“For lovers of Andy Weir’s The Martian, here’s a true hard-science-fiction tale set on the red planet — a terrific blend of high tech and high tension, of science and suspense, of character and crisis.” — Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award–winning author of Red Planet Blues “Post-apocalyptic disaster meets fractured utopian space exploration in this terrifying tale, which Cawdron (Anomaly) sets in a scientific outpost on Mars . . . This tense cat-and-mouse game plays off fears . . . to satisfying result.” — Publishers Weekly Venturing into space and traveling to Mars sounds like an exotic adventure, but the reality of living on a rocky, frozen, lifeless planet is exacting on the Mars Endeavour crew. The exhilaration of reaching the surface of Mars has worn off for the public, and the exploration has moved into its scientific phase. The only viable option for long-term habitation lies hundreds of feet beneath the surface, in lava caves that shield humans from harsh cosmic radiation. Connor, Harrison, and Liz are senior members of the U.S. module. When war breaks out on Earth and rumors spread to Mars, their core principles are rocked by the devastation and loss of friends and family. Whom can you trust on an international mission when your countries are at war? As colonists from different nations struggle to figure out what really happened on Earth, grief and anger become pitted against camaraderie and the spirit of exploration. “Science fiction as it should be. Retrograde combines realistic characters with depictions of Mars as our explorers will one day find it in a powerful story. A must-read!” — Ben Bova, Hugo Award winner and author of the Grand Tour series

"After almost dying on Mars, astronaut Liz Mathieson returns to Earth, but not to a hero's welcome. America is in turmoil. The war is over, but the insurgency has just begun. Heartbroken and treated with suspicion, she finds herself caught up in the guerrilla war being waged on Earth, wondering if the AI threat is truly gone, or if it has only just begun"--

Trixie & Me is the second of series of stand-alone novellas exploring alternatives to the Rare Earth Hypothesis in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Trixie and Berry are trapped on an alien space ship. Berry can't move, but he seems to understand what's going on. Trixie is confused, she has no recollection of how they ended up in the dark depths of an alien war craft. She struggles to comprehend even the simplest of principles, struggling to speak, but she is free of her chains, so she is Berry's only hope. They must escape their captors and warn humanity about this sinister threat coming from the galactic core.

Savannah is the third in a series of stand-alone novellas exploring alternatives to the Rare Earth Hypothesis in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. How did a nurse from Chicago find herself on a voyage to the outer reaches of the galaxy? After taking up a position in an exclusive hotel in Kenya, Diana finds her world turned upside down by the advent of the equatorial space-port.

War is the fourth in a series of stand-alone novellas exploring the Rare Earth Hypothesis in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The crew of the Rift Valley are being chased through a star cluster by marauding aliens intent on harvesting their genetic diversity. With limited options, being out-gunned and out-paced by the alien warships, the Rift is running out of options.

Galactic Exploration is a compilation of four closely related stories following the exploration of the Milky Way by the star ships Serengeti, Savannah and the Rift Valley. These three generational space ships are manned by clones and form part of the ongoing search for intelligent extra-terrestrial life. With the Serengeti heading out above the plane of the Milky Way, the Savannah exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy, and the Rift Valley investigating possible alien signals within the galactic core, this story examines the Rare Earth Hypothesis from a number of different angles. This volume contains the novellas: * Serengeti * Trixie & Me * Savannah * War

Serengeti is a short story exploring an alternative to the Rare Earth Hypothesis in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Set two hundred years in the future, the Serengeti is a generation star-ship, venturing out above the Milky Way, searching for signs of intelligence. The crew discover far more about the nature of sentient life than they imagined possible.

Ashley Kelly is your typical American teenager—or she would be if it weren’t for the cluster bomb that crippled her. Seven years after the invasion, over a hundred million Americans have been displaced by the war, with millions more dead. Ash has spent seven years learning to walk again, and she’ll be damned if she’s going to lie down for anyone, human or otherwise. FIRST CONTACT is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.

Generation of Vipers is the sequel to Wherever Seeds May Fall. Two years have passed since comet Anduru skimmed the clouds of Saturn on its way to Earth. Kath and Nolan are looking for answers, trying to find ways to protect Earth from the possibility of an invasive alien species overrunning the planet. The US Presidential Election changes the political landscape. With new, hostile leadership, Kath and Nolan find themselves out of favor. Lies continue to dominate social media. Perhaps the greatest threat doesn't come from the stars. Perhaps there's already a generation of vipers here on Earth. FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. It is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact. Although Generation of Vipers is a sequel it has been written so it can be read as a stand-alone novel.