New near-future SF techno thriller novel: Mars Armor Forged by Ben Parris

If you’re not opposed to a bit of terrorism with your science fiction, consider Mars Armor Forged, a new novel written by Ben Parris that was published in August 2011 by Blueberry Lane Books. According to the promotional piece posted on Amazon, it’s “a near-future techno thriller for those who love a hard SF showcase and the rich Mars subgenre.” Here’s the complete description:

The tiny colony at Mars launched during an Earth emergency sits uneasy, starved and hopeless until the astonishing news that a new wave of political intrigue has landed it the Twenty Eighth Winter Olympics in 2038. The risky venture nearly works until terrorists gain a formula to reignite the dormant volcano. Olympian skier Yves Loitte and skater Terri Finney find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that may end in the destruction of all they hold dear.

Ben Parris is a science popularizer and SF&F writer who has been influenced by the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Nancy Kress. As a NASA/JPL educator who lectures extensively on the unique qualities of planet Mars, he also contributed to a NASA media initiative that has reached tens of millions of viewers. A long-time executive director of a science center, Mr. Parris helped his organization win the Unisys Prize for Online Science Education and two Sky & Telescope Awards.