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Michael Martin
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Crimsy: Gripping, funny, near-future science fiction Kindle Edition

by Michael Martin (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 142 ratings
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Lawyers, governments, and trillionaires battle young scientist Jen Zendeck and her research team for ownership and control of the greatest discovery in history: a harmless bacteria from the planet Mars.

A realistic take on science fiction 20 years from now, CRIMSY is perfect for fans of Andy Weir and Michael Crichton.

IF we discover life on the planet Mars, what will it really be like? Orson Welles' marauding giants, declaring war on our world? Or the creature from the 2017 film Life that crushes an astronaut's hand?

Will it drive an exotic space ship, have superhuman powers, or look off-the-charts weird?

None of those things, say real-life scientists.

Martian life will be more like the harmless bacteria nicknamed "Crimsy" that lives in frozen saltwater deep beneath the planet surface. And instead of the alien bringing Earth to the brink, humans do that, fighting in courts and capitals over everything from patent rights to provenance.

Who will get credit for and profit from the greatest discovery in history? It's a battle royale that explodes across Crimsy, with humor, irony, hard science, high-stakes action, and plenty of plot twists, including one you may never see coming.

Goodreads and advance copy readers say:

"Loved it! Amazing plot. Very insightful on the scientific parts of the story. Great writing."

"Scientific backstory excellent!"

"Paints a picture of true scientists and the values they share. I recommend Crimsy to those who enjoy good dialogue, thrillers, and realistic fiction."

"Great characters and lots of thought-provoking problem solving. My type of book."

"A funny, thought-provoking, and well-written story of space exploration, politics, and the moral issues of scientific investigation."

Previous page
  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    November 6, 2020
  5. File size
    1675 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

About Crimsy, from Amazon, Goodreads, and advance copy readers:

"So good! The characters are so interesting and I loved reading how things were going, the various events and how it's not just focused on Mars but does go pretty deep into each character. I really loved the way hints were given here and there about things I don't want to spoil. It was not overly obvious/all in your face, but it was still there and really brought together some part of the story. The end can be considered a bit abrupt, but it felt like it made sense and wasn't really coming out of nowhere. Not sure if the author plans to write more about it, if yes I'll happily read more!" -- Baya, Goodreads

" Lots of good things about this book. Probably not everybody's cup of tea in the long elements which deal with what it is like to work in a multidisciplinary research team. But if you ever have, it is one of the very few pieces of literature which actually deals with the working life of a scientist. Mind you having a Fields medal winner on the team is not that common! When the heroine emerged as what she is at the end, was I surprised. But this actually works and I can see the sequel." -- Dr. David Byrne, Goodreads

"Extremely well written and enjoyable. It really captured the ups and downs of graduate student life so well I felt like I was back in graduate school. It was a pleasure to read the science, especially the familiar microbiology, but even the unfamiliar was rendered so creatively and realistically that it was a pleasure to read and imagine. A truly awesome read." -- R. Shane Gold, Goodreads

"This just punched all the right buttons for me. It had the very real feel of Mercury-Gemini-Apollo, Skylab, ISS, Space Shuttle, Voyager, and Carl Sagan's "quest' for life on Mars. Great characters with a well-developed story and twists to keep you on your toes. Crimsy screams for a sequel." -- Bill, Goodreads

About the Author

Michael Martin is a science, technology, and social justice journalist. For Science Magazine, Mike broke the story of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's attempt to gag his Chief Science Adviser over a climate change controversy. Other UK publications followed the piece, including The Independent and Daily Telegraph. After Mike profiled her mysterious seven-year disappearance for Psychology Today, famed evolutionary biologist Margie Profet reunited with her family when a reader reported her whereabouts to authorities. Mike has been a member of the National Press Club, the National Association of Science Writers, and Local Independent Online News publishers association.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08MXY3PK6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Heart Beat Publications, LLC (November 6, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 6, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1675 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 142 ratings

About the author

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Michael Martin

Michael Martin

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Hello dear readers and thanks for checking out my bio. I'm a veteran science, technology, and social justice journalist. I like to weave history and facts into my fiction because I enjoy learning new things when I read for pleasure and entertainment. I hope you enjoy my books and keep checking back for new reads to come.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
142 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Maureen H
5.0 out of 5 stars Every page is amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
The cover of this book had me expecting a lighthearted space romp. It is not that. It's so much better! Every word was interesting and incredible to behold, from the liftoff of Marsmicro to splash down at the end.
The science is layman enough to be interesting yet informative. The characters are amazing and their stories add to the overall story in a good way.
I found myself very attached to Crimsy and wondering if she's already been found but we're just not being told.
I definitely recommend this book to lovers of space, Mars, easy-to-read science, and well-written stories.
One person found this helpful
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Shaun Green
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2022
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Very-Near sci-fi. The science is very recognizable and believable, the author obviously has a very good understanding of the way the science community works. The characters are well rounded, their personal lives / problems are interwoven with the greed and jealousies of the Tech community.
I loved the reference to "...the social media meltdown over the Cloud's intrusiveness following the 1st covid crisis, digital junkies went back to phones, text and ironically good old face-to-face."
I live in hope :)
One person found this helpful
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J. J. Mount
3.0 out of 5 stars A Potentially Good Story that Tried to Do Far Too Much
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2023
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I generally like space sci-fi and adventure stories. This one did a pretty good job of presenting possible near-future science and technology. A lot of it seemed realistic, excepting the EM Drive and Quantum Entanglement instant communications. I see the quantum entanglement stuff in a lot of current sci-fi stories and I just can't buy it. I really liked the presentation of the great complexity and conflicts of a huge space mission carried out by multiple nations, agencies, universities, corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals. The science dealing with the Martian life-form was very well done. My biggest complaint with the book is that it tried to do way too much. All the personal drama of the lead character and her interactions with her team members was too much. I found it hard to keep all the characters and issues straight. The timeline(s) were hard to follow. A lot of pages were spent on side stories that were unimportant or not resolved, at least in this book. There was plenty of good stuff in this book, but it should have been trimmed by at least 25% and not jumped around nearly as much.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
Crimsy is an excellent book. The science is right on (as of 3/2022) and if the reader doesn't know that much about the hard science they will still enjoy the book as total fiction. The "personal" parts of Crimsy are attention grabbing and you are drawn into the lives of the main characters .... wanting to know more about these fascinating people. You will find clues left for the reader making you wish for more.....much as I am hoping for follow-up stories and/or books. I feel confident that many others will find Crimsy as captivating and enjoyable as I did. This book should be read by hard-science as well as science fiction fans.
One person found this helpful
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Alvadog
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Writing
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
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The author is an excellent writer who's story flows along smoothly. The characters feel real and believable. He writes about what he obviously knows. The science is solid including the speculative parts. Enjoyable slowly building plot twist that slowly builds. Well Done. Hope there's a sequel.
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sls4ak
5.0 out of 5 stars Common tropes used in an uncommonly good story.
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2022
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This book is not without some flaws, so perhaps 4.5 stars is more correct, however it is very good. World-building is solid. It is a longer read than most which suits my tastes, but not for all readers. Language is clean enough, only mildly salty with the occasional f-bomb. No gratuitous sex or violence, some references to addiction, both alcohol and drug, and the enablers who support them. Character development is better than most. Plot is roughly predictable but done well. I want more and am following this author.
One person found this helpful
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john white
4.0 out of 5 stars Story has too many holes
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2022
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The bug should not have DNA if truly from Mars. Too many unknowns running around. An okay story. Well worth the free.
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Stephen Fleming
2.0 out of 5 stars Arrrgh.
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022
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I’m only on page 20, and the author (a science journalist!) is claiming that quantum entanglement enables faster-than-light communication. No, no, a thousand times no!

I’ll keep reading for now, but that doesn’t give me a lot of reasons for optimism.

———

Alright, I finished. Still never figured out who all the characters were. In general, it was an interesting premise, awkwardly expressed, until twenty pages from the ending. When all rationality, continuity, and common sense went out the window as the author tried, and failed, to bring off a dramatic plot twist.

Very disappointed. The author clearly has some domain expertise (minus several screaming technical howlers). This could have been a good book if a good editor had aggressively red-penciled it.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

mredeye
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Conclusion !
Reviewed in Canada on March 12, 2024
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Although the story starts rather routinely, it really picks up the pace as the tale progressed. The governmental and other authority sectors always sticks their oars in to stall the action but in the end the characters emerge successfully although it took a real strange turn at the end. The space sequences are great and truly gripping with the weird robot ‘s actions when departure is almost done. The ending made this story worthwhile.
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Colleen
5.0 out of 5 stars Not an easy read but a fascinating one
Reviewed in Australia on March 17, 2023
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Sometime in the not too distant future, a team of scientists discover and retrieve bacterial life on Mars. But there's a problem. The powers that be won't let them study it. So begins an epic story of determination and scientific passion which ends in a thrilling and unpredictable climax. I was awestruck by the scientific knowledge, imagination and detail that went into this novel. It wasn't an easy read, but I didn't want to put it down either, and the finish just blasted me. Oh, and it's not just about technical stuff either, there's love and tragedy and family issues... really this author has a tremendous talent.
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