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The Tartarus Incident
A UNSA audit ship is accidentally transmitted to the wrong planet and the crew must try to survive until a rescue team can locate them
- GenresScience Fiction
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 11, 2021
A short and enjoyable read. Really enjoyed the format. They focused far too much on solving the puzzle on why the crash initially happened, and didn't give us much answer about the.. mysteries of the alien planet which in my opinion were deeply disturbing mysteries.
A lot of enjoyment of this book disappeared because the one female crewmember decided to be a raging bitch from the moment she opened her mouth. Which I'm not sure if is a sign of the age of the book or not? She had issues, clearly, but every other male just.. ignored her throwing a tantrum over every single thing coming out of her mouth?
She grew far less annoying later in the book, but then she wasn't speaking much later in the book. Tho you did get to hear her inner monologue. Which was far less annoying.
A lot of enjoyment of this book disappeared because the one female crewmember decided to be a raging bitch from the moment she opened her mouth. Which I'm not sure if is a sign of the age of the book or not? She had issues, clearly, but every other male just.. ignored her throwing a tantrum over every single thing coming out of her mouth?
She grew far less annoying later in the book, but then she wasn't speaking much later in the book. Tho you did get to hear her inner monologue. Which was far less annoying.
October 22, 2024
A really cool book for fans of the original Alien. It's also very short, a little over 200 pages, so it's an easy read.
"The Tartarus Incident" is an early 80s sci-fi/horror story, so there's plenty of retro-futuristic stylism that's fun to see, knowing how technology has since evolved since the book was written. The world-building is really cool, and while I wish we could have gotten more of everything, I like how the characters were kept simple. This wasn't a character study by any means, but the author did a good job of giving each very human motivations that were easy to pick up on.
"The Tartarus Incident" is an early 80s sci-fi/horror story, so there's plenty of retro-futuristic stylism that's fun to see, knowing how technology has since evolved since the book was written. The world-building is really cool, and while I wish we could have gotten more of everything, I like how the characters were kept simple. This wasn't a character study by any means, but the author did a good job of giving each very human motivations that were easy to pick up on.
November 23, 2014
Series book S1
1987 grade B+
2017 grade C+
Too many words. I can't believe how tolerant I was of overwritten pedantic books 30 years ago as long as the basic story was good. I think this one could have been told in half as many pages. But it has a good basic underlying story and, once I kicked into speed reading mode, was reasonably interesting and at times exciting.
Premise: Shuttles with life support but no other motive functions are instantly sent from a central command to previously mapped planets. A series of errors sends one to the wrong and a dangerous place. The shuttle cannot return and command does not know where they are.
Characters: All but one are unpleasantly nasty or bureaucratic and it was hard to care about them initially. There were believable and vivid though.
POVs: One point of view is central command as the one likable low level character tries to cut through the bureaucracy of obstinate superiors and the chain of errors to rescue the crew. The second is on the planet and is basically a “don't go into the dark basement alone” type thriller that was actually pretty tense at the end.
As I said, a good basic story but overwritten to the point where the tension was lost under too many words. I cannot recommend it and will not read it again.
The only reasons I read it so fast were it was too hot to go outside and build, and I speed read it.
1987 grade B+
2017 grade C+
Too many words. I can't believe how tolerant I was of overwritten pedantic books 30 years ago as long as the basic story was good. I think this one could have been told in half as many pages. But it has a good basic underlying story and, once I kicked into speed reading mode, was reasonably interesting and at times exciting.
Premise: Shuttles with life support but no other motive functions are instantly sent from a central command to previously mapped planets. A series of errors sends one to the wrong and a dangerous place. The shuttle cannot return and command does not know where they are.
Characters: All but one are unpleasantly nasty or bureaucratic and it was hard to care about them initially. There were believable and vivid though.
POVs: One point of view is central command as the one likable low level character tries to cut through the bureaucracy of obstinate superiors and the chain of errors to rescue the crew. The second is on the planet and is basically a “don't go into the dark basement alone” type thriller that was actually pretty tense at the end.
As I said, a good basic story but overwritten to the point where the tension was lost under too many words. I cannot recommend it and will not read it again.
The only reasons I read it so fast were it was too hot to go outside and build, and I speed read it.
March 23, 2021
This one is s gem by a writer who came and went unseen. A series of procedural mistakes and ordinary people-- not heroes, not soldiers, not superscientists-- are thrust into a dead alien world without a clue as to how to get back. Real fears, real vicissitudes, frailties and mistakes all backed up by the sense of being truly Lost. This one is a thoughtful read-- especially by someone who had held a job-- any job...
July 11, 2015
If you like the film Pitch Black (2000), The Tartarus Incident (1983) has very similar themes of mixing sci-fi and horror when you are stranded on a hostile planet.
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October 23, 2025"Somebody get us the hell out of..." This is the last transmission received from Caitlin Palamara's audit team. What could never happen is now a terrifying fact. The five-person crew of the ISEA audit ship jack-a-dandy has vanished during a routine skip from sector ship Graywand to the planet Sierra. Palamara and the others find themselves stranded on a hostile, undeveloped planet that bears no resemblance at all to Sierra. They've lost communication with Graywand, and their drive system is dead. Just when it seems that things can't get worse, John Wheeler, who feels a connection with a mysterious alien presence, wanders off and stumbles upon the sprawling ruins of an ancient city. The others have no choice but to go after him. The place is more than a little spooky. But there's no real danger, right? The city is long dead, abandoned eons ago. Right? Wrong. For Caitlin Palamara's small audit team, it's the end of their comfortable routine, and the beginning of the interstellar nightmare that becomes known in ISEA archives as The Tartarus Incident.
December 31, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
2.75/5
"I decided to decompress with a brief SF adventure! And, I can’t lie, I adore the James Gurney (of Dinotopia fame) cover….
The Premise: The Mothership Graywand acts as a central hub for exploration pods (like the one in the Gurney cover). Like a glorified office building replete with windowless cubicles, the pods flit in and out via the “Kohlmann stream” (7) (queue lots of laborious mumbo-jumbo). The operations of the Graywand [...]"
2.75/5
"I decided to decompress with a brief SF adventure! And, I can’t lie, I adore the James Gurney (of Dinotopia fame) cover….
The Premise: The Mothership Graywand acts as a central hub for exploration pods (like the one in the Gurney cover). Like a glorified office building replete with windowless cubicles, the pods flit in and out via the “Kohlmann stream” (7) (queue lots of laborious mumbo-jumbo). The operations of the Graywand [...]"
June 24, 2023
A fun thriller, with elements of scifi and horror. Bureaucracy gumming up the works added to the frustration. The race against the clock at the end added to the tension.
Will check out other books by the author.
PS:
Will check out other books by the author.
PS:
December 1, 2024
Fast read. Nice story, but nothing special, full of the usual tropes.
March 27, 2025
Super fun sci-fi horror, great beach read, solid ending too. Definitely recommend
February 13, 2026
I picked this up at a used bookstore and really didn’t know what to expect but I really liked this short sci fi horror! I loved how the events unfolded, but I would be interested in getting a little more background on the people of the city that eventually moved to the tomb (more than just the wild ravings of Wheeler)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2011
Originally read this in the 80' as a teen and it stuck with me. Upon reread, I found the story enjoyable and quick paced. Was bigger and scarier in my memory though. Will leave it at my original estimation of 4 stars.
August 10, 2011
Greenleaf REALLY knows how to write. Why he isn't one of the most famous SF writers of all time is lost on me.
June 29, 2025
Quick adventure read, fun and dark.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews