Oxygen: A Novel
Author: Randall Ingermanson
Genre: Science fiction suspense
Publisher: Bethany House
Year: 2001
ISBN: 0764224425
Series Info: Book 1 of 2 in the Oxygen series. See also The Fifth Man.
Summary: An explosive decompression accident on the way to Mars leaves the four astronauts with only enough oxygen for one of them to reach the Red Planet alive.
Awards and Honors for Oxygen:
- Christy Award winner in futuristic fiction
- Silver Angel Award winner
- Named to "Books for the Teen Age" list by New York Public Library
- Named to "Top Ten Christian Novels of 2001" by BookList Magazine
- Bronze Medal in Science Fiction by ForeWord Magazine
- "Best Book Published in 2001" by San Diego Christian Writers Guild
- "Best Suspense Novel of 2001" by San Diego Book Awards Association
Sample Chapters: Click here for sample chapters
Synopsis of Oxygen
It's the year 2012, and Valkerie Jansen has just received an amazing opportunity to join the astronaut corps in Houston. Valkerie has an M.D., a Ph.D. in microbial ecology, and . . . not a lot of friends. She's lonely, tired, and in debt. And NASA wants her to go to Mars. Bad.
In Houston, Valkerie meets Bob Kaganovski, the flight engineer on the upcoming Ares 10 flight, the first human mission to Mars. Bob's worried about a lot of things. The flight hardware is glitching. Senator Axton is on the rampage, and just might succeed this time in cutting off funding for space exploration. And, oh yeah, it looks like the flight surgeons are out to knock Bob off this mission -- for no good reason.
Meantime, the mission director, Nate Harrington, is up to his armpits in bad news. Somebody is trying to muck up his crew -- behind his back. He's operating on a skeleton budget, and the bean-counters want to cut him again. Plus the FBI has reason to think that a terrorist organization wants to take down the Ares 10 operation the hard way -- with people in it.
The goal of the Ares 10 is to find life on Mars -- or evidence that life once existed there. When the other crew members learn that Valkerie is a Christian, they begin asking hard questions about her impartiality. For her part, Valkerie is doing a lot of soul-searching. What does she believe about all this, really? She's always tried to sweep her faith/science questions under the rug -- easy to do when you're just studying for an exam; not so easy when your career is on the line. As it happens, she even likes Bob, her chief inquisitor. Or she would, if he wasn't such a jerk. Why does life have to be so complicated? Where is God when she needs Him? Wouldn't it be better if she just skipped this mission and did something normal like settle down and get married? Does she have to keep doing the career-woman thing? What's she trying to prove, and to whom?
Halfway to Mars, there's an explosion. An accident -- or sabotage? The four astronauts on the Ares 10 are left with only enough oxygen for one of them to make it to Mars alive. What of the other three? Nate is going to have to make some hard choices. Fast. Things would be easier if the crew knew which one of them planted that bomb. But they don't. Which means nobody trusts nobody. Will it be Murder on the Ares 10 Express? Last one standing gets to breathe? Do unto others before they do unto you?
Reviews of Oxygen
Booklist Magazine (Starred Review): " Only a few years ago, science fiction seemed a vexed genre in Christian fiction, but Olson and Ingermanson demonstrate how far it has come in Oxygen, the meticulously authentic tale of a mission to Mars that goes awry. Pressured by the media to launch during prime time and fearful that anything less than a dramatically successful mission will cause congressional funding to evaporate, NASA cuts some corners and imperils the mission's power supply. Valkerie Jansen, the Christian physician assigned to the craft, and Bob Kaganovski, physicist and space mechanic, join two others in righting the handicapped craft, but in deep space, there's an explosion, reducing the ship's oxygen supply. Olson and Ingermanson draw their characters carefully, keep tension high, and introduce real spiritual dilemmas without being preachy. They capture the ironic repartee of astronauts to the last nuance. The result is a real delight."
Library Journal: ". . . Olson and Christy Award-winning Ingermanson (Transgression) combine solid sf with an increasingly tense mystery for a fantastic addition to any collection."
Moody Magazine: "Buckle in, take a deep breath, and get ready for a fantastic ride. From the vivid danger of its first pages to the unexpected conclusion, this tale of the first manned mission to Mars will keep you turning pages late into the night. The scenario of 'a mission gone desperately wrong' suggests a science fiction technothriller, but Oxygen delivers much more. While John B. Olson and Randall Ingermanson, both scientists with earned doctorates, offer enough realistic detail to keep NASA fans happy, the heart of the story lies in the depiction and interdynamics of the mission's key members."
Amazon Reviewer: "John B. Olson and Randall Ingermanson teamed up to create a novel filled with action, science fiction, technology, suspense and even romance. Oxygen leaves you hanging until the very last page, coupled with a surprise ending."
Endorsements for Oxygen
Kathy Tyers, New York Times bestselling author of Balance Point: "Realistic, near-future science fiction requires meticulous research and a good ear for prose. Oxygen scores on both points. It feels real -- thanks to John Olson and Randall Ingermanson's extensive research -- and the pace left me breathless. Recommended!"
Jack Cavanaugh, two-time Christy award winning novelist: "Suspense. Intrigue. Espionage. Romance. And just the right amount of tech-talk. This book has it all. Oxygen is a roller coaster ride to Mars."
