Beneath (Origins Edition)

I have read all of Jeremy Robinson's books published thus far. BENEATH is actually his first novel, though it didn't get published until recently.

Although this one really could have used more careful editing, I had a great time with the story and the characters.

I always like the idea of alien species being completely different than anything on earth and the scientists in the book definitely find that.

This is not Robinsons' best book, but it is definitely a very strong first effort.

If you like his other work, definitely check this one out too.

This guy really has other books published in other languages? I know that this isn't his normal genre, but he needs to stick with what he does best.

This was a mockery of science fiction.

It should just be called space fiction because there is no science in it. Also, the characters were mundane, cheap imitations of comic book archetypes. The plot was a poor rehashing of something Gene Roddenberry would have thrown away. Every sentence felt like a cliche. I expected this to be little more than a yarn without real substance, but it just wasn't well enough put together to achieve even that.

One star for knowing how to spell your name and another star for having about two or three cool ideas having to do with the nature of the alien species he created. But this story isn't worth the time it takes to read it.

I really liked the concept of this book: possible life on Europa. The science was pretty good as well. Where it went south for me was the character development. The characters were all "professionals" and at the "top" of their respective disciplines and all part of the flight/science crew going to Europa. All is well so far until each basically turned into a juvenile with all types of personal, behavioral and decision making issues that would have been easily screened in the real world. It was like watching children trying to play the role of adults.

I was hoping for more but it just wasn't there. I need more "adultness" in a book, sorry. I gave it a 2 instead of a 1 since the concept was excellent.

I bought this based on reviews. For the kindle price, it was much better than some books i have paid 10 bucks for by much more well known authors.

The book reminds me of one of the slasher movies in that the drama is created by people doing obviously stupid things. That was the part I could get past. They characters just kept doing stupid things over and over, even after they had experiences that told them that what they were doing was a really bad idea.

This book was released unpublished as a test, and i am pretty sure it passed. it is a great story, very reminiscent of 2001 a space Odyssey. i couldn't put it down till i was done alien life is discovered on Europa. one of the things i liked best was the way the alien life viewed itself through our eyes and our thoughts. This book is highly recommended for anyone looking for an adventure, it is worth the glance, and then you will be hooked.

Good read with lots of twists and turns.. Interesting plot, and the alien creatures were imaginative and different from the usual sci-fi offerings.. "un-put-downable" rating about 6.. Not one of Jeremy's best, but close and well worth buying.

I found this book really enjoyable and hard to put down! This is the first sci-fi book I have read and I will definitely be reading more from this genre. The book is an easy read with very basic character development and often cheesy dialogue, but the storyline itself is imaginative, fast-paced and action packed, so you can forgive the book's flaws. I was hooked from the beginning and really enjoyed the science / space elements that were new to me as a first time sci-fi reader. I would definitely recommend this as a fun, fast read!

Very good, exciting story of mission to Jupiter's moon Europia in 2022 and finding unusual life forms. The team is attacked and desparate to fight off these aliens (more plant like, and also under-water). Plenty of action, all well within reason (not too far fetched). Well done and a fun read.

The Kindle edition had more typos than it should have, though the formatting was fine. (I do not know whether these typos exist in the paper book.) For a mainstream publisher and author, there were too many. Proofreading would have fixed them, but who does that these days? Unacceptable. (Story was 4 stars, publication issues were 2 stars, so I compromised at 3.)

A very fast paced adventure story, with a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter.
Good characters, well done action sequences.
It's a fun ride.
After all the suspense and excitement, the ending was kind of a let-down which caused me to drop some stars from the rating.
I would read more from this author.

The story was fairly entertaining but the details bothered me. For example, the newbie crew went through 3 months of intensive training before shipping off to Europa yet every new detail they encountered seemed like a big surprise, like how they got into space, or the fancy chairs, or the new space suits. If they had been trained, why was all this unexpected? Not a well thought out book.

Beneath is a great read as all of Jeremy Robinsons books are. Yes there were typos in the kindle edition, but I did't find it a problem. The story was fast paced and action packed! If you like James Rollins books you will enjoy reading Jeremy Robinsons books

I understand that Jeremy Robinson posted this unpublished, unedited novel for sale on the Kindle as an experiment, but it really isn't in shape to be sold. There is a reason why authors work with editors--they help strengthen the work. Then again, I'm biased; I'm an editor.

Ultimately, I give this novel three stars, because my frustration with sloppy story-telling, ridiculous science, and unforgivable typographic errors was balanced by Robinson's pulpy inventiveness and a sense of fun. This novel was completely ridiculous, but I just can't deny that I had a good time reading it. And it was a quick read, so I'm being generous. (BTW, Kindle readers--it's a REALLY quick read, as the novel stops at the 84% mark. The rest of the file is filled with promotional excerpts of other novels.)

The story opens with a team of researchers in the Arctic. A meteorite hunter witnesses a meteorite's fall to the ice. He and his colleagues find the rock, but close contact with this object spells disaster. In the worst way imaginable, we may just have found proof of life on other planets--or moons as the case may be. The meteorite fell from Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.

On the other side of the planet, Kathy Connelly and her colleagues are about to finally fulfill a goal years in the making. They're about to engage their innovative ice drilling technology to reach liquid water deep under the Antarctic ice. It'll be the discovery of a lifetime! But at the penultimate moment the organization that funds their research calls them back.

And as suddenly as that, this team of researchers is on a crash training course for a space mission. Forget finding liquid water in Antarctica, they're going to drill for water on Europa. Absolutely no one is prepared for what they will discover there.

Yes, this is the stuff of pulp fiction. Really, ridiculous is the best description. And stupid. Seriously, these are the most absurd and unbelievable scientists ever written. But if you come at it with the right frame of mind, you'll keep turning the pages. Just don't expect a realistic or especially coherent story. Just have a laugh and some outlandish fluffy fun.

UPDATE 4/6/2011: Please see author Jeremy Robinson's helpful response in the comments.

Just finished this. After reading both positive and negative reviews, I have to be wishy-washy and agree with both assessments. The elevator to the space station was not thought out very well. The Earth's rotation would have greater effect AT the equator (it would bend over) and little or no effect at the poles. There were multiple grammar and spelling errors ( I counted 31) in the 2010 book. I understand there is a newer corrected version. All this being said, I did enjoy it- although going through the digestive system of the giant fish was a bit creepy. My character list, gratefully, included only five main people (plus aliens). Their interactions and adventures were easy to follow and allowed me to develope affinity for each of them. I have read many of his other books and can vouch for his marvelous storytelling ability. This may be one of his earlier novels. Check out his Chess Team and Kaiju series for some incredible action/adventure stories. I still have his 'Refuge' and 'Last Hunter' series to read. So.....Happy Reading

"Beneath" was a very fast-paced novel about the first travelers to Europa! If you liked the 'Red Mars' series then you will love this book too! This one has lots of believable scientific works that are actually developed or in the infancy of being developed. We can only hope that the REST of the story is only stuff of nightmares that Jeremy Robinson just put to paper! (If it's real.. we're SO screwed if we go to Europa) lmao.

I like that the story follows just a few characters who are very well developed and believable! As for the odd creatures that "live" on Europa.. that may be closer to the truth than most think. I don't know if Robinson realizes it or not.. but, at some point.. his endeavors into sci-fi are REAL sci-fi of old.. not the new "fantasy" stuff that so many write nowadays.

If he's not been nominated for a Hugo yet.. it's only a matter of time before other lovers of science fiction find Robinson and nominate his novels like, "Beneath"! Yes, they're THAT good! But, don't take my word for it.. read it yourself.. if you have a hankering to feel just a bit futuristic as well as take the journey that others only dream of!

Just finished this, but did struggle a little, reading small sections here and there rather than being gripped and reading until late into the night.

Liked the story concept, so really wanted to like this, but it's kind of a mish-mash of the Abyss, Sphere plus two particular episodes of Stargate SG1 (but if I expanded it would give the entire story away) and on the whole this seems to be written for a PG audience.

No armed support for these scientists when so much has been spent sending them into the unknown and too many coincidences of people coming together or finding each other at precisely the right moment made it difficult for me to find credible and sadly I found myself skimming parts of the text.

It's not badly written and I enjoyed 'some' of the Science Fiction parts of this, although some made no sense and seemed created just to appear futuristic or because the science proceeding it required it (Examples/Spoilers possibly - TES research unit works on wires and cables and ship propelled by nuclear explosions, yet they have liquid metal life support, impervious regenerating suits and the walls of the ship you can touch and they become transparent...??? there is more, but would give too much away), hence 3 stars.

I read this book not long after watching "Europa Report" on Netflix and while reading it I couldn't help but think that the producers of that movie should just have filmed this book. That's because BENEATH reads a lot like a fleshed-out screenplay for a summer blockbuster action movie. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. Sometimes in my reading I deliberately look for the prose equivalent of a cheeseburger and fries and that's exactly what BENEATH is. It's an easily digestible pulp sci-fi adventure thriller with horror overtones that goes down well if all you want is a solid page turner. And say whatever you want about Mr. Robinson, he knows how to keep you turning the pages.

Beneath hooked me with the intro but devolved into a B-grade sci-fi plot with an above-average, though somewhat predictable ending. I listened to the audio book which was read competently, therefore I have nothing to add about misspellings, word substitutions and formatting. However I believe Mr. Robinson needs to slow down and do a couple of healthy rewrites before he sends his work to the editor. Little things repeatedly annoyed me and pulled me out of the story. Mr. Robinson habitually uses the "passive" voice over the "active" voice. Maybe I'm just picky, but continually hearing that so-in-so "was" in this-or-that state of action, body position, or emotional state became wearisome. "Was" is the weakest possible verb to select, and Robinson opts for it far too frequently rather than searching for a more specific, colorful, descriptive verb. Happily he has addressed this quirk in his later works. I'm halfway through Island 731 which shows the author's growth. I give Beneath three stars instead of two because I like the concept, some of the action writing, the ambitious story line, and the ending--though two and a half stars would probably be more fitting.

This book really makes you think about exploration of other planets and other life forms. The story was action-packed and the characters were perfect. The conditions on Europa were so realistic that you feel like you were there. If this is the possible end result of exploring new worlds, I certainly don't think I want to be on the first ship to land!

Beneath was an extremely enjoyable read. While NASA and SETI search for extraterrestrial life, many debate what that life might look like. Recent exploration has been centered on the search for water on other planets assuming that where there is water, there may also be life. If that's the case, any life found is likely to be carbon based and simple cellular.

Jeremy Robinson's latest book, Beneath, starts with a chance discovery of a meteor that points to the possibility of microbial life on Europa, the 6th moon of Jupiter. This discovery is the precipitating event that launches an expedition into space. Traveling deeper into the black than any humans in history, the team makes its way to the surface of Europa.

The story is as plausible as it is entertaining. No liberties have been taken at expense of the story. The technology used to launch the mission is based firmly in credible science. No magical transported technology or phaser guns. This isn't a fast and lose sci-fi adventure. Robinson does an artful job of crafting a credible and suspenseful adventure story that happens to be set in space.

But with all of the action, adventure, mystery and technology, what still impresses me the most is the crafting of the characters. The characters are ultimately what pulled me most into the story. The more fantastic the story, the more interesting the characters need to be. Beneath contains a twisting plot that takes the reader on an adventure. But the characters are the ones you care about. You want them to survive, succeed, to find the answers to the questions that the story poses.

As I have come to expect from Robinson's work, Beneath follows through on all of these points. Beneath is exciting and enjoyable book that was difficult to put down!

The book had an interesting premise, about life beneath the ice on other bodies in space (namely Europa). The beginning of the book felt rather disjointed and the end felt rushed. The story in between was an interesting, though light, read. There was some character development, but you didn't really get to know any of the characters well. (SPOILER ALERT) I was surprised that all the characters actually lived to the end. The way that all the characters forgot what really happened except the one who had already decided not to tell stretched the imagination past plausibility.

Jeremy does not disappoint! Sci-fi action: check! Freaky monsters: check! Gritty characters: check! This one is a whole lot of fun, a crazy, sometimes silly but never boring ride through the solar system and the plains and oceans of the moon Europa. I'm pretty sure it'll keep you smiling till you get to the end. Some of the twists and surprises were a little unrealistic but hey, this is a thoroughly ridiculous tale (sentient cucumber monster plants? Come on!) so I don't think it detracts. A gem of the SF monster genre.

I bought this book with the understanding that it was self published because Jeremy Robinson couldn't get a publisher since the book is science fiction. What a shame. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were many twists and turns that I didn't expect and it was very well paced. I judge a book on some pretty simple criteria: 1. Was it fun to read? 2. Did I like the characters? A resounding yes to both.

I highly recommend this book to any fiction fan. Although it is classified as Sci-Fi, it is really more of a thriller in a setting other than Earth. The entire time I was reading I had a picture of what this would look like as a movie. Very well done.

I loved this book. The ridiculous bitching I have read about this book is stupid. Not realistic enough not scientifically sound etc etc. Its FICTION! Its like wrestling suspend your disbelief and just enjoy it. I agree with one reviewer though the book needed better editing. But still this reminds me of the pulp fiction from the 50s and I loved it.

Great premise , good story but it's written at level to catch a 15 yr olds attention maybe . This could have been a great book if the author had an editor or some seasoning before this was attempted . I like junk fiction have since I was 12 yrs old and reading the old 2 sided DoubleDay books for .25 cents . If your looking for James Rollins style reading don't do this one it's more on a very basic early Matthew Reilly with huge holes in it . Sad , a bit more work this could have rivaled some of the better ones of this genre .

Every now and again I'll stumble across an author that will completely shake up my world of reading. Jeremy Robinson is one of them. His writing is among the ranks of authors like Stuart Woods and Douglas Preston. He's a master at writing, with each page playing out like a movie in your head.

Pulse (A Chess Team Adventure) was an incredibly fun and entertaining read, so when I was given an advanced opportunity to read BENEATH I jumped at it. Three words can describe what I thought of BENEATH: Scary as hell! What a crazy story. A metorite crashes on earth, lending credence that perhaps we're not alone in this universe. After an incredible elevator ride into space (based on fact mind you) a research team is off to discover life on another planet, life that exists beneath a hellish-surface that has remained untouched by man since creation. What follows is a mass of insanity that'll have you talking and thinking long after you've turned the last page.

BENEATH is a science fiction thriller with a twist of fear that will leave you holding your breath and a MUST HAVE for any fiction-lover's library.

- Dan.[...]

Jeremy Robinson writes fast-paced thrillers, like many other authors. One of the things that sets Jeremy apart is his knack for engaging characters and interesting situations. Sure, some of the characters fall into the stock roles (womanizing tough guys, for example), but they are all fleshed out quite well and they behave in believable ways. At the same time, my only criticism is that occasionally the "good" characters will almost appear naive, but it's not a dealbreaker.

Beneath struck me as a little more risque than Kronos, but much more restrained than the military-thriller Pulse.

Never has Jeremy Robinson denied me a thrill ride... this book continues that adrenaline-jacked pace! If you have read other Robinson novels, you know he has a great way of bringing imagination to life in a way that seems all too real, almost frighteningly so. This sci-fi adventure will leave you on the edge of your seat with both Earth and outer space scenes that only those who went there could describe in such detail, things that seem so foreign to you or I, but seem commonplace to Robinson. He did his homework and brought you one of the best books of 2010!

P.S. -- Can't wait for Instinct: A Chess Team Adventure

The story has an interesting premise, got off to a good start, built considerable suspense, and then . . . the story plummeted to a flop of an ending that was as disappointing as it was uneventful. (Possible SPOILERS): The principal character in the final scenes was uninteresting, and unlikeable, making the (lamentable) "Big Idea" at the end even harder to take. The romantic bit written into the final scene was almost an insult after the adventure ended so badly.

BENEATH tells the story of a group of scientists who go to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, in the hope of finding life. What they find is beyond imagination - unless, of course, you are Jeremy Robinson.

Robinson is a truly excellent storyteller, delivering a story that is amazing in its plausibility. As you read this book, you feel your own pulse racing as your eyes are riveted on page after page, twist after twist, and you eventually realize this is definitely NOT the kind of book where you can predict what happens next.

If you like sci-fi, adventure, or just a good book, I recommend checking this one out. Leave yourself plenty of time, though, because once you pick it up you won't want to put it down.

Jeremy Robinson's BENEATH was just what I was looking for when I finally found a copy of it. I had previously read Mr. Robinson's RAISING THE PAST and was instantly hooked on this guy. BENEATH tells the story of some brave fools exploring a moon of Jupiter where no human has ever gone before and get a lot more than they bargained for (including a very strange anatomy lesson). It is a great science fiction adventure tale that is well paced and keeps your attention right to the end. This book very much reminded me of James Cameron's ABYSS and that can only be a good thing.

I am in awe of Robinson's imagination. My favourite genre mix is science fiction blended with horror, and Robinson is one of the best at the craft. Space travel, intrigue, creepy scenes, and gore - I loved it. Keep em coming buddy! Rgds, Greig Beck

Another Jeremy Robinson favorite. Really cool ideas come from this man's head, and this particular book is no exception. Way cool, action packed, story that I couldn't put down even for sleep. Damn you Jeremy!!!