Monday, October 21, 2024

About the Book

Book: The Time Door

Author: Shannon McDermott

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

Release date: October 8, 2024

A reckless last mission on Mars, a crusade for justice on Earth …

Reuben Jackson is the only one who still cares about Mars. In the shambles of the Great Collapse, Earth has abandoned the Mars explorers to their fate. But Reuben will make a stand for the Mars team—even against the powerfully united politicians and scientists.

In too deep, he discovers hidden conspiracies and unexpected allies.

As the conflict mounts on Earth, time runs down on Mars. Left to face Mars alone, Commander Donegan Moynihan and his team have no hope of surviving after their supplies are gone. Willing to accept a quicker death than starvation, the explorers strike out on a dangerous mission. They venture deep inside the ancient volcano of Arsia Mons, into perils and secrets long buried. What they discover would move mountains on Earth—but will it be enough to save themselves?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Shannon McDermott is an author of science fiction and has been occupied for years with constructing scenarios of the colonization of Mars. Always a fan of the genre, she reviews Christian speculative fiction with Lorehaven. Her interests include history, classic

literature, and lattes. She lives in the great Midwest, where she does her best to avoid icy weather, sweltering heat, and tornadoes, according to the season.

More from Shannon

There is a story of an abandoned space colony. Still young, still unsteady, and suddenly cut off from the mother planet—the colony will either learn fast to survive alone, or it will die altogether.

The story has been told again and again, a thousand variations on the old theme. When I was getting acquainted with it, through battered paperbacks and anthologies gathered from the old “scientifiction” magazines, I noticed that the colonies were usually abandoned because of a space plague, or aliens, or interplanetary war.

Exotic, exciting problems, the stuff of science fiction. But I had a thought: What if the reason for abandoning a space colony were a bit prosaic? What if there was just no more money?

The national debt is very much a thing (and an ever-growing thing, at an ever-increasing rate). We would be in trouble if that debt were ever called, or even if no more could be contracted. If it suddenly became time to pay the piper, if the money running off the press was no longer good enough—America couldn’t afford to support a colony on Mars. And we would have too many problems of our own to care very much about theirs.

A classic sci-fi story with a modern twist, something fantastic mixed with something prosaic. I liked it.

As I set to work on the idea, I soon made another variation to the theme. The abandoned colony did not take the whole stage. I gave equal space to those who had abandoned it. Good or bad, they had their reasons; they had their story, too. And as I began to write it, I realized that both stories were about survival. The struggle over whether they survived, and how, and what they would become on the other side.

These ideas grew into The Time Door—two parallel stories, separated by the distance between Mars and Earth, and yet united in the end. Whether abandoned on Mars, or caught in the collapse on Earth, they all need a way out; they all need to find a door.

MY REVIEW

Here is something I thought I would share before I do my review . I have always ever since I was a child be fascinated by Mars. It is such an intriguing place that is unknown to us. Is there life there? Can we travel there to form a community? Well this story captures my imagination perfectly and kept me interested throughout the book.

This is definitely science fiction at its best where Mars and Earth both face challenges. Earth is facing a crisis and Mars for some is looking like a place to run too. However funds to continue space adventures are not a top priority right now. Isn’t it funny that NASA faces cutbacks even today. I have been to the Johnson Space Center several times. It looks so big on TV but it really is a small room. Lots of equipment is in the room with technology that I will never understand.

I loved when the team on Mars faces difficulties and test their ability to survive. I kept thinking how this book would make a great movie. The team finds themselves stranded on Mars with no hope of survival. What really surprised me was the difficult decision on Earth to not rescue those that are trapped there. If you are the president how do you decide to not rescue a group? I would have sleepless nights with making a decision that would cost lives.

The story does have twists and will test the ability to survive. I really liked getting to know Rueben and the Commander. When a message is received that a five year ration supply of food was being sent, realization settles in. Are they really going to leave them on Mars for that length of time? I would start panicking and request to be rescued now! Soon they see that some of the rations are not good anymore. Now reality sets in for the team.

Back on Earth much is going on. Experiments being done, economy going crazy, and the worry of a team stranded on Mars. His mission is to get them back home but he runs into walls everywhere he goes. I found it interesting how survival played a part on Mars as well as Earth. The battles are fierce and I couldn’t wait to see where the author would take the story.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.