Return To Earth

by Dennis Calloway

The is year 2053 and a huge meteor, in the form of a rogue planet called Lycos, has partially destroyed the Earth. Some years prior to Lycos, a faulty deep space satellite accidentally captured data showing that Europa could possibly sustain human life. With the impending impact of Lycos, a decision was made to start construction of two moon bases and two Generation Space Ships; the Orion and the Cassiopeia. Now that the two ships are ready, the remaining survivors on the moon prepare to make the journey to Europa. The plot centers around Tess Robinson, her husband Stan and son Lenny and a number of close allies of Tess. Tess's emotional state has been driven by the loss of her husband and son (unbeknownst to Tess, however, Stan and Lenny are still alive in an underground parking garage/bomb shelter on Earth). Tess is a strong-willed black female pilot who has been charged with flying the Cassiopeia generation space ship to Europa. The moon base commander, Wilfred Soren, is power hungry and wants to set himself up as a king on Europa, so he manipulates his allies and enemies in order to secretly board the Cassiopeia with his select people and fly it to Europa ahead of schedule. Many, including Tess, are abandoned on the moon with little fuel, food, and power. Their only chance to survive is to retrieve the Orion at the destroyed UN base and return to Earth. There, they hoped to get enough fuel for the trip to Europa, as well as a key engine part called the engine power node. Author Info - Dennis Calloway is a native of Detroit, Michigan with deep roots in Philadelphia, Mississippi. He is married to Marcia Jones (MJ) Calloway and has two daughters, Mariel and Nia. He and Marcia currently live in Houston, Texas. Dennis enlisted in the US Army in 1980 as a Combat Medic and Cardiac Specialist, serving in Washington DC at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He was accepted at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey in 1981. After his time at the Prep School, he applied to the United States Military Academy at West Point and entered in July of 1982. He graduated from West Point in 1986 ("Courage Never Quits!") with a BS in Engineering and a double language minor in Russian and German. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery and served in Panama and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before resigning his commission as a Captain in 1991. Keywords: Earth, Meteor, Moon, Shuttles, Space, Jupiter, Europa, Earthquakes, Orion, Cassiopeia

358 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2015

Reviews

[Robert Wingate · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts on this story are simple. If you like Sci-fi thrillers then this is the book you should be reading right now. This story is so real I feel this could actually happen in the future. I hope not but it could happen, that's how real this story gets as you read it. One thing I liked about it is that there are no aliens. Aliens are good but there are so many books and movies out there about that subjects that it's gotten old. I give this book 5 stars because from beginning to end the story keeps you in suspense. I have mentioned before on other reviews that this book would make such a great movie and I really does hope that this book becomes so huge people get to appreciate it the way it should be appreciated and I know a few people that just like myself can't wait to read the sequel to this. Great Job Mr. Calloway!

[Lindsay Keeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book after talking with the author (he even signed the book!) at Wizard World Comic Con in New Orleans. Before this book, I have never read for fun except when I was kid stuck on Junie B. Jones books. After picking up this book I found a new love and hobby - READING. I never would have thought I would be this excited and content to read books for enjoyment.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes to get lost in imagining what living would be like after "the world ended."

I'm writing this review so long after actually reading the book, because I was browsing the internet hoping to find that the author had published something new or was going to soon. I figured I would drop by to write a review and let anyone who reads this know how much of an impact this book has had on me. I never realized how powerful words could be to actually allow me to escape and fuel my imagination.

So thankful to have picked this book up. Definitely a GEM, and will forever be a book on my book shelf!

Thanks Dennis Calloway!

[Freddie Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book at 11am this morning and I couldn't put the book aside and 6 hours later I was done with the book. There was never a dull moment on this book. This is Dennis Calloway's first book and I'm pretty sure we will be reading a lot more from this author. Since the beginning of the story the suspense is nerve wracking. This is an action packed sci-fi thriller and I recommend it to anyone. I loved how as you keep reading everything gets connected to things that had already happened making the story flow even better and the best thing about it is that it leaves you wanting more. I would like to say to Dennis Calloway that he's got a new fan and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[txtrvlgal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book on a whim while at Comicpalooza in Houston.....plus I got to meet the author and found him to a pretty cool dude. Started he book Friday, had to set it aside to finish another book. Then got down to some serious reading......yes. I spent the day poolside reading. Great book.

Dennis....write more. Quickly. Now.

[Randolph Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall the concept of the story is a good one which was a clone of "When Worlds Collide." which is not bad for first attempt. However there were some directions that the author did that needs some work. There are a number of characters who factor quite big in story and appears to have been glossed over.

The same for the series of events. Some events were overly explained while other were glossed over.

However, the story was compelling and some of the scenes when researched were done well. I look forward to reading more of Dennis' works.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed it. I met Mr. Calloway at SpaceCity comic con and enjoyed seeing his excitement about this book. As long as you remember it's a work of fiction, I think you will enjoy it. Has lots of twists and turns, sadness, grief, happiness, and hope. I especially liked how he shows how quickly mankind can turn against itself instead of working together. Looking forward to more of Dennis Calloway's work..

[Corey Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Exceptional and Exciting Science fiction novel

Well written and suspenseful. A Hard Science novel that stays exciting from the beginning to the end and stick to the traditional of how science fiction should be written. The main character Tess was believable, authentic, and original. I would give it more stars if I could!!!

[Shaun Thornhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gripping drama of survival in the harshest reality imaginable describes this story to a 't.' Dennis brings a exquisite human drama that one could hardly imagine. He fleshes out the socio0political order of a stranded band of survivors of a truly global ending tragedy and supplies a tale of suspenseful ingenuity and grit.

[John Royer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. Suspenseful story of survival. Even though the story points out the worst of society, it's balanced with the good as well. The locations and situations seem not survivable and and through tough choices and with no punches pulled on life and death, I was left questioning how this story could pull it all together. Can't wait to read the author's next books.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading this novel I could not put it down. The author uses great details that put you in the action. The suspense that was created had me turning the pages cautiously because I was afraid to see what was going to happen next yet I had to turn quickly to find out. When I made it to the end I needed more. I can’t wait for the movie. I’m happy to hear Return to Earth 2 is out.

[Mark Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Return to Earth,” by Dennis Calloway was a fun read. Foreshadowing in early chapters made certain plot points obvious, but the author still managed a surprise or two. I was able to suspend disbelief all the way until the last pages, where unfortunately, I had to shout out a “Aw, come on!”

The story is well written, and with the exception of one specific chapter that needed an extra proof read, I was fully engrossed in the story. Like a lot of Sci-Fi, this story is plausible, but not probable, especially since the ultimate goal of the band of survivors was to reach Europa instead of Mars, left me scratching my head. In one or two places in the beginning, the non-linear storytelling was confusing, but a quick re-read got me back on track.

Finally, and this could just be a pet peeve of mine as a professional writer, but the third person limited perspective did seem to shift abruptly from one character to another in the middle of a scene without a clear indication that the character perspective was changing and required a reread to make sure I knew what character was the focus. It’s hard to exemplify this issue, and most readers wouldn’t have as much issue with it.

I’d recommend this story to sci-fi fans as well as action/adventure fans. When Mr. Calloway has another book out, I’d be eager to read it. Because of differing star ratings, I’ll give it 4 stars on Goodreads for “really liked it.”

[Bryan E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story from beginning to end is just pure ecstasy and adrenaline. This is one of those books that you just can't put away. You have to continue reading it and in my case I've read the book 4 times already. I can't agree more with the people that say that they can't wait for the sequel because this deserves a sequel. This book must be a top seller and it will be. Cannot believe that negative comment. I literally couldn't believe my eyes but I guess everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, but if you are someone that feels tempted to read this book, don't pay attention to that ONE negative comment. Pay attention to the rest of the people that have given it the great reviews it deserves plus you can go to Return to Earth exclusive blog and you can have a personal chat with the writer which is an awesome person. He does reply to your questions and have give away items for real fans.

[Kevin Belmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very entertaining and it kept my attention from the first page to the last. I'm sure that the book could have easily been 600+ pages or even longer had the author "filled in all the details". In some cases the story didn't need those extra details included. But, I would have liked to have had some insights into other portions of the book that were omitted. Yes, one of the story lines was predictable based on the title alone. But the path the author takes you on was interesting and entertaining. I found myself rooting for the good guys and smiling when the bad guys got what was coming to them. I can't wait to read the sequel

[Jason Brinkerhoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've had a lot of trouble getting through this book. Many situations or topics are over-explained, and made worse the author's ignorance of the subject matter. The omniscient narrator suffocates the story with detail, rather than building tension it makes the story boring. If this book has about 1/3 less words and a good technical edit it could be compelling. Unfortunately it feels rather lacking in the editing process.

This book was provided in advance. It is possible that the publication time version of this book will vary slightly from the edition I was provided.

[Robert Clum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this is a great science fiction book. Yes, this read is fine entertainment. Yes, it is hard to put down while reading.

However, what truly makes this book of tremendous value is what it can teach us about ourselves, both as individuals as well our part in society. Many lessons can be drawn from MR. Calloway's book, but the one I like best is to never give up, even in the face of extreme challenges.

I expect to see this book on many high school and college reading lists in the future.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book. It certainly seems a plausible plot, set in 2053. A group of space explorers on the moon survive when another planet collides with earth. They return to earth to get more fuel and supplies so they can travel to Europa, the moon of Jupiter. With two factions fighting for control, conditions on earth about to end civilization the trip is dangerous and almost disastrous. A good read, I'd like to see a sequel set a few year into the future.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read!

I bought this book because my West Point classmate wrote it… Only to be blown away by the story once I actually read it. It took me months to get around to reading it but once I started, I read it in three days because it was such a compelling read… I just couldn't put the book down! I highly recommend it, whetheryou like sci-fi or not!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met the author and purchased the book at the New Orleans Comic Con. I enjoyed it from start to finish. It is a page-turner and I would recommend it to any sci-fi fan. It is a well-written, compelling story that I could see being made into a movie. Good luck, Mr. Calloway, and I look forward to your next book!

[Tom Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed “Return to Earth”. The characters are compelling and well developed, very easy to love or hate. The story is fast paced and leaves the reader little time to catch their breath. This book was very hard to put down. I look forward to Mr. Calloway’s next book.

[Justin Gorka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, some implausible events but if you get past those, worth a look. Would make a great TV series.