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Marooned on Mars
FIRST PAPERBACK LIBRARY PRINTING. Feb. 1967 MASS MARKET PAPERBACK. Lester Del Ray (The Runaway Robot). Chuck Svenson was a citizen of the Moon — and proud of it! To him, Earth, with its heavy atmosphere, even though it was the "mother" planet, was not the best place in the universe to live. As he rocketed back home from a blast off at a point high in the Andes, he anxiously looked forward to the reception he'd receive at Moon City. For he was the only citizen from Earth's satellite to be selected by the United Nations’ interplanetary commission as a crew member for the first ship to attempt a flight from the Moon to Mars. - Amazon
158 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1952
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104 people want to read
About the author
Lester del Rey
635 books117 followersLester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey is especially famous for his juvenile novels such as those which are part of the Winston Science Fiction series, and for Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books edited by Lester del Rey and his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.
Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)
Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 30, 2021
Marooned on Mars is one of the novels that del Rey wrote for the Winston line of science fiction adventures intended for a younger audience in the 1950s. This was the first to originally appear under his name, and includes an introduction for those youngsters unfamiliar with scientific literature. The science is now hopelessly outdated, of course, but del Rey was an under-appreciated storyteller who had a real knack for captivating young readers. I remember enjoying it a lot.
June 18, 2020
Avrei preferito che fosse stato tradotto nel titolo originale, ovvero "Naufraghi su Marte" perché Clandestino dell'astronave non rispecchia realmente il centro della storia, che invece è appunto la vita (anzi, la sopravvivenza) da naufraghi di astronauti terrestri sul Pianeta Rosso. Che dire, ci troviamo di fronte a un romanzo di fantascienza che risente del suo tempo (scritto negli anni 50) e proprio per questo fa quasi tenerezza vedere quello che l'autore pensava e immaginava riguardo al nostro Marte misterioso e coi suoi canali. Troveranno i marziani? Certamente, altrimenti non sarebbe stato un libro di fantascienza!
June 26, 2009
First science fiction book I ever bought. Took a gamble and spent my hard-earned comic book money on it, based solely on its cover. It was great, proving you can judge a book by its cover. Been about 46 years since then... going to have to try to find another copy and see how it's held up...
(Incidentally, the cover pictured here - while definitely cool - is not the one I remember from that Narrow Lane Drugstore rack way back in early 1960s Montgomery, Al.)
(Incidentally, the cover pictured here - while definitely cool - is not the one I remember from that Narrow Lane Drugstore rack way back in early 1960s Montgomery, Al.)
April 27, 2022
I've had a desire to read old SF paperbacks, pot-boilers, or just stuff that I've always seen but never paid much attention to because they weren't from the 'great authors' or weren't in themselves well-respected - Edgar Rice Burroughs type of stuff (but by lesser or similar genre authors). Whatever.
I walked into a local (local to where I was) 2nd-hand bookshop, took a punt, collected three titles from the shelf. This is Title 3.
I gave it 3-stars not so much because "I liked it", but because I liked it more than the previous two books I read. It is a 50s SF Juvenile, written for young boys - sadly, the only two females mentioned are a sister and a mother, the latter of whom appears and then disappears back to her kitchen. The pros are a diverse bunch of supporting characters including a Cherokee, an African-American, an Asian, and a Russian, and in the early pages an Indian. While they do all exhibit human qualities and aren't relegated to stereotypes (Jeff "Foldingchair", in particular, is fully realistic), unfortunately, some of their initial descriptions aren't. But mostly, its a White Male American space adventure.
The entire story is a setup for Chuck Svenson, who has stowed away on the space-ship Eros, to learn how to work with other men and learn in turn to be a man. And I do appreciate that Lester del Rey refuses to pit the men against each other, instead showing that in the future when the Nations have joined together for mutual advancement, so do the people themselves. That in itself is refreshing, but the writing isn't. The writing is just too simple, too lacking in drama to stop my mind from drifting. The book also takes too long to get to Mars - they don't arrive until half way through, having first dealt with getting from Earth to the moon, and then Chuck getting on Eros without being seen, and then damage to the ship on the way to Mars, and by the time they get to Mars, its all a slow discovery of . Now, if Arthur C. Clarke had written this story, we would have surely felt a sense of wonder along the way, perhaps still be bored by the technical detail, but at least felt like we were taking a step into the unknown along with the protagonist. Unfortunately, because Lester Del Rey wrote it, I found it very difficult to care and stay focused on reading, but especially towards the end, where I just wanted to finish it.
2.5-Stars.
I walked into a local (local to where I was) 2nd-hand bookshop, took a punt, collected three titles from the shelf. This is Title 3.
I gave it 3-stars not so much because "I liked it", but because I liked it more than the previous two books I read. It is a 50s SF Juvenile, written for young boys - sadly, the only two females mentioned are a sister and a mother, the latter of whom appears and then disappears back to her kitchen. The pros are a diverse bunch of supporting characters including a Cherokee, an African-American, an Asian, and a Russian, and in the early pages an Indian. While they do all exhibit human qualities and aren't relegated to stereotypes (Jeff "Foldingchair", in particular, is fully realistic), unfortunately, some of their initial descriptions aren't. But mostly, its a White Male American space adventure.
The entire story is a setup for Chuck Svenson, who has stowed away on the space-ship Eros, to learn how to work with other men and learn in turn to be a man. And I do appreciate that Lester del Rey refuses to pit the men against each other, instead showing that in the future when the Nations have joined together for mutual advancement, so do the people themselves. That in itself is refreshing, but the writing isn't. The writing is just too simple, too lacking in drama to stop my mind from drifting. The book also takes too long to get to Mars - they don't arrive until half way through, having first dealt with getting from Earth to the moon, and then Chuck getting on Eros without being seen, and then damage to the ship on the way to Mars, and by the time they get to Mars, its all a slow discovery of . Now, if Arthur C. Clarke had written this story, we would have surely felt a sense of wonder along the way, perhaps still be bored by the technical detail, but at least felt like we were taking a step into the unknown along with the protagonist. Unfortunately, because Lester Del Rey wrote it, I found it very difficult to care and stay focused on reading, but especially towards the end, where I just wanted to finish it.
2.5-Stars.
July 30, 2024
Pretty much a letdown, following reading Andy Weir's THE MARTIAN. This feels like one of Heinlein's early "Boys Life SF" novels combined with a basic First Contact story. Written with the scientific accuracy you'd expect from a "alien planet" novel written prior to man's first moon landing, but the author does try. Also, in keeping with mid-20th Century SF, the only women are the protagonist's mother and younger sister, and there is smoking on board experimental spacecraft. 2 stars.
April 23, 2014
While waiting for The Martian to show up on my desk, I decided to read this young adult novel from the prolific Lester del Rey.
Chuck, a citizen of the moon, has been selected for the first manned Mars voyage. Unfortunately, when events move the schedule up, our hero is now too young (by charter) to make the trip. At the suggestion of a veteran pilot, he stows away on the ship, to the approval of the crew.
From that point in the book, the story is pure adventure, excellent young adult fare. When the possibility arises that they will be Marooned (ala the title), Chuck bemoans his negative impact on the crew (ala The Cold Equations), but for the most part this is a fairly light read. Bubble helmets, mobile plants and alien ruins each make an appearance.
Written before Mariner and other visitors uncovered the real conditions on the red planet, the science here is definitely dated. The target audience and most test pilots at the time were male, and the entire crew here is also. Neither of these detracted overly much from this tale, written some 64 years ago.
Lester del Rey contributed 11 of the 35 books to the Winston Science Fiction series, along with Poul Anderson, Ben Bova, and Arthur C Clarke. Marooned was one of the first five books, all of which were aimed at the juvenile audience. Del Rey went on to become an editor of pulp magazines and books and lend his name to several excellent short story collections. He was named the 11th SFWA Grand Master in 1991, an award later renamed for founder Damon Knight.
Chuck, a citizen of the moon, has been selected for the first manned Mars voyage. Unfortunately, when events move the schedule up, our hero is now too young (by charter) to make the trip. At the suggestion of a veteran pilot, he stows away on the ship, to the approval of the crew.
From that point in the book, the story is pure adventure, excellent young adult fare. When the possibility arises that they will be Marooned (ala the title), Chuck bemoans his negative impact on the crew (ala The Cold Equations), but for the most part this is a fairly light read. Bubble helmets, mobile plants and alien ruins each make an appearance.
Written before Mariner and other visitors uncovered the real conditions on the red planet, the science here is definitely dated. The target audience and most test pilots at the time were male, and the entire crew here is also. Neither of these detracted overly much from this tale, written some 64 years ago.
Lester del Rey contributed 11 of the 35 books to the Winston Science Fiction series, along with Poul Anderson, Ben Bova, and Arthur C Clarke. Marooned was one of the first five books, all of which were aimed at the juvenile audience. Del Rey went on to become an editor of pulp magazines and books and lend his name to several excellent short story collections. He was named the 11th SFWA Grand Master in 1991, an award later renamed for founder Damon Knight.
June 29, 2021
Fast-moving tale of a boy and the crew he shipwrecked
WINSTON SCIENCE FICTION #5: “Marooned On Mars” by Lester Del Ray
This book was another “rediscovery” for me. I remember finding, as a kid of 11 or 12, a gray hard-bound volume on my older brother’s bookshelf. It bore black lettering on the spine—something about Mars.
Already a fan of science fiction, I eagerly devoured the tale of a group of humans on a voyage to the Red Planet, who crash-land and have to survive until they are rescued, or can repair their ship.
Years later, all I could remember was the protagonist was a young man with an older mentor among the crew, and the climax of the story occurred underground, involving some unexpected elements I won’t reveal for those who haven’t read the book.
What I COULDN’T remember was the title—until I read the book again when I revisited the Winston Science Fiction series. It was “Marooned On Mars,” and I recall the familiar name of the author, Lester Del Ray, was one of the reasons I was attracted to it among the other tomes on my brother’s shelf.
Del Ray, of course, knows how to spin an adventure story, and this tale is no exception. I am particularly fond of the Martian vegetation he invents, featuring three sexes.
While “Marooned On Mars” doesn’t break the mold of the Winston stories, it is an excellent example of the form.
Recommended for readers who like adventure, exploration, spunky teenage heroes, and lost civilizations.
WINSTON SCIENCE FICTION #5: “Marooned On Mars” by Lester Del Ray
This book was another “rediscovery” for me. I remember finding, as a kid of 11 or 12, a gray hard-bound volume on my older brother’s bookshelf. It bore black lettering on the spine—something about Mars.
Already a fan of science fiction, I eagerly devoured the tale of a group of humans on a voyage to the Red Planet, who crash-land and have to survive until they are rescued, or can repair their ship.
Years later, all I could remember was the protagonist was a young man with an older mentor among the crew, and the climax of the story occurred underground, involving some unexpected elements I won’t reveal for those who haven’t read the book.
What I COULDN’T remember was the title—until I read the book again when I revisited the Winston Science Fiction series. It was “Marooned On Mars,” and I recall the familiar name of the author, Lester Del Ray, was one of the reasons I was attracted to it among the other tomes on my brother’s shelf.
Del Ray, of course, knows how to spin an adventure story, and this tale is no exception. I am particularly fond of the Martian vegetation he invents, featuring three sexes.
While “Marooned On Mars” doesn’t break the mold of the Winston stories, it is an excellent example of the form.
Recommended for readers who like adventure, exploration, spunky teenage heroes, and lost civilizations.
May 2, 2011
Another book read when I was eighteen... I remember it being pretty boring.
July 17, 2014
This is the first Sci-Fi book I read back in grade 4 in 1969. It turned me in to a lifelong reader.
Thanks Lester del Rey!
Thanks Lester del Rey!
February 12, 2016
Very good SiFi story for a beginner reading SiFi or to introduce a younger reader to SiFi. Recommended
October 31, 2018
Marooned on Mars is a science Fiction novel about a 17 year old boy who secretly goes on board a mission to Mars. The Mission is perilous as they approach the dusty red planet. The journey to Mars is a challenging event in which the crews lives are constantly in danger.
I thought this book was a little disappointing. As a science fiction enthusiast I expected more actiona nd adventure from the setting that was created from the beginning. The ending was verydissapointing and it did not seem worth it to continue reading this book.I was very disappointing in how the story turned out. It seemed that the book would reach its peak of events and then slowly settle into a great ending. However the events and suspense simply died and the book ended.
I think this book is for people who are enthusisastic about science fistion. It is really meant for people who are above the age of 13 as it is difficult to keep reading in some places.
I thought this book was a little disappointing. As a science fiction enthusiast I expected more actiona nd adventure from the setting that was created from the beginning. The ending was verydissapointing and it did not seem worth it to continue reading this book.I was very disappointing in how the story turned out. It seemed that the book would reach its peak of events and then slowly settle into a great ending. However the events and suspense simply died and the book ended.
I think this book is for people who are enthusisastic about science fistion. It is really meant for people who are above the age of 13 as it is difficult to keep reading in some places.
May 22, 2024
Nothing memorable. A YA novel where everything goes fine for the protagonists -to the point that even during some crisis, it's always dealt with nochalance, no real sense of danger, no true stakes.
Basically, there is no conflict, and it is comprehensible: Back in 1952, the future was a bright horizon filled with promises, science fiction an unchartered territory of wonders and you didn't want to impress young readers with dark or overdramatic stuff.
As a result, this novel is a constant telegraphing of the next solution in favor of our heroes, it doesn't even care to create a true sense of suspence, of scare, of tension in the group -for example, despite the fact that Chuck, protagonist and stoaway, has automatically reduced, with his presence, the survival means of the marooned crew...well, nothing comes out of it, nothing!
Basically, there is no conflict, and it is comprehensible: Back in 1952, the future was a bright horizon filled with promises, science fiction an unchartered territory of wonders and you didn't want to impress young readers with dark or overdramatic stuff.
As a result, this novel is a constant telegraphing of the next solution in favor of our heroes, it doesn't even care to create a true sense of suspence, of scare, of tension in the group -for example, despite the fact that Chuck, protagonist and stoaway, has automatically reduced, with his presence, the survival means of the marooned crew...well, nothing comes out of it, nothing!
May 28, 2017
Marooned on Mars was written as part of the Winston juvenile science fiction series from the 1960's, feels like a watered down version of one of Heinlein's superior juvenile books from the same period. I want to read a watered down Heinlein novel about as much as I want to drink watered down scotch.
Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for something so wholesome, but either way Marooned on Mars is way too silly, especially when the rest of the crew is proud of the kid for stowing away on a rocket ship because it shows that he is a man, and when they try to repair their crashed rocket ship with nothing but welding tool, which the naughty martians keep on stealing.
Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for something so wholesome, but either way Marooned on Mars is way too silly, especially when the rest of the crew is proud of the kid for stowing away on a rocket ship because it shows that he is a man, and when they try to repair their crashed rocket ship with nothing but welding tool, which the naughty martians keep on stealing.
August 28, 2024
Lo stile non mi è dispiaciuto, ma alla fine di fantascientifico c'era solo l'essere "naufragati" su Marte (come nel titolo originale). I metodi messi in atto per cercare di risolvere il problema sono più da romanzo di avventura che da sci-fi, se fossero naufragati su un'isola remota del Pacifico con viveri limitati sarebbe stata più o meno la stessa cosa.
Devo riconoscere però che l'idea delle "piante" marziane che trasportano l'acqua (e che dalla Terra sono erroneamente viste come "canali" dato che sono disposte in lunghi e larghi "filari") è decisamente interessante.
Devo riconoscere però che l'idea delle "piante" marziane che trasportano l'acqua (e che dalla Terra sono erroneamente viste come "canali" dato che sono disposte in lunghi e larghi "filari") è decisamente interessante.
July 16, 2021
Rarely has a stowaway been greeted this warmly, but then, the teenager was being subtly encouraged to slip aboard the rocket after bureaucracy had scratched him from the crew at the last minute, so it all makes sense. With a plot about the first mission from the Moon to Mars, and a test of a young man's resourcefulness, this 1952 SF novel -- which today would be YA and then was called a juvenile -- is a cheerful, nostalgic read.
February 19, 2022
se nota que el libro es viejo por su narrativa pero el autor ya predecía la llegada del hombre a Marte con la excepción de que estos hombres usan la energía nuclear.
Un buen libro.
Un buen libro.
January 15, 2011
It was interesting to read this shortly after Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke. There are some striking similarities. In both novels, a teenage boy finagles a trip to an exotic outer-space destination. Both also strive to be hard SF.
But while Clarke's science is exquisite, del Rey's is excruciatingly bad in places (from subtle errors like not grasping the difference between mass and moment of inertia, to shameful gaffes like confusing Newton's 2nd and 3rd Laws). On the other hand, Clarke's characters are flat at best and unlikeable in general. Del Rey's characterizations are simplistic and unsubtle (as you often find in YA literature, sadly), but the people (and Martians) of Marooned on Mars are three-dimensional and likable in that 1950's juvie kind of way—brimming with reasonable and explicitly-described motivations. Overall I'd say it's a wash, as far as which book is "better," at least for me.
I consumed vast quantities of juvie SF back in the day—of both the Clarke and del-Rey varieties—and it's fascinating to revisit them with an adult's (and astrophysicist's) eye. Marooned on Mars holds up well as an SF adventure yarn and coming-of-age story. The ten-year-old me would have loved it.
But while Clarke's science is exquisite, del Rey's is excruciatingly bad in places (from subtle errors like not grasping the difference between mass and moment of inertia, to shameful gaffes like confusing Newton's 2nd and 3rd Laws). On the other hand, Clarke's characters are flat at best and unlikeable in general. Del Rey's characterizations are simplistic and unsubtle (as you often find in YA literature, sadly), but the people (and Martians) of Marooned on Mars are three-dimensional and likable in that 1950's juvie kind of way—brimming with reasonable and explicitly-described motivations. Overall I'd say it's a wash, as far as which book is "better," at least for me.
I consumed vast quantities of juvie SF back in the day—of both the Clarke and del-Rey varieties—and it's fascinating to revisit them with an adult's (and astrophysicist's) eye. Marooned on Mars holds up well as an SF adventure yarn and coming-of-age story. The ten-year-old me would have loved it.
January 1, 2013
"Marooned On Mars" (Clandestini nello spazio su Urania) è un classico libro di sci-fi, nel quale si assiste alla crescita interiore di questo giovane ragazzo, Chuck, che viene scelto per la prima missione umana sulla Luna, passando attraverso una serie di problemi e fino ad arrivare a stabilire il primo contatto con i Marziani. Il libro è piacevole e molte soluzioni scientifiche sono piuttosto sensate per l'epoca, certo, spesso il libro sembra arenarsi (il problema dei 18 anni, la sparizione degli attrezzi) e poi riaccellerare improvvisamente. Non è un brutto libro, ma di sicuro ho letto molto di meglio.
April 28, 2016
Quanto ottimismo in queste pagine dal colonialismo strisciante! Dalla terra alla luna fino a Marte, nei prossimi secoli il passo si farà, a dispetto degli ostacoli quasi insormontabili, e almeno sulla carta di una letteratura di fantasia ben disposta. Ma immaginare che, a fronte di un popolo benevolo e per nulla diffidente, i terrestri non si lascino tentare da mire espansionistiche pare esagerato.
October 5, 2013
I'm sure this had a lot going for it, but somehow it didn't stir anything in me previous things of a similar nature have (any of the younger Heinlein stuff, Charles Chilton's work etc).
April 27, 2016
Marooned on Mars was the best of the Winston science fiction books I read as a kid. Great fun.
Read
October 23, 2016probably read some time in fall 1966
October 31, 2018
Buen libro, sin embargo en el momento mas interesante del libro el autor termina de una forma muy rápido todo ese drama...
Want to read
December 31, 2010Cover is different
March 27, 2017
Lo stile non mi è dispiaciuto, ma alla fine di fantascientifico c'era solo l'essere "naufragati" su Marte (come nel titolo originale). I metodi messi in atto per cercare di risolvere il problema sono più da romanzo di avventura che da sci-fi, se fossero naufragati su un'isola remota del Pacifico con viveri limitati sarebbe stata più o meno la stessa cosa.
Devo riconoscere però che l'idea delle "piante" marziane che trasportano l'acqua (e che dalla Terra sono erroneamente viste come "canali" dato che sono disposte in lunghi e larghi "filari") è decisamente interessante.
Devo riconoscere però che l'idea delle "piante" marziane che trasportano l'acqua (e che dalla Terra sono erroneamente viste come "canali" dato che sono disposte in lunghi e larghi "filari") è decisamente interessante.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews