Mars Frontier Novel - New web location

RobS · 2004-02-06 00:50:46

My novel *Mars Frontier* is now going up on the web at this location:

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm]http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm

I plan to add a chapter every week or so. I've been revising a lot since the first few chapters went up on the New Mars Forums in the fall. I'd welcome comments.

-- RobS

Rxke · 2004-02-06 12:53:13

AT LAST! :;):

Seriously, I'm glad you're going to further it, was a nice read, i thought it was ideal to read on a monitor (but i regularly read whole books on my computer, so i'm weird that way...)

(EDIT: all chapters, and an overview of the Mars24 technology [http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/] here )

RobS · 2004-02-07 09:46:40

I don't know what happened with Adrian's plans to post it. I have several volumes of the story written, so I can be posting chapters for some time.

RobS · 2004-02-13 00:23:30

Chapter 5 is now up:

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/chap5.htm]http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/chap5.htm

If anyone has comments or questions, this is as good a place as any. Shall I put up the chapters 1 per week, or a bit faster?

--RobS

Rxke · 2004-02-13 09:57:01

One per week is a good way to keep suspence going, and comments, too, tha way you eventually get more people reading it, going 'what's all that talk about RobS novel?'

of course, i'd love to rea it all in one go, but then what to do with my sorry life tomorrow?

Rxke · 2004-02-13 10:39:30

Ugh. Me and my big mouth... Can hardly wait for the next chapter to appear.

Nice going RobS. The unmanned/manned approach is nice: not too obvious advocacy, just pointing out now and again the advantages manned presence has above telerobotics...
I totally agree that a 'plumber/McGyver on Mars would be worth billions, repairing and jury-rigging fragile equipment, fixing simple problems that are unsurmounatble otherwise...

In a way it would be a good thing to have one of the rovers have a 'flat tyre' or something trivial, so people would realise a human could fix it in no time, while now it would be a big problem. (Not that i wish that to happen to the rovers, just making a point.)

RobS · 2004-02-15 21:41:22

Don't worry, they'll run up against the limitations of their robotic rovers soon enough.

-- RobS

Rxke · 2004-02-15 23:35:38

Err... i meant the real rover, dunno if you do, are you referring to your novel or...

I think they are there already, judging to all the comments going: "why didn't they check XYZ feature?"

Don't get me wrong, beautiful machines, but they're woefully inefficient compared to a human, even in a cumbersome spacesuit....

RobS · 2004-02-20 23:09:20

I just posted the next two chapters:

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm]http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm

RobS · 2004-02-27 22:42:47

I just added chapter 8 as well:

[http://www.rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/chap8.htm]Chapter 8

RobS · 2004-03-08 00:15:11

I just added chapters 9 through 12:

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm]http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm

I'm picking up the pace because I'm writing volume 9, so I might as well close the gap a bit; not that anyone will read that far!

-- RobS

Rxke · 2004-03-08 01:28:07

Judging from the hits this topic gets, people *do* read it, RobS. :up:

RobS · 2004-03-11 23:07:53

I'm glad to hear someone's reading it; comments and suggestions are welcome. I just posted two more chapters. I'll post two a week for the next four weeks, then the appendix, then turn to volume 2.

-- RobS

clark · 2004-03-11 23:15:45

Here is an exercise that may help you, or others, get an idea of what your story is about.

One sentence, try to encapsulate what it is, or what you are trying to do with the story.

Is it a romance? A mystery? A prophecy? Do stars explode and gods born?! Do you mesmerize, tantalize, or merely tickle the funny bones of our imagination?

Whatever it is that you are doing though, keep it up.

RobS · 2004-03-12 09:56:41

The novel is science fiction and follows three of the six members of Columbus 1, the first mission of humans to Mars in 2021. Three stay on Mars, two marry, and they become chief advocates for advancing exploration and settlement of the world. Each volume covers one "columbiad," the period between arrivals of new missions (the term just comes from Columbus, the name of the project).

Technologically, the novel uses a version of the "Mars 24" technology I have posted about elsewhere.

I have now advanced the story to Columbus 9 and 2038.

-- RobS

Rxke · 2004-03-12 10:32:05

I actually cursed out loud this morning, when I saw you had, only minutes ago, posted the new installment! I had to catch a train to an utterly boring class, was a hard decision to make: stay put and read it, or brave the cold and spend two braindulling hours after a boring trainride... My disciplin won...

Plus side: now i can read it with a peaceful mind, and more fully enjoy it. Too bad for the spoiler, though! :laugh:

RobS · 2004-03-21 23:21:26

I've just posted chapters 14 and 15.

-- RobS

RobS · 2004-03-27 00:50:42

Now chapters 16 and 17 are up as well.

-- RobS

Rxke · 2004-03-27 02:31:41

And as a service to new potential readers, or people too lazy to go back a page and actually look for it (heehee!) here's the link to the index:

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm]http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm

PS: Rob, I PMmed you with a comment, because otherwis it would be a spoiler... let me know it it didn't get through, i don't trust my maildelivery too much anymore...

RobS · 2004-04-02 22:56:00

I've just added chapters 18 and 19. Next week I'll put up the last two, then move on to volume 2!

-- RobS

RobS · 2004-04-09 23:32:04

I just posted the last two chapters of volume 1. I'll put up the appendix tomorrow or the next day. Here's the web address of the completed work:

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier/1/titlepage.htm]Mars Frontier, Volume One

-- RobS

SBird · 2004-04-10 11:40:12

RobS - excellent work so far. I started reading a couple weeks ago and this is probably the best Mars serialization I've read. It's great to finally read some Mars fiction that has well-developed characters and good writing.

Novels like the Rocket Company are interesting reading for the technical content but man, the writing quality seems to be trying to give me an aneurysm or something.

RobS · 2004-04-10 11:52:18

Thank you, I appreciate your comments. I don't read the Rocket Company for the characters; indeed, the authors don't write the novel for that purpose, either. I'm not sure my novel is very good with characters, either. Indeed, subsequent volumes get less and less interesting that way, though the development of Mars is fun.

-- RobS

RobS · 2004-04-10 23:52:48

I've now set up a directory for volume 2 and uploaded chapter 1. I've also created index.htm files to make the site easier to get to. You can now go to

[http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier]http://rsmd.net/MarsFrontier

And you'll get a main page for the novel.

-- RobS

Mundaka · 2004-04-11 20:11:32

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2004-02-06 00:50:46

Re: Mars Frontier Novel - New web location

#2 2004-02-06 12:53:13

Re: Mars Frontier Novel - New web location

#3 2004-02-07 09:46:40

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#4 2004-02-13 00:23:30

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