Doom 3: Worlds on Fire (Bk. 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Matthew Costello
Publisher: Pocket Star
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.72
You Save: $4.27 (53%)
New (27) Used (12) from $2.79
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 197681
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 1416549803
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781416549802
ASIN: 1416549803
Publication Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The year is 2144...and the battle over Earth's precious resources has raged for a century. With global economies in ruins and all-out world war more than a possibility, the U.S government turned to the Union Aerospace Corporation, giving it carte blanche on the legendary red planet of Mars in a desperate bid to construct an off-world outpost that might provide resources, a military advantage...as well as something so secret that even members of government don't have a clue about it....Special Ops Marine Lieutenant John Kane was once a careerist simply glad to have a job, and couldn't care less about politics just as long as Uncle Sam's check cleared. But that was before he listened to his conscience and disobeyed a direct order. Busted down to private, Kane has been reassigned to the "U.S. Space Marines" -- the private army of the UAC -- with the prospect of becoming little more than a glorified security guard on Mars.... Now Lt. Kane's fate leads him to Mars City -- part environmental community, part lab center, and all owned and protected by the UAC. It's a strange world with a fatal environment, and the thousands who live and work within the city have already begun to think of themselves as Martians. And away from Mars City, at the strange ancient sites uncovered on the planet, a small squad of marines stand guard while scientists uncover wall glyphs and search for artifacts, having already found something that is so far amazing and inexplicable -- including the relic called "U1," nicknamed "the Soul Cube" -- and unknown to all, the bringer of destructive chaos and unspeakable horror....
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
Terrific August 26, 2008
I couldn't put this book down (well, until I had to; gotta sleep.) I read it through in two days.
He likes his breaks between scenes. This is okay when we switch to another character's POV, but often the action picks up where the previous paragraph left off, and that makes these breaks a little annoying.
That's my only criticism. He does a great job with the story, developing the characters, and leading right into the action of the game. It's a good read, plain and simple.
 Still Waiting August 7, 2008
First, I loved the video game, even so much that I bought RoE and was very excited about finding the book. Secondly, I know it's a book based on a video game.
I had high expectation on the book because of the close-ties of the author to Id software, but the book did not enlighten me on the any of the missing details or relevant concepts that I wanted to know about the Doom 3 universe.
The book is a good quick read with, I think, too much about Kane's earth back-story and without a lot of expected Mars action & information. Finally, I know there has to be a better way to end a book. I do not mind a good cliffhanger with resolution, but one that necessitates the purchase of the next installment is just too commercial.
Yes, I will buy the next book in the series and hope for more "raw meat & dark corridors" and SF concepts.
the best Doom book out there May 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
To start, no this book is nothing like the other Doom books written by Dafydd ab Hugh (aka David Friedman) & Brad Linaweaver. In fact, it has nothing to do with those books at all, but is actually a more fleshed out version of the origins of the Doom 3 video game. Matt Costello, the story script writer for the game, takes the idea of the game and details the beginnings of Mars City up until the demons come through the portal and the origins of Kane - the marine you play as in the PC/X-Box sci-fi smash hit.
Ill admit, this title starts off a tad slow with a lot of scientific talk about stuff happening on Mars City, with a dabble of action here and there that shows how Kane was actually sent to Mars because of an order he disregarded to save the lives of some 30 marines trapped in a city under siege by Russian forces. And I'll admit again, the story doesn't have much action in it except when Dr. Betruger opens up the teleporter and lets the demons through and Kane fights his way from Dr Ishii (the scientist you meet in the very beginning of Doom 3 the game) up to the Administration building.
However, Kane does fight a Pinkie at one point which was cool =)
This book is pretty interesting though because it introduces you to characters that didn't make the cut into the game such as Maria or (I don't remember if he was in the game but) Campbell, gives them some details, as well as shows basically the beginning of Doom 3, the tension and secrets on Mars, and fleshes out who Kane really is.
Matt Costello's writing style is very descriptive, and breathes life into all the characters that he introduced into the story as well as into the environment. He even makes the part with science talk pretty interesting.
Once the action picks up though, the book gets real cool. Kane fights civilian zombies, marine zombies, and a Pinkie... but I think the second book will be a lot better since it'll be (basically) the actual novel adaption to the game. Fans of sci-fi will enjoy this book.
...I know this isn't my best review, but what ya gonna do?
 Worlds - and words - on fire April 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I saw this in the Wal-Mart for much less of a price than it deserves - but nonetheless, this was an awesome book.
Let me elaborate.
I always wanted a DooM 3 novel, and never thought they would ever make one; I was stuck with the Daffyd ab Hugh books, which, honestly people, weren't that bad. Come on, at least they were funny at some parts.
Anyway, I couldn't believe they'd made a DooM 3 novel, and, having always wanted to hear the backstory of this particular iteration of the franchise, I got what I wanted: something that would detail everything leading up to the events of that great game.
The amount of detail it goes into about just what happened to the characters gives you a linear sense of attachment to them, and it also does the one thing I ALWAYS wanted to see done: the Doom(3)guy was finally given a name. I never did think 'Player' would be too practical for a space marine, but John Kane is just awesome.
Unfortunately, it only goes up to the release of Hell upon Mars City in the UAC facility, and about 25% of Kane's journey, all the way to Administration - and an abrupt end. This means the next book will pick up RIGHT where this one left off - leaving readers of the first volume having to refresh their memory or even reread parts of the first book to get an understanding of sequence. It's for this reason that I hope the second installment comes SOON.
I'm also curious as to, since the entire DooM 3 game takes place during an event that lasts maybe a day at most, how this is going to be a trilogy? Hopefully, the second book will detail Kane's trek through the UAC facility, and the third novel will cover the events of Ressurection of Evil. That would be simply genius.
But anyway, this book is well-written, a realistic tale that covers the Mars tragedy of 2145 and is a fine example of how game-to-book novelizations should be done.
Great Story and Characters! March 30, 2008
This is one good book. MUCH better than the Dafyyd Ab Hugh Versions. Makes much more sense, is way smarter, and is WAY easier to read. Great character development, and storyline. I would reccomend this to anybody, not just DOOM fans. BUY IT TODAY! Cant wait for book 2!
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