What do you think?
Rate this book
Ever since Ethan Richards was a boy, he dreamed of flying to the stars, but he didn’t understand what it would end up costing him until now.
When he develops the warp bubble drive for faster than light space travel, he sees the means of fulfilling his dream.
He just has one problem. He needs an element stable only on Iapetus, a moon of Saturn. So, he must first fly there to collect a supply of it beforehand.
With a team of experts, he builds the drive and installs it in a space ship ready to travel to Iapetus.
However, when Loki Mason, a businessman, hears of the drive and the mineral it needs, he recognises the potential wealth begging to be made for his business empire. He lusts for possession of the mineral’s mining rights. And Loki always gets whatever he wants.
With Ethan and Loki locked in a race to Iapetus, they speed towards it, both knowing they must get there first to satisfy their goal. But what will it cost?
When he develops the warp bubble drive for faster than light space travel, he sees the means of fulfilling his dream.
He just has one problem. He needs an element stable only on Iapetus, a moon of Saturn. So, he must first fly there to collect a supply of it beforehand.
With a team of experts, he builds the drive and installs it in a space ship ready to travel to Iapetus.
However, when Loki Mason, a businessman, hears of the drive and the mineral it needs, he recognises the potential wealth begging to be made for his business empire. He lusts for possession of the mineral’s mining rights. And Loki always gets whatever he wants.
With Ethan and Loki locked in a race to Iapetus, they speed towards it, both knowing they must get there first to satisfy their goal. But what will it cost?
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
46 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
John Wegener
26 books2 followersI'm a dreamer…always have been.
I have dreamed of flying to the stars since I was a child, looking up at the Milky Way on a moonless and cloudless winter’s night, wondering what’s out there.
I started writing in 2016 and now write full time. Ten published books later, I’m still writing strong with many more stories in my head for others to enjoy. My stories revolve around science fiction, primarily space based stories with as strong an element of hard science as I can place into the stories. This means they usually occur in the near future (next one to two hundred years). But I do delve into the fantastic sci fi for stories of intrigue and adventure other than hard science based ones.
Before taking up writing, I undertook chemical engineering in the steel industry for 35 years.
So I now write, drawing on my many experiences in exotic places throughout my working life. These were incredible at times! I also draw on many other experiences. Some are funny and interesting.
Being an avid reader, I read almost anything. It is common for me to read three or four books at the same time on completely differing topics, both fiction and non-fiction. I mainly enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy books, my favorite authors being Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also enjoy crime mysteries. Ancient and medieval history in Europe fascinate me and I use extrapolated facts from this history in my stories at times.
Cosmology, general relativity and quantum physics intrigue me. New concepts and understanding continually develop in these fields. This is exciting to me and is the way of the future. Humanity is finally escaping the shackles of Earth and seriously reaching out into space.
I rarely use aliens in my stories as the aliens I encounter in the stories I read are usually humans dressed up as aliens. So why not use humans. I do delve into genetic engineering. That is a realistic scientific development worth exploring in science fiction.
You can get to know me better by viewing my website and subscribing to my emails, where I provide more information on my activities and explore interesting topics. Or follow me on facebook.
I live in Wollongong, Australia with my wife and family.
I have dreamed of flying to the stars since I was a child, looking up at the Milky Way on a moonless and cloudless winter’s night, wondering what’s out there.
I started writing in 2016 and now write full time. Ten published books later, I’m still writing strong with many more stories in my head for others to enjoy. My stories revolve around science fiction, primarily space based stories with as strong an element of hard science as I can place into the stories. This means they usually occur in the near future (next one to two hundred years). But I do delve into the fantastic sci fi for stories of intrigue and adventure other than hard science based ones.
Before taking up writing, I undertook chemical engineering in the steel industry for 35 years.
So I now write, drawing on my many experiences in exotic places throughout my working life. These were incredible at times! I also draw on many other experiences. Some are funny and interesting.
Being an avid reader, I read almost anything. It is common for me to read three or four books at the same time on completely differing topics, both fiction and non-fiction. I mainly enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy books, my favorite authors being Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also enjoy crime mysteries. Ancient and medieval history in Europe fascinate me and I use extrapolated facts from this history in my stories at times.
Cosmology, general relativity and quantum physics intrigue me. New concepts and understanding continually develop in these fields. This is exciting to me and is the way of the future. Humanity is finally escaping the shackles of Earth and seriously reaching out into space.
I rarely use aliens in my stories as the aliens I encounter in the stories I read are usually humans dressed up as aliens. So why not use humans. I do delve into genetic engineering. That is a realistic scientific development worth exploring in science fiction.
You can get to know me better by viewing my website and subscribing to my emails, where I provide more information on my activities and explore interesting topics. Or follow me on facebook.
I live in Wollongong, Australia with my wife and family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 3, 2022
Humanity is heading to the stars.
The storyline was good.This the 5 stars. There were multiple misspelled word and doubles. The science was sometimes excessive.Great job.
The storyline was good.This the 5 stars. There were multiple misspelled word and doubles. The science was sometimes excessive.Great job.
September 23, 2025
FTL was such an engaging sci-fi adventure that pulled me in from the very first chapter. John Wegener does a great job of balancing scientific ideas with a fast-paced storyline, so it never feels bogged down in technical details but still feels believable.
Ethan Richards is a character I immediately connected with, someone who has dreamed of reaching the stars his whole life, only to discover that the reality of chasing that dream comes with dangerous consequences. The stakes felt real, especially when the conflict with Loki Mason heated up. Loki is the perfect foil: greedy, ambitious, and ruthless in a way that makes you root even harder for Ethan and his team.
I also loved how the story blended human ambition, ethical dilemmas, and the thrill of discovery. The setting around Saturn’s moon Iapetus felt fresh and vivid, and the descriptions of space travel really gave me that sense of awe. The theme of whether humanity should pursue progress at all costs, and what sacrifices are worth making, stayed with me after I closed the book.
If you enjoy science fiction that combines space exploration, person
Ethan Richards is a character I immediately connected with, someone who has dreamed of reaching the stars his whole life, only to discover that the reality of chasing that dream comes with dangerous consequences. The stakes felt real, especially when the conflict with Loki Mason heated up. Loki is the perfect foil: greedy, ambitious, and ruthless in a way that makes you root even harder for Ethan and his team.
I also loved how the story blended human ambition, ethical dilemmas, and the thrill of discovery. The setting around Saturn’s moon Iapetus felt fresh and vivid, and the descriptions of space travel really gave me that sense of awe. The theme of whether humanity should pursue progress at all costs, and what sacrifices are worth making, stayed with me after I closed the book.
If you enjoy science fiction that combines space exploration, person
October 3, 2023
Anticlimactic
I wasn’t sure what star rating to give this book because the writing is fine, as are the characters, but a title including ‘FTL’ raises expectations of an awesome achievement of a faster than light spaceship drive, long believed to be scientifically impossible. So the relatively easy theory involving atomic particles and the maiden voyage are underwhelming, to say the least. Instead we have the introduction of an all-powerful baddie, who is also easily defeated. Three stars, therefore, for a quick easy read that could have been so much better.
I wasn’t sure what star rating to give this book because the writing is fine, as are the characters, but a title including ‘FTL’ raises expectations of an awesome achievement of a faster than light spaceship drive, long believed to be scientifically impossible. So the relatively easy theory involving atomic particles and the maiden voyage are underwhelming, to say the least. Instead we have the introduction of an all-powerful baddie, who is also easily defeated. Three stars, therefore, for a quick easy read that could have been so much better.
February 15, 2024
FTL Not Quite Up to Speed
Although the story started out with much promise, the science generally took a back seat to the interactions of the characters. In many respects the story line became too cluttered with the various relationships developing among the characters. I would have liked a more serious scientific approach to the idea of faster than light space travel, but the story became too heavily weighted down with a kind of soap opera type focus. It reminded me of a made for TV film with a watered down scientific backdrop for the action.
Although the story started out with much promise, the science generally took a back seat to the interactions of the characters. In many respects the story line became too cluttered with the various relationships developing among the characters. I would have liked a more serious scientific approach to the idea of faster than light space travel, but the story became too heavily weighted down with a kind of soap opera type focus. It reminded me of a made for TV film with a watered down scientific backdrop for the action.
February 8, 2022
It's a good old space opera about the machinations leading to the first human warp drive.
John Wegener has created a great story about the Americans, Chinese and Russians successfully battle an evil corporate empire for the control of interstellar travel.
Good story, sufficient skulduggery, especially corporate espionage and enough romance to make it interesting.
I had fun, you can too!
John Wegener has created a great story about the Americans, Chinese and Russians successfully battle an evil corporate empire for the control of interstellar travel.
Good story, sufficient skulduggery, especially corporate espionage and enough romance to make it interesting.
I had fun, you can too!
March 2, 2019
Love the collaboration between world powers. I believe this is the way that space travel becomes a reality rather than a sci-fi sooner than later.
Dictionary
Dictionary
April 1, 2022
Excellent story
This book is an excellent example of a science fiction book ! With a interesting plot line ! I can just see this becoming true in the future !
This book is an excellent example of a science fiction book ! With a interesting plot line ! I can just see this becoming true in the future !
December 27, 2022
Excellent read.
Believable characters, strong story line and action packed. A bingeable novel. I can't wait for the next installment. Great read.
Believable characters, strong story line and action packed. A bingeable novel. I can't wait for the next installment. Great read.
February 19, 2023
good read
I would recommend this book. It is fast paced, has plot twists and few slow spots. Read it it is worth an evening.
I would recommend this book. It is fast paced, has plot twists and few slow spots. Read it it is worth an evening.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews