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Moon Beam
Peril stalked the corridors of the lunar habitat. Fear was its companion. The killer, a woman, fed on that fear. No one in the lunar station was safe from her wrath, not even the fresh, young team that had just arrived from Earth to erect the first lunar space elevator. When completed, the space elevator was destined to be one of the great engineering projects of all time. The unreeling of the space cable had just begun, when the killer struck a vengeful blow.
Now, with a catastrophic solar flare flashing overhead, the race was on.
Can Chief Clay Flynn and Senior Tech Lou Santini stop her before it was too late? Can they save the lives of the men, women, and children of the Lunar Station and its life-sustaining resources from total annihilation?
An adventure-driven thriller focused on the perils of building the first lunar space elevator.
Now, with a catastrophic solar flare flashing overhead, the race was on.
Can Chief Clay Flynn and Senior Tech Lou Santini stop her before it was too late? Can they save the lives of the men, women, and children of the Lunar Station and its life-sustaining resources from total annihilation?
An adventure-driven thriller focused on the perils of building the first lunar space elevator.
- GenresScience Fiction
ebook
Published April 10, 2018
1 person is currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Steven Burgauer
20 books54 followersSteven Burgauer, Biography
Avid hiker, Eagle Scout, and founder of a mutual fund, Steven Burgauer resides in Florida. A graduate of Illinois State University and the New York Institute of Finance, Steve writes science fiction and historic fiction. A member of the Society of Midland Authors, Steven is included in The Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume 2: Dimensions of the Midwestern Literary Imagination and the ALA’s Librarian’s Guide to Cyborgs, Aliens, and Sorcerers by Derek M. Buker.
Burgauer’s The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture is based on the journals of an American WWII infantryman who landed at Normandy, was wounded and taken prisoner by the Nazis. Publishers Daily Reviews says of it: Five-plus unequivocal stars . . . an extraordinary read that everyone should enjoy.
Some of his SF titles include The Grandfather Paradox, The Railguns of Luna, The Fornax Drive, and SKULLCAP. Other books of his include The Night of the Eleventh Sun, a Neanderthal’s first encounter with man, and The Wealth Builder’s Guide: An Investment Primer. Steven contributed to the zany, serial mystery, Naked Came the Farmer, headlined by Philip Jose Farmer.
His work has been reviewed in many places, including LOCUS, the EUREKA LITERARY MAGAZINE, PUBLISHERS DAILY REVIEWS, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, THE BOOK REVIEWERS, BOOKVIRAL, and PROMETHEUS, the journal of the Libertarian Futurist Society. Science Fiction Chronicle (June 2001) says of his The Railguns of Luna: Steven Burgauer writes old style science fiction in which heroes and villains are easily identified, the action is fast and furious, and the plot twists and turns uncontrollably . . . This is action adventure written straight-forwardly and not meant to be heavily literary or provide pithy commentary on the state of humanity.
Of his book Nazi Saboteurs on the Bayou, The Book Reviewers write: “An engaging, slow-burning wartime thriller with an epic feel and a large cast of characters.” Midwest Book Review writes: “In a war that rips apart entire worlds, who can truly be the winner? Add a dash of romance to the intrigue for a solid World War II thriller that’s intricate, frighteningly realistic, and hard to put down.”
When Steven lived in Illinois, the State of Illinois Library included him in a select group of authors invited to the state’s Authors’ Day. He has often been a speaker and panel member at public library events and science-fiction conventions all across the country.
His websites are:
http://sites.google.com/site/stevenbu...
http://midlandauthors.com/burgauer.html
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
https://www.undergroundbookreviews.or...
https://www.facebook.com/TheRoadToWar...
Avid hiker, Eagle Scout, and founder of a mutual fund, Steven Burgauer resides in Florida. A graduate of Illinois State University and the New York Institute of Finance, Steve writes science fiction and historic fiction. A member of the Society of Midland Authors, Steven is included in The Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume 2: Dimensions of the Midwestern Literary Imagination and the ALA’s Librarian’s Guide to Cyborgs, Aliens, and Sorcerers by Derek M. Buker.
Burgauer’s The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture is based on the journals of an American WWII infantryman who landed at Normandy, was wounded and taken prisoner by the Nazis. Publishers Daily Reviews says of it: Five-plus unequivocal stars . . . an extraordinary read that everyone should enjoy.
Some of his SF titles include The Grandfather Paradox, The Railguns of Luna, The Fornax Drive, and SKULLCAP. Other books of his include The Night of the Eleventh Sun, a Neanderthal’s first encounter with man, and The Wealth Builder’s Guide: An Investment Primer. Steven contributed to the zany, serial mystery, Naked Came the Farmer, headlined by Philip Jose Farmer.
His work has been reviewed in many places, including LOCUS, the EUREKA LITERARY MAGAZINE, PUBLISHERS DAILY REVIEWS, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, THE BOOK REVIEWERS, BOOKVIRAL, and PROMETHEUS, the journal of the Libertarian Futurist Society. Science Fiction Chronicle (June 2001) says of his The Railguns of Luna: Steven Burgauer writes old style science fiction in which heroes and villains are easily identified, the action is fast and furious, and the plot twists and turns uncontrollably . . . This is action adventure written straight-forwardly and not meant to be heavily literary or provide pithy commentary on the state of humanity.
Of his book Nazi Saboteurs on the Bayou, The Book Reviewers write: “An engaging, slow-burning wartime thriller with an epic feel and a large cast of characters.” Midwest Book Review writes: “In a war that rips apart entire worlds, who can truly be the winner? Add a dash of romance to the intrigue for a solid World War II thriller that’s intricate, frighteningly realistic, and hard to put down.”
When Steven lived in Illinois, the State of Illinois Library included him in a select group of authors invited to the state’s Authors’ Day. He has often been a speaker and panel member at public library events and science-fiction conventions all across the country.
His websites are:
http://sites.google.com/site/stevenbu...
http://midlandauthors.com/burgauer.html
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
https://www.undergroundbookreviews.or...
https://www.facebook.com/TheRoadToWar...
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 16, 2018
“An exciting, intellectually stimulating science-fiction thriller . . . Burgauer has again delivered a genuine page-turner and it is recommended without reservation.”
Book Viral, May 16, 2018
=============================================
“ . . . a thrilling crime science-fiction novel that will delight readers’ minds with amazement and entertain, terrify as well as intrigue them from beginning to end . . . ”
Red Headed Book Lovers Blog, May 16, 2018
=============================================
“ . . . a powerful saga that takes the foundations of human nature and discovery and gives them a twist that will keep sci-fi and thriller readers thinking long past the final, unexpected conclusion to this very highly recommended, hard-to-put-down tale . . . ”
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review, June 2018 issue
===============================================
“ . . . a finely tuned tale of cosmic consequence that will keep you turning pages far into the night . . .”
Publishers Daily Review
The Earth has just peeked above the lunar horizon and a terrorist roams the corridors of the Lunar Station, dealing out death and havoc. The timing could not be worse.
It is the eve of Man’s greatest engineering triumph — construction of a space elevator that will reach skyward from the surface of the Moon. But not everyone in the habitat is ready to celebrate that milestone. For one person, revenge is a bigger priority than a revolutionary achievement.
Veteran novelist Steven Burgauer has done it again — creating a finely tuned tale of cosmic consequences that will keep you turning pages far into the night in pursuit of the dynamite climax.
It’s a tangled web indeed for Chief Engineer Clay Flynn and his right-hand man Lou Santini to unravel as they wisecrack their way through peril and pain in search of the person responsible for the bombings that threaten the very existence of the lunar habitat.
These fully formed characters are ably supported by a fascinating ensemble cast that includes Flynn’s torrid tattooed lover, Ouida Baldwin, along with the pompous and posturing Lunar Station commandant Winston Hanrahan; chief suspect Doyle Baldwin, cuckolded husband to Ouida; and the irksome, yet brilliant Paddington Sinclair, head of the Moon Beam lunar elevator project.
The plot moves swiftly along, aided by rapid-fire wordplay between the principal players, and is spiced up sensuously by more than one steamy sex scene. A reader will learn about “extreme morning wood,” a descriptive term used by astronauts upon first discovering the physical effects of life in zero-g.
This book is one-part whodunit, one-part thriller and two parts hard science fact as fiction, all rendered skillfully into an eminently readable whole by author Burgauer, who has obviously done his physics homework, often holding forth quite capably on the super technical details that bring this book to life.
Publishers Daily Review gives Moon Beam an unqualified five stars and hold it up as shining proof that a good old-fashioned space yarn in the style of Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke can still be found.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWTv1...
==============================================
“ . . . a great blend of fantasy and science fiction . . . a gripping story with a strong conflict, fast-paced and compelling . . . ”
Readers’ Favorite, a 5-star Favorite
Readers’ Favorite
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite — Five Star Favorite
Moon Beam by Steven Burgauer is a great blend of fantasy and science fiction with a setting in a lunar station. Readers are introduced to a ruthless female killer, a character who feeds on fear. Now she is about to send shock waves across the globe at a time of great achievement with a piece of technology that could revolutionize Lunar Station, and if she isn’t stopped in time, the consequences could be devastating for everyone. Follow Chief Clay Flynn and Senior Tech Lou Santini on a race to stop her, but do they have what it takes to save their world from catastrophe? The life of Lunar Station depends on their success.
The narrative opens with a powerful image: “The woman sat, half-naked, shivering in the cold, sterile air of the lunar habitat.” The hands of the woman are resting on her automatic gun, about to end her life, and this isn’t the first time she’s tried. This kind of opening announces the sense of urgency that will permeate the entire narrative. Steven Burgauer creates a setting in a way that readers will feel as though they were dreaming about it — at least, that was the feeling I had when I turned the last page — and he succeeds in keeping readers riveted through every page. The prose is elegant and I enjoyed the unique turn of phrase. The characters are awesome and I loved how the author explores human emotions in the narrative. Moon Beam is a gripping story with a strong conflict, fast-paced and compelling.
May 3, 2018
====================================
“ . . . the kind of near future science fiction that needs to be written if we are going to inspire our kids to once again look to the final frontier . . . exciting, near future science fiction . . . ”
Readers’ Favorite, a 5-star Favorite, 05/06/2018
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers’ Favorite — Five Star Favorite
I have been a huge fan of stories that take place on the moon since I picked up a book called The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, back in middle school. I have been looking for great stories that take place on the moon since then and today I read one. Moon Beam by Steven Burgauer is great moon-based science fiction. In its own way it is as gripping, but since the tension and excitement is work related instead of political, Steven Burgauer probably won’t be getting a Hugo like Heinlein. Moon Beam is a great story and the writing is a good match for the genre. This is the kind of near future science fiction that needs to be written if we are going to inspire our kids to once again look to the final frontier.
Moon Beam is the kind of book and story that could help us find that drive to explore once again. It shows life on the moon in no-nonsense realistic terms, and yet, this life on the frontier looks appealing, if a little dangerous. The characters in Moon Beam are not super hero types. They are scientists doing jobs that only scientists can do. The plot is excellent. Human beings have always been the greatest danger to human beings. I love Chief Clay Flynn and his senior tech, Lou Santini. They are two no-nonsense engineer types that solve problems with their heads, but are also capable of being physical when needed. But it is the setting that most impressed me about Moon Beam. Steven Burgauer writes this exciting, near future science fiction story very well. I am very glad I read it.
