The Infinity Trap

by Ian C. Douglas

How far would you go to find your missing father? For Zeke Hailey, a teenager living in the 23rd century, even Mars is not too far. Zeke’s dad is one of the Mariners, a mysterious elite of psychics who have conquered Outer Space. Now he’s vanished on a secret mission. But Zeke is an ordinary schoolboy without a shred of his father’s psychic powers. Armed with nothing but his wits, he bluffs his way into the prestigious Mariner’s school on Mars in search of answers. Mind-reading teachers and psychokinetic bullies are the least of his worries. A ruthless archaeologist is seeking the Infinity Trap, an ancient machine of unimaginable power and lair to an evil as old as the Universe. An alien artefact downloads the language of the long dead Martians into Zeke’s brain. Thanks to this newfound skill, Zeke alone understands the apocalyptic danger about to be unleashed. Not only must Zeke rescue his friends, but humanity itself. If he can first survive a planet filled with demons, outlaws, and androids, not to mention quicksand and dust storms. And, as the odds stack against him, will Zeke make the ultimate sacrifice—his father?

246 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2013

About the author

The best writers are part-librarian and part-swashbuckler. At least that’s the career path Ian C Douglas has always tried to follow. After a nerdy childhood spent in the company of Tolkien, Lovecraft, and a certain time lord, Ian ran away to see the World. This quest for adventure landed in him countless scrapes, before finding himself teaching English in East Asia.

After ten years of hard grammar, he returned to his native England, and graduated with a MA Distinction in Creative Writing. He's written for video games, apps and is author of the YA sci-fi thriller The Infinity Trap. His stories have won prizes and he was a finalist in the Independent on Sunday’s writing competition. Ian is also a children’s history author and visits schools with bloodcurdling tales of the past. His writing has appeared at the V&A’s Toy Museum.

Ian lives near Sherwood Forest with his wife and children. When he’s not daydreaming about Martian landscapes, he teaches creative writing and writes theatre reviews.

Reviews

[Lee Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Infinity Trap is what happens when Ender’s Game, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Grange Hill are popped in a Tardis and shaken about a bit to create a wonderful, gripping could-be-the-end-of-the-world tale for those reluctant boy readers. With strange languages, bots and prophecies, The Infinity Trap is the story of Zeke, who has cheated on his entrance exam in order to get himself to Chasm, an elite off-world school for psychics, where he hopes to pick up the trace of his missing father. But something more sinister than the usual school bullying is going on at Chasm and when the school’s youngest student, Pin-mei, is kidnapped, Zeke must abandon his quest and set out to find the creature who took his friend. After all, the future of the universe could be at stake. But in a school where everyone has a psychic skill, it’s a tall order. Terrific dialogue, some wonderful technology and edge-of-your-seat plotting, makes The Infinity Trap the perfect book to drag middle graders and younger teens away from the screen and into reading. Lee Murray, award winning author of Battle of the Birds - Te pakanga o nga manu and Misplaced.

[Lee Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Infinity Trap is what happens when Ender’s Game, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Grange Hill are popped in a Tardis and shaken about a bit to create a wonderful, gripping could-be-the-end-of-the-world tale for those reluctant boy readers. With strange languages, bots and prophecies, The Infinity Trap is the story of Zeke, who has cheated on his entrance exam in order to get himself to Chasm, an elite off-world school for psychics, where he hopes to pick up the trace of his missing father. But something more sinister than the usual school bullying is going on at Chasm and when the school’s youngest student, Pin-mei, is kidnapped, Zeke must abandon his quest and set out to find the creature who took his friend. After all, the future of the universe could be at stake. But in a school where everyone has a psychic skill, it’s a tall order. Terrific dialogue, some wonderful technology and edge-of-your-seat plotting, makes The Infinity Trap the perfect book to drag middle graders and younger teens away from the screen and into reading. Lee Murray, author of Battle of the Birds - Te pakanga o nga manu and Misplaced

[Isi Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for kids and adults alike. Life on Mars a few centuries down the line is believably described. Zeke is a true hero, not worried about getting himself repeatedly in trouble for what he believes to be the right thing. Ian C. Douglas shows great imagination as well as understanding of the teenage mindset of his characters.

[L.A. Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a marvellous and fantastic space adventure, with a touch of magic that only Ian C Douglas, could pull off.
I found myself trapped within this book, each page taking me deeper into a very interesting and beautifully polished book.
To sum this book up I would have to say BUY IT... BUY IT NOOOOOOOW!
(Warning: May contain Mars dust)

[Damien Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often I find a book that I can't put down and yet by the end of the infinity trap I was hooked. It took me a while to get around to reading it but now I'm looking forward to the continued adventures of Zeke Hailey.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It's a great story with great world building and a real sense of a history of Mars.

[Papaphilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent YA novel. I cannot gush enough over The Infinity Trap. Before I start to gush, lets understand what this is and is not. This is a YA novel and not an adult novel. It does not have the depth that adult novels do and it does not harm the story one iota. So when you read it (and you should) keep that in mind. Having said that, this is one of the finest YA novels I have read in years and I am not kidding, it is that good. Take parts of Ender's Game, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew, Ready Player One, and the movies National Treasure, Treasure Island, and Johnny Tremain, mix them together and you get the feeling of the The Infinity Trap. The best way I can describe this is that Ian C. Douglas has captured a Disney movie from my youth squeezed the feeling and placed it into his book.

The Infinity Trap has it all, good guys, bad guys, a mad scientist, robots, aliens, monsters, a damsel in distress, a young hero with his wingman and a mystery. It just does not get much better than that. Right from the start, the roller coaster runs fast, and yet, it is never out of control or loses itself for the action alone. This is space opera for the young at its very best. The beauty of The Infinity Trap is that it is a fun book in an easy to read style that captures your attention and holds it for the entire ride. The Infinity Trap harkins back to an easier time and is not all dark as the standard YA novels of the last few years. He has removed the sex, drugs, explicit cursing and gore, and it works wonderfully. It is not needed nor is it missed and he proves that a wonderful novel for the young is still attainable and be engrossing.

Ian C. Douglas leaves you wanting more and that is great because there will be more to follow.

I cannot wait for more.

[Petra Hermans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Ian C. Douglas, Petra Hermans