Quality of life should improve with time, but things are different in Vera Mont’s The Ozimord Project. Set in the distant future where Earth men continued to be miserable pests of nature, life was grey, dull, and boring. Natural resources were depleted, terrorism remained a problem, and planet-wide fuel scarcity was about to become real. The discovery of planet Ozimord was an opportunity for Earth’s leaders to obtain resources and colonize yet another planet. For scribe Grivas and most people in the space service, Ozimord represents a chance to start afresh. An escape from Earth’s burdensome institutions and social order. However, first contact with the resource-laden planet of supposedly primitive people turned out to be a kick in the teeth. After five years of space travel, the advance party landed near an Ozimord ore site. They’d even rounded up the local population and began the mining when a “mild” hallucinogen made them go crazy while the natives just left. It now seems there’s more to Ozimord than meets the eye. Will they allow Earth men to plunder their planet, or will they force them to abandon The Ozimord Project?

The Ozimord Project by Vera Mont is an immersive sci-fi novel that depicts man as a space-faring species with a carefully woven sub-plot in which humans maintain unfavorable social norms as they strive to improve their lives. Vera Mont impressed me with her suspenseful scene transitions. Authors should use this technique more, as it kept the narrative from veering off point and also made it easy to keep track of the plot. Ozimord’s story does not just play out—it unfolds in a manner that makes sure you feel the buzz associated with the discovery of a new planet. Still, the delicate unfolding of Grivas’s multilayered character is the best. I loved his brand of furtive secrecy even as he remained committed to his day job. With its portrayal of a future that results from continuously taking from nature, this book attacks consumerism in a way that conservationists would applaud. The Ozimord Project is more than science fiction. It is a simulation of scientific progress without social and political progress. Grab a copy of this fantastic read and experience the perfectly imperfect world of The Ozimord Project.

The Ozimord Project by Vera Mont is a science fiction novel set in the future where the Earth has a couple of off-world colonies and a steady trade established with an alien race. While things are going well out in deep space, things on Earth are not that good. With an ongoing energy crisis ready to devastate Earth, astronauts have found Ozimord, a planet rich in resources. A team is sent to perform a survey and bring back good news. However, when the team goes missing, the fear of never finding enough resources and the imminent danger of the team being lost in space is enough to make even the richest nations fearful. What really happened to the team that was sent to Ozimord? Was the planet safe for humans? Was the fuel trade worth all the risks?

The world-building by author Vera Mont is excellent. You can tell how much effort went into creating the different planets, their civilizations, cultures, and their individual socio-political systems that worked for each of the planets. Finding a planet like Ozimord is very welcome, yet getting there and achieving positive results is another matter. While on the surface this novel is a space travel/space colonization novel, The Ozimord Project is unique in its approach and execution. The use of language and the theme of survival are the two most important features that had my attention from the get-go. Even though the story is told from a different perspective, I particularly enjoyed Gard’s narrative. His POV is the most relatable, and I loved that. The story frequently questions the way of life on Earth, and why certain things are the way they are, and from there, the author builds the actual arc of the story. I believe fans of science fiction will love this novel, but it will also be enjoyed by readers who like elaborate world-building, socio-political narratives, and realistic characters.