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The Formist #1
The Cronian Incident
A disgraced investigator on Mercury. A man’s disappearance on Titan. A conspiracy. Jeremiah soon learns his shot at redemption may cost him his life.
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Disgraced investigator, Jeremiah Ward, once worked the Martian beat, now he's serving out his sentence in a mining colony on Mercury. His golden opportunity arises when a member of a powerful faction on Titan vanishes and Ward is promised, in exchange for investigating this man's disappearance, a clean slate and a second chance.
Unwittingly, Ward becomes embroiled in a conspiracy, centuries in the making, and begins to realise his one shot at redemption may cost him his life.
From terraforming to colonisation, to the Technological Singularity and the future of space exploration; The Cronian Incident is a must read for fans of thrilling mystery science fiction.
________________
Disgraced investigator, Jeremiah Ward, once worked the Martian beat, now he's serving out his sentence in a mining colony on Mercury. His golden opportunity arises when a member of a powerful faction on Titan vanishes and Ward is promised, in exchange for investigating this man's disappearance, a clean slate and a second chance.
Unwittingly, Ward becomes embroiled in a conspiracy, centuries in the making, and begins to realise his one shot at redemption may cost him his life.
From terraforming to colonisation, to the Technological Singularity and the future of space exploration; The Cronian Incident is a must read for fans of thrilling mystery science fiction.
- GenresScience Fiction
ebook
Published January 1, 2017
19 people are currently reading
523 people want to read
About the author
Matthew S. Williams
25 books127 followersI'm a science communicator and journalist who writes for Universe Today and a handful of other publications. I've written thousands of articles on the subjects of astronomy, space exploration, Earth science, and cosmology. I am also a lover of sci-fi and the classics - always have been, always will be!
My first published novel, The Cronian Incident, (Formist Series #1) was released in 2017 and cracked the top #50 Hot New Releases on Amazon. The follow-up The Jovian Manifesto was released in 2018, and the finale in the trilogy - The Frost Line Fracture - was released in December 2020.
When I'm not writing, I'm practicing Taekwon-Do, or just enjoying life in BC with my wife and cat.
Check out my author profile on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Matthew-S-Will...
My first published novel, The Cronian Incident, (Formist Series #1) was released in 2017 and cracked the top #50 Hot New Releases on Amazon. The follow-up The Jovian Manifesto was released in 2018, and the finale in the trilogy - The Frost Line Fracture - was released in December 2020.
When I'm not writing, I'm practicing Taekwon-Do, or just enjoying life in BC with my wife and cat.
Check out my author profile on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Matthew-S-Will...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 28, 2017
This story was a good read that sucked me in and kept me wondering. I particularly enjoyed the world building aspects, and the overarching storyline which is clearly going to continue in the next book. Initially I had some reservations about the main character, however he developed very satisfyingly over the course of the story, and I liked him more and more as the story progressed.
There are some nice little hints tucked away here and there in the language, which I'm hoping will play out interestingly in the next book of the series. Clearly there's a super duper conspiracy or possibly conspiracies, and I like that in a story.
There are some nice little hints tucked away here and there in the language, which I'm hoping will play out interestingly in the next book of the series. Clearly there's a super duper conspiracy or possibly conspiracies, and I like that in a story.
Read
October 15, 2018DNF at 20%. Unrated on policy.
The book deserves an explanation. The reasons for DNF'ing this book are very specific and particular to me.
What I really liked about the book.
The world building is A+. Matthew Williams has created a multi-layered future with depth and verve. Awesome work - loved that side of the story.
Why did I DNF it? Two reasons.
[1-minor] Pacing. There was a sense the story dwelled too long on things that set the scene rather than moving the narrative forward. Noting that I'm a huge lover of pace, and I'm hard to please on this topic.
[2-Major] The main character is a self-indulgent, drug addicted, pathetic failure, whose 'good points,' are only established by placing human monsters in his vicinity to make him look good by contrast.
He is in a hole, both literally and figuratively, and desperately in need of 'redemption,' which is clearly the arc going forward, as he has almost no room to fall further.
I just couldn't warm to this person - I had no reason to care what happens to him - and that's an interest killer for me.
The bottomline - this book didn't hook me.
Now the thing is - the writing is good, the story background is highly developed, and meshed seamlessly together. I'd rate this book as worth giving a go - it may well suit you better than it did me.
The book deserves an explanation. The reasons for DNF'ing this book are very specific and particular to me.
What I really liked about the book.
The world building is A+. Matthew Williams has created a multi-layered future with depth and verve. Awesome work - loved that side of the story.
Why did I DNF it? Two reasons.
[1-minor] Pacing. There was a sense the story dwelled too long on things that set the scene rather than moving the narrative forward. Noting that I'm a huge lover of pace, and I'm hard to please on this topic.
[2-Major] The main character is a self-indulgent, drug addicted, pathetic failure, whose 'good points,' are only established by placing human monsters in his vicinity to make him look good by contrast.
He is in a hole, both literally and figuratively, and desperately in need of 'redemption,' which is clearly the arc going forward, as he has almost no room to fall further.
I just couldn't warm to this person - I had no reason to care what happens to him - and that's an interest killer for me.
The bottomline - this book didn't hook me.
Now the thing is - the writing is good, the story background is highly developed, and meshed seamlessly together. I'd rate this book as worth giving a go - it may well suit you better than it did me.
October 5, 2017
I haven’t read science fiction for years, so I had a pretty fresh approach to reading The Cronian Incident. First of all, I’d never thought about the fact that science fiction writers, especially in a first book in a series, can’t just tell a story; they have to, at the same time, create the world in which the characters move. I’d say that Matthew Williams did an excellent job with this. I now have a good understanding of how the world works in this series. I’d describe the novel as a futuristic sci-fi detective novel with some elements of the Wild West thrown in. There's also political intrigue and corruption. Ward, the main character, begins as a convict, formerly an Interpol agent. I won’t go into detail on the plot, but I found it interesting, and this was a fast read once I figured out the basics of the world in which it’s set. I’ll leave it to the reader to discover how Williams worked possible future advancements into the novel. Suffice it to say that I was intrigued. I turned down quite a few pages and look forward to discussing some of the particulars of the novel with him and fellow members on Goodreads.
January 14, 2019
I didn't realize how deeply I was drawn into this book until I was about halfway through it!
It has a distinctive style, with a multileveled story, and a main character I connected with quite easily.
Reminiscent of "The Expanse" - the TV show, since I have not yet read any of the books by S.A. Corey - but that same mix of future/cyberpunk/mystery that grabs my attention.
Well done!
Yes, I'm heading for the next in the series.
It has a distinctive style, with a multileveled story, and a main character I connected with quite easily.
Reminiscent of "The Expanse" - the TV show, since I have not yet read any of the books by S.A. Corey - but that same mix of future/cyberpunk/mystery that grabs my attention.
Well done!
Yes, I'm heading for the next in the series.
July 19, 2022
Proper grown-up storytelling. Proper grown-up science fiction. This is brilliant stuff, I bought the next in the series immediately. Well done Matthew. Adrian
December 1, 2020
One thing I really like about this book is that it's easy to classify. If you are a fan of Isaac Asimov's Robot series, the Expanse, or detective novels, then this book is right up your alley.
The main character is tightly written, there is very solid world building with enough details to keep the story moving, while still teasing plenty of content for other adventures. Dialogue and character building is a bit spotty though, solid in some areas and weak in others, which I will expand on below.
The plot itself is good, I won't say excellent, but as an introduction to the world, it is perfect. Accessible, clear, well thought out, but far from simple. Again, this is thanks to the rich world he has set the plot into, nothing feels bare because there are many interesting and new locations throughout the Solar System. As for the mystery at the heart of the book, Matt takes us through his ideas of where neuro interface technology is moving, with some very compelling conclusions!
The main character is quite good, enough of a blank slate to project onto, with plenty of flaws that we can sympathize with. He gives us a great way to approach the 'fish out of water' narrative style due to his circumstances, which is a great tone for explaining things to the audience. It also provides plenty of reasonable explanations for how characters respond to him and vice versa. Over-all A+ on the protaganist.
Side characters are also strong, with one glaring exception, the primary female lead has generally poor dialogue and her motivations are not well thought out. This can lead to some very awkward dialogue exchanges, which comprises the final third of the book. That said, the first third of the book actually has the best dialogue, with some excellent opening banter between convict miners, a confrontation with a prison warden, and a conversation with a hologram all standing out as excellent scenes in my mind.
So over all I graded it a 4. Excellent entry, deeply enjoyed it, but I noted some clear areas in need of improvement. Can't wait to read the next one!
The main character is tightly written, there is very solid world building with enough details to keep the story moving, while still teasing plenty of content for other adventures. Dialogue and character building is a bit spotty though, solid in some areas and weak in others, which I will expand on below.
The plot itself is good, I won't say excellent, but as an introduction to the world, it is perfect. Accessible, clear, well thought out, but far from simple. Again, this is thanks to the rich world he has set the plot into, nothing feels bare because there are many interesting and new locations throughout the Solar System. As for the mystery at the heart of the book, Matt takes us through his ideas of where neuro interface technology is moving, with some very compelling conclusions!
The main character is quite good, enough of a blank slate to project onto, with plenty of flaws that we can sympathize with. He gives us a great way to approach the 'fish out of water' narrative style due to his circumstances, which is a great tone for explaining things to the audience. It also provides plenty of reasonable explanations for how characters respond to him and vice versa. Over-all A+ on the protaganist.
Side characters are also strong, with one glaring exception, the primary female lead has generally poor dialogue and her motivations are not well thought out. This can lead to some very awkward dialogue exchanges, which comprises the final third of the book. That said, the first third of the book actually has the best dialogue, with some excellent opening banter between convict miners, a confrontation with a prison warden, and a conversation with a hologram all standing out as excellent scenes in my mind.
So over all I graded it a 4. Excellent entry, deeply enjoyed it, but I noted some clear areas in need of improvement. Can't wait to read the next one!
January 30, 2018
I love mysteries, and I like sci-fi, and this book is a good combination of the two. The first few chapters are a bit slow as the author introduces his future world, where humans have populated the outer planets. Soon enough the story gets going, as our hero is offered freedom from being a convict laborer in exchange for investigating a missing-person case. It seems like an easy choice, however the job involves a lot more danger and intrigue than it appears.
The author does a good job with creating interesting characters and vivid settings, and puts them in a plot that takes unexpected turns. Sprinkled throughout are fascinating nuggets, such as this question: in a world where all mental problems and dark moods are instantly resolved through chemicals, would humans become bored of their own inner stability? These questions about the human condition, and how it both would and wouldn't change in an ultra-tech future, brought the book from 3 stars to 4 for me. Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a review copy.
The author does a good job with creating interesting characters and vivid settings, and puts them in a plot that takes unexpected turns. Sprinkled throughout are fascinating nuggets, such as this question: in a world where all mental problems and dark moods are instantly resolved through chemicals, would humans become bored of their own inner stability? These questions about the human condition, and how it both would and wouldn't change in an ultra-tech future, brought the book from 3 stars to 4 for me. Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a review copy.
January 25, 2019
I won this in a Giveaway a while ago and put off reading it for a while, but I'm sorry I did! The world-building is very good, the book is fast-paced and action-packed, and you don't get hit with any sci-fi cliches to pull you out of the story. The storyline is internally consistent, and honestly a really fun way to spend some time.
February 18, 2018
This book really expanded my imagination to encompass human settlements on other planets. Normally I simply imagine a future with a ruined earth, and feel distressed about humankind's inability to cooperate to solve the serious problems facing us.
Read
January 24, 2021DNF at 29%. Aspires to the likes of Altered Carbon or The Expanse but lacks the compelling protagonist or character dynamics of either. Pretty worldbuilding does not make up for distasteful and wooden characters.
March 17, 2020
Had this on my to-read list for a long while. Finally got around to it and it struck me as very mediocre.
Nothing to write home about.
Nothing to write home about.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews