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You are here: Home / Authors In Our Midst / Chris Gerrib – Pirates Of Mars

Chris Gerrib – Pirates Of Mars

by WaterGirl|  September 19, 20213:00 pm| 55 Comments

This post is in: Authors In Our Midst

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Our author being featured today is cgerrib!  Let’s give him a warm welcome.

If you would like your talents featured in the Artists in Our Midst series – or your work as an author featured in our Authors in Our Midst series – please send me an email message.

Greetings Balloon-Juicers!

My name is Chris Gerrib, and I’ve been reading Balloon Juice since John Cole was complaining about how we were in the process of hosing up the occupation of Iraq.  Good times!  I don’t find myself commenting much on the site anymore (I don’t think “you’re absolutely right” is a useful comment) but when I do, I comment as cgerrib.  (I know, highly original.)

John and I were both in the military during the First Gulf War, but unlike John, my military claim to fame is that not one Iraqi MiG bombed Jacksonville, Florida.  I actually listened to the first week of the Gulf War on the radio – everything at Naval Station Mayport had been sent out to sea to avoid Saddam Hussain’s legions of ninja terrorists who were going to car-bomb America in retaliation for our attack.  Needless to say, said legions only existed in the minds of frustrated novelists working for US intelligence agencies.

Which is a nice segue into why I’m cluttering up the front page. I’ve written a novel – several in fact, but the one I want to talk about is PIRATES OF MARS.

This book was purchased as a stand-alone novel by a now-defunct publishing company.  Via a series of events, I got the rights back and the snazzy cover you see here.  PIRATES is set towards the end of this century, and the science of Mars travel is as plausible as I can make it.  I assumed as well that at least some of the dreams of Branson, Musk and Bezos are possible, and so Mars has a lot of private settlements that are poorly supervised by the governments of Earth.

As I was writing this, I looked at the type of people who would volunteer to make a multimillion-mile one way journey.  Frankly, a lot of the people who would make that trip are in the process of being kicked off of Earth.  As a result, Mars is the Home for Wayward Humans.  These wayward humans are at the wrong end of a long and expensive supply chain.  Think of Mars orbit as the coast of Somalia.

The novel opens with pirates having taken a ship, but if they don’t do something soon, it will crash into Mars.  They have the brilliant idea of calling the Volunteer Space Rescue Service and asking for help.  Oh, and they think maybe they could make this outing a two-fer and grab Space Rescue’s ship.  That’s when things get interesting.

There’s some salty language and the start of a sex scene which gets interrupted by other events.  It’s not for little kids, but Juicers and high schoolers should be able to handle it.  I hope the gang here finds it to their liking.  You can visit my website to buy this book and my other books via Amazon or Indiebound.  Also, you can read about some of the Big Ideas of the book at John Scalzi’s site.

Thanks to John Cole and Watergirl for this opportunity and keep up the faith!

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Reader Interactions

55Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 3:03 pm

    Welcome, Chris!  Let us know when you get here.

  2. 2.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    September 19, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    The book sounds fun, Chris. It’s on its way to my kindle.

  3. 3.

    eddie blake

    September 19, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    sounds interesting.

  4. 4.

    CaseyL

    September 19, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    This whole series looks like fun! And I love that your website has a link to Indiebound, which lists local bookstores where they can be bought.

  5. 5.

    Mary G

    September 19, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    Sounds like a lot of fun. Checked out #1 on Kindle Unlimited.

  6. 6.

    Fair Economist

    September 19, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    Ordered, looking forward to reading it!

  7. 7.

    MomSense

    September 19, 2021 at 3:40 pm

    When I get home this is going on my kindle!
    I’m up to no good again. ?

  8. 8.

    raven

    September 19, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    Oskee-wow-wow!

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    Next week we’ll be featuring Richard Fox and his fabulous paintings on Artists in Our Midst.

    I know we have a boatload of creative people on Balloon Juice (boatload being a technical term) so please send me email if you would like to be featured!

    I have checked in with everybody who has been featured so far, and the universal response has been that it has been a very positive experience.

    Art, crafts, photography, writing… if you’re creative, we would love to feature you.

    So if you’re hesitating, go for it!

  10. 10.

    Cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    Hi there!  I just got back from the gym to this.  I hope everybody who’s bought likes it and I’m available for questions.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 3:59 pm

    @Cgerrib:  Glad you are here!

    I need to start reminding our featured peeps the day before.  I schedule the posts for when you guys ask for them, but everybody forgets!

    You are in excellent company.   :-)

  12. 12.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    Chris, I like the way your author page is laid out.  I take it we don’t need to have read book 1 before reading book 2?  Are the same characters in all 3 books?  Or is Mars the common link?

  13. 13.

    Yutsano

    September 19, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    Whee! It already sounds fun! Let me check the finances tomorrow. I’m glad you got the rights back. That can be a real pain these days!

  14. 14.

    AJ of the Mustard Search and Rescue team

    September 19, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    Thanks Chris and Watergirl for doing this, sounds like a neat book!

  15. 15.

    Ida Slapter

    September 19, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    Sounds like a fun read! I just bought your last hardcover copy and I’ll have it by next Friday! Amazon review forthcoming. Until then,
    ARRRRRRRRRRRRRR! ☠️ ⚔️?

  16. 16.

    topclimber

    September 19, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    I salute one who has boldly gone where I have yet to venture. May your enterprise succeed.

    ETA make that prosper

  17. 17.

    cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    @WaterGirl: There’s no need to read book 1 before reading book 2. They share common characters but the stories stand alone.

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    @cgerrib: Have you also already completed book 3?  Does the fact that you chose to feature this one, book 2, mean that it’s your favorite?

  19. 19.

    cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    @Ida Slapter: It’s print-on-demand – they’ll print more!  Thanks.

  20. 20.

    cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 4:52 pm

    @WaterGirl: favorite books are like favorite children – hard to say.  I will say that book 2 seems to be the more popular than #1.

  21. 21.

    Niques

    September 19, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    Thank you for this! I downloaded the Kindle version, and immediately started reading. Just beginning Chapter 3, and I’m already deeply involved … this will be a binge-read.

  22. 22.

    Emma

    September 19, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    Just bought The Mars Run on Kindle, looking forward to the rest of the trilogy! Love your Amazon bio, btw :D

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    @cgerrib: If they are like children, that means that you appreciate different ones more at different times!  But I appreciate the answer about book 2.

  24. 24.

    The Dangerman

    September 19, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    Sounds like a good read; you are on my (far too long for my own good) list.

    We should have Balloon Juice talk like a pirate day someday. Nothing but talks of bounty and booty

    ETA: No, not that kind of booty!

  25. 25.

    jeffreyw

    September 19, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    @The Dangerman:

    They say it's #TalkLikeAPirateDay -but call one female coworker a "lusty wench" & suddenly it's Talk to the “HR Person Day”— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) September 19, 2021

  26. 26.

    J R in WV

    September 19, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    @Cgerrib: 

    Hi Chris,

    Book sounds right up my escapist alley, Martian Pirates, for the win.

    You know, if you quit shaving so close, you could look more like John G Cole than you already do…​ ;~)

    Best wishes from SW WVa… also, was in the USN 1970-73 during a previous foreign mis-adventure, served in Key West (mostly), also Mobile Bay AL, Pascagoula MS, Charleston SC, as the AS ship moved around… older than you and Cole.

  27. 27.

    MomSense

    September 19, 2021 at 5:12 pm

    @The Dangerman:

    Ha!  Save the booty talk for balloon-juice after dark.

    Eastport Maine used to have a pirate festival every weekend.  It was always a fun excuse to wear an eye patch and be ridiculous.  Not sure it it will come back after Covid or not.

  28. 28.

    WereBear

    September 19, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Perfect for International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

    Got #1 on Kindle Unlimited. (Authors do get paid for those.)

  29. 29.

    NotMax

    September 19, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    Barsoom or bust!

    :)

  30. 30.

    cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    @J R in WV: Alas, my facial hair is so fine it would take forever to grow a beard ;-)

  31. 31.

    Yutsano

    September 19, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    @cgerrib: I salute thee, o those of us who lack hirsuteness in the facial region. The best I can do is a perfect George Michael.

  32. 32.

    Eunicecycle

    September 19, 2021 at 5:51 pm

    I love John Scalzi’s books so I’m sure I’ll love yours, too! Looking forward to reading them.

  33. 33.

    Anomalous Cowherd

    September 19, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    I’m gonna wait until “Martians of the Caribbean” comes out. That’s my kinda title!

  34. 34.

    Steeplejack

    September 19, 2021 at 6:02 pm

    @NotMax:

    Mmm, the incomparable Dejah Thoris . . .

  35. 35.

    gwangung

    September 19, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    Ha! Like this cover better than the first one it had…

  36. 36.

    MomSense

    September 19, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    @Yutsano:

    George Michael WAS perfect!!

  37. 37.

    SpaceUnit

    September 19, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    I used to go to Mars all the time but then the pirate situation got so bad.  Glad someone’s finally talking about it.

  38. 38.

    cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    @gwangung: So do I!  (I couldn’t complain publicly about the first one – my editor got it for free.)

  39. 39.

    Ida Slapter

    September 19, 2021 at 6:45 pm

    @cgerrib: Cool. You’re welcome. I’m looking forward to reading it!

  40. 40.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    @cgerrib: This thread may go on for awhile, but I want to say thank you now, because I am unlikely to be here later.

    Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us!

  41. 41.

    NotMax

    September 19, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    @Steeplejack

    Utterly OT but keep meaning to bring this to your attention.

    ;)

  42. 42.

    frosty

    September 19, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    I just read your Scalzi link. This looks good! I’m putting it on my list.

  43. 43.

    YasukeSama

    September 19, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    I’ve finally used my digital hoarding powers for good. All 3 books sent to Kindle.

  44. 44.

    Steeplejack

    September 19, 2021 at 7:16 pm

    @NotMax:

    Thanks. I think I’ve heard a couple, but this is the mother lode.

  45. 45.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 19, 2021 at 7:17 pm

    @The Dangerman: Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

  46. 46.

    sab

    September 19, 2021 at 7:24 pm

    We had an elementary school field trip to Mayport. Probably before you were born. Those aircraft carriers are BIG!

  47. 47.

    Mart

    September 19, 2021 at 7:34 pm

    Mr. Gerrib appears to be Cole’s twin brother from another mother.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    September 19, 2021 at 7:49 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: I can’t believe we missed that here on Balloon Juice!

  49. 49.

    Cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 7:55 pm

    @WaterGirl: Thanks for the opportunity!

  50. 50.

    Cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 7:56 pm

    @sab: 1966?  That would have been a while ago! :-)

  51. 51.

    sab

    September 19, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    @Cgerrib: 1965, or possibly 1964

  52. 52.

    Cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    @sab: yep, that’s definitely a while ago…

  53. 53.

    Auntie Anne

    September 19, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    @Cgerrib:  I started on book 1.  I’m on Chapter 10 and just loving it!

  54. 54.

    tom with a t

    September 19, 2021 at 10:19 pm

    “my military claim to fame is that not one Iraqi MiG bombed Jacksonville, Florida.” made me recall the late George Goebel when he remarked “not one Japanese aircraft got past Tulsa”

  55. 55.

    Cgerrib

    September 19, 2021 at 10:52 pm

    @Auntie Anne:  Wow, thanks!

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