Ghost Planet

Oct 23, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-pnr-sci-fi-romance, 2012-debuts, 2012-4-5-5-stars

4.5 stars

Debut

Elizabeth Cole is dead. She just doesn't realise it. Yet. Until she's presented with incontrovertible proof. Her dead body.

En route to Ardagh 1, the Ghost Planet, the transport on which Elizabeth Cole is travelling goes down during a storm killing all on board. A psychologist, Elizabeth was heading for a residency at a counselling centre on Ardagh and hoping to spend time studying the ghosts, the alien lifeform indigenous to the planet.

Each human who comes to live on Ardagh 1, has...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Nissanmama rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, twimom227-blog

I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Sharon Lynn Fisher’s Ghost Planet grabbed me into one of those book trances that leaves you unable to do laundry, sleep, or function in the real world until you finish. When forced to put the book down, you walk around in a book bubble thinking about the plot and how it might twist and turn until you can pick it up again. This is when you decide pancakes are awesome for dinner so you can go back to your comfy spot and slip back into the emotions...more I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Sharon Lynn Fisher’s Ghost Planet grabbed me into one of those book trances that leaves you unable to do laundry, sleep, or function in the real world until you finish. When forced to put the book down, you walk around in a book bubble thinking about the plot and how it might twist and turn until you can pick it up again. This is when you decide pancakes are awesome for dinner so you can go back to your comfy spot and slip back into the emotions of the book.

I love science fiction and have never felt that it should exclude romance. Relationships always drive a story whether it’s between warring factions, governments, scientists, or star crossed lovers. Where would Star Wars be without Hans and Leia? Ghost Planet blends them seamlessly and this is a story where neither the science nor the romance takes a backseat to the other. They both hold their own in a way that as they interact, they each become more. The sum is greater than its parts. The science is also approachable for those of us who didn't major in molecular biology.

More than anything, this is a book about perspective. Like Gulliver’s Travels everything seems crystal clear—until you have the advantage of seeing the situation from another position. The light from a new angle makes you question what you were sure you knew about these characters. Fisher does this beautifully as she takes your hand and leads you precisely where she wants you to go. And you go.

My insides did experience a little niggle which I identified as echoes of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host. Unquestionably it is a completely different premise, but in many ways, Fisher created what I wanted The Host to be. It’s a tighter read with better action…and sex. We get the intimacy both emotionally and physically. It’s a more complete story.

I have only two real criticisms of this book. This first is that after a gripping first half, the pace slows slightly before picking up again for the climax. Meyer’s book suffered the same flaw, but Fisher doesn’t let it wallow for hundreds of pages. Perhaps the Ghost Planet’s climax is better for it. The second criticism is the title. It’s unfortunate because when I type it into search engines; I get over 1,300 references to other media including music, phantom planets, even the movie “Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.” This book is too unique for such an unremarkable name.

In the end there were some minor unanswered questions for me and I hope very much that Fisher will turn this into a series. I will read them. I will even pre-order them and that’s saying a lot.

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Apr 13, 2013 FREEBIRD. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to FREEBIRD. by: Vaginal Fantasy Book Club

Shelves: alternate-universe, romance, sci-fi, smut, vaginal-fantasy

This story had a great premise: a planet recently cultivated and populated by humans only to be riddled with the ghosts of said humans' past. If you don't read the blurb on Goodreads (the second paragraph), then I think the twist at the beginning will be a lot of fun. I didn't read the blurb and was really shocked, but in a good way!

The beginning of this story was really strong. I would say up until 30%, this was a five star for me; up until 50%, it was a four star. This fell down to a three st...more This story had a great premise: a planet recently cultivated and populated by humans only to be riddled with the ghosts of said humans' past. If you don't read the blurb on Goodreads (the second paragraph), then I think the twist at the beginning will be a lot of fun. I didn't read the blurb and was really shocked, but in a good way!

The beginning of this story was really strong. I would say up until 30%, this was a five star for me; up until 50%, it was a four star. This fell down to a three star around the 60% mark, I think. I felt that Murphy and Elizabeth's relationship moved too quickly throughout the whole thing. The way it started was very abrupt and shocked me, and the way it progressed kept shocking me, but it was more of a I-don't-see-how-this-is-okay kind of shocked. I was hoping for more planetary exploration before Murphy and Elizabeth got their freak on. I also didn't understand why Murphy, who (view spoiler) was so eager to break it.

I didn't like the way the story progressed once our protagonists got to the (view spoiler). I did like the paradox that was going on there, though, and found it absolutely plausible that the (view spoiler). I just felt like a lot of the story began to feel jumbled and convoluted around this point. I know that sci-fi can mimic fantasy with certain fantastical phenomenon, but there was a lot that happened that just kept being chalked up to the planet. (view spoiler): all of these things felt out of place after all the science that was used to explain detachment and the colonist and ghost relationship.

I also edited this review to add this: I think it's really important for people to start understanding that laying a hand on another person in violence is not okay. I don't care if you're a man hitting a woman, a woman hitting a man, etc. People should not hit people. There were two instances in this book when Elizabeth hit Murphy and both of those instances made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Just because she's a woman does not mean it's okay to hit a man.

*steps off soap-box*

However, there was a lot of what I did like in this book. For instance, the plot was fantastic! I was really impressed with the creativity. It is a story that will easily draw you in and keep you interested and I had an enjoyable reading experience. I also think that Fisher is a very good writer. I went to go check out any other books she had read because I liked her writing so much only to discover that this was her first book. I was amazed! I think if you're considering this book, then definitely give it a try. It was a lot of fun to read and I think it's worth it. I know that I will be checking out Ms. Fisher's future works.(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Susana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, sience-fiction, romance, favorites

An original and addictive story
4,5 stars

—Ardagh 1, more commonly referred to as “the ghost planet” by people on Earth. Inexplicable things happened here. The planet itself was a study in the impossible.

Well, i've just finished reading this story, and i have a big stupid smile on my face! :)

This story strongest point?

The originality of it.
The story takes places in Ardagh 1,a Planet which is basically similiar to Earth, but not suffering the signs of advanced pollution. There, it has been establi...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Laura (Kyahgirl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, buddy-read, ghosties, romance, sci-fi-fantasy

3.5/5; 4 stars; B+

I thought this was a very good debut book by this author. Ghost Planet is, in my opinion, more of a romantic adventure than a sci-fi novel but it still fits both genres. I really enjoyed the concept behind the world building. I do wish the author had directed a bit more words towards the nature of the planet. It appears to be sentient and symbiotic but more exploration of that would have been interesting to me.

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Dec 27, 2012 Carina rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all: this is my first review on Goodreads.
Second: if you want to know what the story is about, go read the book's synopsis.
Last but not least: Any spoilers will be appropriately hidden by the spoiler tags.

I really liked this book. I have to admit that I'm definitely not a fan of sci-fi so I mostly avoid that genre. The thing is, I'm more interested in romance than anything, so if you give me a headache-inducing alternate universe without an emotional thread to hold my attention then you...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Gary Foss rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’m going to start with a couple of non-spoilers.

Non-Spoiler #1: The premise of this book is that on a planet being colonized by humans, aliens are taking the form of the dead and “haunting” their human hosts. These aliens take on the form of near relatives, but also husbands or wives. These “ghosts” are near perfect physical copies of those people, including their memories and personalities. They are not “ghosts” in the supernatural sense; they have physical bodies. They threaten the future of...more

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May 07, 2013 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 Stars

Spoiler Free, unfinished review

I would definitely check this one out! I'm just about done reading it, and every bit of the story grabbed my attention.

I'm also impressed at how well the Author researched different cell theories to tie into her Sci-fi plot. The story seems to be a bit inspired by the book, "Solaris", which she even includes a quick name-drop of on one character's bookshelf in the story.

Although the story is a "romance", I felt like the romance isn't exactly there. It did...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Sassapphras rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm giving this four stars because I think the idea was brilliant. The execution, though not bad, left a little to be desired. Most of the story felt rushed--events, conversations--and that was frustrating. More details could have gone into the story and conversations could have been slowed down a little to give it a more natural feel (it just felt off somehow. Somewhat jarring). People seemed somewhat two dimensional--the bad guys were all bad and the good guys were all good. But overall, a ver...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Janice (Janicu) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quick first reaction review:
Loved loved loved the world building. Loved the romance at the beginning - delicious slow burn, but after things got physical I found the relationship a bit easy: it suddenly got less conflicted than it started off being, and the conflict in the story became outside threats to the romance. I think that was my one quibble that keeps this from 5 stars, but I think it's a personal preference issue that won't be shared by others. Otherwise, very excited about this SFR - c...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Marjorie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vaginal-fantasy

I would say just pick up this book and start reading. If you don’t read the book blurb you will be hooked by the twist beginning. If the blurb is read, the premise is new and imaginative. At first I was happy this book wasn’t a series but after finishing I wish there were more books about this world so this setting could be more flushed out. Liked the characters. The constant action kept the story moving. I found the ghost protocol so interesting and cruel. I love how the author played with the...more

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Apr 02, 2013 LoveLea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the world-building was definitely imaginative. A very striking first novel for this writer and excited to read more.

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Apr 11, 2013 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, romantical, vaginal-fantasy-bookclub

This book was just ok.

I hate to say that...but, to be honest, I was a little disappointed with it. I read the book for April's Vaginal Fantasy book club and I was excited - the premise looked unique and interesting and I haven't read all that much scifi romance. I'm not going to rehash the premise - I think the book's blurb on this site does a great job at presenting the basis of the book.

When I think of this book...all I think of is I WANT MORE. More character development, plot development, wor...more This book was just ok.

I hate to say that...but, to be honest, I was a little disappointed with it. I read the book for April's Vaginal Fantasy book club and I was excited - the premise looked unique and interesting and I haven't read all that much scifi romance. I'm not going to rehash the premise - I think the book's blurb on this site does a great job at presenting the basis of the book.

When I think of this book...all I think of is I WANT MORE. More character development, plot development, worldbuilding, etc... With that said [and I'll bullet point some of my issues with the book below], I did think it was an ok read. Even though it left me with a ton of questions, I'm glad I finished reading it and I'd recommend it to people who want to read sci fi romance.

Here's where the ghosts hit the fan for me [spoilers below]:

- Murphy and Elizabeth. The two main characters were very two dimensional. I found myself wanting to know MORE about them and every time their plot line moved forward I kept getting jarred out of the story with questions I had about them and their relationship.

- The Relationship. That brings me to the love story. Activate Instant Soulmate Love, Batman! I can't stand it when books have Insta-Romances...especially when there are "issues" between the main characters before the Insta-Romance explodes. I know this doesn't bug everybody...this is just one of my pet peeves when it comes to the romance genre. And my "issues" with the book probably started popping up shortly after the Insta-Romance exploded...if I am not interested with the characters before the Insta-Romance, then I tend to just ignore the romance and my focus will then shift to the plot. At the end of the day, this book seemed more of a romance than a sci fi book and the sci fi was just a little to weak to be engaging.

- The Worldbuilding. Oh man I loved this world. I thought the concept to be so unique and interesting. And, just like the main characters...I wanted MORE. MORE MORE MORE MORE. There were so many questions I had about the world and the science behind it. I felt like the author was almost teasing her readers with the science by posing theories and hinting at how things functioned/how the ghosts existed/etc but then never resolved any of it...almost like you're following this trail of breadcrumbs throughout the book expecting it to lead you to the answers - and then the book ends. No answers.

- All the Questions. I have tons of questions after finishing this book...and none of them are satisfying. Like...what happened to Aunt Maeve? She just poofed and no one seems to care after a few pages. What the heck happened there? Where do these ghosts come from? What are their purposes? Ok, we know how they detach...but what's with the sudden onset of ghost/host super powers? Where do those come from? How do they have the memories of their "previous lives" [for lack of a better term]. How are the ghosts connected to the world - we know that they can trigger environmental responses from the planet...why? And let's flesh out the whole "each ghost can trigger a unique foliage/environmental effect" like Yasmina with the Jasmine and Elizabeth with the clover [since Murphy's Irish] and the poison stalks when Elizabeth was in trouble...how does that fit in with the environment/world building? Why the gloss over of the attempted rape and MURDER...Elizabeth just kinda shrugs that off. And there is so much talk about how ghosts aren't just "ghosts" yet Elizabeth has no qualms in killing off Ardagh with the poison shrubbery...yeah, he'll get 'reborn' and all [and that element raises a whole bunch of questions too] but his memory will be wiped and he'll essentially be a 'different' Ardagh ghost.

I have more questions...but I'll stop. At the end of the book I felt as though the worldbuilding and the story were interesting and unique and could make for a fascinating and engrossing read. But, I felt as though there needed to be MORE. Maybe a sequel? Maybe a series? It felt too rushed and too disjointed - like the author had some awesome stuff but then had to cut it down for length or something.

Ah well...

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Apr 09, 2013 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

I did like this book, but for reasons I didn't expect. I thought the relationship between Murphy and Elizabeth was, for lack of a better word, stupid. It happened incredibly fast. He started to stop ignoring her after like two days, the guy who invented the protocol...she must be pretty damn hot. I found myself skimming the love scenes because they were boring and I just didn't care! I really wasn't drawn to any character. They just weren't developed enough, and I couldn't picture them at all.

W...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one started off so well. A planet has been inhabited by colonists who are then mysteriously paired with a dead person from their past. The organization backing the colonization of the planet brings in psychologists to help the colonists deal with these "aliens" and things go even more awry. A young psychologist from Earth chooses to go to the planet to help and the story takes a very interesting left turn when she lands. For about 25 pages after she lands, I'm still liking the book but my i...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Ashley Robinson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-owned-digital

Full disclosure: I read this for the Vaginal Fantasy book club

So I liked this book for a number of reasons, but let me just pause and thank Fisher for writing something clever. Many of the books I read for this club are fun but lack anything resembling substance; I thought the psychological and "racial" angles of this book were interesting and thought provoking. I actually found myself pausing to contemplate the nature of selfhood and psychology multiple times, and the environmental criticism wa...more Full disclosure: I read this for the Vaginal Fantasy book club

So I liked this book for a number of reasons, but let me just pause and thank Fisher for writing something clever. Many of the books I read for this club are fun but lack anything resembling substance; I thought the psychological and "racial" angles of this book were interesting and thought provoking. I actually found myself pausing to contemplate the nature of selfhood and psychology multiple times, and the environmental criticism was pertinent (if not slightly heavy-handed).

Fisher's writing style nicely complimented her blend of romance, science fiction, and social commentary; I think she writes in a way that is both accessible and intelligent. Though she isn't a particularly lyric writer, her descriptions are vivid, her dialogue is crisp, and her tones are poignant. All in all, for a first novel, the writing was very well done.

These skills are what carry her world building, which is both meticulous and plausible. I really liked the idea of "ghosting," though I'm not sure I quite bought the "generate a close relative" aspect of Fisher's composition. There wasn't a compelling reason for generating a dead person, for example. Why not someone alive? There didn't seem to be any scientific reasoning for that. After all, if the planet was just trying to make a connection with the colonist, you would think it would pull from any close relationship regardless of whether the "original" person was still alive. Despite this, her concept of symbiosis was particularly strong and equally captivating, but the planet's "sentience," for lack of a better word, struck me as a bit artificial. That's not to say that the concept itself is weak--McCaffery does this incredibly well in her Peytabee series--but the implementation made it read like an afterthought or plot mechanism. I would have liked to see a better explanation of the relationship between symbiote and planet.

But those are small nits to pick, honestly: the worldbuilding compliments Fisher's characters nicely. She does a good job with Murphy and an excellent job with Elizabeth, both of whom jumped off the page (even if Murphy struck me as overly pliable). The romance sung and I appreciated Elizabeth's doubts, which are often sorely lacking in romance novels. Additionally, the supporting characters were strongly conceived, and I appreciated Fisher's attention to motivation. Very rarely did I feel like Fisher was using characters as chess pieces; rather, they read as fully autonomous people, which is tough to pull off.

That's not to say that the book didn't have its issues. The first half of the book was incredibly strong, but the plot begins to unravel toward the end. The reintroduction of Peter and Lexi made me groan out loud. I was so disappointed! The beginning of the novel was nuanced and intelligent, but this felt like an unnecessary and trite conflict. I realize Fisher used them to test the bond between Elizabeth and Murphy, but I'm super sick of love triangles and this one was of the most irritatingly superficial variety. Peter's and Lexi's presence detracted from the main thrust of the novel's plot, which did nothing to help the book's pacing toward the end. The slow build toward romance quickly became a mad dash to the finish, with a largely unsatisfying conclusion to the Mitchell conflict. Not only was the good doctor's storyline wrapped up offhandedly, it lacked the kind of thematic energy in Fisher's earlier chapters. I think Fisher missed an opportunity to muddy the waters between one's core beliefs and shifting reality; Mitchell's last "revelation," for lack of a better term, had the potential to offer real criticism about the difficulties of confronting crumbling beliefs. In many ways Murphy's conversion from the Ghost Protocol was too simple, and glossing Mitchell's only underscored that particular flaw.

It's those issues that drop this book from a solid four star rating, though I'm very excited to see what Fisher writes next. It's so nice to see more women writing science fiction, and Fisher's is really very good. I think the issues with Ghost Planet (including the title, which is...well...not good) have little to do with Fisher's talent. It's a first novel and is bound to have hiccups--and considering this, it's really quite good.(less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Mariachiara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Titolo: Ghost planet

Autore: Sharon Lynn Fisher

Trama: La psicologa Elizabeth Cole era preparata al peggio quando aveva deciso di accettare un incarico su un nuovo pianeta scoperto da poco. Un pianeta molto simile alla Terra, dove però una forma di vita aliena aveva deciso di mostrarsi agli umani in un modo anomalo: prendendo le sembianze dei loro cari defunti e seguendoli ovunque. Questo aveva generato diversi problemi psicologici nei coloni e da lì il bisogno di psicologi e psichiatri sul pianet...more Titolo: Ghost planet

Autore: Sharon Lynn Fisher

Trama: La psicologa Elizabeth Cole era preparata al peggio quando aveva deciso di accettare un incarico su un nuovo pianeta scoperto da poco. Un pianeta molto simile alla Terra, dove però una forma di vita aliena aveva deciso di mostrarsi agli umani in un modo anomalo: prendendo le sembianze dei loro cari defunti e seguendoli ovunque. Questo aveva generato diversi problemi psicologici nei coloni e da lì il bisogno di psicologi e psichiatri sul pianeta, anche se l’invenzione del Protocollo Fantasma aveva risolto diverse cose. Il protocollo impediva gli umani di parlare, guardare o anche solo mostrare di percepire la presenza dei simbionti alieni e ciò aveva dato buoni risultati, poiché dopo poco tempo in questo modo gli alieni si indebolivano e diventavano ombre di se stessi sempre più facili da ignorare.

Elizabeth non avendo mai perso parenti stretti o congiunti di alcun tipo non credeva avrebbe avuto problemi con il suo alieno designato, ma d’altronde non credeva nemmeno che sarebbe stata così attratta dal suo supervisore, Murphy, l’inventore del Protocollo fantasma. Quando lui la accoglie allo spazioporto i due scoprono di essersi conosciuti brevemente sulla Terra diversi anni prima e l’attrazione che già allora era scoccata tra loro solo tramite degli sguardi è ancora forte e presente. Lui l’invita a pranzo ed è chiaro che tra loro c’è armonia finché non scoprono che in realtà la navicella di Elizabeth si è schiantata durante l’atterraggio e nessuno dei passeggeri è sopravvissuto, Elizabeth, l’Elizabeth che ha pranzato e flirtato con Murphy è un alieno che è stato formato con le sue sembianze esatte e i suoi ricordi e reso simbiontico a Murphy, mentre la vera Elizabeth è solo un corpo freddo. Entrambi ne sono sconvolti, ma il cadavere che vanno a riconoscere non lascia dubbi, quell’Elizabeth è un alieno, e lei stessa se ne rende conto solo in quel momento. Lei non era consapevole, non ricorda nulla che non siano i ricordi di Elizabeth lei si sente lei, è lei sotto ogni aspetto, ed è umana, Peccato che il Protocollo fantasma la voglia trasformare in un fantasma. Lei, una scienziata, si ribella a tutto questo e per Murphy così attratto da lei è sempre più difficile ignorarla, ma i due dovranno affrontare indicibili prove prima di riuscire a scoprire cosa lega veramente gli alieni al pianeta e agli umani, e cosa quello strano pianeta sta cercando di comunicare loro.

La mia opinione: la trama e lo spunto del romanzo sono senza alcun dubbio molto interessanti e nuove. Magari sì c’è qualche collegamento, vago, al romanzo Nemesis di Asimov, e il fatto che Elizabeth muoia in un incidente aereo e non lo sappia e sia lei, ma al tempo stesso no, bè per un attimo me l’ha fatta immaginare come la Kate del telefilm Lost, solo che invece di arrivare sull’isola arriva su uno strano pineta, ma viste le stranezze che trova, poteva essere benissimo l’Isola.

Il libro parte bene, ed è un peccato che non ci sia un poco più di approfondimento scientifico su cosa siano gli alieni fisiologicamente, come nascono…sono tutti scienziati sul pianeta, possibile che nessuno abbia studiato il fenomeno, o almeno l’abbia fatto senza vivisezionarli e torturali, poichè quel genere di studi c’è nel libro. E anche la reazione di Murphy ad Elizabeth…., va bè che è attratto da lei, ma non è che ci metta molto a interagire con lei nonostante il protocollo….magari un poco più di resistenza? E l’ex di Elizabeth, perché farlo arrivare sul pianeta, è un viaggio così da poco? E poi a cosa serve ai fini della trama e come trova un rifugio che si suppone segreto? Ci sono diverse cosette che non funzionano o non sembrano logiche a livello di trama ed in generale è stato dato troppo spazio al rapporto tra i due protagonisti rispetto alle dinamiche della storia. Questi due stanno cambiando volto ad un pianeta, anche militarmente, e sono più le scene in cui sono a letto di quelle in cui parlano verso la fine, che è il momento appunto della rivoluzione planetaria, avrei voluto che il cambiamento epocale venisse affrontato più seriamente dall’autrice e non solo romanticamente..

Ed è un peccato che l’esecuzione del romanzo sia un poco superficiale, specie verso la fine, perché invece la trama, l’idea di partenza, e l’inizio, è fatto davvero molto bene. E i personaggi sono vari, interessanti, ben caratterizzati, e anche la sorpresa finale sul cattivo della situazione, benché riduttiva e risolta un po’ troppo facilmente non era male, è solo che tutto risulta un poco gettato lì a caso, e troppo comodo. Anche il fatto che se le coppie alieno-umano in simbiosi interagiscono fra loro in armonia i terremoti si calmino e appaiano erba e fiori, è interessanti, ma non viene approfondito per nulla, come il fatto che i simbionti rinascano se muoiono, ma non sempre, a volte vengono sostituiti da un altro, perché? Non viene spiegato, e rimane in sospeso, come molte altre cose. Tutte queste cose non dette e non approfondite rovinano un poco la lettura di un libro, che altrimenti sarebbe veramente avvincente e interessante. La scrittura è chiara e scorrevole, i personaggi ben delineati, o almeno a sufficienza, è l’approfondimento che manca…..

Il libro non mi è spiaciuto, specie la prima parte del testo, ma poi mi ha deluso. Non mi spiace averlo letto, e i segnali di una brava autrice ci sono, dopotutto è la sua prima opera, ma non posso nemmeno dire che il libro non abbia difetti…..però se scriverà un latro romanzo credo lo leggerò.
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Jan 29, 2013 C.L. Bevill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay. I bought this because it was reviewed on Smart bitches, trashy books. (Yes, Virginia, there is such a website.) They gave it a D +. But I said, "Hmm." It masquerades as a science fiction book. (TOR - oh, what has happened to you?) But it's a space romance. I sware. (Yes, I spelled that wrong on purpose.)

It starts off great. Elizabeth, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, shows up on the new planet, and is met by the cute psych doc, Murphy. Sparks fly. He checks out her booty. She checks out hi...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Janet rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: space

Ghost Planet is a romance novel in a SF-lite setting. The characters live in a spacefaring society, but space doesn't saturate the story. Now personally I don't mind having a novel set on another planet without an explanation of how space travel works in this universe, but if a big part of the fun of SF for you is how an author solves the problems of space colonization, this novel is not for you.

Ghost Planet's best features are the extremely cool central concept - that a mysteriously changeable...more Ghost Planet is a romance novel in a SF-lite setting. The characters live in a spacefaring society, but space doesn't saturate the story. Now personally I don't mind having a novel set on another planet without an explanation of how space travel works in this universe, but if a big part of the fun of SF for you is how an author solves the problems of space colonization, this novel is not for you.

Ghost Planet's best features are the extremely cool central concept - that a mysteriously changeable (and perhaps sentient?) planet produces "ghosts" from human colonists' memories, and that the main characters have to figure out why and what for. Fisher explores some of the psychological reactions people have to the "ghost/alien" phenomenon, but I would have preferred to see even more of the variety of reactions (It teetered a bit close to the trope of central characters are enlightened and reasonable, everyone else is misguided and power-hungry.)

Inevitably, the star-crossed in this story are a human and a "ghost." This allows a nice mix of having a lot in common and an 'opposites attract' dynamic at the same time. I enjoyed that the scenario lets you have the instant chemistry between characters but with an underlying sense of unease - how real are the emotions? What role is the planetary third wheel playing in all of this? Overall I think Fisher struck a good balance between resolving some pieces of the storyline but leaving many questions unanswered. So far I've found the mystery and questions to be much more fun than the reveals and answers. But I'm holding out hope for more complexity to come.

For more character-centric readers and more frequent romance readers, this novel is a fun fast read, but it will satisfy worldbuilding buffs less. Since so much of the action is in a few rooms, like a camera on close-up all of the time, we don't get much of a wide pan (ecology, society, technology, look and feel of the city, etc.) And what is there doesn't feel researched. For example, as a biologist I found the lack of research into how psychology and biology work to be pretty frustrating. There's nothing like a realistic academic or industry power structure, just a few floating Ph.D. candidates, and lab scenes are your basic scary syringe-waving. While this specific example won't be most people's pet peeve, your worldbuilding buttons may also be pushed, because many of the details that create a vivid world are missing. Instead Fisher spotlights a vivid couple and their situation. Give it a try when you're in the mood for a romance in a situation you haven't read a million times before.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Aira rated it 2 of 5 stars

okay the premise of the book blew me away and initially I was hooked
the relationship between the protagonist and Dr. Murphey seemed realistic and sweet but then (view spoiler) it started to get unrealistic,
I had to force myself to finish the book, yes I get that this is scifi and romance but still, there needs to be a connection and understanding between the characters and the readers, and I fel...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I must say, this is the first book in ages I have read in less than 24 hours. (Try 12.) This book is almost like George Clooney's "Solaris," with alien entities materializing (for the most part) as colonists' deceased loved ones as an attempt at attachment, and the havoc that can wreak on one's psyche. But after reading about the romantic component to all this, I was intrigued. I have a feeling some turned to this book for mostly sci-fi, when the mix is more like 60% scifi/40% romance. At least...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, science-fiction-romance

Oh my goodness. All I can say is Ghost Planet is great, great, great. I loved the concept, the story, the characters and the writing. This is Science Fiction Romance at its best.

The twist at the beginning of the book sets the tone for the rest of the story. Elizabeth does not realize she is a ghost. She feels the same, looks the same and reacts the same as before. Here are the two beginning sentences:

"The tarmac was deserted. Foggy and disoriented, I wondered how long I’d been standing there, li...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aliens, favorites, fantasy, futuristic, ghosts, mature, scifi, romance

GENRE: Science Fiction Romance
THEME: Ghost
RECEIVED: Tor
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Ghost Planet is a science fiction lovers dream book, I absolutely loved it, the world/planet that was created, the concept of ghost aka aliens and the characters were just downright fantastic. Plus the writing, Sharon Fisher I have officially become a fan, she really pulled me into this story and it’s one Ill be reading again and again.

Ghost Planet follows Elizabeth Cole who has accepted a positi...more GENRE: Science Fiction Romance
THEME: Ghost
RECEIVED: Tor
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Ghost Planet is a science fiction lovers dream book, I absolutely loved it, the world/planet that was created, the concept of ghost aka aliens and the characters were just downright fantastic. Plus the writing, Sharon Fisher I have officially become a fan, she really pulled me into this story and it’s one Ill be reading again and again.

Ghost Planet follows Elizabeth Cole who has accepted a position on a newly discovered planet. This planet does carry one eerie but interesting set back, all those who colonize on it will become attached with an “alien” who takes form as a dead loved one. Elizabeth has prepared for this moment and who the loved one might be that appears, but nothing prepared her for the moment that she becomes the dead loved one.

Okay, so I know that sounds a little complicated but this story has so much depth. The aliens “Ghost” are like living, breathing; real humans and they can’t be very far from the human person they know. If they are separated for too long something bad happens. But also all humans/ colonists are told to ignore the “Ghost. It seems so sad but everything get’s really exciting once Elizabeth arrives everything changes.

Elizabeth is a fantastic character, well rounded and really takes her new life in stride and she does what she came to the planet to do, research. She is determined to find out about the aliens aka “Ghost”, how they came to be and why must they be so attached to their specific human. The readers will see everything from her perspective and try to help discover the true meaning behind what’s happening on this new planet.

Murphy, he is the first to meet Elizabeth and to be her boss as she takes her new position. But their relationship becomes extremely complicated and the chemistry between these two is undeniable. Murphy is a guy set on following the rules, mainly because he made them, but I love how he wants to find out the truth along with Elizabeth. There relationship is highly focused on and they have to work together against enemies on the colonist side and the “ghost” side to stay alive.

In the end there is a lot of character building not only with out leads but many people they meet along the way. I liked that we could see how Murphy and Elizabeth helping each other changes the way others start thinking.

Overall this book had everything I love about Science Fiction romance books, the leads have become one of my top favorite in this genre, the planet was described in great detail and the alien “ghosts” were so original and creative. There is so much that happens, this book is very fast paced, you’ll never want to put it down for a minute.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with minor sexual content for a mature reader. Fans of Gini Koch’s Katherine “Kitty” Katt series and Stephanie Meyers Host novel will love Ghost Planet by Sharon Fisher.
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Oct 23, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Original Post with synopsis and Buy Links: http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...

We never understand the nature of the relationship between Ardagh 1, and the earth colonists. It's obvious to the reader that the dysfunction in that relationship is the source of many of the problems the planet and its inhabitants. The colonists from Earth see conspiracy and enmity in the planet's attempts to "make friends" and fail to see the symbiotic gift being offered and the results of rejection.

In many way...more Original Post with synopsis and Buy Links: http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...

We never understand the nature of the relationship between Ardagh 1, and the earth colonists. It's obvious to the reader that the dysfunction in that relationship is the source of many of the problems the planet and its inhabitants. The colonists from Earth see conspiracy and enmity in the planet's attempts to "make friends" and fail to see the symbiotic gift being offered and the results of rejection.

In many ways this is a paranormal rather than science fiction. The technical side of the equation: exploration, space travel, science, is there but what's more important is the nature of the relationship between the ghost, the planet, and the colonists. It all rests on a Gaia theory. The planet as a living entity. That the ghosts aren't really spectral emanations but something more is what makes it Science Fiction, I guess.

The story itself is really interesting, somewhat reminiscent of the sequel to 2001 A Space Odyssey, 2010. It does present humanity in its worst light: greedy and closed minded. It takes a personal catastrophe to raise awareness of the problems and cause a paradigm shift. The relationship that will develop between the main characters, Elizabeth and Murphy is obvious. The object of the evil scientist is apparent. There are one or two surprises that bring about the most likely ending. The world-building and what causes the key change are a bit fluffed over.

That we are no more aware of the nature of the creative forces in effect at the end of the book than we are at the beginning brings us back to Gaia and the same question here on earth. So many are certain of what they know and think everyone else is wrong. That certainty is rationale behind actions that have some one-sided benefit. Is this new planet here to serve humanity and abuse in whatever way we see fit?

The characters' relationship development and the changes their emotional and physical attachment bring are important, but the physical nature of the relationship is pretty perfunctory. There are a lot of quickies. It felt as if it were an afterthought; included because of the current publishing environment.

Other than that, it's a decent read with intelligent language. The start is spine tingling! It is a bit predictable but most sci fi is. I enjoyed the book, and while it didn't blow me away it does raise interesting questions about how we treat our world and each other. To subjugate a class of people requires their dehumanization. We see it over and over again in human history. Would our nature cause us to destroy a new world in the same way and how would we react if the planet itself intervened?

Another question is raised about what it means to be human, and whether a consciousness transplanted to another body is the original person, an imitation that doesn't deserve the label of human, or if it is some entirely new entity. In any event, how do we treat an entire class of being like this?

Interesting idea treated thoughtfully, if a bit incompletely, with both green and spiritual issues raised. Somewhat predictable with a few surprises and perfunctory intimacy. If you enjoy non-technical science fiction which makes you look at the nature of humanity this a good choice for you. (less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, green-covers, arc

Earth has become a polluted disaster and the need to find another planet to sustain life sent explorers out into space. John Ardagh found a planet similar to Earth that was full of vegetation and habitable and began a program to settle people there. They found a very disturbing effect once people arrived – a fully formed, solid replica of a person with some sort of relationship to them who’d died was “connected” to them on this new planet. Psychological problems developed when people engaged the...more Earth has become a polluted disaster and the need to find another planet to sustain life sent explorers out into space. John Ardagh found a planet similar to Earth that was full of vegetation and habitable and began a program to settle people there. They found a very disturbing effect once people arrived – a fully formed, solid replica of a person with some sort of relationship to them who’d died was “connected” to them on this new planet. Psychological problems developed when people engaged these so-called ghosts/aliens, so something called the Ghost Protocol was put into place, where Citizens were strongly encouraged not to speak to or acknowledge their ghosts.

Elizabeth Cole, desperate to get away from some relationship messiness on earth, has elected to take on a position as a psychologist at a counseling center on Ardagh 1. She also hopes to study the Ghost Protocol, developed by Dr. Grayson Murphy. When she arrives, she’s taken aback to be met by Murphy himself. A problem at the counseling center means she’ll be working with him in New Seattle. It’s not going to be a total chore – she met the handsome Irishman - she met the handsome Irishman once before at Trinity College and the spark of attraction she felt back then is still there.

The sad, wan ghosts are unnerving to Elizabeth but Murphy doesn’t seem to have any problem ignoring them. He’s explaining the way the office security is set up to recognize humans vs. ghosts/aliens, when they walk through and the alarm goes off. They realize Murphy’s ghost has been missing for a while now too, so it shouldn’t have, except according to the security scan – Elizabeth is his ghost now. She died on the way to Ardagh 1. Cue the hair on my arms to stand up.

The story is told in the first person from Elizabeth’s point of view, so for that first chapter, I was reading about New Seattle from her eyes, seeing Murphy and her attraction to him, how she felt about the ghosts and what she wanted to do for them – basically everything that made her real – and then, BAM. She’s a ghost? Of course immediately, the creator of the Ghost Protocol has to change his attitude toward his new ghost.

At this point, I’m not sure where the story is going. I don’t trust my own conclusion about who’s alive and who’s dead since ghosts apparently can appear very human and even they don’t know they’re dead. No one who’d been in contact with Elizabeth noticed because she hadn’t been neglected enough yet. Murphy’s problem is that Elizabeth isn’t going to follow the Ghost Protocol. She may not be alive but she’s not dead either and she’s going to find a way to exist and not be one of those helpless creatures no one talks to.

The story is quite serious: there are themes of prejudice, environmentalism, slavery and oppression among the old faithful standards of greed, fanaticism and jealousy. This still has some light and fun moments and Elizabeth is a bright beacon of a character. She’s generally just irrepressible, pretty much corrupting other ghosts by talking to them and driving Murphy crazy by making her presence in his life impossible for him to ignore. Figuring out the relationships between ghosts and citizens was her passion before but now it’s her mission and she’s got some brilliant ideas that she and another ghost talk out. It’s fascinating stuff.

The romance with Murphy is so, so sweet. He’s just so damn adorable and sexy. It’s not all because he’s a yummy Irish guy who absently calls her, “love,” all the time. It’s not his startlingly blue eyes or that he’s practically a chef. Even when he’s trying to ignore Elizabeth, he does it courteously and is protective. I loved that when she started to work out her theories, Murphy was willing to rethink his own. Their attraction was pretty quick but it took time for everything else and I really appreciated that. Once they got there – whew.

I don’t want to say too much about where the plot goes beyond Elizabeth’s research because the halves of the book are like mirror images, mimicking the ghost/person relationship. I loved the way Fisher split the story, showing that both sides had their fanatics and neither had any particular grasp of the true answer because they were so busy proving they were on some moral high ground. There are a few twists and pockets of action at the end that again had me wondering if I could trust myself!

I loved this. That’s pretty much the beginning and end of it. I’m not a science fiction reader by any stretch of the imagination but Fisher made this relatable, didn’t throw a hundred unpronounceable names at me and gave me a sexy romance, which I couldn’t resist. Ghost Planet originally hit me as eerie, then wrung me out, taking me through every emotion I could imagine. It left me thinking about the possibilities of the creation of duplicate life forms, wondering what would happen if they went somewhere other than their home planet, wondering about some of the other moral questions raised in the book – in other words, this stuck with me long after I read it. It’s going on my list of favorite reads of the year and definitely will be a re-read!(less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had so much promise, but it ended up being just okay. I think it needed a lot more science fiction. Or maybe a series. And I don't say that because series' are so popular, but because there is so much going on here: a planet that generates alien life forms in the guise of dead loved ones, who are paired with living colonists and tethered to them. A protocol that states human colonists must not interact with their "ghosts" in order to preserve their own sanity. Instant love between Eliz...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Kamil rated it 3 of 5 stars

The premise of the book was great; the author set her story in a relatively fresh situation ( i haven't read many stories with those so called "ghosts"). And we get a couple of flawless characters that are doomed to fall in love. I dig that! Yet it feels like Mrs Fisher had a deadline aproaching and was forced by her editor/publisher to cut to the chase. So many great ideas end up half-baked. As a consolation we get lots of sexy times ( Elizabeth and Murphy would put to shame even rabbits in he...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall, I liked this book. I don’t typically read sci-fi, so this was new territory for me. I think it helped me that the world the author built seemed like an extrapolation of our present moment and involved human beings. I really loved the world and concept building, especially the concept of the “ghosts” and I totally geeked out over all the biology and psychology.

I do have a few quibbles. One, I am tiring of the obsession/true love at first sight and married/pregnant 2 months later plot. I...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Van rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 1/2 stars.

I don’t remember the last time I read such an imaginative and enjoyable science-fiction novel, or actually a blend of equal parts science-fiction and romance. I love the concept of Ghost Planet where every colonist that lives on Ardagh 1 ( kind of like a copy of earth) has a ghost ‘alien’ that’s bonded with them in the form of a dead person they once knew. Elizabeth Cole accepted a job on Ardagh 1 to get as far away from her ex-fiancé as possible. Upon arriving she meets her boss, an...more 4 1/2 stars.

I don’t remember the last time I read such an imaginative and enjoyable science-fiction novel, or actually a blend of equal parts science-fiction and romance. I love the concept of Ghost Planet where every colonist that lives on Ardagh 1 ( kind of like a copy of earth) has a ghost ‘alien’ that’s bonded with them in the form of a dead person they once knew. Elizabeth Cole accepted a job on Ardagh 1 to get as far away from her ex-fiancé as possible. Upon arriving she meets her boss, an incredibly handsome Irish man who helped launch the Ghost Protocol. Murphy explains the rule of Ghost Protocol to Elizabeth, stating that a colonist and their ghost ca never talk or interact with one another…it’s against the law. On the night of Elizabeth’s arrival she discover she’s a ghost, that she really died on the way to Ardagh 1 and that she’s become Murphy’s ghost. Both Murphy and Elizabeth must find out how this all happened and at the same time fight their attraction to one another.

This is an excellent debut novel; Mrs. Fisher created a believable-realistic group of characters and the world in which they inhabit. It was easy to follow and understand how Ardagh 1 worked, and even though the ghost ‘alien’ are a reincarnation of the former self, they are no different than the colonist or when one was alive. When I first read it, I actually thought they were “like” a ghost, where no one can see them really but, they are just like any human. They still act like their former self; they still have their memories, eat regular food, feel emotions and procreate. I love Elizabeth. When she found out she’s a ghost, she was sad but just for a moment. She was determine to find out how to live with being a ghost, more about the ghost protocol, and if there is a way to “detach” from Murphy. She’s a headstrong woman, and don’t let her being a psychologist fool you…she can totally kick butt and get her hands dirty.

This is a debut novel not to be missed; I highly recommend it to all Sci-fi/Romance fans, and if anyone ever seen the movie THE ISLAND (has almost the same feel). The world that Mrs. Fisher created is so original and fascinating that it will keep you glued to the pages till you finish! I definitely will be checking out future works of Mrs. Fisher.
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Dec 03, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read anything this simplistic and engaging in such a long time; I forgot books like this existed! In a future world, humanity has learned to travel to the furthest reaches of spaces- to worlds inhabited by other beings. On one such world, deemed Ghost Planet, humans upon their arrival are met with a "ghost" companion. The ghost companions are an almost exact copy of a departed loved one or acquaintance. A prominent psychiatrist, Murphy, who has done extensive research on the phenomena...more

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Sci-Fi Romance: Ghost Planet Blasts Off!	1	24	Oct 30, 2012 04:38am

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