Author Jon Waskan carefully weaves strong characters into a mystery/thriller of technology on hyper drive. "Cold Trap" leaps right into the action, starting with the development of a quantum computer by a tiny Sacramento, Calif. company and jumping ahead quickly to a mysterious and deadly discovery in the cold depths of one of the Moon's massive craters. Waskan builds tension continuously through deeply developed characters. Once the conflict is established, the author gives the reader context and deep background through several main characters. The one who stood out to me is Sanchia "Moochy" Moichera, a brilliant scientist who grew up poor as dirt in Mexico. Her story could be that of any immigrant. She comes from less-than-opportune circumstances and crosses the border to live with an aunt. Because the extreme sacrifices made by her brothers to get her to another life in the United States, Sanchia doesn't let them down. She meets kindly geology professor Og Rowley, who gives her a spot on his team. wise, he's captured the attention of Lester Keppel, the developer of the super-powerful computer that puts everything that came before it back in a relative technological stone age. Og's far-sighted geological theories capture Keppel's interest, and he ends up working on a Moon base where crews mine water particles that collect in the depths of craters that never see the light of the sun. The plot has quite a few twists and turns, but it all centers on the disappearance and ly death of Sej Nharavi, Moochy's love interest. He finds something in the Shackleton crater but is immediately set upon by some unknown force. Moochy arrives minutes later but can't find him. That leaves Og to sort it out. Og is no superman. He's just a regular guy. But somehow, he finds the energy to avoid multiple attempts on his life, usually in zero atmosphere. This is where Waskan ramps up the pace. The book took me two days. Once I started, the rest of my life went on hold. I stayed up way too late twice. By the early morning of the second, I read the author's note at the end about cold traps and their economic treasures. Waskan also hit on global economy, the dangers of potential stagnation and how everything could unravel. Yay. That and climate change. Waskan's a writer to keep on the radar, hearkening back to the old days of the big concepts of Asimov and Heinlein.2 s Rita MonticelliAuthor 19 books138

Scroll down for the English version.

La Luna: affascinante e letale

Subisco da sempre il fascino della Luna e delle storie ambientate nel nostro satellite naturale, per cui quando mi sono imbattuta in questo romanzo, che tra l’altro costa pochissimo, non ho potuto trattenere il mio indice e in meno di un minuto era già nel mio Kindle. E posso dire che è stato uno dei migliori acquisti fatti negli ultimi anni.
La storia è ambientata in un prossimo futuro nel polo sud lunare, dove è stata creata una base di ricerca nelle vicinanze delle cosiddette “cold trap”, trappole di freddo, cioè quei crateri d’impatto il cui fondo, trovandosi ad altissime latitudini, non riceve i raggi solari da quando esistono e in cui del ghiaccio d’acqua è intrappolato, mescolato alla regolite e ad altri materiali, inclusi alcuni elementi rari di notevole interesse economico.
L’autore mescola con maestria una scienza plausibile e molto accurata nei dettagli con delle ambientazioni suggestive, mostrate attraverso i sensi dei personaggi, che solo a loro volta ben sviluppati e realistici. L’impressione di trovarsi sul suolo lunare durante la lettura è reale. E lo sono anche le emozioni dei protagonisti durante le rocambolesche scene ricche d’azione e di suspense. In altre parole questo libro ha tutto ciò che cerco in un romanzo di fantascienza hard.
L’ho letto in pochi giorni ed ero talmente presa dalla storia che non vedevo l’ora di mettermi nel letto col mio Kindle per continuare la lettura.
La storia si conclude con un grandioso colpo di scena, anche se a un certo punto l’avevo previsto, ma ho apprezzato persino il fatto di averlo visto arrivare per via della sua perfetta logicità all’interno della trama e per il modo astuto con cui l’autore ha orchestrato i vari indizi che mi hanno portato a prevederlo.
Se devo indicare un difetto, che però non va a inficiare il mio giudizio finale, devo dire che avrei preferito che i flashback relativi al personaggio di Moochy fossero più brevi e intermezzati con la linea principale della narrazione. Invece sono inseriti in pratica nel bel mezzo della storia, interrompendo del tutto l’azione per raccontare la storia di Moochy, rischiando di farci dimenticare i dettagli della trama principale e allontanando la stessa trama dalla fantascienza.
Nonostante questo non posso che giudicarlo una grandissima opera prima.


The Moon: fascinating and lethal

I’ve always been intrigued by the Moon and the stories set on our natural satellite, so when I came across this novel, which is also very cheap, I couldn’t hold my index finger and in less than a minute it was already in my Kindle. And I can say it was one of the best purchases made in the recent years, concerning books.
The story is set in the near future in the lunar South Pole, where a research base was created in the vicinity of the so-called “cold traps”, i.e. those impact craters whose bottom, being at very high latitudes, doesn’t receive the solar rays since when they exist and in which water ice is trapped, mixed with regolith and other materials, including some rare elements of considerable economic interest.
The author skilfully blends a plausible science, very accurate in the details, with the evocative settings, shown through the senses of the characters, which in turn are well developed and realistic. The impression of being on the lunar ground during the reading is real. And so are the emotions of the protagonists during the daring scenes full of action and suspense. In other words, this book has everything I look for in a hard science fiction novel.
I read it in a few days and I was so taken by the story that I was looking forward to getting in bed with my Kindle to continue reading.
The story ends with a great plot twist, although I had expected it, but I d even the fact of seeing it arrive because of its perfect logic within the plot and the smart way in which the author has orchestrated the various clues that have led me to predict it.
If I have to indicate a defect, but it isn’t going to affect my final judgment, I must say that I would have preferred that the flashbacks related to the character of Moochy were shorter and interspersed with the main line of the narrative. Instead they are placed practically in the middle of story, breaking completely the action to tell the story of Moochy, threatening to make you forget the details of the main plot and pushing the plot itself away from science fiction.
Despite this, I can only judge it as a great debut novel.
ebook sci-fi1 J4

I was kindly asked by the author to read "Cold Trap" and provide an honest review. Cold trap was a really engaging, well written sci-fi novel that was a superb read in my opinion. I read this book in a little less than three days and honestly, I found it hard to put down. It's been a while for me since a book has peaked my interest so much. I think I just found the overall story's premise and plot to be extremely interesting and relevant in light of all the recent news coverage regarding topics including strategic metals, international interest in mining and colonizing the moon, cold traps, and what a realistic interpretation of what lunar life and advanced technology may look in the near future. In addition there are several larger important themes the author introduces that would ruin the story if written here.

From the very beginning, I found the author's writing style to be smart, witty, and engaging with very plausible storylines, subject manner, and technological and biological concepts that seemed extremely relevant for today. The words just seemed to flow effortlessly off the pages and were easily assimilated. I didn't have to reread a chapter or back track pages to figure out what in the hell the author was trying to convey. Chapter lengths were not too long and formatting was very good with relatively minor editing issues. I especially thought the author did a good job at interspersing chapter timelines appropriately between the present and past. The author was good at weaving storylines in a way that you didn't always know if a character was actually good or not.

The story includes a main protagonist and numerous secondary characters that each added greatly to the depth and direction of the story. In addition, dialogue between characters seemed very realistic with a decent amount of sarcasm and wit thrown in (e.g., Jewish trio). There is a scene in particular where the author uses choice words to describe the main protagonist cleaning himself up after an adventure laden ride to the lunar outpost. I was chuckling to say the least. The humor the author threw in had the desired effect of making the characters that much more believable and likable. I agree with other reviewers that one of the main character's background may have been a bit drawn out, but there must have been a reason for it (possible romance angle?).

To answer the author, I think a sequel could work, but maybe one with different characters that takes place further down the road in time (e.g., when technology would have to catch up to be believable) within a different planetary environment mentioned repeatedly in this novel. It could be interesting to explore how explorers would travel there and what they would encounter once they arrived.

Overall, "Cold Trap" is a well-researched, well written sci-fi novel that seems pretty plausible in many respects (not all). I would highly recommend "Cold Trap" to those interested in a fast paced technological sci-fi thriller that is relevant to today's geo-political atmosphere.

Jeff
indieproofreader@gmail.com2 s Tony Parsons4,156 87

Sacramento CA, Dr. Ogden Rowley (Og, former Keppel, Unity Science Team, geologist, biologist) got his friend Dr. Sejkin Nharavi (Sej, crew member, Keppel-NASA, Mumbai, Nature) a referral & reference to go to work for Lester (Les) Keppel of Keppel Computing LLC (research institute, Sacramento). Keppel Co. had designed/implemented the Cube quantum computer (semi-prime; algorithm; cryptographic puzzle).

Seg was approved by ISA. Seg then was sent to Lunar South Pole Aitken Basin (Moon. Unity Outpost) to rescue the Rover 11 (Restricted Zone) & do other research. Seg later is hired by Ertel Fassbender (Chair of Geology) in LA. Lester Keppel wants him to come work for his company also.

Later Chief Chiamaka (Cam) Henry (Security & Safety, piolet, URSA nationals) told everyone Sej has disappeared. Gil Leland is searching for him.

Dr. Morris Maxwell (psychiatrist; Pentagon; Keppel Corp) came to see Dr. Ogden Rowley to talk with him about Dr. Sejkin Nharavi & Dr. Sanchia Moichera (f, Moocy, Frank G/F, Unity crewmember).

Dr. Sanchia Moichera left Colonia Chilpancingo to see Tía Leandra who now lives in east LA. Eric. (Moocy fiancé, construction projects) is killed by a crane in a construction accident.

In the end Senator Alvin Thorndike (Georgia) who leads the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee meet with Dr. Rowley (Og) about the Unity program & the Keppel corp. Eunice Kilgare, Senator Marcia Haney (Missouri) also spoke up & ask questions.

Will Moochie & Sej fall in love?

Who/what is Dr. Maxwell involved in?

What will happen to Seg, Cam Henry, & Dr. Nharavi?

Who/what is/are the Seed? Who/what is/are the Midas units?

Who/what is Commander Petro Lutz (Ukraine; Entente) involved in?

Wow, the historical part at the end (Ukraine, Crimea) & now as I finish this book Russia shoots down a plane the 3rd week of 7/2014. I have loved the NASA program since I was 5. The most ridiculous thing the US did, doing away with that program. Finally got to go to Cape Kennedy (Canaveral) with my 2 kids/their friends after the 1996 Olympics (Atlanta). Something I will forever cherish the rest of my life.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written outer space sci-fi book. It wasn’t always very easy to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. No grammar errors, repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make great outer space sci-fi movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. 1 you have to read to the very end. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free book (Story Cartel)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
1 Greg Tymn144 5

There are things I look for in any good book: 1) can I picture the scenes with the same "minds eye" that the author wishes to convey? 2) Does the plot hang together and is it interesting? 3) Does the technology employed (particularly in SF) make sense in relation to the time frame of the novel and if it is advanced technology, does the author provide some basis for his speculative approach? and, finally 4) Is the book interesting? Is it a page turner? Does the author employ the rule of Chekov's gun?

Cold trap far exceeded my expectations in many areas related to those aforementioned questions. There was more than adequate descriptive prose devoted to the moon, Unity base and the operations thereof. Little time was spent on the travel to and from the moon, which has become boring to most 21st Century readers. The plot was well executed with enough mystery thrown in to heighten the suspense. The technologies described made sense along with the speculations on mitochondrial evolution and cryogenic effects.

But, as with any new author, things aren't always perfect. There seemed to be a bit too much time spent on Moochie's backstory which had little to do with the plot. I don't know why it is in the book and Chekov would have red-lined the entire sequence. I also felt that Og's dialogue was a bit stilted at times...perhaps a bit too cliche' and out of character. However, other than reducing Og's believability a bit, the rest of the dialogue was solid and credible.

All in all, Cold Trap was an enjoyable read and well worth the time of SF readers who enjoy new authors and new ideas. For those reasons, I rated the book 5 stars. If this book was published by a seasoned author, it would probably drop to 4 stars. 1 Adam OsterAuthor 13 books18

Seemingly summoning hard science fiction experts Michael Crichton and thriller fanatics Tom Clancy, Waskan has done an amazing job of crafting a story in Cold Trap that engages the mind both in learning more about the world we live in as well as trying to figure out the mystery brought about at the location on the south pole of the moon.

Cold Trap is, quite simply, a novel that deftly treads the line between hard science fiction and thriller, never getting to bogged down in either so as to forget the other half of the troublesome genre, and effectively creates a world of political intrigue that causes the reader to question which side is really right. In fact, by the end of this novel, the reader should question, along with Ogden Rowley, the protagonist, which path is the least morally objectionable.

But don't think that this is simply some political thriller masked by a shroud of scientific fact. Waskan brings in a hefty amount of science fiction fun, as should be expected on the moon, as well as death-defying action that causes the reader to wonder how the protagonist is still alive after the first third of the book is complete.

In short, this is definitely a must read for fans of the genre, and a great debut novel from a budding indie author. 1 Liquid Frost599 23

Jon Waskan’s debut novel, Cold Trap, is a refreshing sci-fi read that I’d position near the middle of the HSF and SSF spectrum. Mixed within, but not overdone, are Eukaryotes, Strategic Metals, Tralphium, and of course, Cold Traps, as well as Dataspecs (Google Glass on steroids), Quantum Computing, and 3D Printing. The reader gets some interesting science and engineering mixed with murder, sabotage, and translucent creatures.

The story mostly takes place at Unity, a multinational outpost on the Moon. The group is mapping and drilling for strategic metals that are limited on Earth, but needed to continue the technological advances of humanity. Some areas are of secret importance, but are off-limits to all but one scientist; this is where the ‘fun’ is found.

Waskan leaves the action to flesh out some backstory for the characters, which turns out is needed and worthy of the diversion. After reading the book, I feel you will ‘know’ the characters and should be able to envision the settings on the Moon. If you enjoy sci-fi with some interesting theories and actual science, Cold Trap should prove worthy of your time. There were minimal editing errors and the dialogue wasn’t stilted.

Read August 2014: Author supplied the book
read-20141 Larry B GrayAuthor 6 books157

Cold Trap by Jon Waskan is a great example of how to combine sci-fi, mystery and a thriller into one great novel. This is an exciting book to read from page one to the end of the book.

The author is a very good storyteller and I really d his style of writing. He developed a story that was both believable and real. It was easy to get involved in the story and follow along with the adventure. There were plenty of plot twist and turns which kept me glued to its pages.

Jon Waskan did a great job of developing his characters. By providing the right amount of background info, he made each of the characters come alive and made them more believable. It was easy to follow and cheer for our hero as the story developed.

I really d Cold Trap by Jon Waskan and I highly recommend this book to all readers.


[Please note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.]
1 W. LawrenceAuthor 4 books67

Cold Trap is a solid sci-fi whodunit with a few twists that bend you at just the right moment. Clever plot that keeps a human edge to it - a quality I am convinced needs to be there for the story to take you past chapter 1.

Waskan sets a very believable stage on the moon for a murder mystery, then puts into play an interesting set of characters to work on it. Great details on moon living.

Interesting note that I found an article online that actually described the planning stage of a moon colony which mimicked Jon Waskan's vision in Cold Trap.

There are some problems in the book that other reviewers have brought up which I broadly agree with, but they don't detract enough to make you dis the book. The editing is done well, so you aren't picking up a book that is filled with typos and poor structuring, something that is common these days unfortunately.

Cold Trap is worth your money and your time. I recommend picking it up!1 J. BattleAuthor 20 books11

Big themes, real characters, a tense and complex plot, written with pace; just what I want from a Sc-Fi novel. Waskan delivers all of this and more in this dramatic story set on the Moon.It may be a debut novel, but he handles the story brilliantly, with more than a little bravado. The story is great fun, filled with delightful touches such as one character replicating her aunt's garden on the moon and a quite puzzling kiss.

Highly recommended.

The next book I see with Waskan's name on it, I probably won't even bother to read the blurb before I buy it. If you Asimov, Clarke, Hamilton or Reynolds, you'll enjoy this book.

Review copy supplied by author. I din't pay for the book but I did invest 7 hours into reading it; was it worth it? Definitely.1 Peg895

I received this book as a free offer from the author and really enjoyed it. I SciFi and I Mystery/Thriller and I History so this had some of all. Set in the not too distant future, I the idea of setting the action on an international Lunar Outpost. It just makes sense that if we're going to start anywhere with space exploration it'll be the moon. Lots of the socioeconomic reasons for going there were pretty scarily reminiscent of current affairs. Lots of interesting science stuff and a good mystery to boot. Really had me on the edge of my seat. Added bonus of great characters as well. Definitely wouldn't mind a sequel.1 Ian2 1 follower

Every once in a while I come across a book that I just can't put down. I was happy to find this to be the case with Cold Trap. The book is a wonderful blend of science fiction, mystery, and political thriller. Jon Waskan immerses the reader in one of the most realistic projections of the future I have come across. Cold Trap is one of the most scientifically informed sci-fi novels I've read, and yet is still accessible to people without much of a science background (myself included!). The book is humorous, exciting, nerve-racking, and even educational. I highly recommend the book to science fiction fans, and all fans of great stories!1 Jim Foucault5

Not science fiction but fictional science

A very worthy first novel that takes both current science and current events and extrapolates them forward. There is a bit of a difficult start over the first third of the book as the backstory developed and characters are introduced and given life. Once the book shifts fully into story telling gear it is a very smooth and compelling ride. I hope the author takes his concepts and characters forward even further in a future sequel.1 Charlotte Dorris8 1 follower

When I started sharing my kindle library with my husband, I very quickly became a big sci-fi fan. This book helped - I absolutely loved it! The characters, the science, the mystery... When I finished I immediately went to the kindle store to see what other books Jon Waskan has written and am now eagerly awaiting his next. Highly recommend.1 Mark Myers1 review

I've been reading science fiction (proper hardcore & mainstream) for longer than I care to remember & this book is right up there. I just couldn't put it down. It had just the right balance of good science (not too technical), interesting characters & a very engaging plot. I highly recommend it.1 Michael Norton1 review

Un "Ashleigh" I thought that this science fiction thriller was one of the best sci fi books that I have read to date. I highly recommend it!1 Brendan Shea150 19

I picked up the book mostly on account of knowing the author (he was my dissertation director at the University of Illinois), but ended up really enjoying it. The book is set in the relatively near future, and the plot is driven by a geologist (Og) attempting to solve the murder of a colleague at at a lunar mining/research community. The book falls pretty squarely within the realm of "hard sf," and there's a fair amount of (interesting, plausible) speculation of how current technological, scientific, and political trends might play out. There are some novel twists on some standard sci-fi ideas (life on Europa, the use of robotics in space exploration and colonization), and a number of ideas I hadn't thought much about (the geopolitical/economic impact of mining strategic minerals). In any case, I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but I'd encourage you to check it out.science-fiction Judee291 4

This was a very interesting book. At first, I was a little disoriented by the jumping around from present to past, but realized that it was necessary to give the background of the main characters after the story had begun. The character development is very good -- I could almost picture in my mind what they looked . The storyline is also very intriguing -- so many red-herrings I had no idea how it was going to end up. The resolution of the problem was unexpected, and the final chapter did a good job of wrapping up the entire story. I wasn't sure how I would this book, but by the middle of it, I could hardly put it down wanting to find out what would happen next. A good book for mystery-thriller lovers, and those who have a penchant for some real science in their reading. Jmb1 review1 follower

Cold trap is an amazing sci-fi novel. There is just enough character development, just enough scene setting, and just enough development of the science underlying all of the action and adventure to jump start your imagination and hang on for the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as evidenced by not being able to put it down. I recommend this to any and all readers, whether new to science fiction or old hats. This is a truly fantastic read! Ashleigh Wastson1 review

This is one of the worst books that I have had the misfortune to read to date. I thought it would be a wonderful sci-fi to fill in the day, but unfortunately it was nothing but utter dribble. The plot, characters and the grammar was just abismal. I was very disappointed as the cover looked good but please don't be fooled it was awful. I would not recommend this book to anyone, complete and utter garbage.........

The writer should be ashamed! Cullen242atl1 review

Jon Waskan pens an excellent read for the fan of hard science fiction, spanning the practical details of space exploration, the intersections of space-related commerce and geopolitics, exobiology and humanity. Strong relatable characters play out big science concepts and goals in this gripping novel which is conceptually challenging and at times thrilling. CAROL RICHARDS5 1 follower

Sci-fi who done it Excellent

Borrow buy or ask someone to buy it for you this needs to be read and enjoyed as a great science fiction novel on its own sing its praises and get Jon writing a sequel. Characters are great plot easy to get into amazing technology and future essence????????? Carry Osborne1 review37

Great book. Sci fi fans should check it out. Michael-lee Mcmenamin10

Over rated and quite tedious. John Madison1 review

Autor del comentario:
=================================