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Crimsy: An Earth-Mars near-future sci-fi adventure
Lawyers, governments, and trillionaires battle young scientist Jen Zendeck and her research team for ownership and control of the greatest discovery in history: a harmless bacteria from the planet Mars.
A realistic take on science fiction 20 years from now, CRIMSY is perfect for fans of Andy Weir and Michael Crichton.
IF we discover life on the planet Mars, what will it really be like? Orson Welles' marauding giants, declaring war on our world? Or the creature from the 2017 film Life that crushes an astronaut's hand?
Will it drive an exotic space ship, have superhuman powers, or look off-the-charts weird?
None of those things, say real-life scientists.
Martian life will be more like the harmless bacteria nicknamed "Crimsy" that lives in frozen saltwater deep beneath the planet surface.
And instead of the alien bringing Earth to the brink, humans do that, fighting in courts and capitals over everything from patent rights to provenance.
Who will get credit for and profit from the greatest discovery in history? It's a battle royale that explodes across Crimsy, with humor, irony, real science, high-stakes action, and plenty of plot twists, including one you may never see coming.
Crimsy readers say:
"Adventure the way it should be written."
"Loved it! Amazing plot. Very insightful on the scientific parts of the story. Great writing."
"This story grabs you and won't let go. So many twists and turns! So many hooks for possible follow up stories. Every character is strong and well drawn. The plot sizzles. As fresh as today's headlines."
"Extremely well written and enjoyable. It really captured the ups and downs of graduate student life so well I felt like I was back in graduate school. It was a pleasure to read the science, especially the familiar microbiology, but even the unfamiliar was rendered so creatively and realistically that it was a pleasure to read and imagine. A truly awesome read."
"Scientific backstory excellent!"
"This just punched all the right buttons for me. It had the very real feel of Mercury-Gemini-Apollo, Skylab, ISS, Space Shuttle, Voyager, and Carl Sagan's "quest' for life on Mars. Great characters with a well-developed story and twists to keep you on your toes. Crimsy screams for a sequel."
"A funny, thought-provoking, and well-written story of space exploration, politics, and the moral issues of scientific investigation."
"Paints a picture of true scientists and the values they share. I recommend Crimsy to those who enjoy good dialogue, thrillers, and realistic fiction."
"Great characters and lots of thought-provoking problem solving. My type of book."
A realistic take on science fiction 20 years from now, CRIMSY is perfect for fans of Andy Weir and Michael Crichton.
IF we discover life on the planet Mars, what will it really be like? Orson Welles' marauding giants, declaring war on our world? Or the creature from the 2017 film Life that crushes an astronaut's hand?
Will it drive an exotic space ship, have superhuman powers, or look off-the-charts weird?
None of those things, say real-life scientists.
Martian life will be more like the harmless bacteria nicknamed "Crimsy" that lives in frozen saltwater deep beneath the planet surface.
And instead of the alien bringing Earth to the brink, humans do that, fighting in courts and capitals over everything from patent rights to provenance.
Who will get credit for and profit from the greatest discovery in history? It's a battle royale that explodes across Crimsy, with humor, irony, real science, high-stakes action, and plenty of plot twists, including one you may never see coming.
Crimsy readers say:
"Adventure the way it should be written."
"Loved it! Amazing plot. Very insightful on the scientific parts of the story. Great writing."
"This story grabs you and won't let go. So many twists and turns! So many hooks for possible follow up stories. Every character is strong and well drawn. The plot sizzles. As fresh as today's headlines."
"Extremely well written and enjoyable. It really captured the ups and downs of graduate student life so well I felt like I was back in graduate school. It was a pleasure to read the science, especially the familiar microbiology, but even the unfamiliar was rendered so creatively and realistically that it was a pleasure to read and imagine. A truly awesome read."
"Scientific backstory excellent!"
"This just punched all the right buttons for me. It had the very real feel of Mercury-Gemini-Apollo, Skylab, ISS, Space Shuttle, Voyager, and Carl Sagan's "quest' for life on Mars. Great characters with a well-developed story and twists to keep you on your toes. Crimsy screams for a sequel."
"A funny, thought-provoking, and well-written story of space exploration, politics, and the moral issues of scientific investigation."
"Paints a picture of true scientists and the values they share. I recommend Crimsy to those who enjoy good dialogue, thrillers, and realistic fiction."
"Great characters and lots of thought-provoking problem solving. My type of book."
- GenresScience Fiction
Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2020
112 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Michael Martin
7 books29 followersI'm a journalist turned novelist who loves stories about anti-establishment rebels that defy the conventional wisdom in search of greater truth.
I have been a member of the National Press Club, the National Association of Science Writers, and am currently a Local Independent Online News association member and longtime local news publisher.
I have been a member of the National Press Club, the National Association of Science Writers, and am currently a Local Independent Online News association member and longtime local news publisher.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 13, 2021
THE GOOD AND THE NOT SO MUCH
Parts of this book would make a GREAT movie. That said, parts of it drag...at least for readers that are not interested in scientific minutia. The crux of the story has to do with whether or not there is, or has ever been, life on Mars. I don't want to give anything away, but I'll be surprised if there is not a second book. MANY questions are left unanswered, as this book ends just as the story is getting really good.
Parts of this book would make a GREAT movie. That said, parts of it drag...at least for readers that are not interested in scientific minutia. The crux of the story has to do with whether or not there is, or has ever been, life on Mars. I don't want to give anything away, but I'll be surprised if there is not a second book. MANY questions are left unanswered, as this book ends just as the story is getting really good.
May 16, 2021
From tongue-in-cheek humour to serious moral consciousness
Sometimes thought provoking and often funny. A well-written story of space exploration, politics and the moral issues of scientific investigation.
I'd happily read more from this author.
Sometimes thought provoking and often funny. A well-written story of space exploration, politics and the moral issues of scientific investigation.
I'd happily read more from this author.
September 14, 2021
last few chapters were amazing
I’ve been trying to read this book since May and could not get into it…is it a space book, sci-if, a love story, a family healing story? Too much going on. Then in the last few chapters Martin shoves in the real story. Confusing and a little disappointing
I’ve been trying to read this book since May and could not get into it…is it a space book, sci-if, a love story, a family healing story? Too much going on. Then in the last few chapters Martin shoves in the real story. Confusing and a little disappointing
March 29, 2023
It’s been a while since I read a *very* hard sci-fi in a believable near future setting. The premise is very nice, I had some fun, and I am also kind of glad to have finished the book ;)
The science and the scientific discovery were very well done here. All the academia stuff was spot on. I had trouble with the journalistic and dry prose style, the kind of writing that is there to get you from A to B. When you can’t tell Dr “what’s her name again” from Dr “the guy with a British accent”, books become a chore to read. The writing grew on me, though, as I made my way through. I liked the process of finding life on Mars, and the rover’s adventures were nail bitingly exciting, (how do Mission Control people manage their stress, anyway?), despite my issues with the prose.
Finding out more about the characters reconciled me a bit more. There were some well-crafted scenes and interactions. (Note to self: tell everyone I know to not ever ever ever propose in public in flashy ways – why on earth would you? – it might not be worth your while, cringe, cringe.)
The legal stuff was boring (not my thing, obviously), and there was rather too much deus ex machina in the second half of the book. Huge insurmountable problem? Sure, we’ll fix it with X and then Y that suddenly appear. I found the astronaut training too detailed, and was skimming rather than reading. It was good to have more of the narrator’s backstory, I just thought that it came too late. The end chapters on the space station were exciting, but rushed. It felt like I was reading a different kind of book all of a sudden – conspiracies, rogue AI:s, sudden reveals – and then it was over. There is room for a sequel, of course. I’ll see if I am interested, I’m not sure.
I’ve won this free e-book in a StoryGraph giveaway, my thanks to the author and publisher!
The science and the scientific discovery were very well done here. All the academia stuff was spot on. I had trouble with the journalistic and dry prose style, the kind of writing that is there to get you from A to B. When you can’t tell Dr “what’s her name again” from Dr “the guy with a British accent”, books become a chore to read. The writing grew on me, though, as I made my way through. I liked the process of finding life on Mars, and the rover’s adventures were nail bitingly exciting, (how do Mission Control people manage their stress, anyway?), despite my issues with the prose.
Finding out more about the characters reconciled me a bit more. There were some well-crafted scenes and interactions. (Note to self: tell everyone I know to not ever ever ever propose in public in flashy ways – why on earth would you? – it might not be worth your while, cringe, cringe.)
The legal stuff was boring (not my thing, obviously), and there was rather too much deus ex machina in the second half of the book. Huge insurmountable problem? Sure, we’ll fix it with X and then Y that suddenly appear. I found the astronaut training too detailed, and was skimming rather than reading. It was good to have more of the narrator’s backstory, I just thought that it came too late. The end chapters on the space station were exciting, but rushed. It felt like I was reading a different kind of book all of a sudden – conspiracies, rogue AI:s, sudden reveals – and then it was over. There is room for a sequel, of course. I’ll see if I am interested, I’m not sure.
I’ve won this free e-book in a StoryGraph giveaway, my thanks to the author and publisher!
June 4, 2023
This Book COULD have been 5-stars, but …
This starts out as an OK SciFi book, but it turns into a long, drawn out tale MOSTLY because it focuses on the lives of some astrobiologists stuck on Earth while investigating Mars. There’s initially LOTS of science, some SciFi, but unfortunately it revolves around mostly personal drama — so after reading nearly a third of the story — it quickly became apparent this is NOT going to be a 5-star or 4-star book, and The Reader is left WANTING the SciFi plot to return as the main focus.
After half, then 3/4 of the book has been read, nothing has changed and the book is still about crappy details of personal lives — NOT what This Reader wanted to read! (And I came awfully close to quitting!!!)
And, maybe I’m just dense — but a certain character in this book goes through a couple of unexpected medical emergencies — but they are not well-explained to The Reader. I think this is also a poor judgement on The Author’s story-telling skills.
The last 25% of the book, however, is significantly better than the first 3/4 — Hurray! I still don’t think The Author did a good job explaining the many mysterious hints thrown into the tale — and then there’s a sudden end to the story! Yikes!!!
This last section of the book raised my Rating up to 4-stars — but I still have reservations for what The Author IMPLIED and what he actually wrote (or more accurately, didn’t write) … it could have been better.
This starts out as an OK SciFi book, but it turns into a long, drawn out tale MOSTLY because it focuses on the lives of some astrobiologists stuck on Earth while investigating Mars. There’s initially LOTS of science, some SciFi, but unfortunately it revolves around mostly personal drama — so after reading nearly a third of the story — it quickly became apparent this is NOT going to be a 5-star or 4-star book, and The Reader is left WANTING the SciFi plot to return as the main focus.
After half, then 3/4 of the book has been read, nothing has changed and the book is still about crappy details of personal lives — NOT what This Reader wanted to read! (And I came awfully close to quitting!!!)
And, maybe I’m just dense — but a certain character in this book goes through a couple of unexpected medical emergencies — but they are not well-explained to The Reader. I think this is also a poor judgement on The Author’s story-telling skills.
The last 25% of the book, however, is significantly better than the first 3/4 — Hurray! I still don’t think The Author did a good job explaining the many mysterious hints thrown into the tale — and then there’s a sudden end to the story! Yikes!!!
This last section of the book raised my Rating up to 4-stars — but I still have reservations for what The Author IMPLIED and what he actually wrote (or more accurately, didn’t write) … it could have been better.
February 13, 2022
The cover of this book had me expecting a lighthearted space romp. It is not that. It's so much better! Every word was interesting and incredible to behold, from the liftoff of Marsmicro to splash down at the end.
The science is layman enough to be interesting yet informative. The characters are amazing and their stories add to the overall story in a good way.
I found myself very attached to Crimsy and wondering if she's already been found but we're just not being told.
I definitely recommend this book to lovers of space, Mars, easy-to-read science, and well-written stories.
The science is layman enough to be interesting yet informative. The characters are amazing and their stories add to the overall story in a good way.
I found myself very attached to Crimsy and wondering if she's already been found but we're just not being told.
I definitely recommend this book to lovers of space, Mars, easy-to-read science, and well-written stories.
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May 31, 2022Awesome, totally awesome!
Extremely well written and enjoyable. It really captured the ups and downs of graduate student life so well I felt like I was back in graduate school. It was a pleasure to read the science, especially the familiar microbiology, but even the unfamiliar was rendered so creatively and realistically that it was a pleasure to read and imagine. A truly awesome read
Extremely well written and enjoyable. It really captured the ups and downs of graduate student life so well I felt like I was back in graduate school. It was a pleasure to read the science, especially the familiar microbiology, but even the unfamiliar was rendered so creatively and realistically that it was a pleasure to read and imagine. A truly awesome read
October 20, 2023
Lots of good things about this book. Probably not everybody's cup of tea in the long elements which deal with what it is like to work in a multidisciplinary research team but if you ever have it is one of the very few pieces of literature which actually deals with the working life of a scientist. Mind you having a Fields medal winner on the team is not that common! When the heroine emerged as what she is at the end was I surprised but this actually works and I can see the sequel.
March 12, 2024
Fantastic Conclusion !
Although the story starts rather routinely, it really picks up the pace as the tale progressed. The governmental and other authority sectors always sticks their oars in to stall the action but in the end the characters emerge successfully although it took a real strange turn at the end. The space sequences are great and truly gripping with the weird robot ‘s actions when departure is almost done. The ending made this story worthwhile.
Although the story starts rather routinely, it really picks up the pace as the tale progressed. The governmental and other authority sectors always sticks their oars in to stall the action but in the end the characters emerge successfully although it took a real strange turn at the end. The space sequences are great and truly gripping with the weird robot ‘s actions when departure is almost done. The ending made this story worthwhile.
July 6, 2021
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. Michael’s prose is successful at painting a picture of true scientists and the value set to they share for knowledge as opposed to those bent on making creations manipulated by their own greed. I recommend this to those who enjoy good dialogue, thrillers, and a tad of realistic fiction.
October 10, 2024
This novel takes the reader to the very near future. Tech and communication are awesome . The story introduces Jennifer, a member of a group of scientists who have made an out of this world discovery . Ethical , scientific , biological questions come to light and a mysterious will haunt the reader
November 9, 2024
I was completely captivated by this from the very first page. The author’s storytelling is exceptional, weaving together a tale that is both gripping and thought-provoking. The characters felt like real people, and I was invested in their journeys. I was sad to see it end. This one is an absolute must-read!
July 14, 2021
Loved it! This is my type of book ... great characters, lots of thought-provoking problem solving and an ending that just opens the door to other questions.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
December 17, 2021
An Amazing Sci-fi Adventure
This was so real I could not put the book down. Michael Martin is a new giant in the field of science fiction. Extraordinary attention to detail and totally on pitch for dialog. This is a masterpiece!
This was so real I could not put the book down. Michael Martin is a new giant in the field of science fiction. Extraordinary attention to detail and totally on pitch for dialog. This is a masterpiece!
May 11, 2022
Adventure the way it should be written
This story grabs you and won’t let go. So many twists and turns! So many hooks for possible follow up stories. Every character is strong and well drawn. The plot sizzles. As fresh as today’s headlines.
This story grabs you and won’t let go. So many twists and turns! So many hooks for possible follow up stories. Every character is strong and well drawn. The plot sizzles. As fresh as today’s headlines.
June 26, 2022
This just punched all the right buttons for me. It had the very real feel of Mercury-Gemini-Apollo, Skylab, ISS, Space Shuttle, Voyager, and Carl Sagan's "quest' for life on Mars. Great characters with a well-developed story and twists to keep you on your toes. Crimsy screams for a sequel.
November 9, 2024
Absolutely fantastic! The author has a way with words that brings every scene to life. The story was engaging, the characters lovable, and the pacing just right. It was the perfect escape and exactly what I needed. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.
April 29, 2022
Mature SCIENCE fiction
Like living it if you’re a realistic story with added detail of those who have lived the doorstep of space
Like living it if you’re a realistic story with added detail of those who have lived the doorstep of space
May 21, 2022
A very interesting read.
May 22, 2022
Story has too many holes
The bug should not have DNA if truly from Mars. Too many unknowns running around. An okay story. Well worth the free.
The bug should not have DNA if truly from Mars. Too many unknowns running around. An okay story. Well worth the free.
October 24, 2022
Unexpected to the end
It was a great read. The story line kept me guessing. It seemed so reasonable and possible. Just a bit too much detail.
It was a great read. The story line kept me guessing. It seemed so reasonable and possible. Just a bit too much detail.
November 15, 2024
Excellent, real, non-fantisy sci-fi
Excellent, real, non-fantisy sci-fi the way it should be. Highly recommend, and a great twist that should lead to a sequel.
Excellent, real, non-fantisy sci-fi the way it should be. Highly recommend, and a great twist that should lead to a sequel.
August 16, 2025
Loved it.
A bit slow to start but held my interest until I couldn’t put it down until I saw how things ended.
A bit slow to start but held my interest until I couldn’t put it down until I saw how things ended.
July 23, 2024
I generally like space sci-fi and adventure stories. This one did a pretty good job of presenting possible near-future science and technology. A lot of it seemed realistic, excepting the EM Drive and Quantum Entanglement instant communications. I see the quantum entanglement stuff in a lot of current sci-fi stories and I just can't buy it. I really liked the presentation of the great complexity and conflicts of a huge space mission carried out by multiple nations, agencies, universities, corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals. The science dealing with the Martian life-form was very well done. My biggest complaint with the book is that it tried to do way too much. All the personal drama of the lead character and her interactions with her team members was too much. I found it hard to keep all the characters and issues straight. The timeline(s) were hard to follow. A lot of pages were spent on side stories that were unimportant or not resolved, at least in this book. There was plenty of good stuff in this book, but it should have been trimmed by at least 25% and not jumped around nearly as much.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews