Joan Marie Verba

John Tracy, the third of Jeff Tracy’s sons, coordinates communications for International Rescue on the space satellite Thunderbird 5, in addition to piloting the rocket ship Thunderbird 3 and assisting with Earth-based rescues. An experienced astronomer, John discovers a new planetary system and realizes its gravity has sent meteors and comets hurtling toward Earth. John and the rest of the International Rescue team find that this is only the beginning of the disasters they must handle, which affect them as well as the rest of the world. Can they save the Earth, and themselves, from catastrophe?

This is an exciting adventure and close to my heart, having plenty of astronomy–a story that could carry on into further books. It is great to see John getting a more prominent part. These stories continue to get more and more exciting and further expand the Thunderbirds universe. I look forward
to new adventures. –David Tremont, Model Maker, Weta Workshop.

In Situation: Critical, Joan Marie Verba pits International Rescue against a plausible natural disaster–meteor and comet fragments careening toward Earth–and delivers an exciting and suspense-filled yarn that stands alongside the best episodes from the classic Thunderbirds TV series.  –David Lee Summers, author of The Solar Sea

Read Chapter 1

The Thunderbirds captured the imaginations of many young television viewers decades ago, and now they can once more for a new generation. “Thunderbirds: Situation: Critical” follows John Tracy and Thunderbird 5 as he finds a planetary system that is hurtling meteors towards earth and may be a sampling of the disasters that are to come. Another exciting short novel for young adult readers following the adventures of International Rescue, “Thunderbirds: Situation: Critical” is a choice pick for science fiction collections.

Joan Marie Verba reads from Situation: Critical, March 2011: