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Escape Orbit
A RACE AGAINST TIME AND A GATEWAY TO THE UNKNOWN AWAITS
Thrilling space adventure from a Marine vet.
Five years ago, astronaut Jack Templeton took the spacecraft Magellan to the farthest reaches of our solar system, never to be heard from again.
Until now.
When the Magellan suddenly reappears where an undiscovered planet was suspected to be, it poses more questions than answers. How did Jack survive all this time? Can he be rescued before his life support runs out? And what is the object long thought to be the elusive “Planet Nine?”
In a race against time, Jack’s former crewmate Traci Keene spearheads a desperate effort to outfit a rescue mission. But she has competition. Agencies of both American and foreign governments have their own agendas, and rescuing rogue astronauts isn’t among them.
And at the edge of all that is known, a gateway to the unknown awaits. . . .
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
About Frozen
“. . . hard science fiction and an entertaining and gripping plot. . . . science fiction at its best.” —The Galveston County Daily News
About Farside:
“The situations are realistic, the characters interesting, the perils harrowing, and the stakes could not be higher.” —John Walker, Ricochet.com
Patrick Chiles is a graduate of The Citadel, a Marine Corps veteran, and a private pilot. In addition to his novels, he has written for magazines including Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine.
Thrilling space adventure from a Marine vet.
Five years ago, astronaut Jack Templeton took the spacecraft Magellan to the farthest reaches of our solar system, never to be heard from again.
Until now.
When the Magellan suddenly reappears where an undiscovered planet was suspected to be, it poses more questions than answers. How did Jack survive all this time? Can he be rescued before his life support runs out? And what is the object long thought to be the elusive “Planet Nine?”
In a race against time, Jack’s former crewmate Traci Keene spearheads a desperate effort to outfit a rescue mission. But she has competition. Agencies of both American and foreign governments have their own agendas, and rescuing rogue astronauts isn’t among them.
And at the edge of all that is known, a gateway to the unknown awaits. . . .
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
About Frozen
“. . . hard science fiction and an entertaining and gripping plot. . . . science fiction at its best.” —The Galveston County Daily News
About Farside:
“The situations are realistic, the characters interesting, the perils harrowing, and the stakes could not be higher.” —John Walker, Ricochet.com
Patrick Chiles is a graduate of The Citadel, a Marine Corps veteran, and a private pilot. In addition to his novels, he has written for magazines including Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine.
- GenresScience Fiction
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2023
12 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Chiles
16 books118 followersPatrick Chiles began his writing career with the self-published novels PERIGEE and FARSIDE. His subsequent novels with Baen Books, FROZEN ORBIT, ESCAPE ORBIT, FRONTIER, and INTERSTELLAR MEDIC: THE LONG RUN have established him as a rising talent in adventurous, near-future science fiction. Born from the author’s fascination with practical space travel and love for Cold War technothrillers, his novels feature plausible technology that leverage his military and aviation experience to create stories with engaging, relatable characters on astonishing adventures: “ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.”
He also contributed to the 2021 anthology, WORLD BREAKERS, with Larry Correia and David Weber, the 2022 anthology, WORLDS LONG LOST, with Orson Scott Card and Christopher Ruocchio, and was the headline author of 2023’s THE ROSS 248 PROJECT.
Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business flight operations, he now works for an aviation safety consulting firm when he is not writing. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and a lethargic dachshund.
He also contributed to the 2021 anthology, WORLD BREAKERS, with Larry Correia and David Weber, the 2022 anthology, WORLDS LONG LOST, with Orson Scott Card and Christopher Ruocchio, and was the headline author of 2023’s THE ROSS 248 PROJECT.
Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business flight operations, he now works for an aviation safety consulting firm when he is not writing. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and a lethargic dachshund.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 28, 2024
A great sequel
This was a wonderful follow-up to the previous Frozen Orbit. Many of the original characters face new problems, new discoveries and an amazing revelation about our own origins. I hope the author does another sequel to this series, as whole this book did not end with a cliffhanger, there's definitely more story that could be told.
This was a wonderful follow-up to the previous Frozen Orbit. Many of the original characters face new problems, new discoveries and an amazing revelation about our own origins. I hope the author does another sequel to this series, as whole this book did not end with a cliffhanger, there's definitely more story that could be told.
May 27, 2023
When looking for another book, I learned the author had written a sequel to _Frozen Orbit_. I liked the grounded science of the first book, so picked up the second.
_Escape Orbit_ starts off five years after the end of the first book. Traci is mainly recovered from the events on board the Magellan. She is stuck in a role at NASA that allows her to think, but doesn’t challenge her. The new leader at NASA doesn’t believe humans should be in space, that AI can take the place of people.
The reappearance of the Magellan causes all kinds of problems. NASA leaders would rather have the ship stay lost. Proof that Jack is alive adds to the embarrassment. To really make it infinitely worse is the fact he found “Planet 9.”
The author explores a number of ideas that began in the first book.
What does it mean to find the precursors to life out in the Kuiper belt?
What happens to astronauts when they are out on long duration missions, when the world they left changes?
Do countries have the right to claim something in space?
Oh, there are a lot of other ideas brought forth. Could we actually build such ships in the near future? The science is there. The engineering would need to catch up.
There is a lot of good things in here as Traci figures out how to rescue Jack. I’m always down for stories that involve sentient ships. Daisy aboard the Magellan is even better than before. Traci helps bring a new AI online in the rescue vessel, which is really neat.
The author sets the stage for a third book, which looks to have even more exploring & more revelations.
_Escape Orbit_ starts off five years after the end of the first book. Traci is mainly recovered from the events on board the Magellan. She is stuck in a role at NASA that allows her to think, but doesn’t challenge her. The new leader at NASA doesn’t believe humans should be in space, that AI can take the place of people.
The reappearance of the Magellan causes all kinds of problems. NASA leaders would rather have the ship stay lost. Proof that Jack is alive adds to the embarrassment. To really make it infinitely worse is the fact he found “Planet 9.”
The author explores a number of ideas that began in the first book.
What does it mean to find the precursors to life out in the Kuiper belt?
What happens to astronauts when they are out on long duration missions, when the world they left changes?
Do countries have the right to claim something in space?
Oh, there are a lot of other ideas brought forth. Could we actually build such ships in the near future? The science is there. The engineering would need to catch up.
There is a lot of good things in here as Traci figures out how to rescue Jack. I’m always down for stories that involve sentient ships. Daisy aboard the Magellan is even better than before. Traci helps bring a new AI online in the rescue vessel, which is really neat.
The author sets the stage for a third book, which looks to have even more exploring & more revelations.
November 9, 2023
At the end of Frozen Orbit, Jack Templeton went into hibernation on board the Magellan and launched himself towards the outer reaches of the solar system, in a quest to reach a mysterious object with a strong gravity well. Meanwhile, former crewmate Traci Keene is back on earth in bureaucratic hell. Eventually Jack reaches the object, which is much more mysterious than he suspected. And a rescue mission involving Traci is launched.
While a serviceable sequel to Frozen Orbit, the novel suffers from a less engaging setting. Frozen Orbit was real deep space adventure. Escape Orbit has too little deep space and too much bureaucratic machination. The real action doesn’t start until well into the second half of the book. The AI elements are interesting but not groundbreaking.
https://www.books.rosboch.net/2023/10...
While a serviceable sequel to Frozen Orbit, the novel suffers from a less engaging setting. Frozen Orbit was real deep space adventure. Escape Orbit has too little deep space and too much bureaucratic machination. The real action doesn’t start until well into the second half of the book. The AI elements are interesting but not groundbreaking.
https://www.books.rosboch.net/2023/10...
November 21, 2025
A good sequel to Frozen Orbit where we follow the characters from that book a few years in the future. Questions arise about whether there is a need to go back out to the edge of the solar system again to explore what was found. But how will it be done? And what are the dangers and benefits of the different options? And who gets to decide? And finally, what else and who else will they find out there?
January 20, 2025
Good read
This book hit all my good book stars, good, well developed BELIEVABLE characters, and a pretty well developed tech/sci-fi/religious/spiritual book. Just a good read. Read it in one day, and usually I read faster
I hope for another sequel.
This book hit all my good book stars, good, well developed BELIEVABLE characters, and a pretty well developed tech/sci-fi/religious/spiritual book. Just a good read. Read it in one day, and usually I read faster
I hope for another sequel.
June 21, 2023
For this NASA geek, Escape Orbit, like the rest of Patrick's books, is near-time, hard scifi that feels very real. Excellent!! More please.
April 25, 2024
Interesting sequel. But the middle third felt more of the same, and for me dragged. BUt interesting final wrap-up.
September 3, 2024
Solid continuation of the series, which is clearly conceived AS a series, so things move incrementally.
July 24, 2025
the closing part of a great duology about some deep questions about earth, life and what it means to be human.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews