Three StarZ corporation ships are sent to forge a new
civilization on Mars. But when a massive solar flare cuts off all
communication, no one knows what is happening on Mars. The only one who does -
Commander John Santo - arrived back in an escape capsule: and he has
disappeared.
The Mars Man
by Charles Anthony
Genre: Dystopian Science Fiction
In a world grappling with a climate crisis, a shrinking
population and dwindling resources on Earth, billionaire Ezra Graff has founded
StarZ. Its mission: begin the first Martian colony. The three hundred pioneers
of The Mars Man are the first to venture forth, forging a new civilization on
the rust-colored expanse of Mars. But when a massive solar flare cuts off all
communication, no one knows what is happening on Mars. The only one who does
know is the single occupant of an escape capsule that crashed into the Atlantic
ocean one year after the colony’s founding: Commander John Santo. To get the
full story, they must find him. With time running out until the second wave
launches for Mars, only Commander John Santo knows what is happening to the
first colony as they grapple with the harsh realities of their new home,
confronting the strange environment outside and the forces of evil within.
The Mars Man weaves a tapestry of adventure, intrigue, and
human resilience against the backdrop of a planet that challenges every notion
of survival. With richly developed characters and a narrative that balances
suspense and wonder, Anthony creates an immersive experience that will leave
readers hungry to keep reading.
**On Sale Nov 9-16!**
Escape
19:36 hours
28 February+4 (Martian Days)
Year: 2034
Mars Orbit
Come on. Just a bit more altitude. Otherwise I'm not gonna make it.
The Resupply Vessel was now over the drop zone. In the next 30 to 60 seconds the cargo bay doors would open, jettison cargo and then close again. That had been the window he had been waiting for. It was slipping away with every second.
The forward momentum is gone.
He swore, fogging up his damaged helmet. There was no way the StarZ Escape Pod and the Resupply Vessel could draw closer together. Any second now and his tiny craft would start tumbling uncontrollably to the Martian surface below, smashing into sand and rock with him inside, becoming another piece of rubble alongside the shattered base and fractured landing pads, all that remained of Mars Base One. His grave would be unmarked, perishing in silence like the other colonists had.
The Escape Pod began dipping as it turned towards the Martian surface. The window filled with the ocre sand. The pitch and roll got heavier, started by the spluttering death of first one and then the other two of the three engines. The uneven thrust had warped the craft out of an upright and uniform path. The view alternated between a red Martian tundra and stars. The fuel gauge read 0%, using all the methane they had manufactured. Mars’ claw of gravity took a stronger grip on its prey, tilting and distorting the craft’s trajectory into a downward parabola.
John’s mind veered towards panic. The tiny capsule was not designed for re-entry or controlled landing. The three mini thrusters, spaced evenly around the circumference of the cone shaped capsule were made for adjusting on docking and undocking, not emergencies. Soon it would spin wildly out of control. Even if he could get it on an even plane, there was no way he could land it. Each rotation filled the window with contrasts: the redness of Mars and the void’s blackness, broken only by the thin Resupply Vessel.
He tried to stabilise. He grabbed the two joysticks: one for pitch, the other for roll. He pressed gently. Thinking quickly, he used the Martian redness as a reference point to try and level out. He hoped he could control it just enough and keep it as close as possible to the Resupply Vessel. He turned the left hand for pitch and pushed down for roll. Miraculously, the Escape Pod steadied. Mars’ red curve filled the lower half of the forward view window.
The Resupply Vessel was almost directly above, but still too far. The red surface was creeping up the front viewing window. The craft was also rotating, heading for a flat spin.
He looked up. The Resupply Vessel’s bay doors were opening. The size of whale fins, they shielded his view of the payload that jettisoned out in a flash, powered by many smaller thrusters attached to the cargo. He winced as it passed the Escape Pod by inches to his right. The open doors stayed hanging.
I can crash land inside this craft, or there's just a chance I can...
His 30 to 60 seconds were counting down. His mind worked rapidly.
He punched the belt release and sprang out of the pilot's seat. He had to be quick if his desperate plan was going to work. Pulling himself to the roof, he grabbed the emergency hatch release handle, yanked, and held on as the roof hatch exploded out, carrying him outside. His heart pounded in his suit, looking up at the Resupply Vessel only 50 metres away with the vastness of space all around it.
The Escape Pod began to rotate, flat spinning. Holding onto the handle, he could keep himself in place, but began to feel the growing centripetal force. He had to adjust to the spinning. Like a ballerina, he kept his eyes fixed on the Resupply Vessel. He would need all his concentration for this move. He had to time it perfectly. He did the calculation in his head. Holding onto the ship, he was within the arc of a sling. He could turn the centripetal force of the tumbling craft to a tangential force like a released stone. With his heart counting down like a stopwatch he felt his time slipping away. When the pod swung around again, he released his hand and pushed his legs against its shell. The push sent him away from the pod, however, the uneven force from his two feet (one had been almost fully extended whilst the other was bent) sent him tumbling end over end towards the Resupply Vessel. He was rising wildly. He knew it was only a matter of seconds before the bay doors closed and he would have no way of getting inside. On each forward spin he saw the grab handles used to open the bay doors in emergencies. These handles stuck out like redheads, the same size as emergency release handles on an aircraft. They were a small target, but they were the only thing he could grip onto and stop his momentum. He knew that if he went clean inside, he would smash against the bulkhead and bounce back out. He had to grab the handle in the next two or three rotations. If not, he’d continue on tumbling into space beyond, or Mars would drag him back to its dead surface below. He tensed his muscles. He counted the swings. The handles were so close now.
Three…two…one…
He sucked in one last breath on the bottom rotation. The redness lit his sweaty face for the last time. He thrust out a hand for the handle, hoping against hope that he would find it.
Free use image from Pixabay
Ornery Owl's Review
Rating: Four out of Five Stars
"You are those who will be saving humanity. You'll be building the civilisation of tomorrow."
There is a lot to like about this story: a bold premise, visceral Mars scene descriptions, and thought-proving ethical questions. The plot in this tale of survival and corporate corruption flows logically from one event to the next. The story uses familiar tropes, i.e. human colonization of nearby planets and plenty of corporate hubris, but it combines them with realistic, human-centered stakes. However, some scenes venture into deus ex machina territory. For instance, The Sunrise/Tomahawk resupply destruction felt narratively convenient. Why arm a resupply to destroy buildings? Who authorized the transmission?
The worldbuilding creates a realistic Martian setting including solar flare risk, dust storms, buried ice as a resource, methane production and orbital refueling. The biology/horticulture arc (germination, pH issues, perchlorates) was plausible, and I appreciated the detailed descriptions.
The dialogue works best when it’s direct and scene-specific, i.e. rescue radio chatter and Rover banter. The induction scenes occasionally verge on lecturing and some explanations are rendered via long monologues, such as Ezra's speech and arguments between the technicians.
Favorite Scenes:
- The landing sequence is tactile and tense. "John hit the retro propulsion system…" This was a heart-pounding roller coaster ride.
- The storm scene is very well written. The description of sand, vibration, and the psychological effects on those experiencing the situation is haunting. I could imagine how frightening it was to be in such a situation and felt sadness for those lost to the storm and to the solar flares.
- The ethics of testimony vs. PR debate provided food for thought.
Areas that need work:
- The long induction and lecture sequences (chapters 6–7) venture into info-dump territory. These could be broken down into shorter scenes so as not to lose reader interest.
- In the engineers vs. geo team scene, the dialogue falls into technobabble and sniping.
- The "big reveal" of the '88' and the Resupply Vessel’s destructive function could benefit from earlier hints to avoid reading like a plot device. Who vetted the '88' payload and why were fail-safe measures missing?
- Make Graff's incentives and constraints more explicit.
To move the manuscript from good to great:
- Tighten the rules and keep them consistent, i.e. comms, resupply authorization, suit specs.
- Reduce expository sequences by showing tech and politics in character-driven scenes.
- Strengthen John’s interior arc with small moments that justify his choices and give his transformation emotional weight.
- Tighten continuity and clean up the prose.
A clearer chain of technical and moral causes and a focus on the story's emotional center (John/Kayla/Mike) will deliver the big idea grounded in the stakes the book promises.
Charles Anthony was born in the Hunter Valley, Australia, in
1990. He moved to New Zealand in 2017, obtained a Master of Laws degree from
the University of Auckland and then moved to the Waikato where he works as a
lawyer and is actively involved in his community.
In the summer of 2021 he began writing. Working in the
evenings and on the weekends, he produces short stories, poems and novels. In
2025 he launched his first novel, the Mars Man, on Amazon.
Charles Anthony lives in Hamilton, New Zealand.
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