Absolute Zero

by Phillip Tomasso III

When a recon becomes a rescue . . . nothing is absolute! Earth, a desolate wasteland is now run by the Corporations from space stations off planet . . . A colony of thirty-three people are part of compound set up on Neptune. Their objective is mining the planet surface for natural resources. When a distress signal reaches Euphoric Enterprises on the Nebula Way Station, the Eclipse is immediately dispatched to investigate. The crew of the Eclipse had no idea what they were getting themselves into. When they reach Neptune, and send out a shuttle party, they hope they can find the root cause behind the alarm. Nothing is ever simple. Something sinister lies in wait for them on Neptune. The mission quickly goes from an investigation into a rescue operation. The young crew from the Eclipse now finds themselves in the fight of their lives!

230 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2017

About the author

Phillip Tomasso III is the award-winning author of many novels, including Before the Sun Sets and Amazon Best Selling memoir, Nothing Good Happens After Midnight.

He lives in Rochester, NY with his 3 kids, works full-time as a Fire Dispatcher for 9-1-1, and is always hard at work on his next story!

Reviews

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great sci fi horror story. Loved that this story was set on Neptune and I always like the isolated group of people under attack scenario. I liked the characters, and there was plenty of action with the creatures, and a very small touch of romance at the end. Very enjoyable and I was excited to keep reading until I found out how it would end.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute Zero is set in the frozen wastes of Neptune, where a starship has arrived in response to a distress beacon sent by a diamond mining colony. The rescue attempt quickly goes awry when the shuttles are bombarded by the planet's unpredictable weather and crash, forcing the crew to hike miles through conditions completely inhospitable to human life. And it feels like something is watching them . . .

This is a fast, fairly simple read, with just the right amount of world-building and characterization to flesh out an otherwise pretty basic survival story. There were hints that the hostile aliens are more than simply dumb giant centipedes, as well as brief moments of self-awareness that it is the humans who are the invaders and therefore the aggressors, but these never went anywhere and the monsters remain mere monsters. The space pirates introduced as a secondary threat also don't actually do much until towards the end. There is plenty of setup for a sequel, however, that will likely pick up where this book left off.

[Adrian DeJesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a long time fan of Phillip Tomasso's work. When I heard he was writing a sci-fi horror novel I couldn't wait to read it. The worst part is I devoured the book in a couple of sittings! It was non-stop action. The book mostly takes place on Neptune's surface. A diamond mining operation gone awry. There are hostile aliens, and space pirates. Para-military battles, and amazing characters. I cannot wait for -- and sincerely hope -- there is another installment in this space saga! Tomasso has created a world that has endless possibilities!