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Spaceside
(Planetside #2)
by
A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-te ...more
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-te ...more
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Michael Mammay
There is a third Carl Butler book coming in late 2020. After that there will be something completely different in 2021.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Spaceside (Planetside #2)
Jul 25, 2019
Petrik
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
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ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t emphasize this highly enough: if you enjoyed reading Planetside, you will most likely enjoy Spaceside too.
Spaceside is the second book in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series. Although the first book worked totally well as a standalone, I’m glad there’s a continuation because I was left wanting more after the ending of the first book. More than a year has passed, Colonel Butler is trying his best to live with the ...more
I can’t emphasize this highly enough: if you enjoyed reading Planetside, you will most likely enjoy Spaceside too.
Spaceside is the second book in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series. Although the first book worked totally well as a standalone, I’m glad there’s a continuation because I was left wanting more after the ending of the first book. More than a year has passed, Colonel Butler is trying his best to live with the ...more
Aug 30, 2019
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
[4.5/5 stars] I love love love this series. I love the character. I love the story. I love how tight the writing is. I love the dry humor. I love that the mystery had me thinking about the book every time I set it down. It has been a hot minute since a series has drawn me back to it so strongly. It continues to provide all the story components I’m craving these days, and for me at least, it’s the perfect read.
The brilliance of this story is the superb main character, Colonel Carl Butler. I freak ...more
The brilliance of this story is the superb main character, Colonel Carl Butler. I freak ...more
3.5 stars. A worthy a sequel to Planetside, Michael Mammay's excellent military sci-fi / detective debut novel.
The story follows Colonel Carl Butler in the next chapter of his life, now retired from the military and working security for a mega corporation. It ties back directly to the previous book and is deeply rooted in the events that unfolded there. Like that book, much of the story is procedural heavy and it's not until later when Butler gets pushed into another battle with grim prospects t ...more
The story follows Colonel Carl Butler in the next chapter of his life, now retired from the military and working security for a mega corporation. It ties back directly to the previous book and is deeply rooted in the events that unfolded there. Like that book, much of the story is procedural heavy and it's not until later when Butler gets pushed into another battle with grim prospects t ...more
Spaceside, book two of Mike Mammay’s Planetside series, sees the evolution of a tremendous character in Col. Carl Butler as he deals with the aftermath of the events in book one and runs headlong into an unfamiliar setting with unpredictable events. Using his lifetime of military training and whatever quick wits he can muster that aren’t dulled by the whiskey, Butler is forced to deal with events that become more and more treacherous the deeper he gets.
Spaceside was a blast to read! I can’t rec ...more
Spaceside was a blast to read! I can’t rec ...more
I received an advanced proof of Spaceside from the publisher, to review.
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals ...more
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals ...more
Originally published at Reading Reality
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. Unless they’ve become well-known but officially exonerated mass murderers. Then they become pointed-at pariahs.
Spaceside is set two years after the events in the totally awesome Planetside. Events that left Colonel Carl Butler forcibly retired, reluctantly divorced, and completely alone on Talca 4, with a cushy job at a mega-corporation that conducts corporate bonding retreats using one of their marquee products, ...more
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. Unless they’ve become well-known but officially exonerated mass murderers. Then they become pointed-at pariahs.
Spaceside is set two years after the events in the totally awesome Planetside. Events that left Colonel Carl Butler forcibly retired, reluctantly divorced, and completely alone on Talca 4, with a cushy job at a mega-corporation that conducts corporate bonding retreats using one of their marquee products, ...more
I received an advanced proof of Spaceside from the publisher, to review.
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals ...more
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals ...more
Michael Mammay has delivered yet another fantastic sci fi adventure with SPACESIDE.
Carl Butler is back from Cappa, and his life has changed significantly since the fateful decision for which he was set up to take the fall. Now retired, Carl is divorced, drinking heavily, and running as a security advisor in a corporate rat race. An encounter on the mass transit has Butler wondering if his PTSD symptoms are getting worse, or if he really is seeing human-Cappan hybrids on the bus, when his boss c ...more
Carl Butler is back from Cappa, and his life has changed significantly since the fateful decision for which he was set up to take the fall. Now retired, Carl is divorced, drinking heavily, and running as a security advisor in a corporate rat race. An encounter on the mass transit has Butler wondering if his PTSD symptoms are getting worse, or if he really is seeing human-Cappan hybrids on the bus, when his boss c ...more
Everything you loved about Planetside (if you haven't read it, STOP, BUY, READ- SPOILERS AWAIT) returns. Butler's voice, weary and worn from life, returns, and the weight of his decisions carries through every chapter.
Don't go looking for war heroes here, reveling in their glory. The men and women Butler revisits have found ways to survive, but more than anything, it's a picture of how to go on with life after making terrible decisions.
And Butler ain't doing it so well.
He's managed to transitio ...more
Don't go looking for war heroes here, reveling in their glory. The men and women Butler revisits have found ways to survive, but more than anything, it's a picture of how to go on with life after making terrible decisions.
And Butler ain't doing it so well.
He's managed to transitio ...more
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis
A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he ...more
Synopsis
A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he ...more
4.33/5 stars
Carl Butler's back! SPACESIDE picks up after the events of PLANETSIDE. If you haven't read PLANETSIDE yet--why not? Go! Read! SPACESIDE can stand on its own--the story is tight and self-contained--but the emotional resonance will be greater if you're familiar with the earlier work, which I can't discuss in detail lest I spoil the ending and you really don't want me to do that.
So. Let us say that PLANETSIDE ended with Carl Butler making a brutal choice, and SPACESIDE is about what comes after th ...more
So. Let us say that PLANETSIDE ended with Carl Butler making a brutal choice, and SPACESIDE is about what comes after th ...more
This is the second book in the Planetside series by Michael Mammay. I very rarely give 5 stars but this book deserves it! I loved Planetside and have eagerly awaited the followup. Spaceside did not disappoint! This book is basically Military Science Fiction with some Detective aspects to it also.
Colonel Carl Butler is back from Cappa. He now has to learn to live with his decisions while on that planet. He has been forced to retire from the military and takes a job with a huge corporation where h ...more
Colonel Carl Butler is back from Cappa. He now has to learn to live with his decisions while on that planet. He has been forced to retire from the military and takes a job with a huge corporation where h ...more
If you enjoyed Butler at his Butler-est in Planetside, you're going to love Spaceside! Now retired from the army, and trying to come to terms with what he did on Cappa, Butler is thrown into a world of corporate espionage. With some really nice twists and turns, and Butler's fantastic voice, Spaceside is just as exciting as Planetside, with an added chunk of retrospection that makes it a refreshing sequel instead of just another copy/paste adventure. And my favorites, Plazz and Ganos, return for
...more
This book is so irresistible that I inhaled 77% of it in one sitting. I really appreciated how the dry voice of the main character explored all the emotional fallout of the choice made at the end of Book 1 without ever descending into self pity or explaining it away with easy answers or oversimplifications. Very flawed but sympathetic characters and an engrossing mystery. Already looking forward to the next one by this author!
Candle in the Sun
I wasn’t in love with this book as I was the first. At one point I thought maybe the first wasn’t as good as I thought. So I went back and reread that last 2 chapters of book one. I was blown away, it was even better than I remembered. That’s the problem; no follow up could’ve shined brighter. So taking that as unalienable truth, I re-evaluated this book and pushed it up to 4 stars.
I wasn’t in love with this book as I was the first. At one point I thought maybe the first wasn’t as good as I thought. So I went back and reread that last 2 chapters of book one. I was blown away, it was even better than I remembered. That’s the problem; no follow up could’ve shined brighter. So taking that as unalienable truth, I re-evaluated this book and pushed it up to 4 stars.
Better than the first instalment! And I was blown away by Michael Mammay’s first novel, Planetside. Butler is ever compelling as a main character: struggling with what he did in the first novel, PTSD and life as a civilian. But of course Butler finds trouble and the mystery and battles are amazing! And yes, I screamed when I got to the ending. But this time I know there’s a 3rd book coming so I’m counting down the days until Butler returns! Again, Mammay’s world is diverse with people of all bac
...more
I like many others am astounded how little publicity the authors books have received, I came across Planetside by sheer fluke and that hooked me, Spaceside is an absolute pleasure to have read accentuated by great narration but it’s the story that is key, the characters are outstanding, I look forward to the next book
Notes:
Overall, a cool story. The ending felt like a fade out vs a solid end but I did enjoy the story and look forward to the last book of the trilogy.
Overall, a cool story. The ending felt like a fade out vs a solid end but I did enjoy the story and look forward to the last book of the trilogy.
The first of the series, Planetside, was not half bad. The reason I've read this one.
Sure, it's the same author, same main character, same prose style. How bad can it be?
Carl XX (not Urban) is no longer in the military. Wait, what? Wasn't this supposed to be military sci-fi? Now Karl is a corporate wanker, a do nothing all day on a fat paycheck. Not something I can relate with. Not easily, not even if I try. Then... his boss is asking him to investigate a... rumor, to the effect that another com ...more
Sure, it's the same author, same main character, same prose style. How bad can it be?
Carl XX (not Urban) is no longer in the military. Wait, what? Wasn't this supposed to be military sci-fi? Now Karl is a corporate wanker, a do nothing all day on a fat paycheck. Not something I can relate with. Not easily, not even if I try. Then... his boss is asking him to investigate a... rumor, to the effect that another com ...more
Originally published online at BORG.com.
It’s not often a sequel surpasses the first novel in the series, but that’s the place where Spaceside lands. And that’s saying something, because Michael Mammay′s Planetside was one powerful first novel. I first reviewed Planetside before its release only a year ago here at borg, and its combination of military thriller and sci-fi action story was one of last year’s best sci-fi reads. Happily for readers of Mammay’s first story, the protagonist this round ...more
It’s not often a sequel surpasses the first novel in the series, but that’s the place where Spaceside lands. And that’s saying something, because Michael Mammay′s Planetside was one powerful first novel. I first reviewed Planetside before its release only a year ago here at borg, and its combination of military thriller and sci-fi action story was one of last year’s best sci-fi reads. Happily for readers of Mammay’s first story, the protagonist this round ...more
TLDR: Spaceside confronts Carl Butler with all the consequences of his decisions: life as a civilian and the task of unraveling a deeper conspiracy than he could imagine.
When you first pick up Michael Mammay’s Spaceside, it’s hard to see how it’s a direct sequel to Planetside. There’s the protagonist, Colonel Carl Butler. Except he’s no longer a colonel, and he’s no longer in the military. Bless his heart, he’s suffering the direct results of his decisions at the end of Planetside, and thanks to ...more
When you first pick up Michael Mammay’s Spaceside, it’s hard to see how it’s a direct sequel to Planetside. There’s the protagonist, Colonel Carl Butler. Except he’s no longer a colonel, and he’s no longer in the military. Bless his heart, he’s suffering the direct results of his decisions at the end of Planetside, and thanks to ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Spaceside - A really good read.
Spaceside is the second book in the Planetside series. I read the first book in the series and hit this one right away. This book is a great addition and carries on a few years after the first.
Carl Butler, after performing what was preceded as genocide, leaves the military, and starts working for a mega corporation. With a few twists and turns the series pulls together the fallen parts of the first and ties them up. But it does leave a few items open. Not many, but ...more
Volume 1, Planetside, was very good. It had most of the elements I am about to laud about Spaceside, but at the time I felt the author had some growth to do in one specific area: making the exoplanetary combat scenes feel less like "Fallujah in Space." It just felt a bit too uncanny valley to modern middle eastern warfare and it removed me from the story.
Volume 2, Spaceside, is excellent. Mammay has successfully fused "down on his luck hardboiled detective" and "military sci-fi with nuanced comm ...more
Volume 2, Spaceside, is excellent. Mammay has successfully fused "down on his luck hardboiled detective" and "military sci-fi with nuanced comm ...more
What do you get when you mix a little Scalzi with a little Heinlein and add a splash of Haldeman? Apparently you get Michael Mammay.
I loved his first novel, Planetside, and his second into the life of Colonel Carl Butler (ret) is even better. Less action oriented than the first novel, Spaceside spends most of its time with a now retired Carl Butler who is working for a defense contractor and drinking (lots of) whiskey to soothe the pain of his last act in uniform. Someone broke into the secure, ...more
I loved his first novel, Planetside, and his second into the life of Colonel Carl Butler (ret) is even better. Less action oriented than the first novel, Spaceside spends most of its time with a now retired Carl Butler who is working for a defense contractor and drinking (lots of) whiskey to soothe the pain of his last act in uniform. Someone broke into the secure, ...more
In a worthy sequel to his excellent novel, Planetside, Mammay picks up the story of Colonel Carl Butler a couple of years after he saved humanity by committing a genocidal act against the alien, Cappa. About half of humans believe him to be a hero for this act and the other half despises him as a mass murderer. The fallout cost him his career in the military, his marriage, and his ability to sleep through the night. Now he has a good job as a security consultant for a major corporation but he do
...more
Planetside was an amazing book, one I recommended the many people including a lot of the marines that I live near. plot points were glossed over but the ride was enjoyable and Butler's sacrifice at the end had meaning to it.
Spaceside is... half an amazing book. I was really enjoying the first half with the corporate espionage. I was happy to see that Mammay wasn't going to try to recreate his first book... and then I got to Act 2. It's when the aliens show up that the story falls appart. The "a ...more
Spaceside is... half an amazing book. I was really enjoying the first half with the corporate espionage. I was happy to see that Mammay wasn't going to try to recreate his first book... and then I got to Act 2. It's when the aliens show up that the story falls appart. The "a ...more
Having greatly enjoyed Michael Mammay's debut novel "Planetside," I'd been eagerly anticipating this sequel. Happily, it lived up to my high expectations. Both books combine military science fiction with mystery elements; both are crisply narrated by Carl Butler, who starts the first book as a colonel. I find Butler a likable protagonist, one who is hard on himself -- not entirely without cause -- but who appears to be a good guy. This book opens with Butler in the corporate world, but it is onl
...more
This definitely reads like the second volume in a series, unlike the first book that had an ending.
Carl Butler now works for a private business, more as a famous face that one that has specific duties. This makes his surprise great when he's hauled in to the CEO's office to investigate how a competitor's computer system had data hacked. This small assignment grows with murder and espionage, leading to characters and events from the first book becoming important.
This book is more of a mystery t ...more
Carl Butler now works for a private business, more as a famous face that one that has specific duties. This makes his surprise great when he's hauled in to the CEO's office to investigate how a competitor's computer system had data hacked. This small assignment grows with murder and espionage, leading to characters and events from the first book becoming important.
This book is more of a mystery t ...more
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Michael Mammay is a retired army officer and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. He has a masters degree in military history, and he is a veteran of Desert Storm, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His first novel, PLANETSIDE, was a Library Journal 'Best books of 2018' pick and the sequel, SPACESIDE, received a starred review. He lives with his family in Georgia.
Other books in the series
Planetside
(3 books)
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