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The Mars Strain
We’ve colonized Mars, but we never should’ve come back.
When the first astronauts of the Mars Colony returned to Earth, they brought a mysterious, metal box they had found half-buried in the red dirt, called the Mars Cube. The scientists assigned to uncover its secrets tested it, scanned it, tried to blow it up, and everything in between. Then they accidentally opened it.
Biosafety level-4 laboratories, BSL4, hold the most deadly viruses on the Earth, and Juliet handled them daily. Her research at the CDC landed her a position on the Mars Cube Investigative Team in the world’s only BSL-5 lab. The only drawback: Her ex was one of the astronauts that brought back the Cube.
What was held inside the Cube shouldn’t have gotten out. It shouldn’t have ever been exposed to our planet because the Mars Strain is now loose and killing at a 100 percent mortality rate. Juliet is fighting for our very existence, Jake is working with the Mars Colonists to decipher the Cube’s holographic message for a clue, and someone wants to take over the Mars Program for themselves. They’re all watching the clock, and it's about to run out.
When the first astronauts of the Mars Colony returned to Earth, they brought a mysterious, metal box they had found half-buried in the red dirt, called the Mars Cube. The scientists assigned to uncover its secrets tested it, scanned it, tried to blow it up, and everything in between. Then they accidentally opened it.
Biosafety level-4 laboratories, BSL4, hold the most deadly viruses on the Earth, and Juliet handled them daily. Her research at the CDC landed her a position on the Mars Cube Investigative Team in the world’s only BSL-5 lab. The only drawback: Her ex was one of the astronauts that brought back the Cube.
What was held inside the Cube shouldn’t have gotten out. It shouldn’t have ever been exposed to our planet because the Mars Strain is now loose and killing at a 100 percent mortality rate. Juliet is fighting for our very existence, Jake is working with the Mars Colonists to decipher the Cube’s holographic message for a clue, and someone wants to take over the Mars Program for themselves. They’re all watching the clock, and it's about to run out.
11 pages, Audible Audio
Published April 27, 2021
2 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 3, 2021
3.5 Stars
This was an interesting near future scifi novel that blended together hard science into a page turning thriller. Published in 2021, this book will appeal to the post pandemic crowd who are fascinated by the deadly power of viruses. Yet, I don't think this book was particularly triggering since the setup was different enough from the real life pandemic we have all lived through.
Written by a "lab girl", this novel offered a near to life idea of what could happen if an alien virus were to be discovered on Mars. As a piece of fiction, the book still required some suspension of disbelief regarding alien life, yet remained generally grounded in scientific principles.
There was a romantic relationship that played a central role to the storyline. Personally, I tend to dislike these subplots, but I found this one was handled taking away focus from the main crisis.
Overall I enjoyed this novel. I got the opportunity to listen to audiobook version, which had excellent narration. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a new scifi thriller with a compelling narrative.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for review.
This was an interesting near future scifi novel that blended together hard science into a page turning thriller. Published in 2021, this book will appeal to the post pandemic crowd who are fascinated by the deadly power of viruses. Yet, I don't think this book was particularly triggering since the setup was different enough from the real life pandemic we have all lived through.
Written by a "lab girl", this novel offered a near to life idea of what could happen if an alien virus were to be discovered on Mars. As a piece of fiction, the book still required some suspension of disbelief regarding alien life, yet remained generally grounded in scientific principles.
There was a romantic relationship that played a central role to the storyline. Personally, I tend to dislike these subplots, but I found this one was handled taking away focus from the main crisis.
Overall I enjoyed this novel. I got the opportunity to listen to audiobook version, which had excellent narration. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a new scifi thriller with a compelling narrative.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for review.
Currently reading
May 4, 2021This space is for readers, so I'll drop this here before I disappear.
A.C. Anderson is my sci-fi pen name. I'm an American Society of Clinical Pathology certified Medical Laboratory Scientist who, back in 2015, was managing the laboratories for a major metropolitan cancer center and a member of a multi healthcare system Emergency Preparedness Committee due to the Ebola outbreak. It was during that time the idea for The Mars Strain started and I completed the manuscript in 2016.
I wanted to give readers a peek at what it's like to work in a lab with a story about a lab girl who saves the day. It's a story about hope and it was imagined as a summer blockbuster, a story to entertain and thrill and tease the imagination about what it could be like to have colonized Mars.
As I write this we are still in a pandemic and I understand this subject is difficult for some and there people who aren't ready for an audiobook about a world-wide infection. For those, I hope you find many other fabulous reads! And for those who do pick up Juliet's story, I hope you cheer for her as hard as I did and are amazed at what we can do when we all work together.
A.C. Anderson is my sci-fi pen name. I'm an American Society of Clinical Pathology certified Medical Laboratory Scientist who, back in 2015, was managing the laboratories for a major metropolitan cancer center and a member of a multi healthcare system Emergency Preparedness Committee due to the Ebola outbreak. It was during that time the idea for The Mars Strain started and I completed the manuscript in 2016.
I wanted to give readers a peek at what it's like to work in a lab with a story about a lab girl who saves the day. It's a story about hope and it was imagined as a summer blockbuster, a story to entertain and thrill and tease the imagination about what it could be like to have colonized Mars.
As I write this we are still in a pandemic and I understand this subject is difficult for some and there people who aren't ready for an audiobook about a world-wide infection. For those, I hope you find many other fabulous reads! And for those who do pick up Juliet's story, I hope you cheer for her as hard as I did and are amazed at what we can do when we all work together.
October 13, 2021
Could I have read this last year? No, a virus that kills everyone within hours, yikes! Too scary. But now, yes now it works.
A cube is brought back from Mars, I guess there was life on Mars after all. But then people start to die, horrible deaths. It is fast and it is ruthless, and as we know people are idiots and it spreads. Pandemic, The Mars strain.
First, the how and when of the cube was really interesting and I would have loved to learn more. So intriguing.
Thrillers are not something I read a lot, they have to speak to me. Ánd I am glad I gave this sci.fi a chance, though to be honest the tech med talk is not my biggest fav to be honest, but it still worked well. It was the fight against the clock. Either everyone dies, or they stop it. I was pulled in and the stakes kept getting higher.
As for the characters, we really could have done with a Juliet during covid, she is one smart woman.
I enjoyed it, it got really dark at one time and I wanted to know how it would turn out.
Good narrator, distinct voices and she kept up the thrilling pace of the story. This is one for audio
A cube is brought back from Mars, I guess there was life on Mars after all. But then people start to die, horrible deaths. It is fast and it is ruthless, and as we know people are idiots and it spreads. Pandemic, The Mars strain.
First, the how and when of the cube was really interesting and I would have loved to learn more. So intriguing.
Thrillers are not something I read a lot, they have to speak to me. Ánd I am glad I gave this sci.fi a chance, though to be honest the tech med talk is not my biggest fav to be honest, but it still worked well. It was the fight against the clock. Either everyone dies, or they stop it. I was pulled in and the stakes kept getting higher.
As for the characters, we really could have done with a Juliet during covid, she is one smart woman.
I enjoyed it, it got really dark at one time and I wanted to know how it would turn out.
Good narrator, distinct voices and she kept up the thrilling pace of the story. This is one for audio
July 29, 2022
3/5 stars
I could not find a printed or electronic version of this, so I went with the audiobook. The narration was fine and this was a fun and straightforward story. There were some sad moments, but overall it was . It definitely hits different after we all went through a pandemic.
I could not find a printed or electronic version of this, so I went with the audiobook. The narration was fine and this was a fun and straightforward story. There were some sad moments, but overall it was . It definitely hits different after we all went through a pandemic.
November 16, 2022
I wanted to enjoy this more. But has some major problems like communication between planets is not instant. Sorry The Martian ruined inaccurate mars stuff for me, by being so good. Also felt very rushed toward the end. I wanted to see a true pandemic happen
February 16, 2022
Very good! I loved all of the twists and turns. Right up my alley!
May 12, 2022
Bish what the hell did I just read😭
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews