It’s January 9th today, which means that POINTS OF IMPACT is now out on Kindle, in paperback, and in Audible audiobook format (read once again by the amazing Luke Daniels). If you pre-ordered the book, it should show up on your Kindle or in your Audible library AT THIS VERY MOMENT AS IF BY MAGIC, or in your physical mailbox whenever your delivery guy comes around.
I hope you enjoy the sixth installment of Andrew Grayson’s story. POINTS OF IMPACT picks up two years after the events of FIELDS OF FIRE, and Andrew is still fighting the long fight, trying to pry the Lankies loose from what’s left of Mars, where troops and equipment get ground down at an alarming rate because neither people nor machines were designed for years of constant combat deployments under harsh conditions. (If that sounds familiar somehow, it’s probably a total coincidence.)
Enjoy your preorder, or pick up a fresh copy, and don’t mind me while I sit in a corner over here today and engage in the traditional ritual of anxiously refreshing the Amazon page every thirty seconds…
Marko, thanks so much for the latest space kablooie. TMI: I got diagnosed with leukemia tuesday on the way home from the sports-ball contest in atlanta (roll tide) and having this to read while in the endless hurry-up-and-wait cycle really made wednesday significantly more bearable.
Anyway, sorry for the maudlin content, but I really do enjoy your work, and your candor with us internet plebs.
I loved it. Best one yet. I’m really looking forward to the next installment.
I just finished it. Yes, I DEVOURED IT.
So when is the next one coming out? 😉
Some requests, submitted humbly:
1. So far, the Lankies have shown their ‘striders’ (the 20m tall things that walk real fast), some sort of giant slug thing from the first book, their ‘terraformer’ stalks and the seed ships. At least, this is what I remember. Are there any other kinds of fighting Lankies? Smaller, more nimble ships, perhaps? Air support? Missile/artillery/long range attack of some sort for ground engagements?
2. Do the Lankies have communicable diseases? Could make a difference over the long term, especially in reconquering a planet or moon.
3. Why are they so radiation resistant? Above all, what’s the penalty for their resistance? Huge appetites? Special nutritional requirements?
4. How do they communicate with each other? Pheromones? Visual cues, like cuttlefish? ESP?
5. Where are the ‘smart’ Lankies?
6. Where are they from? How vast are their interstellar holdings?
7. Is there enough organic material on Mars to allow them to build significant quantities of seed ships? Frankly, I doubt it, but if Mars is going to be reconquered in a future story, that needs to be settled.
8. Can we expect the PACS to become standard issue? They’re a magnificent force multiplier.
9. I noticed the 3 seed ships encountered in the latest story did not react immediately to the presence of the Ottawa. Is the hull design and coloring ‘deceiving’ them into thinking it might be one of them, so to speak?
Sorry about all the questions. 🙂
Sorry – one more question. 🙂
Why are the ships made out of steel and not titanium?
I have been led to understand that titanium is relatively abundant on the moon, and I would imagine it could be sourced from other spots in the solar system as well.
Just finished. More please! C: this is the only fiction I read. And I just love the series and everything. Do you have plans to continue to write more novels in the series?
Worth the wait….as always.
Forgot about this until I saw Django Wexler’s AMA on Reddit, since I’ve picked up your books around the same time.
Excited to dig into it, thanks for the excellent books!
Why no release on itunes ?
My publisher is 47North, which is Amazon’s science fiction imprint. They keep their digital releases on the Kindle and Audible exclusively.
Just finished Points of Impact – thank you for just getting better and better.
Its good to get another episode but was it really “AT THIS VERY MOMENT AS IF BY MAGIC”?
I had a vision of a wave of e-book releases sweeping round the globe at midnight local time with someone in Sydney having finished the book before it even arrived on my Kindle at just past midnight GMT. Does someone in Hawaii actually have to wait for 5 hours after someone in New York?
They get released at midnight Pacific time because that’s the time at Amazon HQ in Seattle.
Not sure if this is standardized – I’ve had some kindle books release at midnight PST, but Points of Impact unlocked for me at midnight ET……so I was able to finish it before midnight PST. Love the series so much and now I go back to waiting for the next one…damnit
All my pre-orders from Amazon.co.uk – including Marko’s works – turn up shortly after midnight local time (which is currently – as it’s winter – GMT/UT) which I guess is 5 hours before your midnight. Hence my thought that they might turn up 10 hours earlier in Australia.
Hi marko just wanted to say I’ve enjoyed reading this series it’s been great. Will you ever write any more books in this universe I get that you need a break after six books. I guess i really want to know how the labours get eat. Maybe that the point though the war is not winnable for either side…
Already started it on my Kindle! I preordered when you announced it was ready!