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The Ark: Children of a Dead Earth Book One Mass Market Paperback – November 3, 2015

by Patrick S. Tomlinson (Author), Larry Rostant (Illustrator)
4.9 out of 5 stars 20 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Series: The Ark (Book 1)
  • Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Angry Robot (November 3, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0857664840
  • ISBN-13: 978-0857664846
  • Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #486,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Quite enjoyable, somewhere between 4 and 5 stars
By Peter Dimitriadis on December 8, 2015
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Full disclosure: I received this book for free through a giveaway. I don't think it affected my review.

"Murder Mystery on a generation starship" is one of those quintessential SF premises, which makes it all the more surprising that I can't think of very many examples. A few, sure, but it's not a concept that has been done to death in recent years, which means it's one that feels, potentially, fresh and exciting.

In addition to things like basic writing skill and characters you enjoy, there are two big things in this kind of story that should, ideally, be done well. First, the generation starship, and second, the mystery.

The author succeeds admirably on the first one. The setting is well-realized and feels both reasonably plausible and lived-in, with a myriad of little details on how life is different. The author really sells the setting, and that's a large part of the enjoyment of the book. Sure, I could quibble about a few of the details (particularly, with such a relatively small population and after two hundred years, ethnic and cultural groupings still seem to be rather distinct, which seems a bit odd considering reproduction has to be authorized and presumably genetic diversity is considered), but they're just the kind of thing you think about rather than interferes with the story, and there was plenty I didn't consider that made it in. It's pretty clear a significant amount of thought did go into things. The author also succeeds in making these details not too intimidating... while someone who isn't interested in SF at all might still avoid this, the technological context is, I think, pretty easy to grasp for people who aren't steeped in SF tropes and want to read something that's not too intimidating.Read more ›
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Great sci-fi noire with a rich setting
By Aaron H. on December 3, 2015
Format: Mass Market Paperback
I absolutely loved this book. Sci-fi is little hit or miss with me. I like it best when the science fiction enriches the story and locks in the setting, not when it's an author showing how clever they are. The Ark balances this perfectly. The story and the characters are solid and the sci-fi is peppered in as needed and lives in harmony within the world.

I'd also classify it as sci-fi noire. It's a great page turner and I read in two days because I just had to know what was going to happen next. Tomlinson's debut novel has me anxiously waiting for the next installment of this wonderful world.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A must read for both sci-fi and thriller fans.
By Joseph Ulm on November 16, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a really fun read. The characters are real, enjoyable, well-developed, but not too heavy. The pace of the book pulls you along nicely without pressing, and the twists and turns are done well throughout. The technology in the book is detailed and interesting, but doesn't slow things down. All in all, if you're looking for a really fun thriller, set in a well-developed future environment, this is it. One of the best books I've read this year.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Great Science Fiction mystery
By Diane K. on November 19, 2015
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Patrick S. Tomlinson has a great start to a science fiction series in The Ark.

The Earth was dying because of a black hole so 50,000 inhabitants were chosen to leave on the Ark. Tomlinson's descriptive writing has the reader actually seeing the Ark - its components, habitats, the game Zero and much more.

The Ark has taken 100's of years to reach a planet which can be colonized. The hopes are that on the planet some of the restrictions like head implants, baby license, etc. will be lifted. Scientist on the Ark have been preparing for years creating seeds that can be used in the soil of the planet as well as other life support and sustenance the colonists will need. There has been no crime of any kind on the Ark since it left Earth.

An important scientist goes missing and then is found outside the Ark floating in space. Benson is the Chief Constable in charge of the investigation. The crew members including the Captain want the death to be reported as suicide but Benson refuses.

The interactions between characters are real and they each have their own backgrounds. The author's sense of humor comes through in Chief Benson's personality and makes the character even more engaging.

The peaceful life on the Ark is about to change - murder - sabotage - cover-ups - theft - secrets - false leads - an underground society not linked by the implants - all make for a fast paced, page turning reading experience.

I received this book free through Netgalley in exchange for a review. For more information about Patrick S. Tomlinson check out http://www.patrickstomlinson.com/
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Fun, thrilling and intriguing space opera
By Mad Professah on December 25, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I had low expectations for The Ark but was intrigued by the high concept of a mystery/science fiction hybrid tale: a violent death occurs on a huge spaceship carrying the last fifty-thousand humans on a centuries-long journey to Tau Ceti after the Earth is destroyed by an encounter with a black hole.

The main character is a male (and manly) cop named Bryan Benson who used to be a sports hero and the setting is culturally familiar enough to Americans, with interesting SF details (digital implants, hundreds of years in the future, living in an artificial environment) and a compelling plot.

The story is peopled with a very diverse cast and the story raises some thought-provoking questions and scenarios: what should be preserved from the cultural heritage of all of humanity, how and when should the death penalty be used when there are only 50k people left, the ethics of forced universal contraception and the permanence of sociological phenomena like elitism, heteronormativity and class and what social structure would be best to insure humanity's survival if we were reduced to the population of a mid-sized city?

All of this is done while Tomlinson manages to deliver a fun, thrilling story that combines an exciting police thriller with thoughtful science fiction. I'm very much looking forward to the sequels of The Children of a Lost Earth as there are several important questions that are raised towards the end of the book which make the reader wanting more. In the end that's one measure of a story well told.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

this is speculative fiction at its finest. More Verne than Wells

Tomlinson has taken a familiar voice--that of the sarcastic and stern private investigator--and breathed new life into it; Benson is visibly and achingly a product of his... Read more

Published 1 day ago by Amin
Interesting Read :)

I read this at just the right time. I was introduced to this author's work by a friend and I am very satisfied with what he has given us. Read more

Published 5 days ago by AE
A solid first installment, I look forward to the next.

The Ark is in a pretty crowded field among Space Ark novels. There are a few ways to pull this off, and Tomlinson starts his off as a crime drama. Read more

Published 9 days ago by T Miesle
A Fast Paced Page Turner

The author brought the characters to life quickly and was able to introduce their persona with just a couple of sentences and the dialogue builds additional depth. Read more

Published 20 days ago by Lynne
The Ark blends two of my favorite genres – science fiction and mystery

Bryan Benson is a detective on a ship with very few violent crimes. So when a man goes missing, Benson is one of the few who believes he was murdered. Read more

Published 22 days ago by SciFiChick
NOT TO BE MISSED!

The plot of this book sounded interesting, so I picked up a copy. WOW! I enjoyed this immensely, so much more than I anticipated. Read more

Published 25 days ago by Ron
Excellent read. I bought the book on a whim ...

Excellent read. I bought the book on a whim because I thought the premise was interesting. I'm really glad I did. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer
A great read for mystery and science fiction readers alike

Tomlinson's first novel a fun mystery thriller in a science fiction setting. The science fiction is well thought out and believable but isn't overpowering The mystery had me... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Shane
A tight mystery thriller wrapped in an excellent sci-fi world. Read...

Fun, engrossing read with a great sci-fi world and back-story. After the first few pages, I was hooked and devoured the rest of the book in a few hours. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Trager

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