Bob Astor is a Quality Assurance agent working at Vartan Inc. Lately his days have been stressful, to say the least. Butting heads with upper management has put his career on life support. A surprising change in circumstance has Bob going on a business trip to the moon city, Langrenus. On the way, he meets one of the delegates on board the Starbird, a desperate man with a dark past and a very dangerous secret. Through a mysterious series of events Bob finds himself in the middle of an interplanetary crisis that no one knows about. These secrets could change - or destroy - all human life on Earth. The key to the answer of the crises is on the Red Planet, Mars. It's up to Bob, the burnt-out Q. A. agent to rise to the occasion and stem the dangerous tide coming from beyond the solar system. ------- From The Author Are you looking for science fiction that echoes back to the positive outlook of Golden Age science fiction? Need a break from “mundane” science fiction or nihilistic science fiction and just want a fun yarn to read? Did you enjoy Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon? Do you like A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice- Burroughs? Do you love classic Star Wars or Star Trek: The Original Series? If you've said yes to any of these, check out The Mission space opera series. It's a fun romp through space. Get ready for a bold adventure! Q: There's a lot of good science fiction out there. Why should I read this series? What makes the Mission space opera novels contrast with other modern science fiction series out there? The Mission series is a mix of new and old science fiction influences. Most of all it has the old aesthetic, an optimistic view on humanity's future. Science fiction has lost much of that which made it so much fun to read, in my opinion. When I set about writing this series I'd just finished the Red World trilogy, a long, complex, Dune/ Old Testament-like sword-and-sandals fantasy series with a huge glossary and extensive appendixes and author notes. With this series I wanted the stories to be fast-paced, full of adventure and fun and most of all, hopeful about the future. There are serious challenges and uncertainties that the hero faces, certainly, but this series has a positive outlook on humanity's eventual future. I was mainly inspired by Edgar Rice-Burroughs's Barsoom series and George Lucas's original Star Wars films, as well as other science fiction influences from the past. Bob Astor, the hero in the books, is a regular guy working in a big corporation who has a keen curiosity, a good heart and a willingness to help others in trouble – and he gets himself into hot water along the way to saving the day. Q:In what order should I read these books? You can read them in any order you want and still enjoy them but there is a specific story arc in the books that progresses as the story moves forward. Below is the series order: Flight to Mars Lights of Langrenus Attack on Europa Harbeasts of Mars Blackguard Conspiracy A Venus Affair Phoenix