What do you think?
Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended
In Norway, a massive complex buried for thousands of years under a fjord was accidentally discovered by two oil rig scuba divers (Eirik and Jack) after a diamond drill bit was obliterated by the outer shell of the facility. They discovered an entrance, entered the facility, and soon realized that the technology was too advanced to have been created in our time. Instead of telling the authorities, they took upon themselves to return over the years to map and explore further. They also realized the strange behavior of the facility's security system when it prevented Jack from operating some equipment and accessing some areas. Follow Eirik, Jack, and others as they negotiate national and international issues in an effort to understand the facility, its Builders, and its purpose.
- GenresScience Fiction
647 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
About the author
Mario Stinger
5 books1 followerMario Stinger is a Canadian author, whose career was in industrial counter-espionage. He has been gravitating around the United Nations for many years and currently lives abroad where he is granted diplomatic immunity. This has given him a unique perspective which has helped him ground his novels in reality, despite the book's science fiction genre.
His inspiration for Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended came from his past experiences in his careers in security and in industrial counter-espionage as well as from his travels and interactions with different cultures around the world as a diplomat under the auspices of the United Nations. Being an avid reader and fan of various science fiction genres, he specifically named Star Trek as very influential with regard to the nature of the technology and equipment that can be found in the facility. He based the story’s plot on a curiosity that he came upon when he was reading about climate change, the continuing population growth, and the wanton exploitation of finite natural resources that he has witnessed in his journeys.
His inspiration for Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended came from his past experiences in his careers in security and in industrial counter-espionage as well as from his travels and interactions with different cultures around the world as a diplomat under the auspices of the United Nations. Being an avid reader and fan of various science fiction genres, he specifically named Star Trek as very influential with regard to the nature of the technology and equipment that can be found in the facility. He based the story’s plot on a curiosity that he came upon when he was reading about climate change, the continuing population growth, and the wanton exploitation of finite natural resources that he has witnessed in his journeys.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 4, 2014
Mario Stinger’s book starts with a note saying he was told to cut the book by more than 100 pages to save money on shipping costs of hard covers. Since it was not for an editorial reason, he left all 600-plus pages for the readers.
I wish he cut it. For editorial purposes, reading purposes and enjoyment purposes.
Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended was a long, tedious book that seemed promising. However, the book needed to be cleaned up with its several errors, run-on and passive sentences, and unnatural dialogue.
An example, “Of course, does it have anything to do with what happened last night? I tried to call your cell phone many times but all I got was my own voice urging me to leave you a message. Then I called your family’s phone line, but your mother had no clue where you were. I left a message with her, you know how your mother doesn’t approve of our relationship. She still thinks I’m only your (sex) friend. At least it was how she ‘elegantly’ put it to me last time. If I had not been raised in a properly mannered family, I might have been inclined to say that I was. What l else would I be since the sex is so great with you?”
The above was said by a 17-year-old high school girl. Detailing every account was unnecessary and that is far too much dialogue for one person in one paragraph. They also don’t speak that way. There were many sections like this and it made the book difficult to read.
There was a decent science-fiction story bogged down within the extraneous text, but the main story was never completed. Just when the action picked up in the last quarter of the book with military intervening at the Facility and Steven, the main character, having to run for his life, the book swerved and finished as a love story – but left it open-ended and not in a good way.
The main character also didn’t come across as likeable as the author may have wanted. He seemed rather smug and overly confident in his ability to make any woman feel comfortable around him.
Also, a large theme of anti-religion littered the book, which may put off some readers.
Again, there is something there with Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended, but this book needs a heavy-duty edit.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
I wish he cut it. For editorial purposes, reading purposes and enjoyment purposes.
Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended was a long, tedious book that seemed promising. However, the book needed to be cleaned up with its several errors, run-on and passive sentences, and unnatural dialogue.
An example, “Of course, does it have anything to do with what happened last night? I tried to call your cell phone many times but all I got was my own voice urging me to leave you a message. Then I called your family’s phone line, but your mother had no clue where you were. I left a message with her, you know how your mother doesn’t approve of our relationship. She still thinks I’m only your (sex) friend. At least it was how she ‘elegantly’ put it to me last time. If I had not been raised in a properly mannered family, I might have been inclined to say that I was. What l else would I be since the sex is so great with you?”
The above was said by a 17-year-old high school girl. Detailing every account was unnecessary and that is far too much dialogue for one person in one paragraph. They also don’t speak that way. There were many sections like this and it made the book difficult to read.
There was a decent science-fiction story bogged down within the extraneous text, but the main story was never completed. Just when the action picked up in the last quarter of the book with military intervening at the Facility and Steven, the main character, having to run for his life, the book swerved and finished as a love story – but left it open-ended and not in a good way.
The main character also didn’t come across as likeable as the author may have wanted. He seemed rather smug and overly confident in his ability to make any woman feel comfortable around him.
Also, a large theme of anti-religion littered the book, which may put off some readers.
Again, there is something there with Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended, but this book needs a heavy-duty edit.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
October 30, 2012
This is an amazing piece of work from Mario Stinger, apparently the first of an epic series. At first glance, I thought it was simply one of those sci-fi/adventure novels, given its premise revolving a mysterious underwater complex and advanced technology. It turns out there was much more to this story.
The book went off at a slow start as the first several chapters dealt alternately between the discovery of the Facility and the musings of the primary protagonist, Steven Mitchell. By all accounts, Steven falls right into the category of an antihero: He's a black hat computer hacker who is torn between his self-serving opportunistic tendencies and his desire to contribute to humanity and add value to his finite existence. He's a faceless criminal, a self-exiled fugitive who was recruited along with a motley crew of discontents, professionals, and military personnel to spearhead an exploration of a massive, technologically advanced facility found deep within the Norwegian Sea.
Like many "first books" that I have read for trilogies, I felt like Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended is a "set up" book. Normally, set up books either spend too much time in laying down their plot threads and end up being an unbalanced peg that can't stand on its own, or it's so complete that it essentially eliminates the desire for me to read the subsequent books in the series.
This book, however, is different. Despite the sci-fi nature of its general plot, it manages to delve into the bowels of the human psyche and tackle topics that include morality, ethics, religion, prejudice, human greed, and political intrigue. The characters were particularly interesting as well as they all have their unique qualities. Steven, for example, is somewhat cynical, abrasively ethnocentric and generally has an axe to grind with religious people, but he grows and changes for the better as the story progresses. In contrast, Eirik Olsen is an amiable marine biologist who exhibits a child-like curiosity and loves to experiment and learn new things, though he tends to buckle down easily in stressful situations. The plot threads are nicely placed and unexpectedly thought-provoking, and though some end up as cliffhangers, they leave an air of excitement that actually makes me curious as to what is going to happen in the sequel.
Needless to say, I do want to know more about what is going on, what has happened in the past, and what is going to happen next. It's an awesome way to start a trilogy; there's this sense of closure and yet there are so many possibilities as to what may possibly happen in the next book--and I want to follow it for as long as I can. The characters are terrific and generally multi-dimensional, though there is always room for even more development for each one. There are also characters that are shrouded in mystery, and I'm sure there is more to them than meets the eye. I highly recommend Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended and can only believe that this series can only get better.
The book went off at a slow start as the first several chapters dealt alternately between the discovery of the Facility and the musings of the primary protagonist, Steven Mitchell. By all accounts, Steven falls right into the category of an antihero: He's a black hat computer hacker who is torn between his self-serving opportunistic tendencies and his desire to contribute to humanity and add value to his finite existence. He's a faceless criminal, a self-exiled fugitive who was recruited along with a motley crew of discontents, professionals, and military personnel to spearhead an exploration of a massive, technologically advanced facility found deep within the Norwegian Sea.
Like many "first books" that I have read for trilogies, I felt like Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended is a "set up" book. Normally, set up books either spend too much time in laying down their plot threads and end up being an unbalanced peg that can't stand on its own, or it's so complete that it essentially eliminates the desire for me to read the subsequent books in the series.
This book, however, is different. Despite the sci-fi nature of its general plot, it manages to delve into the bowels of the human psyche and tackle topics that include morality, ethics, religion, prejudice, human greed, and political intrigue. The characters were particularly interesting as well as they all have their unique qualities. Steven, for example, is somewhat cynical, abrasively ethnocentric and generally has an axe to grind with religious people, but he grows and changes for the better as the story progresses. In contrast, Eirik Olsen is an amiable marine biologist who exhibits a child-like curiosity and loves to experiment and learn new things, though he tends to buckle down easily in stressful situations. The plot threads are nicely placed and unexpectedly thought-provoking, and though some end up as cliffhangers, they leave an air of excitement that actually makes me curious as to what is going to happen in the sequel.
Needless to say, I do want to know more about what is going on, what has happened in the past, and what is going to happen next. It's an awesome way to start a trilogy; there's this sense of closure and yet there are so many possibilities as to what may possibly happen in the next book--and I want to follow it for as long as I can. The characters are terrific and generally multi-dimensional, though there is always room for even more development for each one. There are also characters that are shrouded in mystery, and I'm sure there is more to them than meets the eye. I highly recommend Destined for Oblivion: As Nature Intended and can only believe that this series can only get better.
January 10, 2013
"The grass is always greener on the other side," as they say. That's the first thing that came to my mind halfway through this book. It actually cemented the idea by the time I finished it.
Imagine there's a gadget that can give you all the information that you want about anything that you're focusing your gaze at in the blink of an eye, at the speed of thought. It's a gadget that you wear and you can use it essentially hands free.
Imagine that this gadget is in the possession of a couple of defenseless people. Lanky people. Lanky people dealing in the field of science and who have minimal to no combat experience or means to defend themselves physically. And these people use that gadget for research and other uninteresting pursuits.
You know you could use that gadget for something better. To identify a terrorist for a sizable bounty or public recognition perhaps, or the combination to a bank safe so you can have the funds for that luxury cruise you've been dreaming of.
Would you take it from them?
This book tackles the element of greed, primarily. People are naturally opportunistic and this book somewhat delves into that part of our minds. It's a reflection of who we are. We covet. We hunger for wealth, knowledge, power, or even longevity.
We want to do good in this world, but then again, what constitutes "good?" Does it apply to everyone or to a select few?
This book raises a lot of valid questions about our views in life and about the way we ought to conduct ourselves with respect to our current status. I have issues with some of the characters as they appear to be extreme or one-dimensional, but I'd let it slide as I think there's more room for further development in the future.
July 12, 2020
I have read the new, and completely re-write version on the book. It was amazing. I loved it and can't wait for the sequel.
The political ideas and the love story in the book are deep and really unique.
December 20, 2012
A friend of mine from overseas actually gave me a copy of this book since he knows I’m into stuff that deal with religion and science. I skimmed a bit and saw that the premise was rather cliché: A place of unfathomable value was discovered by a small group of people, further studies or explorations were performed, and the powers-that-be decided to take control of the entire operation for purposes that are known only to them. The story deals with high science and instruments that can virtually change the way we live our lives. There are segments that discuss various disputes between religious and secular concepts particularly in terms of ethics and scientific issues, though these conflicts are pretty much commonplace even in real life. There are fewer action scenes and more talk overall, probably because this is the first of many in this series.
I’m not usually drawn towards discovery and conspiracy plots, but one of the things that made me start all over and kept me reading was the idea that the characters that were subjected to this sort of ordeal were visibly flawed in their own way and their individual nature added flavor to the interactions and various arguments in the story. Steven is a flagrantly contumacious individual, but he is also an opportunist; he has the intellectual capacity and propensity to find loopholes around just about any problem that comes his way, granted that he has the benefit of time to do so. Chrissy, his love interest, is the complete opposite in terms of behavior—she is more reserved and cordial, but she’s at par with him in terms of problem-solving skills.
Of all the concepts presented in the book, I like the one about biological immortality the most. It brings forth a lot of possibilities and, considering that certain people in the story are actually able to manipulate certain gadgets to achieve that status, it makes for a pretty awesome sequel. I'm starting to wonder what would happen if someone like Gordon Gekko or a diabolical Hannibal Lecter-like character would gain access to that kind of equipment. I can’t wait for the next one.
Nice cliffhanger by the way.
I’m not usually drawn towards discovery and conspiracy plots, but one of the things that made me start all over and kept me reading was the idea that the characters that were subjected to this sort of ordeal were visibly flawed in their own way and their individual nature added flavor to the interactions and various arguments in the story. Steven is a flagrantly contumacious individual, but he is also an opportunist; he has the intellectual capacity and propensity to find loopholes around just about any problem that comes his way, granted that he has the benefit of time to do so. Chrissy, his love interest, is the complete opposite in terms of behavior—she is more reserved and cordial, but she’s at par with him in terms of problem-solving skills.
Of all the concepts presented in the book, I like the one about biological immortality the most. It brings forth a lot of possibilities and, considering that certain people in the story are actually able to manipulate certain gadgets to achieve that status, it makes for a pretty awesome sequel. I'm starting to wonder what would happen if someone like Gordon Gekko or a diabolical Hannibal Lecter-like character would gain access to that kind of equipment. I can’t wait for the next one.
Nice cliffhanger by the way.
January 16, 2013
This is my first science fiction novel.
I saw its book trailer in Youtube and decided to download it on my Kindle and take a dekko at it out of curiosity.
The writing is average at best. The plot was laid out clearly, but I think that the overall concept is a bit too foren to me. Perhaps I need to get used to the genre for a while as I have only started to delve into it in the last year.
One thing I noticed is that the main characters somewhat are atheist or have an axe to grind with their religion. There may be a bias on the part of the author, that's why it gives me that impression.
Perhaps the yuppies and atheist people would appreciate this book more on a level that would still be beyond me. Religious people may get offended, but I think it depends on who reads it. I may re-read this book in the future once I start to understand the philosophy and the science described inside.
I saw its book trailer in Youtube and decided to download it on my Kindle and take a dekko at it out of curiosity.
The writing is average at best. The plot was laid out clearly, but I think that the overall concept is a bit too foren to me. Perhaps I need to get used to the genre for a while as I have only started to delve into it in the last year.
One thing I noticed is that the main characters somewhat are atheist or have an axe to grind with their religion. There may be a bias on the part of the author, that's why it gives me that impression.
Perhaps the yuppies and atheist people would appreciate this book more on a level that would still be beyond me. Religious people may get offended, but I think it depends on who reads it. I may re-read this book in the future once I start to understand the philosophy and the science described inside.
January 15, 2013
Sincerely, this book offended me at first. There are a lot of innuendos against religion in this book but at the same time, it brought up a lot of very interesting insights.
What *would* happen if we found out we had all that power or technology all along and it was waiting to be discovered? Would we unite as one or would we kill each other over it? It got me thinking and praying for quite some time (that it wouldn't come to this--killing each other over technological breakthroughs--in real life), but I have to confess that it is an interesting concept.
I'm curious to know how this author would follow the story up in his next book.
I'm giving this four stars just for the author's chutzpah in writing something like this.
What *would* happen if we found out we had all that power or technology all along and it was waiting to be discovered? Would we unite as one or would we kill each other over it? It got me thinking and praying for quite some time (that it wouldn't come to this--killing each other over technological breakthroughs--in real life), but I have to confess that it is an interesting concept.
I'm curious to know how this author would follow the story up in his next book.
I'm giving this four stars just for the author's chutzpah in writing something like this.
January 10, 2013
This was a great read. I managed to pick this up at Amazon a couple of weeks back and I have to say that the idea behind the book gave me a lot of ideas, mostly regarding hypothetical scenarios about humans being more conscientious with how they deal with their surroundings and with each other.
It's obvious in the end that there's a sequel after this one and I can't wait to find out what's going to happen to the characters in the next book.
Good job, Stinger.
It's obvious in the end that there's a sequel after this one and I can't wait to find out what's going to happen to the characters in the next book.
Good job, Stinger.
January 14, 2013
It's a great read. Mario Stinger has done a great job in conveying the flow of the story amidst the numerous concerns brought up in the book like the dispute between the religious and the nonreligious, immortality, sci fi technology, and allusions to underhanded political practices. It all melded very well and I feel for the characters who had the grave misfortune (or should I say great fortune for some)to be meshed into that scenario.
Two thumbs up!
Two thumbs up!
December 14, 2012
It's a great book that got me thinking a lot for a fiction novel. The characters are very interesting, especially Steven and Chrissy. I wondered for the entire novel what I would do in their shoes. I have also started reading more online about immortality and the environment because of that book.
Goodreads indeed.
Goodreads indeed.
December 14, 2012
Let's just say that after reading this book, it made me realized how short life is. It's a great novel and would be a best-seller if it had not been self-published. Trust me, I know, I'm in the industry.
January 16, 2013
This book is full of self-righteous atheists who exchange manic-depressive self-congratulatory arguments with each other. Nuff said.
You need Jesus in your lives.
You need Jesus in your lives.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews