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The Pluto Debacle: Hard Science Fiction
To ice hell and back
In the ice ocean of dwarf planet Pluto, two researchers disappear while searching for traces of extraterrestrial life. Pluto station’s AI has been having nightmares and believes itself guilty of killing the two men.
Meanwhile, retired space pilot Nick Abrahams has just run his big dream winery into bankruptcy. He is therefore relieved about the lucrative assignment to solve these mysterious events. Even though he has to fly alone for six years into the farthest corner of the solar system.
But what awaits him in the icy hell of Pluto could push him beyond his limits. And could change the future of humankind.
In the ice ocean of dwarf planet Pluto, two researchers disappear while searching for traces of extraterrestrial life. Pluto station’s AI has been having nightmares and believes itself guilty of killing the two men.
Meanwhile, retired space pilot Nick Abrahams has just run his big dream winery into bankruptcy. He is therefore relieved about the lucrative assignment to solve these mysterious events. Even though he has to fly alone for six years into the farthest corner of the solar system.
But what awaits him in the icy hell of Pluto could push him beyond his limits. And could change the future of humankind.
- GenresScience Fiction
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2023
298 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Q. Morris
131 books465 followersBrandon Q. Morris is a physicist and space specialist. He has long been concerned with space issues, both professionally and privately and while he wanted to become an astronaut, he had to stay on Earth for a variety of reasons. He is particularly fascinated by the "what if” and through his books he aims to share compelling hard science fiction stories that could actually happen, and someday may happen. Morris is the author of several best-selling science fiction novels.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 7, 2023
Another Mission for Nick & Oskar
To pull off a sequel to an amazing initial offering is something many authors strive for, but few achieve. Sadly, most feel like the meme from the movie “Airplane” where the movie poster is advertising a 90 year old Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky XVII”…( yes there is a new Rocky coming in 2023, but I digress). This book holds true to the original characters, yet allows them to mature and develop in a realistic & possible way. There are parts that seem implausible, but when viewed as a whole, it works. This “sequel” retains much of what made the original so excellent while adding enough new science, education and fiction to make it an enjoyable read that I finished in one day. This author is prolific but has the talent and knowledge to make each read an experience in multiple disciplines, showing just how much research & learning has complimented his already vast expanse of scientific knowledge.
To pull off a sequel to an amazing initial offering is something many authors strive for, but few achieve. Sadly, most feel like the meme from the movie “Airplane” where the movie poster is advertising a 90 year old Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky XVII”…( yes there is a new Rocky coming in 2023, but I digress). This book holds true to the original characters, yet allows them to mature and develop in a realistic & possible way. There are parts that seem implausible, but when viewed as a whole, it works. This “sequel” retains much of what made the original so excellent while adding enough new science, education and fiction to make it an enjoyable read that I finished in one day. This author is prolific but has the talent and knowledge to make each read an experience in multiple disciplines, showing just how much research & learning has complimented his already vast expanse of scientific knowledge.
February 14, 2023
Book Review:
“The Pluto Debacle: Solar System Series – Book 8” by Brandon Q. Morris
This novel was such a joy to read! Nick, the ‘bipedal carbon unit’ and Oskar, the robot were great sidekicks. Oskar was learning to be sassy and tell jokes. What a character!
To his great credit, Brandon Q. Morris has a deep understanding of male/female relationships. My favorite German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote (first in German then the English translation): “… und wer begriff es ganz, wie fremd sich Mann und Weib sind?“ – …‘and who really understands completely how strange man and wife are?’ This is from the third part of Nietzsche’s “Also sprach Zarathustra”. I have been married for almost fifty-five years and certainly understand Nietzsche’s question.
As a bonus at the end of the novel, there is an informative addendum about both Pluto, the Oort Cloud and other objects over five light hours away from us. Very informative stuff from an astrophysicist!
A request to Mr. Morris, please: I urge you to write a novel about Uranus! That would complete the nine-planet series. P.s., for me Pluto will always be a planet, hence the number nine.
“The Pluto Debacle: Solar System Series – Book 8” by Brandon Q. Morris
This novel was such a joy to read! Nick, the ‘bipedal carbon unit’ and Oskar, the robot were great sidekicks. Oskar was learning to be sassy and tell jokes. What a character!
To his great credit, Brandon Q. Morris has a deep understanding of male/female relationships. My favorite German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote (first in German then the English translation): “… und wer begriff es ganz, wie fremd sich Mann und Weib sind?“ – …‘and who really understands completely how strange man and wife are?’ This is from the third part of Nietzsche’s “Also sprach Zarathustra”. I have been married for almost fifty-five years and certainly understand Nietzsche’s question.
As a bonus at the end of the novel, there is an informative addendum about both Pluto, the Oort Cloud and other objects over five light hours away from us. Very informative stuff from an astrophysicist!
A request to Mr. Morris, please: I urge you to write a novel about Uranus! That would complete the nine-planet series. P.s., for me Pluto will always be a planet, hence the number nine.
September 13, 2024
Overall this was just okay. The plot was a bit boring in the first half and only picks up at the end. I was not really a fan of the characters, Oskar is okay but not as interesting as I wanted a robot to be. Nick was not my thing. I had to stop counting how often he talks about his erection and his whining about his wife and lover. His love for his family really did not feel real. This did not really have a big ending. My biggest problem I have with a lot of science fiction is that I feel like social scrutures are just copied from our world and set into the future. What society will look like in the future needs to be explored more deeply. Here it is just like our society.
I liked the science chapters at the end that explains what we know about Pluto right now.
I liked the science chapters at the end that explains what we know about Pluto right now.
February 15, 2023
The return of Oscar and Nick
Nick and Oscar return for another secret mission for RB, where again they are not given the full facts about their mission to Pluto to try and get the AI back on line and find out what happened to the two cosmonauts. This story has a hearty mixture of adventure, father and mother dynamics, suspense, adultery, sacrifices, suicides (or not?), mystery, intrigue, long term travel, underground oceans, alien entities (maybe?), AI romance, and home made alcohol brewing. As usual lies are rampant and the depiction of life in space and on Pluto seems realistic. An entertaining novel for the welcome return of Nick and the AI Oscar.
Nick and Oscar return for another secret mission for RB, where again they are not given the full facts about their mission to Pluto to try and get the AI back on line and find out what happened to the two cosmonauts. This story has a hearty mixture of adventure, father and mother dynamics, suspense, adultery, sacrifices, suicides (or not?), mystery, intrigue, long term travel, underground oceans, alien entities (maybe?), AI romance, and home made alcohol brewing. As usual lies are rampant and the depiction of life in space and on Pluto seems realistic. An entertaining novel for the welcome return of Nick and the AI Oscar.
July 7, 2023
Entretenida, resulta ser el octavo libro de una larga serie pero que se puede leer de manera independiente. Nick al principio no me agradaba, me costó un poco adentrarme en la historia pero al final resultó ser amena aunque sencilla hasya cierto punto. Sencilla en el sentido de trama pero los datos espaciales me parecieron ricos e interesantes, amé la sección final del libro y sí, leeré más libros del autor.
February 22, 2023
I hadn't read any other books in this series, but Pluto called to me. I had no trouble getting into or following the relationships in this book, and they seem to be the main focus of the story. The space journey and Pluto were really interesting. I really enjoyed this.
February 20, 2023
Rubbish
Superficial, simplistic, banal and perscriptive. Total waste of money. Compared to c j box or Asher or connolly it's a joke. Really I should get a refund on this.
Superficial, simplistic, banal and perscriptive. Total waste of money. Compared to c j box or Asher or connolly it's a joke. Really I should get a refund on this.
March 3, 2023
Oskar
Great story! Good too see Nick and Oskar back in action. Good story line. We need to go to Pluto.
Great story! Good too see Nick and Oskar back in action. Good story line. We need to go to Pluto.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews