Rook Candor is the pen name of G.D. Penton.

At least, that is the arrangement according to the publishing contract.

Rook Candor is an evolutionary biologist, historian, scientific archivist, and reluctant author. Before coming to Mars, he served at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, where he devoted his career to preserving the biological record of Earth. He later became the founding director of the Martian Seed Depository.

Rook had no intention of becoming an author.

Then he met Harvey Neville.

Years later, when Earth detective Finn Connor arrived on Mars to investigate the disappearances of three people, Harvey found himself sitting on what he considered the biggest story of his career.

Harvey wanted somebody to write it.

Rook should have said no.

With the help of Daisy, Finn’s AI neural implant, and her extraordinary memory of the investigation, Rook eventually tells the story of Finn Connor, the three missing people, and everyone who became caught up in what followed.

Somewhere between that conversation and publication, Harvey also managed to involve himself in Rook’s publishing contract.

Rook maintains that he was bamboozled.

Harvey maintains that Rook signed it.

Both statements may be true.

ABOUT G.D. PENTON

G.D. Penton is the actual human being responsible for all of this. He is a retired U.S. Naval Flight Officer and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso.