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The Grand Tour #4
Mars (Library)
This grand epic adventure from six-time Hugo Award - winning author Ben Bova tells the irresistible story of man's first mission to that great unconquered frontier, Mars. Technically plausible and compellingly human, Bova's story explores the political, scientific, and social repercussions of our greatest quest yet: the search for evidence of life beyond Earth's boundaries.
Half-Navajo geologist Jamie Waterman has been selected for the ground team of the first manned expedition to our mysterious neighbor planet. Joining an international team of astronauts and scientists, he endures the rigors of training, the dangers of traveling an incredible distance in space, the challenges of an alien landscape, and the personal and political conflicts that arise when the team must face the most shocking discovery of all.
Listen to Ben Bova's complete Mars trilogy, including the second book, Return to Mars, and the third book, Mars Life.
©1992 Ben Bova; (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Half-Navajo geologist Jamie Waterman has been selected for the ground team of the first manned expedition to our mysterious neighbor planet. Joining an international team of astronauts and scientists, he endures the rigors of training, the dangers of traveling an incredible distance in space, the challenges of an alien landscape, and the personal and political conflicts that arise when the team must face the most shocking discovery of all.
Listen to Ben Bova's complete Mars trilogy, including the second book, Return to Mars, and the third book, Mars Life.
©1992 Ben Bova; (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
15 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1992
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3939 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
488 books1,036 followersBen Bova was born on November 8, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1953, while attending Temple University, he married Rosa Cucinotta, they had a son and a daughter. He would later divorce Rosa in 1974. In that same year he married Barbara Berson Rose.
Bova was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.
In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.
In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".
Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.
Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.
Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.
Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).
Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova
Bova was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.
In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.
In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".
Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.
Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.
Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.
Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).
Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova
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July 28, 2024
A realistic vision of the first manned mission to Mars
The theme of MARS, Ben Bova's extraordinary vision of a first manned expedition to Earth's planetary neighbour, is hardly unique and imaginative. In fact, it's been pounded into submission on hundreds of previous occasions. Bova succeeds nonetheless and has served up a particularly compelling and realistic entry into the pantheon of space exploration sci-fi that unflinchingly explores the politics, the psychology, the emotion and humanity as well as the danger and excitement of an extended exploratory space mission that would in fact last almost two years. A healthy serving of science and day to day scientific realism rounds out this exciting and eminently readable story of a group of planetary explorers that are ultimately shown to have "the right stuff".
Nominally the hero of the tale, Jamie Waterman is a Navajo geologist selected to be part of the multi-national scientific ground team that will explore the red planet. The story opens as Jamie steps onto the surface of Mars and, overwhelmed with the power and emotion of the moment, he utters his first words to a waiting populace on Earth in Navajo instead of the carefully scripted English he was supposed to use. The resulting political firestorm that erupts on Earth is somehow sadly predictable in its powerful and dramatic realism.
Told primarily from Jamie's perspective, the main plot line unfolds around a debilitating and almost certainly fatal illness that every single member of the ground crew except the doctor contracts. While the forensic medical investigation into the illness is told with an urgent drama that will have every reader on the edge of their seat right to the literally cliff-hanging climax, it's the ultimate discovery of its cause that will leave readers slack-jawed with amazement at Bova's brilliant imagination and the almost absurdly humourous irony of the problem.
The Iron Curtain and the US-Russian Cold War are now relegated to the pages of history so the political structures and international rivalries portrayed in the story clearly date the writing of MARS to the latter part of the 20th century. But that takes nothing at all away from Bova's masterful development of full, complex characters whose well-being and success will matter to the readers. What more could a happy science fiction fan ask for - characters, plot and a heaping plate full of informative, entertaining and realistic science!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
The theme of MARS, Ben Bova's extraordinary vision of a first manned expedition to Earth's planetary neighbour, is hardly unique and imaginative. In fact, it's been pounded into submission on hundreds of previous occasions. Bova succeeds nonetheless and has served up a particularly compelling and realistic entry into the pantheon of space exploration sci-fi that unflinchingly explores the politics, the psychology, the emotion and humanity as well as the danger and excitement of an extended exploratory space mission that would in fact last almost two years. A healthy serving of science and day to day scientific realism rounds out this exciting and eminently readable story of a group of planetary explorers that are ultimately shown to have "the right stuff".
Nominally the hero of the tale, Jamie Waterman is a Navajo geologist selected to be part of the multi-national scientific ground team that will explore the red planet. The story opens as Jamie steps onto the surface of Mars and, overwhelmed with the power and emotion of the moment, he utters his first words to a waiting populace on Earth in Navajo instead of the carefully scripted English he was supposed to use. The resulting political firestorm that erupts on Earth is somehow sadly predictable in its powerful and dramatic realism.
Told primarily from Jamie's perspective, the main plot line unfolds around a debilitating and almost certainly fatal illness that every single member of the ground crew except the doctor contracts. While the forensic medical investigation into the illness is told with an urgent drama that will have every reader on the edge of their seat right to the literally cliff-hanging climax, it's the ultimate discovery of its cause that will leave readers slack-jawed with amazement at Bova's brilliant imagination and the almost absurdly humourous irony of the problem.
The Iron Curtain and the US-Russian Cold War are now relegated to the pages of history so the political structures and international rivalries portrayed in the story clearly date the writing of MARS to the latter part of the 20th century. But that takes nothing at all away from Bova's masterful development of full, complex characters whose well-being and success will matter to the readers. What more could a happy science fiction fan ask for - characters, plot and a heaping plate full of informative, entertaining and realistic science!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
April 20, 2011
After hating Bova’s ‘Titan’–what was I thinking going right into another of his novels? It’s the COVER ART damn it! I am such a sucker. And this book is just pure trash. The characters are straight out of an exceptionally bad SyFy movie. I finished the book only because I wanted to convince myself it was consistently boring and stupid. I keep telling myself I will never read Bova again, yet I find myself getting sucked in from cover art, misleading blurbs or my latent desire to commit a form of painfully slow suicide.
The writing is stilted. The characters are cardboard. The treatment of ethnicity is juvenile and insulting (if I read "red man" one more time I will puke). And not to be picky, but if you are going to have characters that are Brazilian, shouldn't they actually speak Portuguese and not Spanish.
The deadly meteor shower is nothing but a bunch of pebbles falling quietly on the ground. The sub-zero temperatures don't matter because the whole Mars team is safely protected. And as for the "Mars" virus, you guessed it—there is none. They get a vitamin deficiency thanks to the lack of brain power on Mars. And, it takes FOREVER (something like 60 pages) for them to finally realize that they have scurvy. The book cover says that at the Grand Canyon of Mars, the team finds the ultimate discovery. What it it? Hell, we don’t know, because the author forgets to tell us. Is it a Martian city? A big friggin odd looking rock cliff? Oh for Christ’s sakes, couldn’t you at least have given us some kind of pay off at the end?
I hereby vow on all that is sacred, and my complete set of ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,’ never to read another book by this author. Until I pick one up at the flea market and find myself seduced like a cheap hooker.
The writing is stilted. The characters are cardboard. The treatment of ethnicity is juvenile and insulting (if I read "red man" one more time I will puke). And not to be picky, but if you are going to have characters that are Brazilian, shouldn't they actually speak Portuguese and not Spanish.
The deadly meteor shower is nothing but a bunch of pebbles falling quietly on the ground. The sub-zero temperatures don't matter because the whole Mars team is safely protected. And as for the "Mars" virus, you guessed it—there is none. They get a vitamin deficiency thanks to the lack of brain power on Mars. And, it takes FOREVER (something like 60 pages) for them to finally realize that they have scurvy. The book cover says that at the Grand Canyon of Mars, the team finds the ultimate discovery. What it it? Hell, we don’t know, because the author forgets to tell us. Is it a Martian city? A big friggin odd looking rock cliff? Oh for Christ’s sakes, couldn’t you at least have given us some kind of pay off at the end?
I hereby vow on all that is sacred, and my complete set of ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,’ never to read another book by this author. Until I pick one up at the flea market and find myself seduced like a cheap hooker.
August 11, 2014
This is a reread review. I went straight from one Bova as my bathroom reading, to another. Thankfully, I found this one much more engrossing and consistent than I did the Kinsman Chronicles. The pacing doesn't lag in the middle, as that one did, and I never had trouble convincing myself to pick it up and read a few more pages.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
January 28, 2015
Mars is Ben Bova's love letter to space exploration; it's a novel-length booster for a manned Mars program. A very well-conceived and engaging (in places) novel, you should not read it expecting it to be space opera or really, any kind of adventure aside from the inevitable dangers of flying to another planet. Mars stays strictly hard SF, so even when the possibility of life on Mars arises, you can be sure it won't come in the form of ancient cities and little red men, nor hazardous beasties who need to be shot or run from.
The main character is Jamie Waterman, a half-Navajo geologist who is a member of the first Mars expedition. The expedition is a multinational effort, with astronauts and scientists from every country that could afford to chip in. Much of the drama in the book involves the politics of the mission — the Russians and the Americans jealously keep track of how many astronauts of each country get to join the landing party, the Japanese astronauts are hyper-conscious of how they are representing their country, and the resident sexpot deliberately drives the Russians crazy by not sleeping with them because Russians killed her grandfather fifty years ago. Meanwhile, back home the founder of the Mars project is trying to balance concerns for the mission (including the fact that his own daughter is one of the scientists on Mars) with satisfying the politicians, in whose hands rest the decision to send more Mars expeditions or not. There are politics in space and on the ground, along with dossiers on each character that add depth to their backgrounds so that we understand why each one behaves the way they do on the mission.
That said, while the characters were each fleshed out and the story is compellingly plausible, with just enough hazards introduced to make the mission more than a long walk in space, it's a little spare as sci-fi goes. The major life-threatening situation that arises — a "Mars flu" that mysteriously afflicts everyone and stumps all the physicians trying to figure out its cause — has a clever forehead-smacking solution. There are hints of Martian life that don't really develop into much by the end of the book, though they are enough to whet the appetites of scientists, and readers of subsequent books in this series. There is some political intrigue between Jaimie Waterman, his ambitious journalist girlfriend back on Earth, and the opportunistic Vice President of the United States, each of them trying to get what they want from the other to advance their own agenda.
(I also feel compelled to point out that Bova, like most SF authors of his generation, presents a somewhat narrow range of female characters. Many of them are capable and three-dimensional, but there is the opportunistic journalist who has no qualms about sleeping her way to the top, there's the promiscuous scientist who takes malicious pleasure in giving the Russians blue balls by screwing everyone else, and there is the Vice President who is described as "shrill," "strident" and generally a conniving power-hungry bitch every time she appears.)
An enjoyable if slightly dry hard SF novel that should certainly go on your "Mars or Bust!" reading list. 3.5 stars - good book, though not very exciting.
The main character is Jamie Waterman, a half-Navajo geologist who is a member of the first Mars expedition. The expedition is a multinational effort, with astronauts and scientists from every country that could afford to chip in. Much of the drama in the book involves the politics of the mission — the Russians and the Americans jealously keep track of how many astronauts of each country get to join the landing party, the Japanese astronauts are hyper-conscious of how they are representing their country, and the resident sexpot deliberately drives the Russians crazy by not sleeping with them because Russians killed her grandfather fifty years ago. Meanwhile, back home the founder of the Mars project is trying to balance concerns for the mission (including the fact that his own daughter is one of the scientists on Mars) with satisfying the politicians, in whose hands rest the decision to send more Mars expeditions or not. There are politics in space and on the ground, along with dossiers on each character that add depth to their backgrounds so that we understand why each one behaves the way they do on the mission.
That said, while the characters were each fleshed out and the story is compellingly plausible, with just enough hazards introduced to make the mission more than a long walk in space, it's a little spare as sci-fi goes. The major life-threatening situation that arises — a "Mars flu" that mysteriously afflicts everyone and stumps all the physicians trying to figure out its cause — has a clever forehead-smacking solution. There are hints of Martian life that don't really develop into much by the end of the book, though they are enough to whet the appetites of scientists, and readers of subsequent books in this series. There is some political intrigue between Jaimie Waterman, his ambitious journalist girlfriend back on Earth, and the opportunistic Vice President of the United States, each of them trying to get what they want from the other to advance their own agenda.
(I also feel compelled to point out that Bova, like most SF authors of his generation, presents a somewhat narrow range of female characters. Many of them are capable and three-dimensional, but there is the opportunistic journalist who has no qualms about sleeping her way to the top, there's the promiscuous scientist who takes malicious pleasure in giving the Russians blue balls by screwing everyone else, and there is the Vice President who is described as "shrill," "strident" and generally a conniving power-hungry bitch every time she appears.)
An enjoyable if slightly dry hard SF novel that should certainly go on your "Mars or Bust!" reading list. 3.5 stars - good book, though not very exciting.
April 20, 2009
Mars isn't everyone's conception of what science fiction is supposed to be: this is no sweeping, epic space-opera populated by intelligent robots and raygun-wielding starship captains. Rather, Mars is a story of exploration set against a brutally inhospitable backdrop. A realistic take on what the first manned mission to the red planet may actually be like, Mars presents challenges that are personal and environmental rather than the product of some moustache-twirling villain's skulduggery.
Anyone fascinated by the scientific and sociological implications of space exploration will find Mars an absolute delight. Those looking for Star Trek will be sorely disappointed.
Anyone fascinated by the scientific and sociological implications of space exploration will find Mars an absolute delight. Those looking for Star Trek will be sorely disappointed.
December 13, 2022
My first spoiler review:
Scurvy...REALLY!? FFS
Scurvy...REALLY!? FFS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
The science / Mars content is fine but the human interaction bits and political Cold War non-sense is 'cringy'. I did not get into the individual stereotypically rendered characters much at all - and the indigenous “red Indian” / red Mars connection idea did not really work as well as Bova intended in my opinion. Some of this is kinda racist in places, and don’t get me started with the sexist dated portrayals of the female characters, but as mentioned, the red planet science is worth it, however, this ground has been covered often by others before and after with much better scenarios.
I will continue with it (it appears to be a trilogy) just the same, hoping it will get better. In spite of many short comings, there is a lot of potential here with what has been set up.
I will continue with it (it appears to be a trilogy) just the same, hoping it will get better. In spite of many short comings, there is a lot of potential here with what has been set up.
July 19, 2025
This book had everything I want from a Mars exploration book!!
It is what you expect: 25 international astronauts are chosen, trained and tasked with exploring Mars. The book focuses mostly on the surface crew, more so on
Jaime waterman, a half navajo geologist, whose passion is to find life on Mars. What they all have in common is the desire for a return trip—- that means everything must go perfectly. Even if it costs them their lives or egos! The interpersonal trials ans tribulations they go theough is nothing compared to what awaits them on Mars….
I loved this book. Didnt blow my mind but delivered on it promises and left room for more.
It is what you expect: 25 international astronauts are chosen, trained and tasked with exploring Mars. The book focuses mostly on the surface crew, more so on
Jaime waterman, a half navajo geologist, whose passion is to find life on Mars. What they all have in common is the desire for a return trip—- that means everything must go perfectly. Even if it costs them their lives or egos! The interpersonal trials ans tribulations they go theough is nothing compared to what awaits them on Mars….
I loved this book. Didnt blow my mind but delivered on it promises and left room for more.
June 18, 2023
It is very difficult to write a book that has both depth and an ease of writing that is available to large audiences. This book does both of those. While the characters in this book might be digging for life or water, the book digs and strikes GOLD!
This is without a doubt a top tier Science Fiction novel for me.
First and foremost, you know exactly what you're getting with this book. A thoughtful exploration of Mars, featruing a multi-national crew with the intent of discovering if there is life on mars. Ben Bova perfectly delivers the sense of awe and wonder that great science fiction books should. I felt like I was on mars, just like I did with Andy Weir's "The Martian". In fact, I would say that this book is very much similar to the Martian in terms of subject matter and approach to Mars exploration, it simply doesn't have the excessive language or vulgarity to it. I could see someone comparing this book to "For All Mankind", although I think Mary Robinette Kowal's book "The Calculating Stars" is a better comparison to that show.
The Mars exploration isn't the only good thing about this book. The political themes and realities about funding space programs and convincing multiple nations to work with each other, is handled really well. There are some politicians you will hate in this book...and some politicians you will love!
There are also some great character moments as well. Joanna Brumado deals with escaping the shadow of her father's popularity, Ilona deals with her hatred and bitterness towards the people who killed her family, Anthony Reed deals with the problems of unrequited love and guilt over his actions. Even Dr. Li and Vosnesensky deal with the troubles of balancing mission parameters and their own curiosity. All of these character arcs get lots of attention and feel properly fleshed out, while still having potential for inclusion in the sequels if necessary.
The main character, Jamie Waterman, gets a TON of character development in this book. He has to balance his desire to explore Mars with the harsh realities of the chain of command. He has to deal with potentially unrequited love (or at least, love that isn't ALLOWED to be reciprocated). He also has to deal with the unfortunate political fallout of one simple mistake he makes right at the beginning of the mission. To top it all off, he must make sacrifices and potentially lose everything to save his crewmates.
During the first half of the book, the author flips back and forth between the present day and the past. We see the mission unfold on Mars in the "Sol X" section, and then we see the characters backstories and the lead up to the mission in the flashbacks. Sometimes, this type of flashing back is unecessary, but I found it worked really well here, because it slowly informs us as to why certain characters are acting why they are.
The final act of this book feels straight out of "For All Mankind" and "The Martian" (although this classic book came decades before those shows/book). The action is well paced and the tension is real, as the audience really doesn't know what is going to happen (Don't look at the descriptions of the sequels, they give too much away!).
There was some unfortunate swearing and sexual imagery (although not nearly as vulgar as "The Martian" and some other Sci-Fi fantasy material). But comparatively it is manageable here.
Overall, I loved this book. It truly is the best book of the year for me thus far. I was hooked from page one, and didn't want to put it down. Exactly what I want from my Science Fiction novels 10 out of 10! Amazing Job Ben Bova!
This is without a doubt a top tier Science Fiction novel for me.
First and foremost, you know exactly what you're getting with this book. A thoughtful exploration of Mars, featruing a multi-national crew with the intent of discovering if there is life on mars. Ben Bova perfectly delivers the sense of awe and wonder that great science fiction books should. I felt like I was on mars, just like I did with Andy Weir's "The Martian". In fact, I would say that this book is very much similar to the Martian in terms of subject matter and approach to Mars exploration, it simply doesn't have the excessive language or vulgarity to it. I could see someone comparing this book to "For All Mankind", although I think Mary Robinette Kowal's book "The Calculating Stars" is a better comparison to that show.
The Mars exploration isn't the only good thing about this book. The political themes and realities about funding space programs and convincing multiple nations to work with each other, is handled really well. There are some politicians you will hate in this book...and some politicians you will love!
There are also some great character moments as well. Joanna Brumado deals with escaping the shadow of her father's popularity, Ilona deals with her hatred and bitterness towards the people who killed her family, Anthony Reed deals with the problems of unrequited love and guilt over his actions. Even Dr. Li and Vosnesensky deal with the troubles of balancing mission parameters and their own curiosity. All of these character arcs get lots of attention and feel properly fleshed out, while still having potential for inclusion in the sequels if necessary.
The main character, Jamie Waterman, gets a TON of character development in this book. He has to balance his desire to explore Mars with the harsh realities of the chain of command. He has to deal with potentially unrequited love (or at least, love that isn't ALLOWED to be reciprocated). He also has to deal with the unfortunate political fallout of one simple mistake he makes right at the beginning of the mission. To top it all off, he must make sacrifices and potentially lose everything to save his crewmates.
During the first half of the book, the author flips back and forth between the present day and the past. We see the mission unfold on Mars in the "Sol X" section, and then we see the characters backstories and the lead up to the mission in the flashbacks. Sometimes, this type of flashing back is unecessary, but I found it worked really well here, because it slowly informs us as to why certain characters are acting why they are.
The final act of this book feels straight out of "For All Mankind" and "The Martian" (although this classic book came decades before those shows/book). The action is well paced and the tension is real, as the audience really doesn't know what is going to happen (Don't look at the descriptions of the sequels, they give too much away!).
There was some unfortunate swearing and sexual imagery (although not nearly as vulgar as "The Martian" and some other Sci-Fi fantasy material). But comparatively it is manageable here.
Overall, I loved this book. It truly is the best book of the year for me thus far. I was hooked from page one, and didn't want to put it down. Exactly what I want from my Science Fiction novels 10 out of 10! Amazing Job Ben Bova!
April 8, 2008
I have a love for books about the colonization of Mars that borders on unhealthy. I enjoyed this one, but it was impossible to refrain from comparing it to Kim Stanley Robinson's trilogy (Red/Blue/Green). And Robinson's trilogy was much more satisfying. I found the portrayal of characters in Bova's Mars to be more caricatured, and the personal conflicts much more soap opera-y.
This book also had much less futuristic technologies and whatnot... in Robinson's books, he described fictional technologies in a way that made me thing "DAMN, why hasn't that been invented yet?" -- but in this book, the mission to Mars looked pretty much like what I imagine our first Mars mission will actually look like -- so I just kept thinking "yeah, why haven't we done that yet?" Anyway, my mind is much more tickled by the cool stuff in Robinson's books. Robinson's characters were also more nuanced and believable, and his writing style less cheesy than Bova's sometimes is.
For someone who does NOT plan on reading more than one book about Mars, I'd recommend Robinson's Red Mars above this one, for sure.
I still liked reading it though, and pretending I didn't choose the wrong career to allow me to go to Mars during my lifetime.
This book also had much less futuristic technologies and whatnot... in Robinson's books, he described fictional technologies in a way that made me thing "DAMN, why hasn't that been invented yet?" -- but in this book, the mission to Mars looked pretty much like what I imagine our first Mars mission will actually look like -- so I just kept thinking "yeah, why haven't we done that yet?" Anyway, my mind is much more tickled by the cool stuff in Robinson's books. Robinson's characters were also more nuanced and believable, and his writing style less cheesy than Bova's sometimes is.
For someone who does NOT plan on reading more than one book about Mars, I'd recommend Robinson's Red Mars above this one, for sure.
I still liked reading it though, and pretending I didn't choose the wrong career to allow me to go to Mars during my lifetime.
February 15, 2015
I'm ambivalent. This was a delightfully nerdy novel about humanity's first trip to Mars and a clutter of cliches and worn-down tropes that didn't give Ben Bova's nerdy ambitions the narrative breathing room it deserved. I loved that MARS was anchored in realism and yet let the reader mirror a boundless future. The strong writing and the rationalism of MARS won me over and got me to continue reading despite my issues with the novel.
MARS is a rare case of a novel suffering from too much exposition. Every interaction between characters was so telegraphed and heavy-handed. There's a lot interest, there's a despicable villain. There's also a tight geo-political situation on Earth. Everything you think you would find in a space exploration novel is in MARS, but everything that's in space exploration novels you've already read is in Mars too.
I thought MARS was fun, but not all that involving. If you're a space exploration nut like me, you're going to love it, if not you can skip a turn.
MARS is a rare case of a novel suffering from too much exposition. Every interaction between characters was so telegraphed and heavy-handed. There's a lot interest, there's a despicable villain. There's also a tight geo-political situation on Earth. Everything you think you would find in a space exploration novel is in MARS, but everything that's in space exploration novels you've already read is in Mars too.
I thought MARS was fun, but not all that involving. If you're a space exploration nut like me, you're going to love it, if not you can skip a turn.
Read
September 26, 2020DNF
As others have noted, despite the interesting science and promising plot, the unfortunate sexist, racist, and inflated males tradition of a good deal of classic sci fi overwhelms this read.
As others have noted, despite the interesting science and promising plot, the unfortunate sexist, racist, and inflated males tradition of a good deal of classic sci fi overwhelms this read.
January 10, 2023
I wanted a fun story about exploring Mars. There wasn't much fun in what I read here. But there was a lot of racism and sexism and misogyny. I'm not sure why I bother checking up on early 90's science fiction written by old white americans?
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #507:
This was meant to be an SFBRP Short, but Luke got into various rants about Mars by Ben Bova. So turn your frown upside down, and then back the right way again, because this book made Luke frown.
https://www.sfbrp.com/archives/2066
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #507:
This was meant to be an SFBRP Short, but Luke got into various rants about Mars by Ben Bova. So turn your frown upside down, and then back the right way again, because this book made Luke frown.
https://www.sfbrp.com/archives/2066
January 3, 2016
This book was incredibly realistic. I was really impressed with the effort put into getting this story as close as possible to what an actual Mars mission might be like. Several times during the book I would totally stop and think, "Is it too late to live out my childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut?", only to think, sadly, two seconds later that, yes, it is most likely too late...
I liked the thought Bova put into the politics behind putting space missions together too. Most science fiction I've read, the space explorers seem to go on missions willy nilly, with no thought to funding at all. Where in Mars, a lot of the conflict in the plot actually comes from the political scene.
Without ruining anything, I have to say wtf to the ending of this book though. That just isn't how you end a book. It came pretty close to the series finale of The Sopranos, almost cutting off in mid sentence.
And a final word about the audio for this book because I really loved it. They did all kinds of geeky sound effects, like making it sound like someone talking in an astronaut helmet, or speaking through a loud speaker, it was good stuff!
I didn't know this book was part of a sort-of-series when I started, but I liked it enough to try out another one. Bova wrote them in no particular chronological order, since they are all stand alone books. Here is a rough chronological list though, for those who can be a little obsessive about the way they read books:
* Powersat (2005)
* Privateers (1985) (immediately precedes Empire Builders, with most of the same cast of characters, but with an alternate history including a still-extant Soviet Union, because Bova wrote it before the U.S.S.R. collapsed.)
* Empire Builders (1993)
* Mars (1992)
* Moonrise (1996) (The Moonbase Saga, v. 1)
* Moonwar (1998) (The Moonbase Saga, v. 2)
* Return to Mars (1999)
* The Precipice (2001) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 1)
* Jupiter (2001)
* The Rock Rats (2002) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 2)
* The Silent War (2004) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 3)
* Saturn (2002)
* Titan (2006), John W. Campbell Memorial Award
* The Aftermath (2007) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 4)
* Mars Life (2008)
* Venus (2000)
* Mercury (2005)
* Tales of the Grand Tour (2004) (short-story collection including stories that span much of the timeline)
I liked the thought Bova put into the politics behind putting space missions together too. Most science fiction I've read, the space explorers seem to go on missions willy nilly, with no thought to funding at all. Where in Mars, a lot of the conflict in the plot actually comes from the political scene.
Without ruining anything, I have to say wtf to the ending of this book though. That just isn't how you end a book. It came pretty close to the series finale of The Sopranos, almost cutting off in mid sentence.
And a final word about the audio for this book because I really loved it. They did all kinds of geeky sound effects, like making it sound like someone talking in an astronaut helmet, or speaking through a loud speaker, it was good stuff!
I didn't know this book was part of a sort-of-series when I started, but I liked it enough to try out another one. Bova wrote them in no particular chronological order, since they are all stand alone books. Here is a rough chronological list though, for those who can be a little obsessive about the way they read books:
* Powersat (2005)
* Privateers (1985) (immediately precedes Empire Builders, with most of the same cast of characters, but with an alternate history including a still-extant Soviet Union, because Bova wrote it before the U.S.S.R. collapsed.)
* Empire Builders (1993)
* Mars (1992)
* Moonrise (1996) (The Moonbase Saga, v. 1)
* Moonwar (1998) (The Moonbase Saga, v. 2)
* Return to Mars (1999)
* The Precipice (2001) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 1)
* Jupiter (2001)
* The Rock Rats (2002) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 2)
* The Silent War (2004) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 3)
* Saturn (2002)
* Titan (2006), John W. Campbell Memorial Award
* The Aftermath (2007) (The Asteroid Wars, v. 4)
* Mars Life (2008)
* Venus (2000)
* Mercury (2005)
* Tales of the Grand Tour (2004) (short-story collection including stories that span much of the timeline)
December 25, 2017
Rounded up from 2.5 stars.
Mars is typical Bova, in that the bulk of the novel focuses on descriptions of machinery and landscapes, racial and sexist stereotypes, and interpersonal relationships straight out of middle school, while a minimum of the plot is actually given over to science fiction concepts or, indeed, storyline. It was not his worst, but it was not good.
Mars is typical Bova, in that the bulk of the novel focuses on descriptions of machinery and landscapes, racial and sexist stereotypes, and interpersonal relationships straight out of middle school, while a minimum of the plot is actually given over to science fiction concepts or, indeed, storyline. It was not his worst, but it was not good.
June 26, 2010
A Review of Mars, a novel by Ben Bova
Author of over 120 novels and nonfiction books, Ben Bova is well-known in science fiction circles. In his fiction, Bova writes in a saga-sweeping style that is well-researched and dedicated to realistic portrayal. First published by Bantam in 1992, Mars is a story written from the point of view of a Native American geologist, Dr. Jamie Waterman, who is a member of the fictional multinational team to land on and explore Mars. Waterman's lifelong dream is to be among the first to explore the red planet. Bova's characterization of Waterman is that of a serious young man committed to ideals arising from his native-American heritage and to his passion for science. Bova has woven romance into the story, although it certainly takes a rationalized backseat to the character's exploits. Bova's interests also lead us into political territory as we witness the maneuverings of those in charge up and down the chain of command from team members to mission managers to project managers and clear up to the President of the United States. Perhaps the most interesting character in the book is Alberto Brumado, an Argentinean who is portrayed as the driving force behind the entire project.
Mars is an interesting read with solid science, a testimony to Bova's meticulous research. A great deal of the story surrounds the question of whether there could be life on an apparently dead planet. Bova shows how life could indeed exist in such a desolate and foreboding place. Recent analyses of Mars proving the existence of water in its varied forms has shown that Bova was certainly on the right track.
Bova also touches upon other topical issues by referring backhandedly to such matters as racial and gender equality. His female characters are drawn out at least as well as his male characters with each covering a wide range of personality types. For example, Waterman has two romantic interests in the story. One is portrayed as a Texas-bred, professional journalist willing to do anything for her career while the other is a coy scientist equally dedicated to her pursuit of science. Additionally, the fictional female Vice-President of the United States is portrayed as a ruthless political animal. The striking similarity that exists between all of Bova's female characters is that they are all strong to a fault, unyielding in their determination. The coy scientist who accompanies Waterman to Mars comes across as the most sympathetic. She is, incidentally, the Brumado character's daughter.
Reaching a page count of 549 pages, Mars is a not exactly light reading. However, for true science-fiction fans, it is a page-turner. Fantasy readers beware: Mars has no dragons, sorcerers, hobbits, swords, or even alternate universes, unless that is, you count the inner workings of American politics.
Author of over 120 novels and nonfiction books, Ben Bova is well-known in science fiction circles. In his fiction, Bova writes in a saga-sweeping style that is well-researched and dedicated to realistic portrayal. First published by Bantam in 1992, Mars is a story written from the point of view of a Native American geologist, Dr. Jamie Waterman, who is a member of the fictional multinational team to land on and explore Mars. Waterman's lifelong dream is to be among the first to explore the red planet. Bova's characterization of Waterman is that of a serious young man committed to ideals arising from his native-American heritage and to his passion for science. Bova has woven romance into the story, although it certainly takes a rationalized backseat to the character's exploits. Bova's interests also lead us into political territory as we witness the maneuverings of those in charge up and down the chain of command from team members to mission managers to project managers and clear up to the President of the United States. Perhaps the most interesting character in the book is Alberto Brumado, an Argentinean who is portrayed as the driving force behind the entire project.
Mars is an interesting read with solid science, a testimony to Bova's meticulous research. A great deal of the story surrounds the question of whether there could be life on an apparently dead planet. Bova shows how life could indeed exist in such a desolate and foreboding place. Recent analyses of Mars proving the existence of water in its varied forms has shown that Bova was certainly on the right track.
Bova also touches upon other topical issues by referring backhandedly to such matters as racial and gender equality. His female characters are drawn out at least as well as his male characters with each covering a wide range of personality types. For example, Waterman has two romantic interests in the story. One is portrayed as a Texas-bred, professional journalist willing to do anything for her career while the other is a coy scientist equally dedicated to her pursuit of science. Additionally, the fictional female Vice-President of the United States is portrayed as a ruthless political animal. The striking similarity that exists between all of Bova's female characters is that they are all strong to a fault, unyielding in their determination. The coy scientist who accompanies Waterman to Mars comes across as the most sympathetic. She is, incidentally, the Brumado character's daughter.
Reaching a page count of 549 pages, Mars is a not exactly light reading. However, for true science-fiction fans, it is a page-turner. Fantasy readers beware: Mars has no dragons, sorcerers, hobbits, swords, or even alternate universes, unless that is, you count the inner workings of American politics.
July 20, 2009
One of the most plausible novels of the exploration of Mars, this book is a fascination and riveting read. Bova is at his finest in this novel, and it is a great place to begin the loosely related novels that compose his Grand Tour series of the solar system. Be prepared to buy another book soon after this because you will mostly likely not want to put this one down. I could not!
October 5, 2010
the rocks in this book have more personality than the characters. No I'm serious! there's this lovely martian boulder with a green streak in it that has all this.. this potential! this guy knows his science but can't write complex emotion for shit.
March 5, 2025
Not knowing anything about this, I thought it would be your typical action adventure in space. Instead, it's a realistic look at the logistics, relationships, and political landscape that would be involved in an actual human exploration of Mars, and I enjoyed this approach much more than if it was a thriller. Every part of this felt possible, which is a hallmark of good science fiction.
February 1, 2024
I came to read about a realistic, hard science-fiction expedition to Mars written by a guy who knows what he’s talking about. In that regard it succeeds, but Bova’s characterization isn’t the best, and his portrayal of women is pretty icky.
September 10, 2023
Superbly well researched and made believable! Interesting relationship dynamics between the crew members.
March 12, 2020
4,5 von 5 Sternen
Ein grandioses Buch über den Aufbruch zum Mars und dessen erforschung und ein zeitloses Buch dem man sein Alter von fast 20 Jahren beim lesen nicht angemerkt hat.
Auch wenn der Klappentext alles sehr viel dramatischer erscheinen ließ wie es am ende war, so war es dennoch unglaublich spannend und fesselnd.
Ein grandioses Buch über den Aufbruch zum Mars und dessen erforschung und ein zeitloses Buch dem man sein Alter von fast 20 Jahren beim lesen nicht angemerkt hat.
Auch wenn der Klappentext alles sehr viel dramatischer erscheinen ließ wie es am ende war, so war es dennoch unglaublich spannend und fesselnd.
February 27, 2013
Ye gods, where do I begin with this one...
Mars is a hard sci-fi piece about the first exploration/trip to, well, Mars with humans. To be honest, I thought this thing was written in the 80s, it felt so utterly dated (attitudes, more than science itself), and I was surprised to see that it was written in 1992. Even more, I don't understand how some people claim that it's not a "typical sci fi" because it doesn't have robots and other "stereotypical" sci fi elements. It's Sci Fi to the core, but I guess that's a discussion for a different day.
It takes place about now (or rather, about 2020 which isn't so far away), and the technology is both behind and ahead of where we are. We're still using floppy disks and smoking up a storm, but we've, apparently made great advances with some of our space tech. Also, (quibble) the space suits in the future suck (seriously, they are inferior to today's if our fearless leader/hero .
Most of the science seems pretty strong, though, and I'll give it to Bova for clearly doing his research and getting a lot of things pretty right (as far as this biologist could tell) with the planetary and physics stuff. Good job there.
But his characterizations go from weak to downright awful. Everyone is a cardboard cut out, and the women are treated worst of all. Most of the non-mission women (politicians, media) are career driven "do whatever it takes" harpies depicted as "dragon lady[ies]" with "claws" and are "fierce." Mission women are sex-kittens or maternal gardeners, except for the one near-virginal good girl. The men are a little more diversified, but are still very caricature-like most of the time. There is a mustache twirling (ok, he doesn't have a mustache, but he does have ! Our hero is... spiritual and heroic. It's all a little ludicrous and incredibly clunky.
I had some serious issues with the "scientists." I'm not saying that scientists are unfeeling, don't play pranks, or are asexual, so I expect normal to extreme interactions when a group of 25 people are trapped together for nearly 2 years, but some of the stuff they do is absolutely ludicrous. No scientist I know would act in some of the ways they do in the novel, and they certainly wouldn't take some of the lines of reasoning that are given. It just doesn't make sense at all, and I refuse to believe that the "best of the best" of this multinational conglomeration of scientists include so many boobs. At best, you could make me agree with driven, maybe less sociable stereotypes, but not downright ignorance and stupidity.
