child, was poetry. These and other poetic scribblings provided the content for my first book, I Apologize for Nothing, published in April 2014.
Life, a child, a career with the Police Service, and a part-time business authoring software; all got in the way of pursuing my desire to write. In my 40’s, I decided to turn my hand back to writing, mainly on topics surrounding self-development, spirituality, and Reiki. However, none of these really satisfied that craving for creativity.
In 2013, I decided to pursue this creative yearning, and I began writing for pleasure. Drawing on a solid work ethic from my experience authoring technical manuals and writing business proposals, I found writing for myself to be liberating and enjoyable. While working on my first fiction novel, I kept getting sidetracked by other ideas. I dusted off an old stage play I had written and published it under the title, Mama’s Slippers, with the hopes of attracting production interest. I currently continue to work on science fiction projects, including short stories and flash stories.
Originally hailing from the East Coast, I now lives just outside Cobourg, ON.
I'm a quiet and thoughtful man who tends to think deeply, and act slowly. Much of this inner reflection and self-assessment shows up in my writing. “Capturing what truly motivates us,” is how I describe my approach to both fiction and non-fiction. I've been told I have a very direct, and sometimes in-your-face, way of writing. I try to always use conversational language; and as one test reader of my first novel put it, “made the complexities of space flight seem almost understandable.”
I read my first novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder at the age of eight, and this began my love affair with the written word. My first foray into personal writing, as a child, was poetry. These and other poetic scribblings provided the content for my first book, I Apologize for Nothing, published in April 2014.
Life, a child, a career with the Police Service, and a part-time business authoring software; all got in the way of pursuing my desire to write. In my 40’s, I decided to turn my hand back to writing, mainly on topics surrounding self-development, spirituality, and Reiki. However, none of these really satisfied that craving for creativity.
In 2013, I decided to pursue this creative yearning, and I began writing for pleasure. Drawing on a solid work ethic from my experience authoring technical manuals and writing business proposals, I found writing for myself to be liberating and enjoyable. While working on my first fiction novel, I kept getting sidetracked by other ideas. I dusted off an old stage play I had written and published it under the title, Mama’s Slippers, with the hopes of attracting production interest. I currently continue to work on science fiction projects, including short stories and flash stories.
Originally hailing from the East Coast, I now lives just outside Cobourg, ON.
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