It is the year 2051 and the International Space Institute has just sent two rival astrobiologists to search for extraterrestrial life on Europa, the mysterious ice moon of Jupiter.
Welcome to one of the March 13th stops on the blog tour for Moon Life by Marlene Fabian Stiles and Hank Fabian with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
The Not-Totally-Apocalyptic Near Future
It wasn’t a random decision to choose the year 2052 for the setting of “Moon Life.” Since Jupiter’s orbit around the sun is elliptical, that is the year the giant planet will be in closest proximity to the Earth. It stood to reason that an initial exploration of Jupiter’s moons would be slated for this optimal window, but we still had to imagine what Earth in the mid twenty-first century might be like.
In “Moon Life” space travel has made significant advances mostly thanks to a creative entrepreneur, Sally Stein, the CEO of StarRides Inc. Sally’s team has developed a new artificial gravity system and also an ion torrent engine that greatly accelerates travel in our solar system.
Since we were adhering to hard science as much as possible, we followed the advice of our astrophysicist cousin David who reminded us, “The speed of light is the speed of light.” So we resisted the temptation for instantaneous communication with Earth. Transmissions between Earth and Jupiter take 45 minutes no matter how dire the circumstances.
StarRides Inc. offers “bright side” excursions to our Moon for Earth’s wealthy elite, but in 2052 the global economy is deep into recession. Despite the devastation of climate change that has either flooded vast regions of Earth’s temperate zone or turned them into deserts, countries are backsliding to the use of fossil fuels as they drain the last of Earth’s resources. Widespread automation has also contributed to social and economic unrest and labor unions are only partially successful in blocking the use of robots in the private sector. Even the international Moon Base and the Mars Base rely on robotics for mining. Desperate people turn to charismatic though self-serving leaders who promise a better life for the common man and few people are interested in scientific exploration unless it’s tied to monetary gain. If this sounds familiar, it’s our deduction of how current events will play out over the next two decades. We won’t mind being wrong.
Want more? Check out this interview with Hank Fabian!
About the Book
Moon Life
by Marlene Fabian Stiles and Hank Fabian
Published 8 July 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Page Count: 398
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
It is the year 2051 and the International Space Institute has just sent two rival astrobiologists to search for extraterrestrial life on Europa, the mysterious ice moon of Jupiter. What they encounter could not only revolutionize science, it might make one of them the most famous person on Earth. Or does the Universe have other plans?
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Excerpt
Charlie was right, the phenomenon was curious. If these holes had been created by gas bubbles, why were they uniform and spaced so evenly? Dismissing the peculiarity, she began a photographic assessment of the tunnel wall.
At one point, she discovered a fissure wide enough to squeeze through and marked her location on MySpeak’s guidance system so she could retrace her steps. Then she crawled into the fissure on her hands and knees. As her light relaxed the shadows’ grip, she stared in amazement at the spacious chamber before her. Her headlamp revealed a domed ceiling interlaced with natural archways reminiscent of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Shimmering bulbs of water the size of walnuts hung from the arches like crystal ornaments. One by one they broke loose and fell in a reluctant rain, delicately splashing into a shallow pool cradled on the rocky floor.
A translucent brilliance caught her eye, and she centered her light on a glimmering mineral cluster that resembled a cache of rare gemstones. Pale green crystals seemed to come alive as her light danced across their facets. This is what he saw, it must be. Now she was grateful for her hammer. Striking the crystal as hard as she could multiple times, she finally broke off a small sample.
The raw beauty of this chamber invoked an overwhelming sense of awe as well as a realization that nothing could live on this barren moon; her mother had nothing to fear. Ming Yue conceded that she was relieved as well.
She took one final picture, then closed her eyes and spoke a silent prayer. Please let Pleiades find us so my brother can see these. A sobering possibility crept over her: she was the first human to see this fantastic grotto, and she might also be the last.
About the Authors
The family that writes together stays together, so siblings Marlene Fabian Stiles and Hank Fabian co-authored a science fiction adventure that explores Jupiter’s moon Europa as two rival astrobiologists race to be the first to find extraterrestrial life. This discovery should ensure the winner fame and fortune, but the Universe has other plans.
Hank is the guy walking around with a long lens camera and binoculars, a tourist of the world fascinated by every creature that moves and every plant that grows. He teaches biology and helped devise a college genetics program. As a scientist he likes to work with facts, so there’s a possibility that the creatures he’s created actually exist!
Marlene is the president of a nonprofit, The I Will Projects, dedicated to advancing educational venues that include a middle school aquaponics program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club which received a NASA grant. She writes in multiple genres and also has published “Elderchild,” an Alzheimer’s narrative written in the first person. She shares Hank’s love of the natural world and is dazzled by the interconnectivity of all living things.
Hank: Goodreads | Amazon | Marlene: Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
One randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.
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Looks like a very interesting book.