My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Heart-stopping action by memorable characters made this a stellar reading experience!
The Oxygen Farmer is an excellent new sci-fi mystery/thriller by Texas author Colin Holmes slated for release early next month and just in time for Christmas gift-giving. Its lunar setting, heart-stopping action, and memorable characters made for an absolutely stellar reading experience.
The main character, Millennium âMilâ Harrison, has lived and worked on the moon longer than anyone else. He's a legend on Earth and among the employees assigned to Armstrong Base. Pushing 80, he's cranky and cantankerous, and after dedicating his life to making the lunar settlements sustainable, his patented oxygen farming process is being replaced by new technology. However, he was fairly accepting of being âretiredâ and living the rest of his life out on his farm, focusing on his other interests, including his relationship with Emma, the only doctor on the moon. Just because there's snow on the roof, you know. In Mil, the author has created a truly multidimensional character.The story begins years after the moon settlements have been established; Mars is now the target of Earth's exploration and expansion aspirations. The author does a great job creating a long-established lunar setting with mentions of past station commanders, making Armstrong Station a routine duty station that employees transfer in and out of, and descriptions of dusty, abandoned equipment and historic sites for tourists to visit that commemorate important milestones in the Earth's space race past.
The action and mystery begin immediately, and surprising plot twists keep the suspense running at top speed. A small thing I enjoyed during Mil's sojourn in Japan were the use of pop culture names for some of the characters such as Ash, Yoshi, Hina. Yet, in this vision of a better future, as the multinational mission to Mars on a space vessel named Humanity prepares to get underway, some humans still revert to type to pursue personal gain while others sacrifice everything for the greater good.I recommend THE OXYGEN FARMER to science fiction readers, especially those who enjoy a planet-side story.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.