It is 2040 and the 'Race to Mars' is long over. A large group of 'expendable' senior scientists has been sent on a one-way trip to establish a permanent Martian colony. Eccentric recluse Sam Aiken shuns the soft life in the 'Tube'. With his quirky Rollagon AI he explores the polar caps, Valles Marineris, climbs 'The Face' and Olympus Mons, digs through the wreckage, cast-off equipment and graves of early explorers and finds an ancient Martian lifeform. Delusional, manipulated by unseen forces and tormented to the edge of madness he drifts aimlessly through the Mars of Bradbury, Heinlein and others in search of sanctuary. He uncovers instead the shocking ruse behind the Colony and the ultimate reason why he was spared.

If you found the many acronyms confusing you can get the Glossary of Terms from my Blog at colonisationofmars.com

TCOM1 was written for the most part while the author was traveling and working in the Canadian Arctic during 2006-2011 and has been edited often since then (as recently as 2019) to keep abreast of developments in the exploration of Mars and to 'fix' some story lines (George Lucas did it!). The author's experiences as a technician, technologist, Military Officer, Project Manager and late-to-the fold Pink Floyd/Roger Waters and melodic progressive music fan have greatly influenced the two TCOM books. He is still a consultant to the Defense Communications Industry and still travels frequently to the Canadian Arctic, in all seasons.

TCOM2 continues the story of Sam Aiken on Mars. It was written between 2011 and 2018 and underwent many changes in that time that made it less in the style of TCOM1 and turned it into something else. It does answer many of the questions left unanswered in TCOM1 (some intentionally, some not) but it is not the same in terms of pacing and the attempt to mimic classic sci-fi of the nineteen thirties, forties and fifties (although there is some of that too). Music influenced the writing of TCOM1 in some ways, mostly subtly. Music is present in TCOM2, for a different reason.

Orion is the story of the 1970s nuclear powered spaceship that appears in TCOM1 and TCOM2.

Warning! This book is not for those younger than 55. It is about a one way trip to Mars in 2040 by 150 senior, 'expendable' scientists to finally establish a permanent Martian colony. It is a book about loss, about regret, about being the last human on Mars and serves as a cautionary tale to Mars astronaut wannabes.