Three StarZ corporation ships are sent to forge a new
civilization on Mars. But when a massive solar flare cuts off all
communication, no one knows what is happening on Mars. The only one who does -
Commander John Santo - arrived back in an escape capsule: and he has
disappeared.
The Mars Man
by Charles Anthony
Genre: Dystopian Science Fiction
In a world grappling with a climate crisis, a shrinking
population and dwindling resources on Earth, billionaire Ezra Graff has founded
StarZ. Its mission: begin the first Martian colony. The three hundred pioneers
of The Mars Man are the first to venture forth, forging a new civilization on
the rust-colored expanse of Mars. But when a massive solar flare cuts off all
communication, no one knows what is happening on Mars. The only one who does
know is the single occupant of an escape capsule that crashed into the Atlantic
ocean one year after the colony’s founding: Commander John Santo. To get the
full story, they must find him. With time running out until the second wave
launches for Mars, only Commander John Santo knows what is happening to the
first colony as they grapple with the harsh realities of their new home,
confronting the strange environment outside and the forces of evil within.
The Mars Man weaves a tapestry of adventure, intrigue, and
human resilience against the backdrop of a planet that challenges every notion
of survival. With richly developed characters and a narrative that balances
suspense and wonder, Anthony creates an immersive experience that will leave
readers hungry to keep reading.
**On Sale Nov 9-16!**
Charles Anthony was born in the Hunter Valley, Australia, in
1990. He moved to New Zealand in 2017, obtained a Master of Laws degree from
the University of Auckland and then moved to the Waikato where he works as a
lawyer and is actively involved in his community.
In the summer of 2021 he began writing. Working in the
evenings and on the weekends, he produces short stories, poems and novels. In
2025 he launched his first novel, the Mars Man, on Amazon.
Charles Anthony lives in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Website * Facebook *Instagram * YouTube * Amazon
GUEST POST
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
A: I've always wanted to be a writer. I consider it a broader term of creativity. From the first time I wrote a play for my school, then short stories in English class, and everything else in between, including writing detailed legal documents, which is my training.
I consider words my superpower.
Q: What was your upbringing like?
A: I grew up in a normal family, apart from being one of ten children! I was raised in Australia. Life was a big adventure. You're always having stories or inventing things with your brothers and sisters; it was basically a creative hub. Both my parents were quite creative. My mother was an English major, and my dad, despite being trained as a scientist, has a big love of good literature, including science fiction, which I guess he passed on to me.
Q: How did you find your voice as a writer?
A: It took me a while as an adult to find my voice and that place of comfort with what I could write. But with encouragement from good friends, and after refining my writing style (often under the red pen of a supervising partner in a law practice!) I decided I had to give it a go. Where I found it was in stories that resonated with me.
Q: What’s something unique or quirky about you?
A: I'm left-handed, which I see as an advantage, and I have an incredible memory. If people see me years later, my ‘party trick’ is to remember something very specific about them. For instance, I once went to a seminar with a guy from America. He used a lot of sports analogies. Three years later I met him again, and the first thing I said to him was “Gentlemen, this is a football”, the exact quote he had used in the seminar! People find this trick either charming or a little bit quirky.
Q: What’s something interesting happening in your life right now?
A: I'm in the process of becoming an author! It's really cool that people take an interest in the work I'm doing. I'm also really interested in taking what I can see on the page and trying to capture that visually, so I've gotten into photography and making Youtube shorts.
Q: What’s your pet peeve?
A: Overused phrases. They seem to be more like mnemonics. “However”, “It goes without saying” or “suddenly.” Those things really get to me. Short, concise prose is so enjoyable!
Q: Where were you born and raised?
A: I was born in Australia in the Hunter Valley. I grew up next to a river with a large backyard, in a small-town environment. We went to the local school. I had a small community of people, but a large family full of warmth and love, and that really shaped who I am today.
Q: Where do you live now?
