An asteroid storm is coming that will destroy Earth.
A mysterious group within the government led by Colonel Cruikshank knew the storm was coming. They took extreme measures to keep the storm secret while building underground cities to protect the few and the fortunate. Cruikshank’s goal is that after the storm, his survivors will emerge from the protected cities as a more perfect humanity. He will create his utopian society named Arcadia, no matter what it takes.
Rick Munday is a husband, father, and struggling Astrophysicist who needs his grant approved. When Cruikshank learns that Rick’s grant proposal predicts the asteroid storm, he is drugged, kidnapped, and taken to an underground city named New Arcadia.
On his quest to escape from the Arcadians and get home to his family, Rick and new friends use their high-tech skills to warn the world of the coming disaster and expose the underground cities. Captain Kobalt, Cruikshank’s enforcer chases Rick and his friends across America leading to a climactic conflict between Rick and Kobalt.
Asteroids–Bridge to Nowhere is a fast-paced near-future dystopian adventure. Watch out! Tribulation will get you out there….
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: “Asteroids: Escape from the Arcadians” is a well-plotted, fast-paced book. McCoy's narrative style flows well between the various characters' stories and holds the reader's attention with dramatic tension and enough twists to keep one eagerly turning the pages.
Prose/Style: McCoy's combination of everyday language and scientific jargon is extremely well-balanced. There isn’t a boring passage in the book. McCoy has a gift for creating images using minimal words.
Originality: Although asteroids hitting Earth is not a new story idea, McCoy manages to bring a fresh approach to his apocalyptic plot. From the futuristic weapons to the artificial atmosphere of New Arcadia to the vampire-like antagonist who gains immortality from the blood of children, to two characters' use of Klingon as code, this story is full of unique ideas.
Character Development: The characters are realistic and believable in their actions and reactions. The hero, Rick, is a very likable and unlikely hero, an arc which McCoy carefully develops. The main villain, Colonel Cruikshank, is a dead-on representation of a sociopath bent on ruling the world at any cost. The supporting cast of characters is very diverse with little or no overlaps in either behavior or traits.
Date Submitted: April 03, 2019
Asteroids starts off a little slow, but it is well worth the read. What Clive Cussler does for action/adventure, Mike Mccoy does for science fiction. He has captured a fresh perspective on the future. The gamer aspect was timely and exciting. I am anxious to see where McCoy takes us next.
Protagonist Rick Munday is an astrophysicist with a unique theory concerning asteroids. Unfortunately, his theories are all too true and the government is desperately trying to cover up the fact that a massive, civilization-crushing meteor storm is imminent. Essentially kidnapped by a government faction planning for its own survival in Utopian underground cities, Munday must escape, avoid the pursuit of a zealous military assassin, and travel across a disaster-ridden country to rejoin his family in California. While attempting this, he also does everything he can to expose the government’s plans and save as many people as possible.
Munday is a great hero, fully relatable with plenty of vulnerability, humanity, and resourcefulness. However, many of the secondary characters are just as vividly rendered. Particularly the egomaniac Colonel Cruikshank, who is the delightfully believable, but totally unhinged leader of the dystopian cities.
The fast-paced plot is a kaleidoscope of fun science fiction themes, beginning with the puzzle and reveal of the government conspiracy mixed with some well-handled astrophysics. Various doomsday prep scenarios are explored from the intricate details involved in creating a sustainable underground network of cities, to family-level shelters, down to individual cases. Also thrown into the mix is a vigorous online gaming virtual battle, political wrangling, high-risk space missions, multiple love stories, and some philosophical musings about who can and should be saved when helping too many could threaten the survival of everyone. Author Mike McCoy’s skill somehow keeps all these elements together in a compelling narrative.
The menace of the meteor strikes is starkly conveyed and the peril facing the various characters throughout feels real. This isn’t one of those books where millions die but improbably, all the characters we’re invested in miraculously survive. This allows the tension and suspense to remain high through most of the various plotlines.
ASTEROIDS: Escape from the Arcadians is a very good read, and especially impressive for a first-time novelist. Almost every aspect of the massive, multi-pronged plot held together very well, but I thought two of the somewhat minor plotlines could have benefited from more attention. The military assassin in pursuit of the hero story was compelling but the resolution seemed artificial. Likewise, the political betrayal that underpinned the secret cities narrative felt glossed over and too facile. Fortunately, these are minor flaws. In a book so loaded with fun, they are easy to overlook.
ASTEROIDS: Escape from the Arcadians is an extremely immersive adventure with memorable characters, tons of high-tech flourishes, and, despite being a massive book, debut novelist Mike McCoy keeps things moving briskly.
~J.V. Bolkan for IndieReader
Verdict: 4.3 STARS ASTEROIDS: Escape from the Arcadians is an extremely immersive adventure with memorable characters, tons of high-tech flourishes, and, despite being a massive book, debut novelist Mike McCoy keeps things moving briskly.
I read an advance copy of “Asteroids Escape from the Arcadians” over the weekend. It was truly a page turner. The characters in the book were so relatable and interesting. I loved how descriptive the author was with the science of Asteroids. I can see this book becoming a movie some day.
