Just when you thought it was safe to colonize the Solar System…
The Mars Debacle
A new action adventure sci fi thriller by
Mark Dean Stratus
First book in the Fate of Men space series
What are readers saying?
“This book has an intriguing storyline that kept me spellbound.”
“I have read this book, and I must admit, it is one of the best action books I have read.”
“The Mars Debacle is a valuable addition to the SF literary heritage that I predict people will still be reading decades into the future.”
Novel Summary
More than a hundred years into the future… When astrophysicist Will Carlan, a political dissident of United Planet (UP), is relocated against his will to a remote outpost on Mars, he has no idea what he’s getting into.
Carlan has barely touched down on the red planet when rival Tasurbomurian forces invade. The Tasurbomurians quickly overrun the colony, and they aren’t interested in showing mercy. Carlan suddenly finds himself at the center of a struggle by the colonists to survive. They uncover a dark secret hidden for decades, deep in the subterranean catacombs of the colony that ironically could save their lives. Along the way, one colonist discovers a fleeting hint of the true antiquity of the conflict in which they are now embroiled.
The survivors’ scramble to escape brings a clash of arms with the fierce Tasurbomurian storm troopers under the harsh and frigid conditions of Mars, while a lone UP flagship makes a last stand against Tasurbomurian warships in outer space above.
Carlan just wants to make it back to Earth alive, but he gets swept up in an intricate and deadly contest with more players than anyone realizes. The mysterious leader of the Tasurbomurians has his sights on control of the entire Solar System. Miscalculations by the United Planet leadership and the destruction of their forces on Mars set in motion a cascade of events that will eventually compel humankind to embark on only its second mission to the Alpha Centauri star system — home to a hostile alien civilization.
The Big Picture
The mysterious leader of the Tasurbomurians has set his sights on control of the entire Solar System. The disappearance of a Tasurbomurian ship near Planet Uranus provides the perfect justification to launch a military invasion of Mars, which catches the enemy by surprise.
Years earlier, an ill-fated starship voyage to the Alpha Centauri star system had brought humans in contact with two alien races, the hostile Etonians, and a mysterious civilization known as Arca. The outcome of a brief military conflict had opened up opportunities for interstellar commerce with Arca. With little reason to look beyond the economic profits, the United Planet entered into an alliance with the Arcans.
Now, the conflict between the rival human governments entangles the Arcans and sets in motion a larger drama that may transform this interplanetary squabble into a contest that could lead to the end of humankind. Their only hope may be another trip to the heart of Alpha Centauri, a place where Earthlings and Arcans aren’t welcome.
In the larger Fate of Men space series, Carlan and his unlikely crewmates take a UP starship back to Alpha Centauri ostensibly for scientific exploration. Along the way, the UP starship explores worlds never before seen by the eyes of humankind. But the top-secret objective is to secure a secret technology hidden there during a previous Arcan rebellion and now beyond the reach of Arca. Tasurbomur is determined to get its hands on this prize first, which would both bring the solar system to its knees and threaten the Arcan Empire.
