Mars Journey: Call to Action Book 2 is the second book in the bestselling science fiction thriller series set in the near future:A brilliant but disgraced former astronaut embarks on a modern day quest to gather and train the crew of the first international mission to Mars, but their assignment is thrown into jeopardy when a massive global technology conglomerate launches a bid to reach Mars … launches a bid to reach Mars first and claim the red planet as corporate property.
The Mars Journey series delves into the science, technology, drive, and determination of the human spirit to come together to overcome our greatest challenges, explore space, and become the first Martians to colonize the Red Planet.
“My SF reading past has encompassed Clarke, Asimov, Herbert, Del Rey, and the like, and I have to confess that they may have spoiled me for some of the newer authors…. Bill Hargenrader may well be an exception to that rule!” J Dunnet
“Finally got a chance to read your book! I LOVE it. We need more books like this and series of stories like this would be just awesome! “ A. Elliott
“Short enough with so much action that I could not quit reading until I finished rather late at night!” -Hank
This is Book 2 in the Mars Journey Series. This is a novella, 28,000 words, approximately 160 written pages.
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Cute short story but…
This is my honest-to-the-bone review in response to my receiving this ebook for review – if I choose to do so.
Like my headline says, it’s cute. Unfortunately, this isn’t a great rating for a sci-fi ebook. This story would had been better if it was a graphic novel, a thought that persisted in my head as I read this tale. I probably would have thought a full-color graphic novel would be of better value had I was required to pay for it. (Read one particular one-star review for this book on Amazon.) I would have given it a four- or five-star review had the artwork been as good as some of this author’s free conceptual works regarding this subject.
I do love great sci-fi literature. I was fortunate to have met many of the superb pioneers of sci-fi books when I was in college. (My professor in the English department knew them all and provided me and my husband a great opportunity have discussed their works as well as other subjects.) Overall, this book reminded me of these incredible encounters… and wondering how much better this book would had been had it either been seriously fleshed out or, better yet, combined with its subsequent “novellas”. (Face it – this is either a very short novella or an extra-long short story.) Either way, I felt that my time could had been better served had the writer chose either option. Reading some of the readership’s complaints on having spent $20 for the entire series… Seriously?? No wonder they were upset. I would have been, too.
Guy, I used to be an indie publisher. I saw some great opportunities that should had been explored more thoroughly, but they weren’t. I appreciate this e-short story as a freebie, but I wouldn’t have paid for it, not in this version. It deserved a more mature writing style, better exposition, more in-depth character development. (I know the direction you were going, but I wasn’t all that sympathetic to your character. He needed to be far more fleshed out. It’s a difficult thing to do, but it’s necessary.)
Bill Hargenrader had a great desire to launch this story beyond Earth’s gravitational pull toward Mars, but there are better ways to write what should be a novel or a fabulous graphic novel. (I think this would had been the better choice only if he had artists to participate in this project.) All I can say is that he needs to consider what the readership expects, and according to a very interesting and well-designed survey I participated in, the readership wants to see novels, not novellas or a novel chopped up into a series. We don’t have the cash we used to have, therefore we’re more cautious on book spending. Nothing pisses me off than me paying way too much the story was worth or if I was cheated by a bait-and-switch. (And considering the page count – 113 according to my Kindle app – there were a lot of almost blank pages. it felt far shorter than 113…)
Interesting. The story continues in the race to get to Mars. New characters are introduced, the plot continues, and evil marches on. Read book 1 first.
The author know how to draw his reader into the story, giving just enough description but holding back information to create a sense of wonder. I found Book 2 to be well written-> I liked it better than Book 1. We are on this journey together Bill; don’t disappoint us.