A: I currently live in New Zealand. It’s quite a different environment from where I grew up: Much damper and colder than the harsh Australian summers. I think the environment shapes your voice, because your experiences turn into your writing. Mine is a Aussie-Kiwi combination, a unique asset that I try to bring to my works. I have also lived in the USA (briefly), and travelled through England, Europe, some of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. I can always find something to draw on from those travels.
Q: How would you spend your last day?
A: Telling people I love them.
Q: Who is your hero?
A: It’s hard to settle on one. I’d say people who have creative ability and see things through to the end J.R.R. Tolkien for one. Then there are visually amazing people like Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and closer to home, Peter Weir. I also really admire my parents. My mum passed away from cancer and the way she handled that was inspiring. My dad, being the father of a large family with very little means, was heroic every day just putting food on the table.
Q: If you ruled the world, what kind of ruler would you be?
A: I guess I’d hope to be benign and good. I’d like to think I’d have a sense of justice. I’m definitely not a Machiavellian prince, but someone who understands that it’s a position to serve and apply wisdom. I often think someone who wants to be a world ruler is exactly the person not to do it. So I’d be a reluctant one at best.
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: Getting ideas on the page. As Steven Spielberg said, “If it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage.” It’s the same with writing books, short stories or poems; if the words aren’t there, your vision doesn’t exist except in your own mind.
Q: What do you do to relax?
A: I’m quite fond of bike riding and physical exercise. My favourite summer thing to do is jog to the beach, swim, and jog back. That’s one of the easiest ways to calm my thoughts and focus on the day ahead. The second best is reading a really great book.
Q: How do you make time to write?
A: Yes, you have to make time for it! If it’s important to you, you make the time. Everyone’s busy these days, but I heard Sting say once that each day you have to “clock on” with your creativity. He is spot on. He was referring to writing music, but I think it applies to writing anything. Each day you put aside time; whether it’s 10 minutes or a couple of hours. Some days you get fully absorbed, other days you just write a little or do some editing, but it’s all important to stick to the time of writing.
Q: Describe yourself in five words or less.
A: Passionate, energetic, cheerful, determined, battler.
Q: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
A: When I wrote a radio play as part of a school production. It was a small segment in a hodgepodge kind of evening, and I was really happy with it! It was about a woman who just wanted her car fixed, but after calling the wrong number, she gets every other kind of tradesman and tradeswoman banging on the door offering their services. It was a real slapstick skit! The jokes weren’t too bad, and my classmates also bought into it. From that moment on, I knew deep down there’s a writer in me.
Q: What’s your favourite movie of all time?
A: Chariots of Fire. First, it’s a classic: You can watch it again and again. Second, it shows two athletes, Abraham and Liddell, motivated by very different things. Abraham wants to prove himself against a society prejudiced against him. Liddell runs for the glory of God. I admire both. Third, the music really resonates with me, both the period music and the groundbreaking score by Vangelis.
Q: Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?
A: The Mars Man. Sometimes when I read it back, it’s almost as if I was describing a movie scene and writing it out just as it should play out on screen. I am working on some film scripts as we speak, and more and more I realise I want to write visually, like running after my characters with a camera!
Q: Have you ever taken a literary pilgrimage?
A: Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Europe, the USA and the UK. For me, it’s more about understanding the author than the location. I find places that books are about are not as interesting as going to places relevant to the authors. It was important to go to London and see where so many great writers set their books, and to Toulouse to see where St. Thomas Aquinas was heading. I also love listening to interviews of authors and creators. That’s an audio Mecca for me!
Q: What’s your spirit animal?
A: Last summer, some friends suggested a Meerkat: Alert, wide-eyed, upright, always looking for the next thing on the horizon with scurrying activity. Maybe they're right?
Thanks for posting about the Mars Man. Here is an interview you might like to see about it https://youtu.be/mfrHNIWSABE
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the post. Sounds like an interesting story.
ReplyDelete