Once they see you nowhere is safe.
Olympus One colony students Hal Leon and Akio Sato have made history. Their invention, a camera that images dark matter, has had its first successful test; but what it reveals may put human life on Mars in jeopardy. Hal believes that the strange animalistic silhouettes hidden in the dark matter web prove his theories. The wiry, inhuman forms appear to look to … inhuman forms appear to look to the sky at some invisible threat before they’re wiped away by a wave of nothingness that resets the dark matter web to normal, until it all repeats again—a never-ending cycle.
That is, until something else appears in the dark matter web, and students and colonists alike start dying under mysterious circumstances. Can Hal and Akio figure out what’s causing these grisly murders, and does the dark matter camera somehow hold the key to the mystery?
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it’s been a while since I found something that is both well-written and has an engaging story.
This novel is the right mixture of intelligent and creepy. I enjoyed immersing myself in life on Mars. Main character Hal is simultaneously aggravating and sympathetic, and leaves you uncertain of whether you want to shake him on exasperation or give him a hug. Not that he would let you. If there is anything that I can critique, it would be that I wish supporting characters were a little more developed, though I found the sarcastic dialogue fun. Especially between Hal and his feisty companion Akio.
It’s definitely something you’ll enjoy if you like cosmic horror and gothic science fiction.
There aren’t that many sci-fi horror stories that I’m aware of. Someone please correct me one what I’m missing because I really enjoy the genre. On the movie end, I can think of Event Horizon, the original Alien (Aliens, great as it was, was more action than horror) and, uh, Predator, I guess. And, let’s face it, Predator was just a badass retelling of Beowulf with an alien and guns, which is why it won the Academy Award for Best Movie Ever Made.
I’m sure there are more out there, but those are the only ones that come to mind.
Anyway, like I said, the sci-fi genre is rife with possibilities for some good horror stories, especially ones that introduce a brand new kind of bad guy. That’s why Eric Malikyte’s Echoes of Olympus Mons was such a treat. It wasn’t just that it was well-written with some suberb character development and a hefty dose of science, it was the fact that he came up with a monster that hasn’t been done before. I won’t spoil it by telling you, but it’s a genuinely unique take on sci-fi horror.
Malikyte keeps you guessing throughout the book. Even though the action is spelled out, he leaves enough wiggle room to make you wonder if what’s happening is really happening or not. He paints us solid, real characters who are far from perfect charicatures, and gives us a vision of Mars that shows a red planet that frankly doesn’t give a rat’s ass about us.
If you enjoy well-written horror that doesn’t go over the top and descend into straight gore – although there is plenty of that – pick up Echoes of Olympus Mons and get ready to spend a few nights with a book you can’t put down.
Captivating, heart wrenching, and electrifying.
I read this over a year ago and I’m excited to have it in ebook format.
The main character Hal is a recovering Catholic who self medicates with Alcohol, and is as arrogant as he is intelligent. The story is told through his point of view on his journey to self actualization. I love that a lot of things are left to interpretation. It gives everyone a chance to relate to Hal. The many vivid surreal scenes kept me turning the pages. It’s got everything a thrilling Sci-Fi novel should have and more. It has heart wrenching brutality that will leave you contemplating the futility of life. This book has lots of re-read value, but left me wanting a little more character development from secondary characters. It was definitely a good read and I recommend it to those who want a thrilling book that will lead them to self analyze. It called to mind some of the same feelings I had when reading Ender’s Game, which is one of my all time favorite Sci-Fi novels. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy books that are similar in nature. I’d love to see a graphic novel version of Echoes one day. Eric Malikyte has done a wonderful job on his debut novel and I look forward to reading his future works. I can’t wait till more people read this so I can talk about it in a more in depth way. There are so many things I wish I could say, but I don’t want to spoil it.
This is an incredible book. The tension and action grips you by the throat and drags you through every chapter until you’re finished. I could not put it down! I’m not going to give anything away because you need to be as stunned and done in by this story as I am. Eric is a wizard with imagery, action, and suspense – don’t pass up a chance to go on this adventure!
Very good book. Love this author. I have been reading he stuff for a long time and I always look forward to what he will write next.
Eric does a fantastic job of creating not only a terrifying threat on a not-so-distant world, but creating a realistic setting for us to live in the whole time. The Martian society Eric has crafted is one of the most grounded I’ve read in a while.
That being said, the most fascinating part of this book is obviously the ancient horror that is found on Mars. If you are a fan of old, forgotten horrors (i.e. Lovecraftian, eldritch, etc.) then this is a book you definitely have to pick up.
The way that Eric has Hal slowly becoming the monster to the rest of those on Mars is well-crafted and helps add to the intensity – yes, you have an invisible killer on the loose, but the humans are frequently just as threatening.
The book does get a little confusing in the final pages, though that is partly because of the deteriorating sanity of our narrator.
Overall, the storytelling is great and the idea is a fresh one. If you enjoy Lovecraft or anything about dark matter and space, I strongly suggest picking up Echoes.
A gripping page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Dramatic and thrilling to the last page. Looking for something new and different? Want something that blows your mind? Then you want to read this. Buy it, read it, crave it.