![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/PlanetsideCover.jpg?resize=190%2C300&ssl=1\")
By Michael Mammay\nHarper Voyager; ISBN: 978-0062694669
\nPaperback, 384 pages. \u00a92018\n
<\/p>By Michael Mammay
\nHarper Voyager; ISBN: 978-0062694669
\nPaperback, 384 pages. \u00a92018\n
When the son of a powerful politician goes missing on the front lines at Cappa Three, General Serata calls Colonel Carl Butler to investigate. Butler protests; he\u2019s semi-retired, done years in cryo already, and besides, he\u2019s got ugly history with that planet. But Serata is a good friend, and he makes an offer Butler can\u2019t refuse. He accepts it against his better judgment figuring that at most, it will be five months out, a week to investigate and file a report, five months back, and he can finally retire.<\/p>\n
But things aren\u2019t as cut and dried as the general implied. Butler smells trouble from the moment he arrives at Cappa base. Lies and blatant obstruction by base personnel tell him something is very wrong. What\u2019s worse, his digging stirs up a hornet\u2019s nest. And when people start dying around him, both on base and planetside, Colonel Butler knows there\u2019s far more to this mystery than anyone let on.<\/p>\n
This is Michael Mammay\u2019s debut novel and a damn fine read. Characters were all fully fleshed out and believable. Dialogue sounded realistic, like something you\u2019d really hear in the given situation. Colonel Butler, in particular, felt true to what I would expect. A decorated war hero about whom books have been written and courses in the military academy are taught, he is savvy, smart as hell, and experienced at thinking on his feet. Walking through the mystery with him, seeing how his thought process pieced it all together, and cheering at his occasional lucky breaks, I was completely invested in his success. When things went very wrong, I was biting my nails beside him, breathless to see whether\/how he would scrape out of this mess.<\/p>\n
Planetside<\/em> is a military sci-fi novel, and you feel it from page one. Every scene takes place on a military base or in a combat situation. There\u2019s no mistaking the martial objective in Butler\u2019s mission. Even the pacing felt clipped and crisp, which added to the realism of the story for me, especially given the plot. Military jargon\u2014and a good share of swearing\u2014filters into the dialogue and into Butler\u2019s internal thoughts, but not so much that it\u2019s unintelligible or hard to follow. Hell, it wouldn\u2019t feel like a military novel without the F word, but Mammay doesn\u2019t overdo it. Still, you don\u2019t have to be a military sci-fi fan to enjoy the book. There\u2019s a damn good mystery here, too, one you can sink your teeth into.<\/p>\n As for the science, we\u2019re talking hard sci-fi that addresses actual hurdles of space flight. Ships travel for months at a time, sometimes more than a year, through multiple jump points between bases. Communications between bases are relayed through the jump points\u2014not instantaneously, but delayed in a realistic fashion. Passengers and crew travel in stasis pods, and thus age differently from their stationary family members. Details outside the travel aspect also fit this standard. Weaponry, planetside transports, and base tech all feel futuristic enough to be engaging for a military with bases on far-flung planets, yet totally plausible. Soldiers who lose an appendage are outfitted with robotic replacements (to a point). The reader gets the solid impression that all this is old news because the officers and crew take it in stride, so it seems as real for us as it is for them.<\/p>\n I will say that I figured out a crucial piece of the plot twist early on in the book. I don\u2019t know why; it isn\u2019t like Mammay gives it away. He\u2019s quite good at weaving the mystery in such a way that the reader doesn\u2019t really know for sure what the hell is going on, or who\u2019s a good guy, and who\u2019s a bad guy. In fact, none of the characters are all one or the other. Still, I wasn\u2019t certain of my conclusion, and the suspicion definitely did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel at all. In fact, isn\u2019t that what one does when reading a mystery? Try and figure it out before the end?<\/p>\n With its fast pace, tight focus, and relatable characters and settings, Planetside<\/em> drew me in completely. I started reading it on a Saturday afternoon and finished it Sunday night. I would have finished it sooner if I could have shirked all my duties. I didn\u2019t want to put it down and I certainly didn\u2019t want it to be over.<\/p>\n Good news\u2014there\u2019s word on the wind that Mammay got a two-book deal with this, and I hear that Colonel Carl Butler isn\u2019t done with us yet. If you love Planetside<\/em> as much as I did, that might be the best news you\u2019ll hear all day.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Michael Mammay Harper Voyager; ISBN: 978-0062694669 Paperback, 384 pages. \u00a92018 When the son of a powerful politician goes missing on the front lines at Cappa Three, General Serata calls Colonel Carl Butler to investigate. Butler protests; he\u2019s semi-retired, done years in cryo already, and besides, he\u2019s got ugly history with that planet. But Serata…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/PlanetsideCover.jpg?fit=316%2C499&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-fU","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1640,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/06\/parable-of-the-talents\/","url_meta":{"origin":986,"position":0},"title":"Parable of the Talents","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"January 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Book 2, Earthseed Novels By Octavia Butler Open Road Integrated Media, Inc., ISBN: 978-1-4532-6543-7 Paperback, 320 pages. \u00a9 2012 (Originally published 1998) In 2032, Lauren lives with her husband Bankole, their infant daughter Larkin, and the rest of the Earthseed community on an isolated piece of land they\u2019ve named Acorn.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/ParableOfTheTalents.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":830,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/04\/kindred\/","url_meta":{"origin":986,"position":1},"title":"Kindred","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"June 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By Octavia Butler Beacon Press, ISBN: 978-0807083698 Paperback, 264 pages. \u00a9 2003 Dana and her husband, Kevin, are unpacking boxes in their new home the first time she is called away. A wave of nausea and dizziness are her only warnings before the world around her fades to black and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/KindredCover-203x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1618,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/26\/parable-of-the-sower\/","url_meta":{"origin":986,"position":2},"title":"Parable of the Sower","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"December 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Book 1, Earthseed novels By Octavia Butler Open Road Integrated Media, Inc., ISBN: 971-1-4532-6542-0 Paperback, 320 pages. \u00a9 2012 (Originally published by Four Walls Eight Windows, 1993) It is 2024. America has all but collapsed under climate crises and economic duress. Only the very rich or powerful live without fear.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/ParableOfTheSower.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":230,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/06\/26\/the-seventh-victim\/","url_meta":{"origin":986,"position":3},"title":"The Seventh Victim","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"June 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Mary Burton Kensington Publishing, Inc. \u00a9 2013 ISBN 978-1-4201-2505-4 Mass Market Paperback, 362 pages, $7.99 When Texas Ranger JAMES BECK arrives at the crime scene, the details\u2014victim clad in a home-made white dress, blonde hair fanned out around her head, and a penny clutched in one hand\u2014seem familiar somehow.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SeventhVictim-183x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":620,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/08\/story-endings\/","url_meta":{"origin":986,"position":4},"title":"Story Endings","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"March 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Writers know that the first few lines in a short story or novel are crucial. It is those precious few seconds during which we must grab the reader\u2019s attention and make them want to read more. We spend a great deal of time getting the beginning just right, sometimes going\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/SmudgeEndings-263x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6308,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/17\/project-hail-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":986,"position":5},"title":"Project Hail Mary","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Andy Weir \u00a9 May 4, 2021 File Size: 11.6 MB ISBN-13: 978-0593135211 Ryland Grace awakens from a coma with no idea who he is, where he is, or what happened to put him there. Only time, and slowly returning memories fill in the blanks. He\u2019s a middle-school science teacher.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A single human figure in a white space suit attached to a long white tether floats in the midst of a background that is half gold and half black. Text reads \u201cProject Hail Mary,\u201d \u201cAndy Weir, Author of The Martian.\u201d \u201c#1 New York Times Bestseller.\u201d And \u201cAn epic story of redemption, discovery, and cool speculative sci-fi. \u2013 USA Today.\u201d","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ProjectHailMary-195x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=986"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":988,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986\/revisions\/988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}