Book Viral, May 16, 2018
=============================================
“ . . . a thrilling crime science-fiction novel that will delight readers’ minds with amazement and entertain, terrify as well as intrigue them from beginning to end . . . ”
Red Headed Book Lovers Blog, May 16, 2018
=============================================
“ . . . a powerful saga that takes the foundations of human nature and discovery and gives them a twist that will keep sci-fi and thriller readers thinking long past the final, unexpected conclusion to this very highly recommended, hard-to-put-down tale . . . ”
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review, June 2018 issue
===============================================
“ . . . a finely tuned tale of cosmic consequence that will keep you turning pages far into the night . . .”
Publishers Daily Review
The Earth has just peeked above the lunar horizon and a terrorist roams the corridors of the Lunar Station, dealing out death and havoc. The timing could not be worse.
It is the eve of Man’s greatest engineering triumph — construction of a space elevator that will reach skyward from the surface of the Moon. But not everyone in the habitat is ready to celebrate that milestone. For one person, revenge is a bigger priority than a revolutionary achievement.
Veteran novelist Steven Burgauer has done it again — creating a finely tuned tale of cosmic consequences that will keep you turning pages far into the night in pursuit of the dynamite climax.
It’s a tangled web indeed for Chief Engineer Clay Flynn and his right-hand man Lou Santini to unravel as they wisecrack their way through peril and pain in search of the person responsible for the bombings that threaten the very existence of the lunar habitat.
These fully formed characters are ably supported by a fascinating ensemble cast that includes Flynn’s torrid tattooed lover, Ouida Baldwin, along with the pompous and posturing Lunar Station commandant Winston Hanrahan; chief suspect Doyle Baldwin, cuckolded husband to Ouida; and the irksome, yet brilliant Paddington Sinclair, head of the Moon Beam lunar elevator project.
The plot moves swiftly along, aided by rapid-fire wordplay between the principal players, and is spiced up sensuously by more than one steamy sex scene. A reader will learn about “extreme morning wood,” a descriptive term used by astronauts upon first discovering the physical effects of life in zero-g.
This book is one-part whodunit, one-part thriller and two parts hard science fact as fiction, all rendered skillfully into an eminently readable whole by author Burgauer, who has obviously done his physics homework, often holding forth quite capably on the super technical details that bring this book to life.
Publishers Daily Review gives Moon Beam an unqualified five stars and hold it up as shining proof that a good old-fashioned space yarn in the style of Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke can still be found.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWTv1...
==============================================
“ . . . a great blend of fantasy and science fiction . . . a gripping story with a strong conflict, fast-paced and compelling . . . ”
Readers’ Favorite, a 5-star Favorite
Readers’ Favorite
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite — Five Star Favorite
Moon Beam by Steven Burgauer is a great blend of fantasy and science fiction with a setting in a lunar station. Readers are introduced to a ruthless female killer, a character who feeds on fear. Now she is about to send shock waves across the globe at a time of great achievement with a piece of technology that could revolutionize Lunar Station, and if she isn’t stopped in time, the consequences could be devastating for everyone. Follow Chief Clay Flynn and Senior Tech Lou Santini on a race to stop her, but do they have what it takes to save their world from catastrophe? The life of Lunar Station depends on their success.
The narrative opens with a powerful image: “The woman sat, half-naked, shivering in the cold, sterile air of the lunar habitat.” The hands of the woman are resting on her automatic gun, about to end her life, and this isn’t the first time she’s tried. This kind of opening announces the sense of urgency that will permeate the entire narrative. Steven Burgauer creates a setting in a way that readers will feel as though they were dreaming about it — at least, that was the feeling I had when I turned the last page — and he succeeds in keeping readers riveted through every page. The prose is elegant and I enjoyed the unique turn of phrase. The characters are awesome and I loved how the author explores human emotions in the narrative. Moon Beam is a gripping story with a strong conflict, fast-paced and compelling.
May 3, 2018
====================================
“ . . . the kind of near future science fiction that needs to be written if we are going to inspire our kids to once again look to the final frontier . . . exciting, near future science fiction . . . ”
Readers’ Favorite, a 5-star Favorite, 05/06/2018
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers’ Favorite — Five Star Favorite
I have been a huge fan of stories that take place on the moon since I picked up a book called The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, back in middle school. I have been looking for great stories that take place on the moon since then and today I read one. Moon Beam by Steven Burgauer is great moon-based science fiction. In its own way it is as gripping, but since the tension and excitement is work related instead of political, Steven Burgauer probably won’t be getting a Hugo like Heinlein. Moon Beam is a great story and the writing is a good match for the genre. This is the kind of near future science fiction that needs to be written if we are going to inspire our kids to once again look to the final frontier.
Moon Beam is the kind of book and story that could help us find that drive to explore once again. It shows life on the moon in no-nonsense realistic terms, and yet, this life on the frontier looks appealing, if a little dangerous. The characters in Moon Beam are not super hero types. They are scientists doing jobs that only scientists can do. The plot is excellent. Human beings have always been the greatest danger to human beings. I love Chief Clay Flynn and his senior tech, Lou Santini. They are two no-nonsense engineer types that solve problems with their heads, but are also capable of being physical when needed. But it is the setting that most impressed me about Moon Beam. Steven Burgauer writes this exciting, near future science fiction story very well. I am very glad I read it.
September 2, 2018
This is a very interesting read. The action starts from the first page and doesn't let go.
Read full review in the 2018 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2018 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.
November 7, 2018
There are a number of stand out elements in this novel that make it well worth a read. These include the basic premise, the attention to scientific detail and explanations, and the witty repartee between the characters. All of these were very well done, and definitely hooked me on the story.
There are also a couple of areas where I feel the story could have been improved:
The pace of the story ground to a halt with all the lectures on scientific concepts. (Really and truly, the reader doesn't need all that detail - we need a plausible explanation, but not necessarily the whole history of the field).
I also felt that Ouida was ill-served as a character. She didn't ring true, and was largely an enigma. (The motivations ascribed to her didn't match her behaviour). I think there are a lot of ways that she could have been developed to be more realistic and relatable. There are also other characters who came across as being tropes - they didn't have the backstory or make (in my estimation) reasonable choices based on what I knew of them, so I think character development in general falls on the weaker side.
I also feel that the story would have been better served with a stronger element of mystery: whodunnit was pretty obvious from the outset. There were several missed opportunities for red herrings to be explored, and, while I believe there were two attempts, they didn't hit the mark for me.
All in all, I did enjoy the book and am likely to look for more from this author.
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Reader Only.
There are also a couple of areas where I feel the story could have been improved:
The pace of the story ground to a halt with all the lectures on scientific concepts. (Really and truly, the reader doesn't need all that detail - we need a plausible explanation, but not necessarily the whole history of the field).
I also felt that Ouida was ill-served as a character. She didn't ring true, and was largely an enigma. (The motivations ascribed to her didn't match her behaviour). I think there are a lot of ways that she could have been developed to be more realistic and relatable. There are also other characters who came across as being tropes - they didn't have the backstory or make (in my estimation) reasonable choices based on what I knew of them, so I think character development in general falls on the weaker side.
I also feel that the story would have been better served with a stronger element of mystery: whodunnit was pretty obvious from the outset. There were several missed opportunities for red herrings to be explored, and, while I believe there were two attempts, they didn't hit the mark for me.
All in all, I did enjoy the book and am likely to look for more from this author.
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Reader Only.
July 7, 2018
Moon Beam is a story of one woman bent on revenge and her subsequent slip into madness as she vows to kill the company she feels is responsible for the accident that paralyzed her first husband. What makes the plot unique is the lunar habitat they are all currently living on, the inherent dangers and difficulties of life on the moon and the team that has just arrived to build the first lunar space elevator.
I didn’t love Moon Beam, nor did I hate it. While the bare bones of the story were good enough, it really only amounted to about 50 pages of the whole book and only the last 30 or so, making you really want to turn the page to see if they make it out alive. The rest of the book, while interesting, was crammed with one character explaining to another character the attributes of moon dust, static charges, the laws of gravity (or lack thereof), the effects it has on the human body, etc. Time and again, I felt I was sitting in a college physics class listening to a dry professor that I could not escape from. I like learning new things and do not have a lot of knowledge on the subject of space, so at a few points I had to stop, put the book down and google to see if what I was reading were actual facts or just words coming from a vivid imagination.
All in all, Moon Beam was a worthy read and author Steve Burgauer has researched his topic well. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.
I didn’t love Moon Beam, nor did I hate it. While the bare bones of the story were good enough, it really only amounted to about 50 pages of the whole book and only the last 30 or so, making you really want to turn the page to see if they make it out alive. The rest of the book, while interesting, was crammed with one character explaining to another character the attributes of moon dust, static charges, the laws of gravity (or lack thereof), the effects it has on the human body, etc. Time and again, I felt I was sitting in a college physics class listening to a dry professor that I could not escape from. I like learning new things and do not have a lot of knowledge on the subject of space, so at a few points I had to stop, put the book down and google to see if what I was reading were actual facts or just words coming from a vivid imagination.
All in all, Moon Beam was a worthy read and author Steve Burgauer has researched his topic well. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.
June 23, 2018
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads and am grateful for the opportunity.
Overall, the book was interesting and well-written. I just for some reason found the pace to be kind of dull at times. It didn't help that you took away the sense of mystery early on when it became clear that Ouida was out to destroy the moon colony.
Another issue I had was the occasionally awkward grammar. For instance, at one point Santini asks, "You want I should lie?" I think it could be better phrased as "You want me to lie?" or "You think I should lie?"
Still, it was an interesting and fun book to read.
Overall, the book was interesting and well-written. I just for some reason found the pace to be kind of dull at times. It didn't help that you took away the sense of mystery early on when it became clear that Ouida was out to destroy the moon colony.
Another issue I had was the occasionally awkward grammar. For instance, at one point Santini asks, "You want I should lie?" I think it could be better phrased as "You want me to lie?" or "You think I should lie?"
Still, it was an interesting and fun book to read.
May 17, 2018
This book is captivating from beginning to end. At every point the author leaves the reader wanting more. It’s impossible to put this book down!
Moon Beam by Steven Burgauer is a must read for anyone wanting to escape for a bit into an exciting world with action and suspense at every turn. This book should be on everyone’s “Must Read” List!
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
Moon Beam by Steven Burgauer is a must read for anyone wanting to escape for a bit into an exciting world with action and suspense at every turn. This book should be on everyone’s “Must Read” List!
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
July 9, 2018
This was my first physical review book, I thought it was good, the writing was was good, I do wish there was more at the end.
August 25, 2018
Excellent book-loved the use of science.
October 14, 2018
When people live on the moon, life can get really interesting. Well, it will be a while before we can live on the moon and it will take a while to get into this book.
It was very slow to start, but once there, it is a page-turner. I wish it didn’t take so long. It was an excellent idea for a book, but it lacked in the telling of it.
Overall, I have to say it I liked it, but it could have been better; 2.5 (3) stars at most.
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It was very slow to start, but once there, it is a page-turner. I wish it didn’t take so long. It was an excellent idea for a book, but it lacked in the telling of it.
Overall, I have to say it I liked it, but it could have been better; 2.5 (3) stars at most.
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
September 30, 2018
Steven Burgauer writes a good story about life at an outpost on the Moon in terms of the environmental differences between the Moon and Earth and how those differences impact human beings, physically, mentally, and socially. A word of caution for those who do not like lots of physics (with lesser amounts of biology and chemistry) in the narrative, Moon Beam has significant amounts and at times this necessary science can be daunting.
Moon Beam is similar in subject matter to The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth's Past) by Cixin Liu and Ken Liu.
Review copy.
Moon Beam is similar in subject matter to The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth's Past) by Cixin Liu and Ken Liu.
Review copy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews