Spaceside

by Michael Mammay

Overview

From the author of Planetside, a Best Book of 2018 (Library Journal)

A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…

Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he’s just there to impress clients and investors. It’s all relatively low risk—until he’s entrusted with new orders. A breach of a competitor’s computer network has Butler’s superiors feeling every bit as vulnerable. They need Butler to find who did it, how, and why no one’s taken credit for the ingenious attack.

As accustomed as Butler is to the reality of wargames—virtual and otherwise—this one screams something louder than a simple hack. Because no sooner does he start digging when his first contact is murdered, the death somehow kept secret from the media. As a prime suspect, he can’t shake the sensation he’s being watched…or finally succumbing to the stress of his past. Paranoid delusion or dangerous reality, Butler might be onto something much deeper than anyone imagined. But that’s where Butler thrives.

If he hasn’t signed his own death warrant.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062694683
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Series:	Planetside , #2
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	193,536
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michael Mammay is a retired army officer and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. He has a master’s degree in military history and is a veteran of Desert Storm, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He lives with his family in Georgia. www.michaelmammay.com

Editorial Reviews

This was a brisk, entertaining novel. [...] I was reminded a bit of some of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War novels.

SFFWorld

A fast-paced tale of military investigation that reads like a blend of Jerry Pournelle and NCIS. Michael Mammay brings an exciting and authentic voice of experience to military science fiction.”
 

Peter McLean

A tough, authentic-feeling story that starts out fast and accelerates from there.”

Jack Campbell

If Cold Welcome and Old Man’s War had a love child you might get something like PLANETSIDE. And it would be, and is, pretty damn awesome. I would say it’s awesome for a debut novel, but that isn’t nearly praise enough. It’s just plain awesome.

Reading Reality

In Planetside Mammay mixes a brevity of prose with feeling of authenticity that would be remarkable in many experienced authors, let alone in a debut novel. Definitely the best military sci-fi debut I’ve come across in a while.

Gavin Smith

Not just for military SF fans—although military SF fans will love it—Planetside is an amazing debut novel, and I’m looking forward to what Mammay writes next.

Tanya Huff

PLANETSIDE is a smart and fast-paced blend of mystery and boots-in-the-dirt military SF that reads like a high-speed collision between Courage Under Fire and Heart of Darkness.

Marko Kloos

Planetside, the debut novel by Michael Mammay, is an easy book to love. [...] a page-turner and an extremely satisfying read.

Washington Independent Review of Books

The book was an enjoyable read and would likely sit well with any fan of military SF looking for an action-thriller to browse while lying in the sun at the beach.

Chris Kluwe for Lightspeed Magazine

Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. [...] Spaceside is an incredible second outing from Michael Mammay, who has a truly bright future in the science fiction genre.

Unseen Library

If you like military SF you’ll love this or if you like SF mysteries or probably just SF in general. It’s a highly impressive first novel that left a real impact.

SFCrowsnest

Spaceside is a worthy sequel to Planetside and Mammay once again successfully delivered another highly entertaining page-turner. The cleverly mixed mystery and military sci-fi element made this relatively small book packed with a strong impact, and I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a fast-paced mystery/sci-fi read.

Novel Notions

08/30/2019

Col. Carl Butler, known as the "Butcher of Cappa" after the events in Planetside, is retired, divorced, and has a cushy job in a corporation that conducts battle simulation bonding retreats. He's bored, depressed, and drinking way too much. Until his boss gives him a mission to investigate a security breach—at their biggest rival. Butler finds a contact but discovers little—until his source is killed. And Butler starts seeing the ghosts of his victims. He keeps investigating, his mission gets militarized, and he's kidnapped and offered as a sacrifice to the survivors of his victims. Butler knows he's slated for death but feels alive for the first time in two years. And he just might find a piece of redemption. This military sf/mystery mashup is driven by the universe-weary voice of old soldier Butler, haunted by his last mission but too stubborn to let go. Through his perspective, we experience both his darkness and his determination to see through an investigation that will probably get him killed but that he hopes will balance out his guilt. VERDICT Butler's wry commentary on the military establishment, corporate skullduggery, and life in general feels honest and real. Highly recommended for military sf lovers, who will savor his perspective and probably want to buy the man a drink.—Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA

Library Journal

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