Customer Reviews

Shadows of Medusa

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brian Enke is a pioneer in the area of Mars mission and operations development. His experience in simulated Mars missions is first-rate, and his thoughtful talks about the real costs of exploration reinforce a solid analytical base.

Combining these skills, he's delivered an intrigue-laden novel about a mission to Mars. While three trailblazers are on their way to the Red Planet on a publicized mission with secrecy-laden objectives, the news media is in a frenzy to find the mission backers and objectives. David, the mission director in an innovative mission support role, has indications that there are darker motivations at work. Finding out just what's happening threatens the crew's safety and perhaps his own.

Set mostly in my favorite state of Colorado, the book focuses more on ground control operations than what the crew is doing in space. Personally, I'd like to read more about the crew's activities, but I understand that a larger audience would enjoy the ground story more. There's one action sequence that feels a bit forced, and though I read it a couple times I'm still not sure that I have the whole sequence down. There are also a couple times when the dialog seems less like what people would say and more like someone would write for them.

These are nits, to be sure. I found the book to be a very enjoyable read and look forward to the sequel. Recent events make the premise seem plausible, and the author's expertise shines through in weaving an exciting future where humans and machines work together to open a new frontier for our kind in our time.

Shadows of Medusa by Brian Enke is a genre-busting novel about a first manned mission to Mars. The novel is intrigue/suspense/mystery embedded within a strong and accurate framework of science/science fiction. The action shifts back and forth between the mission itself, where Anna/<microbrain> and her two fellow astronauts struggle to keep their bargain basement mission on track, and mission control and Earth, where David/<shepherd> tries to stay at the helm of mission control while running from the bad guys and never knowing who to trust [the good guys have chosen to remain anonymous and this adds to the mystery/confusion]. Skye, a sexy TV reporter, is this mystery's femme fatale and one corner of the novel's scalene love triangle. As it says in the Preface, there is a need for a sequel, so if you have issues with cliffhangers, avoid this novel. My only complaint is the price - it's way too high for a trade paperback! I hope the price doesn't scare away the readers Mr. Enke's novel deserves. I enjoyed Shadows of Medusa so much I was willing to stay up until 3 in the morning in the middle of the high school standardized testing season to finish it!

Brian has written a compelling mystery / science fiction novel. The clues are there, as is action and references to some familiar names. If you've ever pitched the Mars Direct plan, or spent some time at one of the Mars Society habs, you'll enjoy this book. If not, you might learn something about the best way to get humans to Mars. In either case, it's a hard book to put down.

A gripping adventure that takes place in the near future, Shadows of Medusa merges the speculative fiction of Larry Niven with the complex characters and plot twists of Frederick Forsythe. The book introduces the reader to the characters involved in a bold assault on the vacuum of space and the barren sands of Mars. A dedicated team on Earth and in space works together to bring the treasures of this distant planet to humankind. In the meantime, some force is interfering. Problems become hazards and alternatives are blocked off. Is it due to the risks inherent in any such dangerous endeavor with so many unknowns? Is it corruption from within? Is it an attack from outside? As each of these possibilities takes its place as the most plausible, the reader finds himself concerned very personally about the cold blackness of the space outside and the threatening thugs on the other side of the door.

This novel draws us in and holds us there from the enigmatic first paragraph to the exciting and refreshingly hopeful conclusion. Man's most self-centered follies and his greatest aspirations are tested and resolved in this fine book and we see that Man's better nature not only prevails but opens the door to an amazing future.

Anyone who loves a good mystery will enjoy this book. The characters will have you hooked from the first page, and the plot twists will keep you turning pages. But if you love science, this may well become one of your favorite books of all time. Enke, who has a very strong scientific and technical background, has chosen to set his story in the near future, allowing for some modest technological advancements but no magical discoveries that break the laws of physics as we understand them today, something far too many science fiction writers rely on to make it easier to tell their stories. Enke tells an exciting tale by taking full advantage of details such as the increasing communication delays as spacecraft travel away from Earth, working these details into his plot rather than ignoring them or simply mentioning them in passing. The result is a very intelligent mystery that will not disappoint.

This story holds your interest from start to finish. Surprises abound, as the story unfolds. Characters are believeable, and the science is accurate. No Green Tharks or other fantasies, but an exciting and realistic space adventure.

The Shadows of Medusa is a different kind of book that I have ever read before. I have read hundreds of Sci Fi books and dozens of mysteries but never a Mars Mission mystery like this. The book is 525 pages and has average to good paced action and is very well written. The book is easy to follow. Brian Enke the author is good at strong character development.

Brian Enke has us going back and forth from the Perseus ship going to Mars with pretty Anna the PHD biologist/med trained, Ollie the PHD world traveled Geologist/Engineer/repairman and Evelyn Day the Commander/Engineer and Earth with Daniel (Sheppard) the secret in hiding, 2 PHDs, Director of Mission Support and others.

There is a plot to stop the Mars Mission and people are killed on Earth and either the Alpha team of the secret Mars planners or the Beta team of who knows who is doing it. There are many clues given. Plus there is a beautiful but trouble making investigative reporter named Skye Fountain that is trying to find out more about the secret Mars planners and what the "real" mission is and what they want. People are getting killed and this reporter may just get Daniel and herself killed trying to find if the secret Alpha or Beta teams are responsible. Also strange things are happening on the Perseus. Is there a saboteur?

Unfortunately over half the book is done before the Perseus finally lands on Mars. INMO should of been much earlier in the book.

As a life Mars Society member I am currently interested in the real Mars Direct plan to land either 4 or the Semi Mars direct plan to land 5 on Mars ( Read Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin 5 stars ). Brian Enke uses parts of the Mars Direct plan in The Shadows of Medusa but only 3 astronauts and less powerful solar panels power vs a nuke reactor on Mars. INMO solar power is not the way to go on Mars. Brian's partial Mars Direct plan would not work but you have to remember this is a novel so just enjoy it and don't try to analyze the scientific feasibility of Brian's partial, flawed(INMO) Mars Direct method.

Both Anna and Evelyn on Perseus have cyberspace communications with Daniel plus secured emails. Poor Daniel falls in love with Anna even though she is millions of miles away heading toward Mars but later must let everyone think he is dead and another "Sheppard' has taken over as Director of Mission Support because someone is trying to kill him. Even though David falls in love with Anna who is millions of miles away and will be away for 2 years David realizes Skye Fountain is a beautiful attractive hottie even though she is a trouble maker. Plus there is a sneaky "Chicken Little" giving David warnings but who is it? More characters and back and forth action going on. The reader must find out who is trying to destroy the Mars mission but Brian leaves lots of clues in this Mars mission mystery.

I wont ruin the ending to this good Mars mission Sci fi mystery. Its a quick unexpected whip lash ending. Actual its two missions in one. Try six astronauts but one bad egg. Lots of turnarounds. Lots of the unexpected. Made my head spin but in a good way.

As I said this book is a hybrid of 1/4 sci fi and a 3/4 mystery. Surprisingly Brian Enke makes it mesh well. There is an Internet website to contact and find out about the Shadows of Medusa. Eventually there is to be a sequel. Shadows of Medusa is a good book. Would of been 5 stars if Perseus would of landed on Mars sooner. I think that way there could of been faster action. Also would of liked a plan more like the real Mars Direct plan. Even so the book was an enjoyable read and Brian Enke is to be commended. 4 1/2 stars. I'd buy the sequel