HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS by Paul Dalzell-a review

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 24, 2020

He Might Still Be On Mars is a thriller set in the latter years of the 26th Century. Mankind has spread out into the rocky planets of the Solar System and the rocky moons of the Gas Giants such as Jupiter and Saturn. Despite light speed and near light speed travel, the number of people emigrating to these new worlds is in the doldrums.
This lack of enthusiasm is driven primarily by the savagery of raids by pirate chief, Wilson Black. Powerful politician and scientist, Stella Ling, sends Owen Bone and his Synthetic partner Sandi Shaw on a manhunt for an absconded husband, Freddie Ling. This is camouflage for a plan to eliminate Wilson Black. Owen and Sandi are subject to terrifying injuries and stresses that test what it means to be human and Synth. In overcoming these challenges, they find help in the most unlikely places, leading to a showdown with Black in the frozen remote taiga forest of Siberia.

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REVIEW: HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS by Paul Dalzell is an adult, sci-fi stand alone story of suspense focusing on galactic bounty hunter Owen Bone, and his synthetic partner (synth), an artificial intelligence being named Sandi Shaw.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Owen Bone) HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS is set in the year 2586 wherein millions of people have emigrated to a number of the planets in the solar system, planets that have been augmented to sustain human life but like present day Earth, there remains the political wars, racial tension, specieism, classism, discrimination, and evil that break the laws, and perpetrate heinous crimes upon innocent victims. Owen Bone is a renowned bounty hunter who has been hired by the wife of a missing Chinese billionaire but our hero will soon discover his real target is an intergalactic space pirate, a cyborg whose methods are dangerous and often fatal. As Owen begins his hunt for Wilson Black, our hero will amass a posse of powerful politicians, scientists, thieves, hunters and his own band of pirates in an effort to stop the man who intends to stop them all.

HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS is a slow building story in which we are witness to the numerous attacks against Owen Bone; his ill-fated capture, imprisonment and eventual rescue; and his dogged determination to take down Wilson Black. From Mars to the frozen tundra of Siberia, Russia HE MIGHT STILL BE ON MARS pulls the reader into a galactic journey; a hunt and rescue; a take down and capture; a story of love, life (artificial, real or a combination thereof): revelations and retribution; a little bit of Star Wars ala Han Solo episodes 4, 5, & 6 😉 , Star Trek Total Recall and Babylon 5. There is plenty of scientific and fictional terminology-prepare to be transported to a world that is but a dream – or- nightmare away.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy