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Frank Kitteridge #2
No Way
In the sequel to the terrifying science fiction thriller, One Way, returning home from Mars may mean striking a deal with the very people who abandoned him.They were sent to build a utopia, but all they found on Mars was death. Frank Kitteridge has been abandoned. But XO, the greedy -- and ultimately murderous -- corporate architects of humanity's first Mars base made a costly mistake when they left him--they left him alive. Using his skills and his wits, he's going to find a way back home even if it kills him. Little does he know that Mars isn't completely empty. Just over the mountain, there's another XO base where things are going terribly, catastrophically wrong. And when the survivors of that mission find Frank, they're going to want to take even the little he has left away from him. If there's anything in Frank's favor, it's that he's always been prepared to go to the extremes to get the job done. That's how he ended up on Mars in the first place. It just might be his ticket back.
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2019
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844 people want to read
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February 26, 2019
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
They’d inadvertently made a murderer the King of Mars.
okay, trying to review w/o spoilers for the first book in this series (which may or may not end with this book?): after the [unspecified adventures] of One Way, construction specialist frank kittridge is the sole survivor of the poorly-conceived mission to mars in which criminals were sent to the red planet to build a base for NASA, in some evil interstellar “habitats for humanity” program.
he’s alone on mars, in (limited) communication with the corporation who sent him there in the first place, over whom he now holds a certain amount of power because of all the [unspecified seeeeecrets] he knows, but also pretty vulnerable because he’s on mars without proper training and he knows all these [unspecified seeeeecrets] he’s not supposed to know.
as per the original arrangement, the NASA folks will be arriving on mars in a matter of weeks, so frank has to sweep all the evidence of the [unspecified chaos] under the martian rugs, assume a new identity, and convince the NAStronauts that everything’s cool, nothing to see here and please accept this muffin basket as a welcome to the neighborhood &etc.
the first part is very similar to The Martian; a survival story in an extreme landscape, but where the highly-trained scientist character is replaced by an everyday joe who only sort of knows what he’s doing, and with considerably less humor, musings about aquaman, or math. frank actually references The Martian, but not, quite tellingly, in its original form:
The potatoes in their barrels of de-chlorated Martian gravel seemed to be doing well. That was one thing at least that movie had got right.
frank's maybe not a big reader, although now he's forced to read all manner of how-to manuals for the care and maintenance of the space hab as well as a crash course in agriculture to fill in the gaps left by the [unspecified carnage] that led to his having the weight of 7 job descriptions on his shoulders, along with the consequences from the [unspecified occurrences].
he also needs to figure out how to get his protein on mars because - while frank can kill his teenaged son's teenage drug dealer on earth, he cannot, it seems, kill an innocent tilapia on mars.
and then he makes a discovery. i mean, another one, apart from the [many unspecified discoveries] from One Way.
and suddenly, mars is very crowded.
and THEN, it's a survival story, with mystery, adventure, and psychological suspense trimmings, and everything is MUCH more dire than the first book, believe it or not.
and it is fun. for the reader, not so much for frank:
Monotony and fear. Those were his two default states and he seemed to be flipping between them with very little warning.
i liked it more than One Way, and IF there were to be a third book, i would probably read that one as well.
apropos of nothing, i was pleased to encounter a version of my favorite sentence from Jude the Obscure,
No one was going to come and rescue him, because there was no one.
which was most likely an unintentional echo of a book frank most certainly has never read, but it tickled me nonetheless.
come to my blog!
They’d inadvertently made a murderer the King of Mars.
okay, trying to review w/o spoilers for the first book in this series (which may or may not end with this book?): after the [unspecified adventures] of One Way, construction specialist frank kittridge is the sole survivor of the poorly-conceived mission to mars in which criminals were sent to the red planet to build a base for NASA, in some evil interstellar “habitats for humanity” program.
he’s alone on mars, in (limited) communication with the corporation who sent him there in the first place, over whom he now holds a certain amount of power because of all the [unspecified seeeeecrets] he knows, but also pretty vulnerable because he’s on mars without proper training and he knows all these [unspecified seeeeecrets] he’s not supposed to know.
as per the original arrangement, the NASA folks will be arriving on mars in a matter of weeks, so frank has to sweep all the evidence of the [unspecified chaos] under the martian rugs, assume a new identity, and convince the NAStronauts that everything’s cool, nothing to see here and please accept this muffin basket as a welcome to the neighborhood &etc.
the first part is very similar to The Martian; a survival story in an extreme landscape, but where the highly-trained scientist character is replaced by an everyday joe who only sort of knows what he’s doing, and with considerably less humor, musings about aquaman, or math. frank actually references The Martian, but not, quite tellingly, in its original form:
The potatoes in their barrels of de-chlorated Martian gravel seemed to be doing well. That was one thing at least that movie had got right.
frank's maybe not a big reader, although now he's forced to read all manner of how-to manuals for the care and maintenance of the space hab as well as a crash course in agriculture to fill in the gaps left by the [unspecified carnage] that led to his having the weight of 7 job descriptions on his shoulders, along with the consequences from the [unspecified occurrences].
he also needs to figure out how to get his protein on mars because - while frank can kill his teenaged son's teenage drug dealer on earth, he cannot, it seems, kill an innocent tilapia on mars.
and then he makes a discovery. i mean, another one, apart from the [many unspecified discoveries] from One Way.
and suddenly, mars is very crowded.
and THEN, it's a survival story, with mystery, adventure, and psychological suspense trimmings, and everything is MUCH more dire than the first book, believe it or not.
and it is fun. for the reader, not so much for frank:
Monotony and fear. Those were his two default states and he seemed to be flipping between them with very little warning.
i liked it more than One Way, and IF there were to be a third book, i would probably read that one as well.
apropos of nothing, i was pleased to encounter a version of my favorite sentence from Jude the Obscure,
No one was going to come and rescue him, because there was no one.
which was most likely an unintentional echo of a book frank most certainly has never read, but it tickled me nonetheless.
come to my blog!
May 5, 2022
3.5 stars.
Frank Kitteridge finds himself alone and abandoned on Mars with no way out, and the evil cooperation, XO, which sent him there wanting him dead. There is enough description of past events in No Way to read the book as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the previous book, One Way, to fully understand how Frank finds himself in such a dire predicament.
The author, Dr. S.J. Morden, is a rocket scientist with degrees in geology and planetary geophysics, which lends authenticity to the Mars environment and the working of the space station. He has developed a compelling character in Frank, a practical and resourceful man in his early 50s, who will do anything in his power to survive on Mars, but with little hope of ever returning to earth.
Sent there by a treacherous, greedy company, he contemplates destroying the entire space station by sabotage, in revenge for the criminal scheming of the powerful XO conglomerate. NASA astronauts are due to arrive shortly, and he knows too many of XO’s secrets to be allowed to live. He is overcome by hopelessness, despair and loneliness after much deceit and death of others.
Frank comes up with a plan to make a deal with the people in XO. He is to keep the space station for the arrival of NASA astronauts, take on an assumed identity, get rid of any evidence that he was once a member of a team, and to pretend that the space station was actually built by robots under his control. In return, Frank is promised a way back to earth. But can XO be trusted? Not darn likely! Others on Earth do not know he is even on Mars.
I now find the narrative slows down, to one describing the tedious drudgery of Frank taking on the jobs originally assigned to others. His work was to oversee construction, but he now has the laborious task of studying manuals to understand the workings of the electrical system, computers, communication system, the growing of food in the greenhouse, etc. He performs the tasks to the best of his ability and takes vehicular excursions across the Martian landscape to retrieve supplies which have been dropped and scattered.
On one such excursion, he learns another secret that the company has been keeping from himself and everyone concerned back on Earth. What he discovers puts not only his own life but also the lives of the arriving astronauts in jeopardy.
When seven NASA astronauts finally land, Frank has difficulty melding with the group after being alone and self-reliant for so long. He gradually becomes a reliable working member of the group. Circumstances lead him to confess his true identity, the treacherous deceit of XO, and of a potential danger lurking nearby. The company sends the Astronauts a false resume claiming Frank to be malignant and insane. Can he ever restore their trust? The impending menace Frank warned about arrives with kidnapping and death. This leads to much fast-paced unrelenting action and fear.
I found the ending to be satisfactory but leaves the reader in much need of another book in the series. For the most part, I found the memos and e-mails back on earth which began the chapters to be confusing, and added little to the story. After a slow beginning, the action, thrills, chills, and suspense reached a gripping pace towards the end.
Frank Kitteridge finds himself alone and abandoned on Mars with no way out, and the evil cooperation, XO, which sent him there wanting him dead. There is enough description of past events in No Way to read the book as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the previous book, One Way, to fully understand how Frank finds himself in such a dire predicament.
The author, Dr. S.J. Morden, is a rocket scientist with degrees in geology and planetary geophysics, which lends authenticity to the Mars environment and the working of the space station. He has developed a compelling character in Frank, a practical and resourceful man in his early 50s, who will do anything in his power to survive on Mars, but with little hope of ever returning to earth.
Sent there by a treacherous, greedy company, he contemplates destroying the entire space station by sabotage, in revenge for the criminal scheming of the powerful XO conglomerate. NASA astronauts are due to arrive shortly, and he knows too many of XO’s secrets to be allowed to live. He is overcome by hopelessness, despair and loneliness after much deceit and death of others.
Frank comes up with a plan to make a deal with the people in XO. He is to keep the space station for the arrival of NASA astronauts, take on an assumed identity, get rid of any evidence that he was once a member of a team, and to pretend that the space station was actually built by robots under his control. In return, Frank is promised a way back to earth. But can XO be trusted? Not darn likely! Others on Earth do not know he is even on Mars.
I now find the narrative slows down, to one describing the tedious drudgery of Frank taking on the jobs originally assigned to others. His work was to oversee construction, but he now has the laborious task of studying manuals to understand the workings of the electrical system, computers, communication system, the growing of food in the greenhouse, etc. He performs the tasks to the best of his ability and takes vehicular excursions across the Martian landscape to retrieve supplies which have been dropped and scattered.
On one such excursion, he learns another secret that the company has been keeping from himself and everyone concerned back on Earth. What he discovers puts not only his own life but also the lives of the arriving astronauts in jeopardy.
When seven NASA astronauts finally land, Frank has difficulty melding with the group after being alone and self-reliant for so long. He gradually becomes a reliable working member of the group. Circumstances lead him to confess his true identity, the treacherous deceit of XO, and of a potential danger lurking nearby. The company sends the Astronauts a false resume claiming Frank to be malignant and insane. Can he ever restore their trust? The impending menace Frank warned about arrives with kidnapping and death. This leads to much fast-paced unrelenting action and fear.
I found the ending to be satisfactory but leaves the reader in much need of another book in the series. For the most part, I found the memos and e-mails back on earth which began the chapters to be confusing, and added little to the story. After a slow beginning, the action, thrills, chills, and suspense reached a gripping pace towards the end.
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September 14, 2022Nit čito nit gledo Marsovca Endija Vira al ovaj serijal mora da bude nešto najsuprotnije suprotno na datu temu. Ništa optimizam, samo preživljavanje. Najgrozniji kapitalizam u svemiru. Horor je Korporacija. Preporuka.
Want to read
August 14, 2018OMG, WTF?!
THIS IS A THING?
I need this book. Now.
THIS IS A THING?
I need this book. Now.
August 29, 2019
This sequel to 'One Way', by SJ Morden (a real rocket scientist, no less) is a remarkable piece of work. The first book in the series was good, this was better. People will naturally think about The Martian when they pick this up - man stranded on Mars, strong scientific background to the story and accessible writing, but Morden steps it up with the thriller elements by the way the guy is stranded, the fact that he's, at least on one level, a psychopath and a convicted murderer. Add in to the mix the clean cut NASA crew he's helping plus dark dealings by the commercial organisation supposedly helping NASA and the astronauts and you have a extraordinarily good read.
Plus, I have to mention the way the author transports you to Mars. You can feel the cold, almost experience the storms, and the frustrations our flawed, if likeable convict protagonist is going through.
This took me while to get through, that shouldn't be seen as a slight on the book, but a reflection of the summer and home improvements that took me away from reading.
It's well worth getting both books in the series.
Plus, I have to mention the way the author transports you to Mars. You can feel the cold, almost experience the storms, and the frustrations our flawed, if likeable convict protagonist is going through.
This took me while to get through, that shouldn't be seen as a slight on the book, but a reflection of the summer and home improvements that took me away from reading.
It's well worth getting both books in the series.
September 6, 2020
I don’t know if S.J. Morden intends this to be the final book in the series or not, but either way it is an epic instalment.
I had no idea that it even existed until August this year, when organising a copy of One Way for a Book Club read. I had already read the first book and was very keen to continue the story.
It did not disappoint. Most interesting was watching how Frank Kittridge adapted to his new environment and crew. And the shocking realisation that he may not have been as alone on the red planet as he had thought.
Perfect for fans of The Martian, No Way is a rollicking space story about survival, hope, and finding your place in the world.
I had no idea that it even existed until August this year, when organising a copy of One Way for a Book Club read. I had already read the first book and was very keen to continue the story.
It did not disappoint. Most interesting was watching how Frank Kittridge adapted to his new environment and crew. And the shocking realisation that he may not have been as alone on the red planet as he had thought.
Perfect for fans of The Martian, No Way is a rollicking space story about survival, hope, and finding your place in the world.
September 12, 2022
4.5 stars rounded to 5
This sequel had much of the flavor of the original One Way which was so inventive. I heartily recommend reading it first to better understand Frank’s situation. It is difficult to discuss this book without at least being a little spoilery about the first one, but I will avoid giving anything away about this one without hiding it.
This book takes up almost immediately from the end of the first novel. Frank is the only survivor of the XO company’s mission to Mars. He is marooned, but there is still a NASA mission on the way, relying on the XO shelters and systems. Frank has to decide how he’s going to handle this. Will he come clean with the NASA astronauts? Will he be able to convince/blackmail XO into a trip home?
This is a hugely entertaining sci-fi novel - it’s a thriller and a mystery and a survival story, all wrapped up in one big package. My only complaint was that the messages and transcripts at the beginning of each chapter did not provide enough info to add much to the story, too much was either assumed or left to the imagination. Overall, read this but only if you have read (and enjoyed) the first one.
Best quote in the book:
This sequel had much of the flavor of the original One Way which was so inventive. I heartily recommend reading it first to better understand Frank’s situation. It is difficult to discuss this book without at least being a little spoilery about the first one, but I will avoid giving anything away about this one without hiding it.
This book takes up almost immediately from the end of the first novel. Frank is the only survivor of the XO company’s mission to Mars. He is marooned, but there is still a NASA mission on the way, relying on the XO shelters and systems. Frank has to decide how he’s going to handle this. Will he come clean with the NASA astronauts? Will he be able to convince/blackmail XO into a trip home?
This is a hugely entertaining sci-fi novel - it’s a thriller and a mystery and a survival story, all wrapped up in one big package. My only complaint was that the messages and transcripts at the beginning of each chapter did not provide enough info to add much to the story, too much was either assumed or left to the imagination. Overall, read this but only if you have read (and enjoyed) the first one.
Best quote in the book:
May 24, 2021
Bėda bėdutė. Praktiškai neįmanoma papasakoti apie šitą knygą nieko, nesuspoilinant pirmosios dalies. Realiai tai labiau viena didelė knyga, perskelta pusiau, nei dvi atskiros dalys. Bet įspūdžiai kiek skirtingi.
Pirmojoje turėjome kokteilį iš visos krūvos ingredientų. Ir pagrindinė bėda buvo ta, kad jie buvo nesumaišyti. Ėjo sau visiškai atskirais sluoksniais. Bet į pabaigą įsibėgėjo. O štai antroji knyga – kur kas labiau vienalytis dalykas. Ir tai tik į naudą.
Kažkiek tai galbūt primena Weiro „Marsietį“. Bet tik kažkiek. Nes na – Marsas, aštrus išgyvenimo klausimas. Tik Frankas Marse ne vienas. Nors gal mieliau būtų vienas. Ir kovoti už savo gyvybę tenka ne tik su kaprizinga technika ar atšiauriomis ir nesvetingomis svetimos gyvybės sąlygomis. O Frankas turi tikslą – pamatyti savo sūnų. Ir tas tikslas tai nuskrieja kažkur į nematomus tolius, tai priartėja tiek, kad, regis, ranka pasiekiamas. Bet viltis – padaras atkaklus. Išgyvena net tada, kai, atrodytų, belieka susivynioti į baltą drobulę ir lėtai šliaužti kapinių link.
Tvirtas ketvertas iš penkių.
Pirmojoje turėjome kokteilį iš visos krūvos ingredientų. Ir pagrindinė bėda buvo ta, kad jie buvo nesumaišyti. Ėjo sau visiškai atskirais sluoksniais. Bet į pabaigą įsibėgėjo. O štai antroji knyga – kur kas labiau vienalytis dalykas. Ir tai tik į naudą.
Kažkiek tai galbūt primena Weiro „Marsietį“. Bet tik kažkiek. Nes na – Marsas, aštrus išgyvenimo klausimas. Tik Frankas Marse ne vienas. Nors gal mieliau būtų vienas. Ir kovoti už savo gyvybę tenka ne tik su kaprizinga technika ar atšiauriomis ir nesvetingomis svetimos gyvybės sąlygomis. O Frankas turi tikslą – pamatyti savo sūnų. Ir tas tikslas tai nuskrieja kažkur į nematomus tolius, tai priartėja tiek, kad, regis, ranka pasiekiamas. Bet viltis – padaras atkaklus. Išgyvena net tada, kai, atrodytų, belieka susivynioti į baltą drobulę ir lėtai šliaužti kapinių link.
Tvirtas ketvertas iš penkių.
May 4, 2019
This is another book I've been listening to in the car on my way to the station and back.
No Way follows on from One Way - beware because some spoilers for One Way follow. Look away now if you haven't read it yet, and go and do that. While you could read No Way as a standalone, it is much better enjoyed after reading the earlier book.
One Way told how in the middle years of the 21st century, Frank Kittridge, sentenced to decades in a privately run, super-max prison for murdering his son's dealer, is made an offer: join a team being assembled sent to Mars to establish a colony, and he can have limited freedom, living out his remaining years on the red planet.
The deal turns out to be a trap - Frank and his fellow cons, dismissed as 'chimps' by the XO Corporation, are destined to be killed off by an XO agent, Brack. The base they have constructed will then be handed over to NASA, which has been told that it will be constructed using robots. But the plan fails and Frank kills Brack, which is where No Way picks up.
Frank's dilemma is what to do next. Can XO deactivate life support in the MBO base, killing him? probably. Will they? Well, maybe they need him to clean up the base for the use of the NASA astronauts? But what then? The first part of this book is haunted by that tension, with every move Frank makes placing him at risk. As he notes, "Mars is trying to kill you". And there are particular reasons to be concerned - things he discovers as he goes about his daily tasks. (One of the joys of this book is Frank's practical bent. A builder by profession, he has a knack for solving problems, which is useful and makes for some interesting passages - it all comes over as very well researched and Morden largely avoids info dumps, although a map would have been useful).
I'm not going to exactly what happens to cause Frank concern, although I'm sorry to say the publishers print it on the back of the book. If you can possibly do so I'd avoid reading any of that because there is a little bit of a frisson from watching the signs in the story and asking yourself, can that be right? The tension only increases when the NASA astronauts arrive. Frank's cut a new deal with XO: he will clean things up, lie to NASA - pretend the base was built by robots - and in return be given a trip home. But that means he'd have no credibility if he were to warn the NASA crew about certain other things. This dilemma torments Frank: for the first time in years - apart from the brief spell when he was working with the other cons - he has people he can talk to, work with, and who respect him (even if they think he's Brack, a man Frank hated). But he can't be open with them. That would blow his deal with XO, and in any case, the NASA team would likely not believe him.
As things begin to go wrong, this pressure on Frank becomes almost tangible, accentuated by the cramped quarters of the base and its remoteness from Earth - contactable only via XO satellites. Mordern is very good as depicting Frank's anguish, his dithering and self-recrimination. Frank feels that all his choices have gone wrong, from the moment he killed that dealer, and he's continually undermined by self doubt - even in the face of all his success at staying alive and building and maintaining a habitable base (and other things which would be spoilery to describe).
It all comes to a climax, of course, with the survival of the base - and the crew - in real jeopardy. XO is a merciless opponent, and conditions on Mars very much favour them. In the end Frank is faced with the unenviable choice of coming clean, and being treated as a criminal or a madman, and staying silent, and seeing everyone die.
A superb, and superbly different, thriller. The audiobook version was excellent, William Hope delivering Frank's story in an appropriately clipped, gravelly voice that evoked the dusty wastes of Mars and the sweaty, patched-up nature of his life there.
No Way follows on from One Way - beware because some spoilers for One Way follow. Look away now if you haven't read it yet, and go and do that. While you could read No Way as a standalone, it is much better enjoyed after reading the earlier book.
One Way told how in the middle years of the 21st century, Frank Kittridge, sentenced to decades in a privately run, super-max prison for murdering his son's dealer, is made an offer: join a team being assembled sent to Mars to establish a colony, and he can have limited freedom, living out his remaining years on the red planet.
The deal turns out to be a trap - Frank and his fellow cons, dismissed as 'chimps' by the XO Corporation, are destined to be killed off by an XO agent, Brack. The base they have constructed will then be handed over to NASA, which has been told that it will be constructed using robots. But the plan fails and Frank kills Brack, which is where No Way picks up.
Frank's dilemma is what to do next. Can XO deactivate life support in the MBO base, killing him? probably. Will they? Well, maybe they need him to clean up the base for the use of the NASA astronauts? But what then? The first part of this book is haunted by that tension, with every move Frank makes placing him at risk. As he notes, "Mars is trying to kill you". And there are particular reasons to be concerned - things he discovers as he goes about his daily tasks. (One of the joys of this book is Frank's practical bent. A builder by profession, he has a knack for solving problems, which is useful and makes for some interesting passages - it all comes over as very well researched and Morden largely avoids info dumps, although a map would have been useful).
I'm not going to exactly what happens to cause Frank concern, although I'm sorry to say the publishers print it on the back of the book. If you can possibly do so I'd avoid reading any of that because there is a little bit of a frisson from watching the signs in the story and asking yourself, can that be right? The tension only increases when the NASA astronauts arrive. Frank's cut a new deal with XO: he will clean things up, lie to NASA - pretend the base was built by robots - and in return be given a trip home. But that means he'd have no credibility if he were to warn the NASA crew about certain other things. This dilemma torments Frank: for the first time in years - apart from the brief spell when he was working with the other cons - he has people he can talk to, work with, and who respect him (even if they think he's Brack, a man Frank hated). But he can't be open with them. That would blow his deal with XO, and in any case, the NASA team would likely not believe him.
As things begin to go wrong, this pressure on Frank becomes almost tangible, accentuated by the cramped quarters of the base and its remoteness from Earth - contactable only via XO satellites. Mordern is very good as depicting Frank's anguish, his dithering and self-recrimination. Frank feels that all his choices have gone wrong, from the moment he killed that dealer, and he's continually undermined by self doubt - even in the face of all his success at staying alive and building and maintaining a habitable base (and other things which would be spoilery to describe).
It all comes to a climax, of course, with the survival of the base - and the crew - in real jeopardy. XO is a merciless opponent, and conditions on Mars very much favour them. In the end Frank is faced with the unenviable choice of coming clean, and being treated as a criminal or a madman, and staying silent, and seeing everyone die.
A superb, and superbly different, thriller. The audiobook version was excellent, William Hope delivering Frank's story in an appropriately clipped, gravelly voice that evoked the dusty wastes of Mars and the sweaty, patched-up nature of his life there.
November 7, 2019
This definitely should have just been part of the first book. The first third of this book was more or less unnecessary, the second third could easily have been condensed, and the final third wrapped up pretty quickly. Perhaps if these two books had been a serious character study or a hard sci-fi treatise on colonizing Mars you could justify the length, but they are more less a quick action flick.
For my book club friends:
For my book club friends:
April 18, 2019
Not sure why I can't give this a 5-star rating. I mean, I loved this (and its predecessor, One Way) and stayed up late reading as fast as my fingers could turn the pages. Still, there just seems like something was missing that might have bumped these up to 5-star classics. You've basically got The Martian reconfigured as a murder mystery, with the worst corporation this side of Weyland-Yutani, XO, attempting to cover their asses, even if it means a crew of NASA astronaut-scientists might have to become expendable to do it. This is a seriously good book and could make the basis for a great movie (or pair of movies). If there's some way Morden can turn this into a trilogy, I know I'm on board for another book in this series.
November 20, 2024
Spoiler Alert!!! This is a sequel to the first book One Way. Read that first before reading this or you'll find out things you shouldn't.
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This book picks up directly where the last book left off. Frank is alone on Mars and only has a short time before the NASA team arrive. He has to clean off the blood (yeah, I warned you there were spoilers) and mess, get rid of corpses, and generally make the place spic 'n' span, along with continuing his usual maintenance duties and trying to figure out how the greenhouse works. Oh and going out to tilt the solar panels a few times a day as the sun moves and to try to clean off the dust that gathers on the panels.
And when the NASA scientist crew arrives Frank has to pretend to be Lance Brack because XO, the company that hired Frank, wants NASA to continue to think that they sent one human with a bunch of robots to build the base instead of what they really did. The stress poor Frank is under is enormous and he doesn't sleep much. Thankfully the leader of the NASA crew realizes that a person chosen to spend 6 months alone with robots is not a people person and tells her crew to leave him alone.
But remember that XO person from another base that Frank ran into? Well they come into play later on and it is horrific (thankfully not described just alluded to).
Solid, good writing, no fancy stuff. Written 3rd person from Frank's POV. The end is satisfactory while leaving it open for another book maybe (hopefully!).
()))(()())))(((()))())())((()))(()))((()))
This book picks up directly where the last book left off. Frank is alone on Mars and only has a short time before the NASA team arrive. He has to clean off the blood (yeah, I warned you there were spoilers) and mess, get rid of corpses, and generally make the place spic 'n' span, along with continuing his usual maintenance duties and trying to figure out how the greenhouse works. Oh and going out to tilt the solar panels a few times a day as the sun moves and to try to clean off the dust that gathers on the panels.
And when the NASA scientist crew arrives Frank has to pretend to be Lance Brack because XO, the company that hired Frank, wants NASA to continue to think that they sent one human with a bunch of robots to build the base instead of what they really did. The stress poor Frank is under is enormous and he doesn't sleep much. Thankfully the leader of the NASA crew realizes that a person chosen to spend 6 months alone with robots is not a people person and tells her crew to leave him alone.
But remember that XO person from another base that Frank ran into? Well they come into play later on and it is horrific (thankfully not described just alluded to).
Solid, good writing, no fancy stuff. Written 3rd person from Frank's POV. The end is satisfactory while leaving it open for another book maybe (hopefully!).
April 2, 2020
A friend of mine told me this book is better if the reader envisions Bruce Willis as Frank. She was right! I enjoyed how the story accelerated, with Frank having to deal with nicely-progressive complications. I was struck by the author's attention to Frank's self-identity and to what prison does to a person's psyche. At the heart of the matter is the question about whether or not privatization of space exploration is a good idea. In the real world, opinions about this differ, and Morden vividly illustrates the potential dark side. One wonders, perhaps, what happened in the aftermath of real-world historical prison-labor projects. I'm sure there's a good deal to be found in the historical record. I might have given this a fourth star if Frank's internal monologue hadn't been so heavily expositional.
September 27, 2020
Entirely satisfying conclusion to the story that began with the previous book, One Way.
Once again, our POV character is Frank Kitteridge, a reluctant prison laborer for EvilCorp who helped set up a base on Mars for a future NASA crew. Frank's been doing pretty well solo on Mars, actually, now that nobody's trying to murder him. Problem is, the astronauts are going to be arriving soon, and Frank isn't who they are expecting...
It's hard to get across the story without giving away the twists, but suffice it to say that EvilCorp is still evil, Frank is still street-smart, and Mars is still trying to kill everybody. The plot is again propulsive, and this time, we get to spend more time with the non-Frank characters, a real plus. And after awhile, I started hearing Frank as Bruce Willis, which didn't hurt at all.
I loved it.
Once again, our POV character is Frank Kitteridge, a reluctant prison laborer for EvilCorp who helped set up a base on Mars for a future NASA crew. Frank's been doing pretty well solo on Mars, actually, now that nobody's trying to murder him. Problem is, the astronauts are going to be arriving soon, and Frank isn't who they are expecting...
It's hard to get across the story without giving away the twists, but suffice it to say that EvilCorp is still evil, Frank is still street-smart, and Mars is still trying to kill everybody. The plot is again propulsive, and this time, we get to spend more time with the non-Frank characters, a real plus. And after awhile, I started hearing Frank as Bruce Willis, which didn't hurt at all.
I loved it.
May 17, 2019
I loved this book. I've already seen the film The Martian so I had the visuals of the Martian environment running through my head. This story is very very different in that, not only is the environment trying to kill our lone survivor protagonist but others are out to get him too. I just wish I had read the first book called One Way which explained all the backstory and a lot of the technical details went over my head too. It was all the action and survival problem solving that really engaged me. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys this genre.
May 19, 2019
3.5 stars for this sequel. There are moments in this book that stretches the credibility of the plot and asks you to ignore what you know . Those moments take away from the story I believe but not enough to make this a bad book. If you love the first one , then you will like this one too. There is action and a lot of plot twists that will keep you interested. I recommend you read this one if only to finish the series (I don’t know wether there will be a third one coming out as of know 05-19-19) .
Read
March 12, 2019I very good sequel to a book I really enjoyed. The suspense may have slightly less but the ideas and atmosphere were more impressive.
August 11, 2021
The second in the two part series.
Highly recommended!
This second book was as gripping and exciting as the first.
Highly recommend this series!!
Highly recommended!
This second book was as gripping and exciting as the first.
Highly recommend this series!!
March 3, 2019
I'd wanted to read this sequel for the whole of February, and indeed having re-read One Way as a build-up the excitement and tension were both at breaking point. And then we get more people, after Frank's loneliness at the start of the book, and woe, things start to happen.
"Lucy reminded him a little of Alice: competent, direct, emotionless, honest. Just a lot less murdery. He could certainly work with her."
Morden doesn't let the pressure off for a moment, and even drops homages to other works (Mark's potatoes from the Martian get a mention). The hits for Frank just keep on coming, and I really was enthralled from cover to cover. Particularly when Frank turns up with the badge to find the rug whipped out from under him by XO, I really wondered how things could possibly spin out, and yet things just kept ramping up, in a delightfully tense, compellingly gripping work.
So, yes. a truly satisfying end to the story started in One Way, and a brilliantly-executed follow-on in its own right. Profoundly satisfying. They'd make an epic couple of movies.
"Lucy reminded him a little of Alice: competent, direct, emotionless, honest. Just a lot less murdery. He could certainly work with her."
Morden doesn't let the pressure off for a moment, and even drops homages to other works (Mark's potatoes from the Martian get a mention). The hits for Frank just keep on coming, and I really was enthralled from cover to cover. Particularly when Frank turns up with the badge to find the rug whipped out from under him by XO, I really wondered how things could possibly spin out, and yet things just kept ramping up, in a delightfully tense, compellingly gripping work.
So, yes. a truly satisfying end to the story started in One Way, and a brilliantly-executed follow-on in its own right. Profoundly satisfying. They'd make an epic couple of movies.
February 21, 2019
*4.75
somebody please tell me there's going to be a third book. ...please?
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
Note: This is the sequel to the first book, One Way, and although I will have no spoilers from this book, there will be things mentioned that may act as inadvertent spoilers for the first book. I never give specific spoilers, but I just want to give a head's up if you haven't read the first book.
No Way picks up almost immediately after the events of One Way and I would want it no other way. The intensity and the excitement are just as high as they were at the end of One Way, although this time Frank has some new high stakes to deal with that are vastly different than what he death with before--though they are just as deadly.
Frank is now alone on Mars--or so he initially thinks--and must take on all of the responsibilities around the base in order to keep himself alive for NASA's arrival in order for him to potentially go back to Earth one day. This, of course, includes cleaning up all of the mess leftover from the violent events that ocurred at the end of the first book in order to keep XO happy and to ensure Frank is able to safely leave Mars. Predictably, nothing can possibly go smoothly on this dry, lonely planet, and Frank is suddenly dealing with even more stress than he already was.
Frank remains the same 'too-old-for-this-shit' sort of man that he was in One Way, and I appreciate how consistent Morden has kept his personality. Frank has definitely had major character development throughout both books, but the core things that make him who he is, such as his somewhat standoff-ish nature and his lack of a charismatic presence, continue to shine and make him an oddly and uniquely compelling character. I also enjoyed seeing Frank's interactions with the NASA crew that arrives, as it really put him in an uncomfortable position, what with XO still essentially controlling what he can say and Frank's own moral dilemmas with the information he holds onto. I liked that Morden took into account that Frank, who had spent months alone on Mars, would have some issues being suddenly inundated with an entire crew of new people, along with his trauma from the events of the previous book. I liked that Morden focused on the mental components of the entire ordeal in addition to the rest of the plot.
I mentioned in my review for the first book that the author trained as a planetary geologist, and his passion and dedication to the more technical aspects related to this story continue to shine in this book. I'm no rocket scientist myself and I can't say I have much knowledge of the specifics of how surviving on Mars would work so I can't professionally comment on it, but it appears his research is really well done and it adds so many layers of authenticity and realism that make this book all the more compelling. When something feels real, the stakes always feel higher and more personal and that's exactly what happened here. I think one of the things hat makes these books so captivating and chilling is that it all feels eerily believable. I do believe that there are people who would create companies that have such little compassion for human beings and would put them in dangerous situations.
No Way is the sort of book that you can't put down. Morden has true skill in knowing how to craft each chapter and event in such a way that makes the reader fully engaged with what's happening in the present, while also constantly yearning to find out what is going to happen next. He has a simple yet sophisticated prose that is filled with foreshadowing and excellent descriptions.
Overall, I've given No Way 4.75 stars (rounded up to five on Goodreads, etc.)! This is such an exciting series and I haven't been able to tear myself from the pages. I don't know if there is a third book in the works, but I desperately hope that there is because I will absolutely read it!
somebody please tell me there's going to be a third book. ...please?
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
Note: This is the sequel to the first book, One Way, and although I will have no spoilers from this book, there will be things mentioned that may act as inadvertent spoilers for the first book. I never give specific spoilers, but I just want to give a head's up if you haven't read the first book.
No Way picks up almost immediately after the events of One Way and I would want it no other way. The intensity and the excitement are just as high as they were at the end of One Way, although this time Frank has some new high stakes to deal with that are vastly different than what he death with before--though they are just as deadly.
Frank is now alone on Mars--or so he initially thinks--and must take on all of the responsibilities around the base in order to keep himself alive for NASA's arrival in order for him to potentially go back to Earth one day. This, of course, includes cleaning up all of the mess leftover from the violent events that ocurred at the end of the first book in order to keep XO happy and to ensure Frank is able to safely leave Mars. Predictably, nothing can possibly go smoothly on this dry, lonely planet, and Frank is suddenly dealing with even more stress than he already was.
Frank remains the same 'too-old-for-this-shit' sort of man that he was in One Way, and I appreciate how consistent Morden has kept his personality. Frank has definitely had major character development throughout both books, but the core things that make him who he is, such as his somewhat standoff-ish nature and his lack of a charismatic presence, continue to shine and make him an oddly and uniquely compelling character. I also enjoyed seeing Frank's interactions with the NASA crew that arrives, as it really put him in an uncomfortable position, what with XO still essentially controlling what he can say and Frank's own moral dilemmas with the information he holds onto. I liked that Morden took into account that Frank, who had spent months alone on Mars, would have some issues being suddenly inundated with an entire crew of new people, along with his trauma from the events of the previous book. I liked that Morden focused on the mental components of the entire ordeal in addition to the rest of the plot.
I mentioned in my review for the first book that the author trained as a planetary geologist, and his passion and dedication to the more technical aspects related to this story continue to shine in this book. I'm no rocket scientist myself and I can't say I have much knowledge of the specifics of how surviving on Mars would work so I can't professionally comment on it, but it appears his research is really well done and it adds so many layers of authenticity and realism that make this book all the more compelling. When something feels real, the stakes always feel higher and more personal and that's exactly what happened here. I think one of the things hat makes these books so captivating and chilling is that it all feels eerily believable. I do believe that there are people who would create companies that have such little compassion for human beings and would put them in dangerous situations.
No Way is the sort of book that you can't put down. Morden has true skill in knowing how to craft each chapter and event in such a way that makes the reader fully engaged with what's happening in the present, while also constantly yearning to find out what is going to happen next. He has a simple yet sophisticated prose that is filled with foreshadowing and excellent descriptions.
Overall, I've given No Way 4.75 stars (rounded up to five on Goodreads, etc.)! This is such an exciting series and I haven't been able to tear myself from the pages. I don't know if there is a third book in the works, but I desperately hope that there is because I will absolutely read it!
May 2, 2019
You know those direct-to-video/SyFy channel sequels that only managed to get one of the cast members back? S.J. Morden had already written himself into a bit of a corner in his follow-up to One Way, and the first 50-60% of this book doesn’t really have much direction as a result. In fact, late in the book Frank muses “When it came down to it, there was so little at stake.” Which feels like a fatal flaw, even if the last 30-40% falls back on familiar turf with a ridiculously fun new twist (). When all is said and done, Frank hasn’t progressed much further than he was 416 pages earlier, although at least this corner feels like its been brushed with the final coat. Or is it? (2.5 stars)
August 1, 2020
3.5 stars. Slightly lower than the first as I didn’t find it as immediately engaging as One Way, and some choices in the first 1/3-1/2 really made the story drag for me.
I’m still not fully sure what the significance of Frank’s hallucinations of his dead crew members added to the story aside from an ultimate red herring about his mental state - it felt a little too tropey and Frank’s emotions were conveyed well enough by everything else described.
I also think that the book played it’s hand just a touch too early in regards to confirmed M2 existed and there were people alive on that base. I feel like the first half wouldn’t have dragged as much if Frank had only seen the abandoned buggy to begin with and then later had a chance meeting with one of the crew.
My final nitpick is that the naïveté of the NASA crew when it came to XO’s lies/intentions r e a l l y irritated. I understand the intent was that the NASA crew thought XO wouldn’t do anything to /them/ because they were employed by NASA, but let me tell you - even as an engineering undergrad, we looked at case studies of engineering companies who manipulated data, lied to consumers, put workers and costumer’s lives at genuine risk AND Governmental bodies in the name of profit. XO’s actions are disturbingly realistic (if a little played up, obviously) and the NASA crew refusing to believe that got old, very quick.
That being said, once the NASA crew arrived at MBO, the story really picked up for me and i finished the entire second half of the book in a single night, staying up until 3am to do so. There were some moments and character interactions that I genuinely loved, and I got attached to the new characters pretty quickly.
The twist about Jim’s ultimate fate was understandable in a way that made me so sick to my stomach - I loved it, even if it did keep me up long past when I finished the book.
Overall, a very enjoyable duology if you’re looking for a dark mirror to The Martian (to be reductive about both stories)
I’m still not fully sure what the significance of Frank’s hallucinations of his dead crew members added to the story aside from an ultimate red herring about his mental state - it felt a little too tropey and Frank’s emotions were conveyed well enough by everything else described.
I also think that the book played it’s hand just a touch too early in regards to confirmed M2 existed and there were people alive on that base. I feel like the first half wouldn’t have dragged as much if Frank had only seen the abandoned buggy to begin with and then later had a chance meeting with one of the crew.
My final nitpick is that the naïveté of the NASA crew when it came to XO’s lies/intentions r e a l l y irritated. I understand the intent was that the NASA crew thought XO wouldn’t do anything to /them/ because they were employed by NASA, but let me tell you - even as an engineering undergrad, we looked at case studies of engineering companies who manipulated data, lied to consumers, put workers and costumer’s lives at genuine risk AND Governmental bodies in the name of profit. XO’s actions are disturbingly realistic (if a little played up, obviously) and the NASA crew refusing to believe that got old, very quick.
That being said, once the NASA crew arrived at MBO, the story really picked up for me and i finished the entire second half of the book in a single night, staying up until 3am to do so. There were some moments and character interactions that I genuinely loved, and I got attached to the new characters pretty quickly.
The twist about Jim’s ultimate fate was understandable in a way that made me so sick to my stomach - I loved it, even if it did keep me up long past when I finished the book.
Overall, a very enjoyable duology if you’re looking for a dark mirror to The Martian (to be reductive about both stories)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2021
Morden does a good job keeping the tension and suspense going throughout the book, and despite other characters besides Frank not getting a lot of page time, they do all feel distinct. If I had to knock one thing about the book, it's that Morden can get bogged down with boring minutiae of why Frank needs to be careful when driving the buggy or how Frank needs to clean off dust from the solar panels. You know, things like that. I mostly skimmed that stuff. The Martian had that stuff, but it was a funny book. This is a drama so it just kind of slows the pace to a crawl.
June 16, 2020
I’ll state right up front that at the 43% point, I couldn’t take it any more and had to quit reading S.J. Morden’s 2019 novel "Frank Kittridge, Book 2: No Way." As with the first book in the series, the writing is technically pretty good. But, the Eeeeeevil Corporation plot mechanism that drove the first book and the repercussions here of the second Mars base tossed in at the end of that one finally drove me away. I guess I can’t complain about the Evil Corporation bit too much since that was central to the first book. But, its continuation coupled with the second Mars base in this book amount to Stupid Corporation being added in. That’s just too much. I’ll try to avoid spoilers as much as possible in what follows:
- Why would a corporation send another base to Mars? It’s not like they get any fame from it (it’s a secret since they’re Eeeeevil). Nor can they make money from it. It would cost billions of dollars and, at best, return nothing.
- Granted that they send the second base, why put it within spitting distance of the first one? They don’t share knowledge or assets. At best, there’s no upside. The non-stupid thing to do would be to spread the bases out to different regions to minimize risk. Including the risk of discovery.
- Each launch to that second base would cost millions, if not billions of dollars and be an opportunity cost to launch something else (perhaps to the first, “legitimate” base that could use the additional resources). No one notices these launches?
- Going along with the “official” story that Frank would assume the identity of Brack and he, theoretically would go back to Earth with the NASA astronauts, why would the corporation (XO) think no one would be interested in the first man to be put into suspended animation (for 6 months, in space), land on Mars, and live there (alone) for 8 months before spending another 15 months there with the NASA team? The NASA doctor would have instantly had him strapped into his medical area for extreme testing. At first, I wondered about the billions of photos of him that would have been transmitted back to Earth. But, XO supposedly alters those in “real time” as they're received. NASA is using XO resources as the sole means of communication? They aren’t encrypting the data with their own software? They’re not even checking the integrity of the data when it gets to its destination? Assuming Frank does get back to Earth, no one’s going to notice what he looks like as he disembarks the ship? No one’s going to notice the altered photographs and wonder about them?
- When the “legitimate” Mars base was out of contact with XO at the start of the book, the XO message traffic indicates they had “loss of control” scenarios ready to go. When Frank notices the second base and reports its apparent status to XO, why did they not use one of their scenarios to drop a rock (or something) onto that second base and eliminate the possible threat? Remember, they’re Eeeeeevil. It’s not like they’d think it would be immoral.
- And, finally, at the point where I quit, it appears that the second base survived and has somehow found its way to a NASA item and taken it. How? Did they just decide to wander to that particular out-of-the-way location on a lark? Theoretically, XO’s real-time surveillance photos show details down to the foot level. How could they miss that happening?
So, it just became too much. Again, the writing is technically good. But, the snowballing affect of two major aspects of this book just reached a tipping point for me. So, I’m rating the book at a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5 and quitting.
- Why would a corporation send another base to Mars? It’s not like they get any fame from it (it’s a secret since they’re Eeeeevil). Nor can they make money from it. It would cost billions of dollars and, at best, return nothing.
- Granted that they send the second base, why put it within spitting distance of the first one? They don’t share knowledge or assets. At best, there’s no upside. The non-stupid thing to do would be to spread the bases out to different regions to minimize risk. Including the risk of discovery.
- Each launch to that second base would cost millions, if not billions of dollars and be an opportunity cost to launch something else (perhaps to the first, “legitimate” base that could use the additional resources). No one notices these launches?
- Going along with the “official” story that Frank would assume the identity of Brack and he, theoretically would go back to Earth with the NASA astronauts, why would the corporation (XO) think no one would be interested in the first man to be put into suspended animation (for 6 months, in space), land on Mars, and live there (alone) for 8 months before spending another 15 months there with the NASA team? The NASA doctor would have instantly had him strapped into his medical area for extreme testing. At first, I wondered about the billions of photos of him that would have been transmitted back to Earth. But, XO supposedly alters those in “real time” as they're received. NASA is using XO resources as the sole means of communication? They aren’t encrypting the data with their own software? They’re not even checking the integrity of the data when it gets to its destination? Assuming Frank does get back to Earth, no one’s going to notice what he looks like as he disembarks the ship? No one’s going to notice the altered photographs and wonder about them?
- When the “legitimate” Mars base was out of contact with XO at the start of the book, the XO message traffic indicates they had “loss of control” scenarios ready to go. When Frank notices the second base and reports its apparent status to XO, why did they not use one of their scenarios to drop a rock (or something) onto that second base and eliminate the possible threat? Remember, they’re Eeeeeevil. It’s not like they’d think it would be immoral.
- And, finally, at the point where I quit, it appears that the second base survived and has somehow found its way to a NASA item and taken it. How? Did they just decide to wander to that particular out-of-the-way location on a lark? Theoretically, XO’s real-time surveillance photos show details down to the foot level. How could they miss that happening?
So, it just became too much. Again, the writing is technically good. But, the snowballing affect of two major aspects of this book just reached a tipping point for me. So, I’m rating the book at a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5 and quitting.
December 29, 2019
Modern science fiction authors, realising that they have yet to receive their flying cars and that their electric cars are distributed by a libellous megalomanic Bond villain, have set their sights on the most vaguely obtainable goal: Mars. In No Way, the sequel to
One Way
, S.J. Morden revisits Frank Kittridge moments after he became the last man standing on the red planet. One Way is a damning indictment of capitalism’s propensity to ruin everything, so it’s no surprise that a corporation would be so bold as to try to get the jump on our second nearest neighbour.
Frank Kittridge, having survived all attempts on his life in One Way, has to prepare Mars Base One for the impending arrival of NASA. Frank has the feeling that he is no longer alone on Mars, but is uncertain whether he should trust his instincts or the word of his corporate overlords back on Earth.
The biggest failing of One Way was that Mordern front loaded each of his chapters with secret information about the mission to Mars, giving the audience more than enough information to figure out what was going on well in advance, whittling down the options so that there could only ever be one solution to what ailed Frank, who was entirely too passive to solve his problems. No Way has communiqués, both internal and external, but they don’t give the whole story away. No Way boasts a sense of mystery and confusion that allows the reader to identify more closely with Frank, rather than thinking of him as an idiot.
Given that people aren’t dying all over the place this time around, No Way’s narrative demands are less pressing than its predecessor. This isn’t a bad thing, as Frank is given some literal breathing space to acclimatise to his new job and, when they finally arrive, his new NASA roommates. It’s not like this is the first science-fiction book in recent times to centre on a man alone on Mars, but Frank Kittridge’s concerns are sufficiently different to Mark Watney’s that they can speak for themselves.
It’s hardly a surprise that a corporation contracted to build a base on Mars would be evil, because the wheel has turned far enough that it’s okay to hate capitalism again (some of us never stopped). Like privatising necessary services in real life, one wonders why NASA would have outsourced their interplanetary construction duties. Of course this means that you have to have a baseline trust that the government will act in the interests of the greater good, which is increasingly hard, but it’s almost always preferable to the Invisible Hand of the Free Market.
Where No Way works is in curing Frank’s loneliness, even if he feels that he is irrevocably broken. It is somewhat difficult to tell the NASA astronauts apart, but their presence is welcome on Mars and the other roadblocks that Frank faces are tantalising and disturbing in almost equal measure. For much of its run, No Way is a legitimate delight to read, no matter which direction Morden is pulling the reader in.
No Way is a life on Mars novel that takes turns that one could not reasonably expect it to take, and it’s all the better for it. Whether there’s another one isn’t as urgent a matter as it was a year ago but, in every way that matters, No Way is a far superior specimen to One Way.
Frank Kittridge, having survived all attempts on his life in One Way, has to prepare Mars Base One for the impending arrival of NASA. Frank has the feeling that he is no longer alone on Mars, but is uncertain whether he should trust his instincts or the word of his corporate overlords back on Earth.
The biggest failing of One Way was that Mordern front loaded each of his chapters with secret information about the mission to Mars, giving the audience more than enough information to figure out what was going on well in advance, whittling down the options so that there could only ever be one solution to what ailed Frank, who was entirely too passive to solve his problems. No Way has communiqués, both internal and external, but they don’t give the whole story away. No Way boasts a sense of mystery and confusion that allows the reader to identify more closely with Frank, rather than thinking of him as an idiot.
Given that people aren’t dying all over the place this time around, No Way’s narrative demands are less pressing than its predecessor. This isn’t a bad thing, as Frank is given some literal breathing space to acclimatise to his new job and, when they finally arrive, his new NASA roommates. It’s not like this is the first science-fiction book in recent times to centre on a man alone on Mars, but Frank Kittridge’s concerns are sufficiently different to Mark Watney’s that they can speak for themselves.
It’s hardly a surprise that a corporation contracted to build a base on Mars would be evil, because the wheel has turned far enough that it’s okay to hate capitalism again (some of us never stopped). Like privatising necessary services in real life, one wonders why NASA would have outsourced their interplanetary construction duties. Of course this means that you have to have a baseline trust that the government will act in the interests of the greater good, which is increasingly hard, but it’s almost always preferable to the Invisible Hand of the Free Market.
Where No Way works is in curing Frank’s loneliness, even if he feels that he is irrevocably broken. It is somewhat difficult to tell the NASA astronauts apart, but their presence is welcome on Mars and the other roadblocks that Frank faces are tantalising and disturbing in almost equal measure. For much of its run, No Way is a legitimate delight to read, no matter which direction Morden is pulling the reader in.
No Way is a life on Mars novel that takes turns that one could not reasonably expect it to take, and it’s all the better for it. Whether there’s another one isn’t as urgent a matter as it was a year ago but, in every way that matters, No Way is a far superior specimen to One Way.
April 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this!!!! I'm really loving Frank as a character, I really hope there's a 3rd book because I would love to know what happens to rotten XO in the future. It took kind of long because I'm still in school mode.
Anyways, I love love love LOVE LOVED it when Lucy and her crew got to Mars. I really enjoyed Frank's interaction with them. They seem like a good bunch, and I was sad that 2 of them die. Frank talking to Luisia was kind of cringy but I could understand why Frank got attached; for gods sake, he's alone on a planet for 8 months straight with no one but ghosts of his past. Honestly, almost everything was perfect so there not much to say. Lucy and her crew was great, I guess that's why they work for NASA and not XO. One thing I didn't really understand though was...
The whole M2 thing. It was a little hard to buy in the beginning because why wouldn't they want help from Frank? I know they think he's 'Lance Brack' but they're like starving and dying and there not a least bit curious to see how he is living or jealous. They act all civilized and then all of a sudden they attack MBO because they're "hungry". I'm a bit suspicious (hence, fingers crossed for that 3rd book) but they didn't address it and I kind of got use to the idea, even Jerry, even though he is technically a cannibal.
When Frank finally told the truth to all of them, it was so good. XO really thought they were smart telling NASA he's psychotic. I really like Isla and Frank. Hopefully something comes out of it because Frank deserves to be happy. I don't know if he deserved going to prison for the rest of his life, but now he's probably free so that's good.
Other than that, not much to say because I loved the book, if you couldn't tell. I'm still not 100% with the whole imagination thing so it would've been fire if there was some picture but then it's kind of my own fault, I hate reading long descriptions of details that would help me imagine the place.
Anyways I'll see you guys soon. BYE!!!
Anyways, I love love love LOVE LOVED it when Lucy and her crew got to Mars. I really enjoyed Frank's interaction with them. They seem like a good bunch, and I was sad that 2 of them die. Frank talking to Luisia was kind of cringy but I could understand why Frank got attached; for gods sake, he's alone on a planet for 8 months straight with no one but ghosts of his past. Honestly, almost everything was perfect so there not much to say. Lucy and her crew was great, I guess that's why they work for NASA and not XO. One thing I didn't really understand though was...
The whole M2 thing. It was a little hard to buy in the beginning because why wouldn't they want help from Frank? I know they think he's 'Lance Brack' but they're like starving and dying and there not a least bit curious to see how he is living or jealous. They act all civilized and then all of a sudden they attack MBO because they're "hungry". I'm a bit suspicious (hence, fingers crossed for that 3rd book) but they didn't address it and I kind of got use to the idea, even Jerry, even though he is technically a cannibal.
When Frank finally told the truth to all of them, it was so good. XO really thought they were smart telling NASA he's psychotic. I really like Isla and Frank. Hopefully something comes out of it because Frank deserves to be happy. I don't know if he deserved going to prison for the rest of his life, but now he's probably free so that's good.
Other than that, not much to say because I loved the book, if you couldn't tell. I'm still not 100% with the whole imagination thing so it would've been fire if there was some picture but then it's kind of my own fault, I hate reading long descriptions of details that would help me imagine the place.
Anyways I'll see you guys soon. BYE!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2019
No Way returns us to Mars, following Frank in the aftermath of the thrilling and terrifying novel, One Way. The astronauts are on their way and Frank is alone, trying not to go crazy, trying to keep his daily life going. At the helm is the evil XO corporation, goading him into going along with their horrible schemes. It all seems to be business as usual until an absolutely mind-blowing occurrence throws a wrench into everyone’s plans. As No Way blends hard science and thrills, everyone’s lives are at stake. Horrors await on the other side of the canyon and the question remains—will anyone survive?
Morden’s narrative leaves much to think about: the loneliness of being the only man on Mars, the anxiety behind pretending to be someone you’re not, the excitement of science on a distant planet, and the terror when people begin disappearing again. I was impressed at how different this second entry in the series was. I had expected much of the same but honestly, the thrills were multiplied tenfold and I found myself jumping at small noises around the house as I kept reading. Hard science is still key to the plot, giving the new astronauts a very realistic feel as they go about their business.
At the forefront, the extremely shady XO corporation pulls the strings and does anything to cover their asses. They were terrible in book one, and in No Way, they reach an entirely new level. Be prepared to get legitimately pissed at their actions. Extreme greed is on display and it makes you wonder how likely such a scenario would be in the future. Both novels make it pretty plausible.
Overall, No Way is a fitting sequel to One Way, taking us further into the drama of Frank and his time on Mars. Morden’s mastery of hard science and the science-fiction thriller gives us a well-done addition to both genres. You’ll continue your fascination with Mars and, at the same time, shudder at the discoveries lurking around every corner.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
Morden’s narrative leaves much to think about: the loneliness of being the only man on Mars, the anxiety behind pretending to be someone you’re not, the excitement of science on a distant planet, and the terror when people begin disappearing again. I was impressed at how different this second entry in the series was. I had expected much of the same but honestly, the thrills were multiplied tenfold and I found myself jumping at small noises around the house as I kept reading. Hard science is still key to the plot, giving the new astronauts a very realistic feel as they go about their business.
At the forefront, the extremely shady XO corporation pulls the strings and does anything to cover their asses. They were terrible in book one, and in No Way, they reach an entirely new level. Be prepared to get legitimately pissed at their actions. Extreme greed is on display and it makes you wonder how likely such a scenario would be in the future. Both novels make it pretty plausible.
Overall, No Way is a fitting sequel to One Way, taking us further into the drama of Frank and his time on Mars. Morden’s mastery of hard science and the science-fiction thriller gives us a well-done addition to both genres. You’ll continue your fascination with Mars and, at the same time, shudder at the discoveries lurking around every corner.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
May 3, 2021
No Way picks up right where its predecessor One Way left off, with a convict stranded on Mars after discovering a horrific secret. Without spoiling the events of the first book, all I'll say is that it has similar tones to The Martian - this isn't a futuristic scifi where living on Mars is a thing people do casually, but is set only a couple of decades from now where Mars is as dangerous and unknown as we consider it to be today. But unlike The Martian, there's no one on Earth who wants to retrieve our hero Frank from the red planet...in fact, those who know he's there would do anything to make sure he stays on its surface. Preferably six feet under it.
Frank is an interesting character to read because personally, I have nothing in common with him. An early fifties no-nonsense man who hates computers and ran his own construction company before he was jailed for life for killing his son's dealer. I doubt we'd have a lot to talk about at parties. But over the last two books, we've learned so much about him - even as a third person POV that focuses on the plot rather than the characters, it's impossible not to get to know him when he's often the only character in several consecutive scenes - that you can't help but start to understand and sympathise with him.
The book is written in such minute detail that were it set anywhere but on Mars, it would be boring: an endless list of actions the characters take, such as eating, dressing, and breathing. Yet because it's on Mars, all of those things are fascinating, and you don't really notice that all Frank has done in a chapter is simply survive another day, because we know that's something to celebrate in the ferocious lethality of Mars.
I liked where it ended, and I don't often say that about a series. Even if we knew that things would change in a few months, it was the right place to end. Morden brings together science and writing in a way which both intrigues and excites, and I highly recommend picking up the first book, One Way.
Frank is an interesting character to read because personally, I have nothing in common with him. An early fifties no-nonsense man who hates computers and ran his own construction company before he was jailed for life for killing his son's dealer. I doubt we'd have a lot to talk about at parties. But over the last two books, we've learned so much about him - even as a third person POV that focuses on the plot rather than the characters, it's impossible not to get to know him when he's often the only character in several consecutive scenes - that you can't help but start to understand and sympathise with him.
The book is written in such minute detail that were it set anywhere but on Mars, it would be boring: an endless list of actions the characters take, such as eating, dressing, and breathing. Yet because it's on Mars, all of those things are fascinating, and you don't really notice that all Frank has done in a chapter is simply survive another day, because we know that's something to celebrate in the ferocious lethality of Mars.
I liked where it ended, and I don't often say that about a series. Even if we knew that things would change in a few months, it was the right place to end. Morden brings together science and writing in a way which both intrigues and excites, and I highly recommend picking up the first book, One Way.
September 23, 2023
In the first book, Frank Kitteridge is a former convict who, along with several other convicts, is offered life on Mars instead of prison in exchange for building the Mars base. XO, the company contracted to build the base, chose a low-cost solution to use convicts instead of robots. No one can find out they used people to build the habitat so all the convicts were systematically killed by the guard, except for Frank who manages to survive by killing the guard. That was book one.
In this book, the NASA mission (for whom the habitat was built) is due to arrive on Mars in 3 months. Having read the original plan, Frank undertakes to assume the role of the guard and execute Phase 3 - remove all evidence of human habitation - and meet the NASA team as the official caretaker of the colony base. This, he hopes will be his ticket to return to Earth. Before NASA's arrival, he discovers another caretaker on the planet. Nobody is supposed to know about "M2".
This ultimately was a good book but it took a long time to get there. I almost put the book down several times during the first half. Written from Frank's perspective, we are privy to all of his thoughts as he undertakes the 3-month effort to clean up all the evidence on the base. In particular, his deeply paranoid musings about XO and the mission. Not unfounded, as it turns out, but it took almost the first half of the book.
Once the NASA team arrived on the planet, the story picked up the pace. In the second half, the action picks up as Frank and the NASA team find out that it isn't just Mars that is trying to kill them.
Ultimately, this was a decent book. The ending was satisfying (no cliffhanger). I gave it 3-stars because of the slow beginning.
In this book, the NASA mission (for whom the habitat was built) is due to arrive on Mars in 3 months. Having read the original plan, Frank undertakes to assume the role of the guard and execute Phase 3 - remove all evidence of human habitation - and meet the NASA team as the official caretaker of the colony base. This, he hopes will be his ticket to return to Earth. Before NASA's arrival, he discovers another caretaker on the planet. Nobody is supposed to know about "M2".
This ultimately was a good book but it took a long time to get there. I almost put the book down several times during the first half. Written from Frank's perspective, we are privy to all of his thoughts as he undertakes the 3-month effort to clean up all the evidence on the base. In particular, his deeply paranoid musings about XO and the mission. Not unfounded, as it turns out, but it took almost the first half of the book.
Once the NASA team arrived on the planet, the story picked up the pace. In the second half, the action picks up as Frank and the NASA team find out that it isn't just Mars that is trying to kill them.
Ultimately, this was a decent book. The ending was satisfying (no cliffhanger). I gave it 3-stars because of the slow beginning.
September 6, 2020
Let me just start this review by saying the following. I really liked this book! Ok. It did not start that way, as I grabbed the follow up to S. J. Morden's One Way I was not sure that I could A. Remember what happened in book 1. B. Not sure I wanted to dig into another installment of a multi book series. I remember that when I started reading One Way, I could not help but think about The Martian by Andy Weir. There are quite a few parallels, and Morden was obviously influenced by The Martian's willingness to take real science and apply it to a fictional story set on Mars. With S. J. Morden being an actual rocket scientist, there were times he held himself back. in order to keep the story flowing.
Ooh yeah the story. Big kudos to the author for refreshing our minds (I had read over 25 books between One Way and this book, so my recollection of the original story was somewhat hazy) by weaving the events of book one into the early chapters, without feeling like it was simply a recap. A compelling case can be made that reading book one is not mandatory to enjoy this one, because of how well the backstory is brought in. I'm just going to say it, this book is better than book 1. No Way is a boiling pot of water that refuses to simmer, no matter how much you try turning the heat down. It is hard putting No Way down after you start reading it. There are times you know what is going to happen, but it doesn't matter. It just keeps on pulling you in with fantastic character development and an innovative approach to sci-fi storytelling.
After finishing, I looked to see if there is going to be a third installment to the two Frank Kitteridge books (One Way and No Way are both written first-person through Frank's eyes) and I can't find confirmation that there will be a third. There is no need for more, but I have a feeling that Morden will release a third book, and it will be called My Way. Sign me up!
Ooh yeah the story. Big kudos to the author for refreshing our minds (I had read over 25 books between One Way and this book, so my recollection of the original story was somewhat hazy) by weaving the events of book one into the early chapters, without feeling like it was simply a recap. A compelling case can be made that reading book one is not mandatory to enjoy this one, because of how well the backstory is brought in. I'm just going to say it, this book is better than book 1. No Way is a boiling pot of water that refuses to simmer, no matter how much you try turning the heat down. It is hard putting No Way down after you start reading it. There are times you know what is going to happen, but it doesn't matter. It just keeps on pulling you in with fantastic character development and an innovative approach to sci-fi storytelling.
After finishing, I looked to see if there is going to be a third installment to the two Frank Kitteridge books (One Way and No Way are both written first-person through Frank's eyes) and I can't find confirmation that there will be a third. There is no need for more, but I have a feeling that Morden will release a third book, and it will be called My Way. Sign me up!
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