“Gypsy Rider” by Peter Besson

Gypsy Rider

Peter Besson
Independently Published(2025)
ISBN: 979-8263594480
Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (07/2026)

A decision has been made – a decision that thrusts David Fogelson into the studio lights, standing behind talk-show host Frank Lee as he publicly admonishes NASA’s role in the billion-dollar Gypsy Rider project.  But it’s Frank’s pointed question, “How on earth did you ever find somebody to go on that ride?” that detonates the heart of this story.  With that single line, author Peter Besson flings readers three years into the past, as we circle the answer to a question that seems so simple on the surface but carries the weight of an entire mission.

At the center of Gypsy Rider is Sam Austin, a man whose loneliness is almost a character of its own.  Sam lives quietly, without television, without socialization, and without the noise of the world.  His decision to apply for the Gypsy Rider project doesn’t immediately make sense, but it quickly becomes clear Sam isn’t like the rest.  A man who has spent his life trying not to be noticed, only to be thrust into the brightest spotlight imaginable as he becomes the first human to be sent on a one-way mission to Mars.

Besson builds Sam and supporting character Rebecca Maddis with remarkable restraint.  Through radio calls, long stretches of isolation, and a night stranded in a rover, a slow unfurling of love begins to blossom beneath the surface.  Becoming more than just a candidate for a mission, Sam and Rebecca begin to be shaped by grief and longing, but the realization of their feelings may come too late. 

Structured expertly, Besson uses the present-day talk show, with David on stage and Frank pressing for answers, as a critical juncture.  Each glimpse of David and Frank shown to the reader raises new questions as the story pivots into another twist.  First, as we wonder whether NASA truly found someone willing to go to Mars, and later as we wonder whether the person chosen ever actually went. The talk show becomes the very trail that leads readers ever further into the story, with each reveal pulling us deeper into Gypsy Rider, and the emotions taking place behind the mission.

As the past and present weave together, the truth becomes clearer and ever more devastating.  Besson is deliberate as his reveals are perfectly timed, leaving readers to feel the weight of each decision made by Sam, Rebecca, society, and NASA itself.  Culminating in a story that is equal parts science fiction and character-driven romance, Gypsy Rider is a standout. 

The perfect blend of Andy Weir’s The Martian’s survivalist tension paired with the emotional echoes of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Atmosphere, Besson sharpens the best elements of both, delivering them through Sam Austin and Rebecca Maddis. 

At its heart, Gypsy Rider by Peter Besson seems to be about space, but it’s a novel about the people we orbit, the choices that define us, and the sacrifices made in the name of love, discovery, and hope. 

“The Roman god of war. Mars. That’s what it’s named after. Because it appears red. Like blood.” – p. 17