Review of Impact
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ken4512
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Review of Impact
[Following is a volunteer review of "Impact" by Mark D. Owen.]
Mark D. Owen’s novel Impact is a futuristic and gripping science fiction story. Tamarind Chase, Flax Venture, Almond Brighten, and Dr. Kohlrabi Trust are best friends and graduates of the renowned Pan-National Leadership Institute (PNLI). Their names are a combination of a plant and an action word, part of the mystique of the PNLI. Tamarind, Flax, and Almond are co-owners of their company, DroneTech, in Colorado. Tamarind is a gifted scientist and inventor with an incredibly creative mind and problem-solving abilities. Flax is their visionary VP for Business Development. Almond is a gifted biochemist with intuitive creativity, applying nature to practical inventions. Kohlrabi Trust is the governor of Moonbase Verity, the extraterrestrial research base on the Moon. Kohlrabi is a legendary scientist who applies mathematics to research and experimental methods. As governor of Moonbase Verity, he oversees the research of 224 scientists from 14 countries. He has rare and unique abilities to understand people and is greatly respected by other scientists.
The novel Impact begins with the deadly collision of a spaceship with a module of the International Space Station (ISS). The resulting explosion kills the astronauts on board the spacecraft and the ISS module. The two countries whose astronauts are killed in the explosion accuse each other of being responsible for the deadly collision. The situation escalates when the two countries destroy each other’s satellites in Earth’s orbit. In a cascading effect, known as the Kessler Syndrome, the falling space debris destroys other satellites. A global space war erupts as other nations exploit the situation, disabling or destroying each other’s satellites. The space debris field expands exponentially. The result is devastating, as the entire world community is affected. Until the deadly space debris is cleared out, no new satellites can be launched. The space industry collapses.
Tamarind is a scientist at heart and starts a new company, Dark Matter Venture. He wants to return to space exploration and a long-held dream, asteroid mining.
The story turns even more riveting when an unknown object is observed in space, hurtling from beyond Earth’s solar system, on a direct collision course with Earth. Its direct impact will be deadly beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mark D. Owen’s futuristic hard science fiction novel Impact because of its remarkable characters and twisting and turning storyline from start to finish. I thought the character development was outstanding. In one way or another, to one degree or another, the novel keeps the four central characters, Tamarind, Kohlrabi, Flax, and Almond, connected.
I liked how each character’s extraordinary talents and capabilities emerge in the story. Most especially, I liked how their bonds of friendship endure through the extraordinary situations in which Earth finds itself and how Tamarind, Flax, and Almond provide critical scientific and technological leadership during Earth’s most difficult challenges to its very survival. I was particularly struck by Kohlrabi’s impact and influence as a mentor who could inspire Tamarind to come up with brilliant solutions to scientific and technological problems.
I loved the quotes that appear at the start of each chapter. Many quotes are from Kohlrabi’s journal, and others are by Tamarind, Flax, or Almond. The quotes set the tone for each chapter and added great depth to the storyline and character development. In particular, I think the quotes convey what was very important to the PNLI graduates and close friends: to use creativity, science, mathematics, and engineering to benefit humanity.
I found the most challenging aspect of this hard science fiction novel was to follow, to one degree or another, details of scientific phenomena, theories, and concepts, as well as the technological details of various devices. However, what helped me was the settings in which these details emerged, specifically in team meetings and specific goals. For example, Tamarind was open-minded, giving every team member the opportunity to present their ideas and come up with practical solutions to turn an idea from a concept to an actual invention. He drew experts from his teams to build the devices needed for the projects.
I am rating Mark D. Owen’s futuristic hard science fiction novel 5 out of 5 stars because of its outstanding characters and intriguing potential futuristic technical and scientific developments. I liked the settings and turn of events that show Tamarind’s brilliance in coming up with solutions to extremely challenging and apparently intransigent problems.
I liked the characters (and the quotes) because they combine the mystery of discoveries with finding purpose in creativity, philosophical perspectives, and ethical values. From start to finish, the twists, suspense, and mysteries kept pulling me further into the story. The scenes and settings are dramatic, expressing the challenges of space exploration and the irresistible mystery of space beyond Earth. I highly recommend Mark D. Owen’s novel Impact to fans of futuristic hard science fiction, space exploration, and space opera.
******
Impact
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Mark D. Owen’s novel Impact is a futuristic and gripping science fiction story. Tamarind Chase, Flax Venture, Almond Brighten, and Dr. Kohlrabi Trust are best friends and graduates of the renowned Pan-National Leadership Institute (PNLI). Their names are a combination of a plant and an action word, part of the mystique of the PNLI. Tamarind, Flax, and Almond are co-owners of their company, DroneTech, in Colorado. Tamarind is a gifted scientist and inventor with an incredibly creative mind and problem-solving abilities. Flax is their visionary VP for Business Development. Almond is a gifted biochemist with intuitive creativity, applying nature to practical inventions. Kohlrabi Trust is the governor of Moonbase Verity, the extraterrestrial research base on the Moon. Kohlrabi is a legendary scientist who applies mathematics to research and experimental methods. As governor of Moonbase Verity, he oversees the research of 224 scientists from 14 countries. He has rare and unique abilities to understand people and is greatly respected by other scientists.
The novel Impact begins with the deadly collision of a spaceship with a module of the International Space Station (ISS). The resulting explosion kills the astronauts on board the spacecraft and the ISS module. The two countries whose astronauts are killed in the explosion accuse each other of being responsible for the deadly collision. The situation escalates when the two countries destroy each other’s satellites in Earth’s orbit. In a cascading effect, known as the Kessler Syndrome, the falling space debris destroys other satellites. A global space war erupts as other nations exploit the situation, disabling or destroying each other’s satellites. The space debris field expands exponentially. The result is devastating, as the entire world community is affected. Until the deadly space debris is cleared out, no new satellites can be launched. The space industry collapses.
Tamarind is a scientist at heart and starts a new company, Dark Matter Venture. He wants to return to space exploration and a long-held dream, asteroid mining.
The story turns even more riveting when an unknown object is observed in space, hurtling from beyond Earth’s solar system, on a direct collision course with Earth. Its direct impact will be deadly beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mark D. Owen’s futuristic hard science fiction novel Impact because of its remarkable characters and twisting and turning storyline from start to finish. I thought the character development was outstanding. In one way or another, to one degree or another, the novel keeps the four central characters, Tamarind, Kohlrabi, Flax, and Almond, connected.
I liked how each character’s extraordinary talents and capabilities emerge in the story. Most especially, I liked how their bonds of friendship endure through the extraordinary situations in which Earth finds itself and how Tamarind, Flax, and Almond provide critical scientific and technological leadership during Earth’s most difficult challenges to its very survival. I was particularly struck by Kohlrabi’s impact and influence as a mentor who could inspire Tamarind to come up with brilliant solutions to scientific and technological problems.
I loved the quotes that appear at the start of each chapter. Many quotes are from Kohlrabi’s journal, and others are by Tamarind, Flax, or Almond. The quotes set the tone for each chapter and added great depth to the storyline and character development. In particular, I think the quotes convey what was very important to the PNLI graduates and close friends: to use creativity, science, mathematics, and engineering to benefit humanity.
I found the most challenging aspect of this hard science fiction novel was to follow, to one degree or another, details of scientific phenomena, theories, and concepts, as well as the technological details of various devices. However, what helped me was the settings in which these details emerged, specifically in team meetings and specific goals. For example, Tamarind was open-minded, giving every team member the opportunity to present their ideas and come up with practical solutions to turn an idea from a concept to an actual invention. He drew experts from his teams to build the devices needed for the projects.
I am rating Mark D. Owen’s futuristic hard science fiction novel 5 out of 5 stars because of its outstanding characters and intriguing potential futuristic technical and scientific developments. I liked the settings and turn of events that show Tamarind’s brilliance in coming up with solutions to extremely challenging and apparently intransigent problems.
I liked the characters (and the quotes) because they combine the mystery of discoveries with finding purpose in creativity, philosophical perspectives, and ethical values. From start to finish, the twists, suspense, and mysteries kept pulling me further into the story. The scenes and settings are dramatic, expressing the challenges of space exploration and the irresistible mystery of space beyond Earth. I highly recommend Mark D. Owen’s novel Impact to fans of futuristic hard science fiction, space exploration, and space opera.
******
Impact
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Tachyon Tunnel 2 by Michael Gorton
