Book Reviews

Book Blurb

When contact is lost with Mission Control, Commander John Dennington isn’t overly concerned. Such hiccups in communication are common. The first inkling of the larger problem occurs when he sees the very shape of the world change before his eyes.

John must ease his crew into a new mission and keep the Station together by any means necessary. The crew jeopardizes their chances by fighting his orders, but Jason Weiss, his mission specialist and the light of his life, makes John’s situation more bearable.

The smallest malfunction to Station or crew would spell the end for six astronauts trapped high above a ruined Earth. It’s their mission to carry on. Random chance of the universe hasn’t operated in their favor so far, but John is determined to see them all safely home.

Book Review

A few years into the future, it is 2026 and a space station made up of various nations’ modules is a pretty permanent thing. Crew number 63 is the one running into major trouble in this story, and while the exact cause of what happens is a mystery, the consequences for the crew is what this story focuses on. The way that the astronauts suggest idea after idea and use what facts they can glean to figure out what to do makes everything feel very real. There is a lot of technical detail throughout the story, but most of it is futuristic rather than way-out-there science fiction. I liked the mix of a technological challenge for the crew combined with the emotional turmoil they go through, and the cliff-hanger at the end definitely has me wanting more.

John is the commander of the space station, but he describes himself as “… wasn’t a scientist, he was a pilot and glorified repairman.” It is typical of his humility, but it becomes clear pretty soon why he is the commander: he keeps a (mostly) cool head even in an unimaginable crisis and while his emotions are all over the place, he is enough of a professional to keep things somewhat together.

Jason is the second in command, an engineer, and he loves being in space. The way he and John interact from the start makes it pretty clear they have a loving relationship, but it is also obvious they have been hiding it – given the potential for someone to use their relationship as an excuse not to send them into space. There are probably NASA fraternization policies in place as well, but they don’t get much airtime.

The six-member crew is a mix of races, specialties, and temperaments, and that diversity serves them well when the catastrophe happens. They are out there, partly, to study how people from different backgrounds get along in isolation -  a precursor to a mission to Mars. But the actual disaster puts the crew in quite a conundrum, and while their immediate survival is not at risk, the longer term – anything beyond the six months that their supplies will last – looks more than bleak. With Earth a scenario of nightmarish proportions and not just the proverbial rug but the literal ground pulled from under their feet, the members of the crew have decisions to make that will impact them for the rest of their lives – be they short or long.

If you like watching how people react in desperate situations, if you’re up for an eerily realistic adventure in orbital space, and if you’re looking for a read that is shocking, suspenseful, and urgently needs a sequel, then you will probably like this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 124 pages/42690 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	17-March-2018
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.jms-books.com/ta-creech-c-224_234/expedition-63-book-1-dusk-p-2351.html