The novel promises that the team finds something at the bottom of the "Grand Canyon" of Mars. And I can't decide if the author gave it to us, and then just downplayed it with the "Martian Virus" mystery or if it was hinted at and left. Either way, there was a lot of build up, a lot of expectation and no pay off at the end.
And I still can't figure out where Bova was going with the race relations stuff. Whatever he was going for either didn't make sense to me, or just wasn't written well enough, because I tried to figure it out, and instead just kept sighing at the "red man" comments (yes, the lead geologist was Navajo, sure there could have been interesting race relations/prejudice studies going on, but it didn't work if that was a goal). It was probably just a case of finding a way to manufacture drama for the political parts of the book, but if so, it was weak and cheap.
Bad pacing.
Clunky writing.
No pay off.
Terrible characters.
At least the actual science was good(ish). But I don't feel the need to go any further with the series (Grand Tour).
I should mention that I give this book 2 bonus cookies.
1. Mentioning vinho verde wine.
2. The use of the Russians' patronymics. I'm still coming down from my Anna Karenina high so it made me happy.
Mars is a hard sci-fi piece about the first exploration/trip to, well, Mars with humans. To be honest, I thought this thing was written in the 80s, it felt so utterly dated (attitudes, more than science itself), and I was surprised to see that it was written in 1992. Even more, I don't understand how some people claim that it's not a "typical sci fi" because it doesn't have robots and other "stereotypical" sci fi elements. It's Sci Fi to the core, but I guess that's a discussion for a different day.
It takes place about now (or rather, about 2020 which isn't so far away), and the technology is both behind and ahead of where we are. We're still using floppy disks and smoking up a storm, but we've, apparently made great advances with some of our space tech. Also, (quibble) the space suits in the future suck (seriously, they are inferior to today's if our fearless leader/hero .
Most of the science seems pretty strong, though, and I'll give it to Bova for clearly doing his research and getting a lot of things pretty right (as far as this biologist could tell) with the planetary and physics stuff. Good job there.
But his characterizations go from weak to downright awful. Everyone is a cardboard cut out, and the women are treated worst of all. Most of the non-mission women (politicians, media) are career driven "do whatever it takes" harpies depicted as "dragon lady[ies]" with "claws" and are "fierce." Mission women are sex-kittens or maternal gardeners, except for the one near-virginal good girl. The men are a little more diversified, but are still very caricature-like most of the time. There is a mustache twirling (ok, he doesn't have a mustache, but he does have ! Our hero is... spiritual and heroic. It's all a little ludicrous and incredibly clunky.
I had some serious issues with the "scientists." I'm not saying that scientists are unfeeling, don't play pranks, or are asexual, so I expect normal to extreme interactions when a group of 25 people are trapped together for nearly 2 years, but some of the stuff they do is absolutely ludicrous. No scientist I know would act in some of the ways they do in the novel, and they certainly wouldn't take some of the lines of reasoning that are given. It just doesn't make sense at all, and I refuse to believe that the "best of the best" of this multinational conglomeration of scientists include so many boobs. At best, you could make me agree with driven, maybe less sociable stereotypes, but not downright ignorance and stupidity.
The novel promises that the team finds something at the bottom of the "Grand Canyon" of Mars. And I can't decide if the author gave it to us, and then just downplayed it with the "Martian Virus" mystery or if it was hinted at and left. Either way, there was a lot of build up, a lot of expectation and no pay off at the end.
And I still can't figure out where Bova was going with the race relations stuff. Whatever he was going for either didn't make sense to me, or just wasn't written well enough, because I tried to figure it out, and instead just kept sighing at the "red man" comments (yes, the lead geologist was Navajo, sure there could have been interesting race relations/prejudice studies going on, but it didn't work if that was a goal). It was probably just a case of finding a way to manufacture drama for the political parts of the book, but if so, it was weak and cheap.
Bad pacing.
Clunky writing.
No pay off.
Terrible characters.
At least the actual science was good(ish). But I don't feel the need to go any further with the series (Grand Tour).
I should mention that I give this book 2 bonus cookies.
1. Mentioning vinho verde wine.
2. The use of the Russians' patronymics. I'm still coming down from my Anna Karenina high so it made me happy.
June 5, 2013
The science was better than the fiction.
Bova spends a lot of time rehashing Cold War tensions ... only for them to not play a part in the finale. (I get that he was making a point about common humanity being bigger than the flags we fly, but it was such a big plot point in the first half of the book.)
He pulls the same le herring rouge routine with the sex. Virtually every time we get inside the head of one of the supporting characters, an oversexed British doctor, it's like inhabiting the point of view of a Chihuahua humping a stranger's leg.
Then the doctor winds up as a pivotal character at the climax of the book and the woman he's been chasing is one of the people at risk, at which point you expect Dr. Goodfeel to try to, you know ... take her pulse ... give her a chest exam ... have her bend over and cough ... something. Instead -- nada, zip, nothing. It doesn't come up. He doesn't even banish a bad thought and get on with his work. He doesn't have a bad thought. It's as if the 20 earlier references to the doctor's lechery had never existed.
It feels like the first draft had an ending involving loads of jingoistic misogyny, and Bova's editor and/or publisher told him to ease up on those themes, so he took them out of the ending altogether. Jingoism free? Check! Misogyny free? Check! Coherent plot free? Checkarooni!
Also, the lead character was a little too Tonto for my taste. I can't think of a good fictional native in a book not explicitly about the whites taking the West. Zero.
The thinking through of the expedition was interesting; the overall approach to the science ... a lot of those little details seemed right. But the narrative didn't live up to the rest.
Has there been a first-rate Martian exploration book since The Martian Chronicles? I can't think of one offhand. This ain't it.
Bova spends a lot of time rehashing Cold War tensions ... only for them to not play a part in the finale. (I get that he was making a point about common humanity being bigger than the flags we fly, but it was such a big plot point in the first half of the book.)
He pulls the same le herring rouge routine with the sex. Virtually every time we get inside the head of one of the supporting characters, an oversexed British doctor, it's like inhabiting the point of view of a Chihuahua humping a stranger's leg.
Then the doctor winds up as a pivotal character at the climax of the book and the woman he's been chasing is one of the people at risk, at which point you expect Dr. Goodfeel to try to, you know ... take her pulse ... give her a chest exam ... have her bend over and cough ... something. Instead -- nada, zip, nothing. It doesn't come up. He doesn't even banish a bad thought and get on with his work. He doesn't have a bad thought. It's as if the 20 earlier references to the doctor's lechery had never existed.
It feels like the first draft had an ending involving loads of jingoistic misogyny, and Bova's editor and/or publisher told him to ease up on those themes, so he took them out of the ending altogether. Jingoism free? Check! Misogyny free? Check! Coherent plot free? Checkarooni!
Also, the lead character was a little too Tonto for my taste. I can't think of a good fictional native in a book not explicitly about the whites taking the West. Zero.
The thinking through of the expedition was interesting; the overall approach to the science ... a lot of those little details seemed right. But the narrative didn't live up to the rest.
Has there been a first-rate Martian exploration book since The Martian Chronicles? I can't think of one offhand. This ain't it.
January 30, 2023
So initially I was going to give this book a 3 star review, but two things affected my rating here. So I guess you could say high 3 star or very low 4 star. The story was very interesting but the sexual drama was very distracting. One character in particular was so focused on sex that they were almost a caricature of the male chovanist. Then the female preoccupied with sex was racist and used it to punish a particular group.
So I was about 80% done and realized my Mom who shares my Audible account had also listened to it. I was pretty ho hum and thought the book pretty forgettable. She changed my mind on that by letting me know the thought process of most the characters is very much the thinking of the 1970's. So I then read the last 20% more like a time capsule and enjoyed it quite a bit more.
Finally the ending was really good. Could the book have been shorter? YES. Lots of filler unfortunately, some characters were outright racist but kind of expected that. Funny what the author thought would stick around tech wise. Floppy disks made it to Mars but we still did not have cell phone. Haha
I saw if you could find it cheap or it is still free on Audible give it a read.
So I was about 80% done and realized my Mom who shares my Audible account had also listened to it. I was pretty ho hum and thought the book pretty forgettable. She changed my mind on that by letting me know the thought process of most the characters is very much the thinking of the 1970's. So I then read the last 20% more like a time capsule and enjoyed it quite a bit more.
Finally the ending was really good. Could the book have been shorter? YES. Lots of filler unfortunately, some characters were outright racist but kind of expected that. Funny what the author thought would stick around tech wise. Floppy disks made it to Mars but we still did not have cell phone. Haha
I saw if you could find it cheap or it is still free on Audible give it a read.
October 29, 2023
I actually already read Mars years and years ago - but reread recently as a friend recommended it! And I loved it just as much both times.
Bova is a Sci-Fi great although I presume of times past now - but I highly recommend looking into this book or this series as it has a timelessness, it actually feels a lot like "future history" in that I had to remind myself several times that the events in this book didn't actually happen, because it reads a lot like a dramatization of real events (its kinda like how LOTR reads like a real history by sci-fi)
Don't pick this story up for typical drama, character development and 3 act structure, it has a strange lilting style where not everything gets resolved, but also not everything turns into full blown drama, its feels very 'real life'
One 'critique' is that this is a long book - good for sinking your teeth into but not a thrill-ride from start to finish!
Bova is a Sci-Fi great although I presume of times past now - but I highly recommend looking into this book or this series as it has a timelessness, it actually feels a lot like "future history" in that I had to remind myself several times that the events in this book didn't actually happen, because it reads a lot like a dramatization of real events (its kinda like how LOTR reads like a real history by sci-fi)
Don't pick this story up for typical drama, character development and 3 act structure, it has a strange lilting style where not everything gets resolved, but also not everything turns into full blown drama, its feels very 'real life'
One 'critique' is that this is a long book - good for sinking your teeth into but not a thrill-ride from start to finish!
December 8, 2011
First off, I think this book deserves a 3 and a half rating, close to a 4.
This is a Hard Science fiction novel; detailing, as accurately as possible, the first manned expedition to mars. There is lot's of believable technical stuff here but not so much as to bog down the book. An interesting set of characters, although there were a couple of times where I thought that the characters would not be on the mission if they behaved in that way.
The book was written in the 90's and unfortunately there are a few things that make it show it's age. The ones that stood out for me were; 'Music cassette tape', 'floppy disk', 'fax modem' and 'running out of film in a camera'. Amazing sometimes how our current technology has leapfrogged over science fiction less than 20 years old.
This is a Hard Science fiction novel; detailing, as accurately as possible, the first manned expedition to mars. There is lot's of believable technical stuff here but not so much as to bog down the book. An interesting set of characters, although there were a couple of times where I thought that the characters would not be on the mission if they behaved in that way.
The book was written in the 90's and unfortunately there are a few things that make it show it's age. The ones that stood out for me were; 'Music cassette tape', 'floppy disk', 'fax modem' and 'running out of film in a camera'. Amazing sometimes how our current technology has leapfrogged over science fiction less than 20 years old.
September 18, 2018
Have to say, just ok. Interesting style of back and forth in the timeline, but nothing really happens until the end of the book. I will keep going, hopefully the tour gets better!
March 13, 2022
I’m a sci fi reader. I love this genre and dream of exploring space, however I am fed up to the back teeth with poorly plotted, shallow characters, tokenism, racism and sexism so prevalent in this genre.
It turns out this book is a prime example of this, hence I don’t recommend it at all.
It turns out this book is a prime example of this, hence I don’t recommend it at all.
October 30, 2021
Abgebrochen ca. auf Seite 300.
Es passierte einfach nichts. Nur Rückblicke in die Vergangenheit, die weder mich noch die Charaktere oder sie Spannung voran brachten. Nichts hat mich zum Weiterlesen getrieben.
Aus Verzweiflung habe ich Spoiler-Rezensionen gelesen und beschlossen, dass ich meine Zeit wirklich besser verbringen kann.
Es passierte einfach nichts. Nur Rückblicke in die Vergangenheit, die weder mich noch die Charaktere oder sie Spannung voran brachten. Nichts hat mich zum Weiterlesen getrieben.
Aus Verzweiflung habe ich Spoiler-Rezensionen gelesen und beschlossen, dass ich meine Zeit wirklich besser verbringen kann.
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