One Way

by S. J. Morden

Overview

Stranded on Mars with seven other convicts, one man must fight for survival on a planet where everyone's a killer in this edge-of-your-seat science fiction thriller for fans of The Martian.

Former architect Frank Kittridge is serving life for murdering his son's drug dealer, so when he's offered a deal by the corporation that owns the prison — he takes it. He's been selected to help build the first permanent base on Mars. Unfortunately, his crewmates are just as guilty of their crimes as he is.

As the convicts set to work on the frozen wastes of Mars, the accidents multiply.

Until Frank begins to suspect they might not be accidents at all . . .
Dr. S. J. Morden trained as a rocket scientist before becoming the author of razor-sharp, award-winning science fiction. Perfect for fans of Andy Weir's The Martian and Richard Morgan, One Way takes off like a rocket, pulling us along on a terrifying, epic ride with only one way out.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316522182
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	04/10/2018
Series:	Frank Kittridge Series , #1
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dr. S. J. Morden has won the Philip K. Dick Award and been a judge on the Arthur C. Clarke Award. He is a bona fide rocket scientist with degrees in Geology and Planetary Geophysics.

Editorial Reviews

04/23/2018
Morden (author of the Petrovitch Trilogy and others as Simon Morden) sets this sharp thriller in a crisply imagined near future. Former architect Frank Kittridge is serving a life sentence for shooting a drug dealer. He’s made an offer he can’t refuse: travel to Mars with seven other convicts who have a number of necessary skills, and set up the Mars Base One habitat for NASA scientists. After months of grueling training and almost a year of cryosleep, they arrive on Mars and soon find out that their supplies are scattered miles away. Nevertheless, the group must get the job done, all under the eye of devious overseer Lance Brack. The death of their transport specialist shortly after arrival kicks off a series of deaths due to mystifying accidents, and emails and internal memos indicate that their employer doesn’t have their best interests at heart. Frank, a capable but refreshingly ordinary protagonist, resolves to root out the culprits and stop the killings. Morden makes the science accessible as he steadily ratchets up the tension and paranoia, fully utilizing the starkly beautiful but utterly deadly setting. A bloody finale paves the way for further installments. Agent: Antony Harwood, Antony Harwood Ltd. (U.K.). (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"A stunning novel that mixes science, fiction and mystery into an exciting tale."—RT Book Reviews

"Morden expertly melds the genres of science fiction and mystery in this whodunit set on Mars."—Booklist

"Sharp thriller in a crisply imagined near future...Morden makes the science accessible as he steadily ratchets up the tension and paranoia, fully utilizing the starkly beautiful but utterly deadly setting."—Publishers Weekly

"A provocative premise, with an interesting main character... Morden brings it together nicely in the last pages, setting up the premise for an exciting sequel."—Los Angeles Times

"A claustrophobic, high-tension, survival-against-the-odds thriller."—Guardian

From the Publisher

In the near future, a shady organization sends eight convicts and one tyrannical overseer on a high-risk mission to Mars. What could possibly go wrong? Narrator William Hope is a good match for protagonist Frank Kittridge. Frank is a relatively decent everyman, wearily resigned to a life sentence for murdering his son’s drug dealer. But then comes the unlikely chance to build a research station on Mars. Hope’s voice has a get-the-job-done quality that keeps Frank grounded even after he’s been launched into space. As events spiral out of control and crew members start mysteriously dying, Frank remains a much-needed focal point for listeners. Hope capably fleshes out the supporting cast and is especially memorable as the crew’s grating and bombastic taskmaster, Lance Brack. A.T.N. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile

In the near future, a shady organization sends eight convicts and one tyrannical overseer on a high-risk mission to Mars. What could possibly go wrong? Narrator William Hope is a good match for protagonist Frank Kittridge. Frank is a relatively decent everyman, wearily resigned to a life sentence for murdering his son’s drug dealer. But then comes the unlikely chance to build a research station on Mars. Hope’s voice has a get-the-job-done quality that keeps Frank grounded even after he’s been launched into space. As events spiral out of control and crew members start mysteriously dying, Frank remains a much-needed focal point for listeners. Hope capably fleshes out the supporting cast and is especially memorable as the crew’s grating and bombastic taskmaster, Lance Brack. A.T.N. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile