Robin Parrish constructs a believable sci-fi adventure in his new book Offworld. Strap yourself in along with the crew of the Ares, the first astronauts to go to the planet Mars and return to Earth in the year 2033. But hang on tight as all communication with Houston is suddenly and inexplicably lost and the crew barely manages a crash landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
After that ordeal, Commander Chris Burke and his squad are badly shaken. But mangled space craft and exhausted bodies turn out to be mere hang nails as they begin to uncover why they had lost communication with Ground Control in the first place. Seems there no longer is a Ground Control. In fact, there isn’t any sort of any body left on the planet! All life forms have vanished; gone without a trace. Video feed from security cameras confirm that one moment everyone is going about business as usual, and the next they have absolutely disappeared.
The only inkling of hope is that there may be an answer waiting for them in Houston, where a bright radiating light gleams on satellite maps. Thus begins a heart pounding, wide-eyed trip, more dangerous than anything outer space can dish up! I could barely catch my breath as one disaster after another overtakes this bedraggled yet very brave crew of four (plus one…I won’t divulge more than that).
Mr. Parrish plows this tale through in a very straightforward manner, not needing layers from different angles of stratagem to pull it off; although there are occasional flashbacks that happen in real time. No doubt it would make a wild movie with some fantastic special effects… I had no problem seeing it as such in my minds eye. The characters are believable and heroic, causing you to care about them and cheer them on. Even the chapter names, names such as “The Smoke and Stir of this Dim Spot”, and “The Equivocation of the Fiend” poetically and intriguingly urge the reader to keep turning pages.
Though not overtly Christian in substance, the plot just screams that something bigger is at stake and Someone else is ultimately in control. In the end, the Christian worldview is clarified and the reader is given resounding and thought provoking ideas to ponder. Though most of the circumstances encountered are in no way realistic (at least not in such a non-stop, let-me-come-up-for-air sequence), remember, this is science fiction and in that realm, just about anything can and does happen. You’ll just be really thankful that it happens to these poor, fictional souls and not your own!
After that ordeal, Commander Chris Burke and his squad are badly shaken. But mangled space craft and exhausted bodies turn out to be mere hang nails as they begin to uncover why they had lost communication with Ground Control in the first place. Seems there no longer is a Ground Control. In fact, there isn’t any sort of any body left on the planet! All life forms have vanished; gone without a trace. Video feed from security cameras confirm that one moment everyone is going about business as usual, and the next they have absolutely disappeared.
The only inkling of hope is that there may be an answer waiting for them in Houston, where a bright radiating light gleams on satellite maps. Thus begins a heart pounding, wide-eyed trip, more dangerous than anything outer space can dish up! I could barely catch my breath as one disaster after another overtakes this bedraggled yet very brave crew of four (plus one…I won’t divulge more than that).
Mr. Parrish plows this tale through in a very straightforward manner, not needing layers from different angles of stratagem to pull it off; although there are occasional flashbacks that happen in real time. No doubt it would make a wild movie with some fantastic special effects… I had no problem seeing it as such in my minds eye. The characters are believable and heroic, causing you to care about them and cheer them on. Even the chapter names, names such as “The Smoke and Stir of this Dim Spot”, and “The Equivocation of the Fiend” poetically and intriguingly urge the reader to keep turning pages.
Though not overtly Christian in substance, the plot just screams that something bigger is at stake and Someone else is ultimately in control. In the end, the Christian worldview is clarified and the reader is given resounding and thought provoking ideas to ponder. Though most of the circumstances encountered are in no way realistic (at least not in such a non-stop, let-me-come-up-for-air sequence), remember, this is science fiction and in that realm, just about anything can and does happen. You’ll just be really thankful that it happens to these poor, fictional souls and not your own!
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