When a retired Seal, Mike Angel, discovers an inexpensive new space drive and begins launching satellites from his suburban back yard, the local law takes notice. When he refuses to turn his invention over to the military of the United States, the government takes notice. When he blackmails the American and Russian governments into helping him with a manned expedition to Mars, the world takes notice.
The protagonist who has developed a way to generate and control gravity using a combination of existing technologies. He manages to threaten and cajole the governments of both the United States and the Russian Federation into backing him and providing a crew of international scientists to accompany him and Vesna, his AI computer, on a civilian expedition to Mars. While on Mars, the group discovers that, not only had the Red Planet been inhabited by intelligent life in the distant past, a pair of “alien” scientists remains there. The identities of the two and their purpose for being there provide a shocker to the Earth. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of book - very upbeat FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes Explore: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 0 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40 % Main Character Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Main Adversary Identity: - Male Profession/status: How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting Terrain Which planet? - Mars Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century) Spaceship setting: - primative (present, near future) human spaceship Takes place on Earth? Yes Takes place in spaceship? Yes Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death scientific jargon? (SF only) - a significant amount of technical jargon How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |