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The Grand Tour: Mars #3
Mars Life
Jamie Waterman discovered the cliff dwelling on Mars, and the fact that an intelligent race lived on the red planet sixty-five million years ago, only to be driven into extinction by the crash of a giant meteor. Now the exploration of Mars is itself under threat of extinction, as the ultraconservative New Morality movement gains control of the U.S. government and cuts off all funding for the Mars program.
Meanwhile, Carter Carleton, an anthropologist who was driven from his university post by unproven charges of rape, has started to dig up the remains of a Martian village. Science and politics clash on two worlds as Jamie desperately tries to save the Mars program and uncover who the vanished Martians were.
Meanwhile, Carter Carleton, an anthropologist who was driven from his university post by unproven charges of rape, has started to dig up the remains of a Martian village. Science and politics clash on two worlds as Jamie desperately tries to save the Mars program and uncover who the vanished Martians were.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
27 people are currently reading
767 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
714 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
May 18, 2024
On nearly every level, Ben Bova knocked this book out of the park. He is quickly becoming a favorite Science Fiction author for me!
An excellent aspect of this book is the plot regarding funding the Mars base. This sounds like it might be boring, but I was on the edge of my seat. I had to find out if/how the Mars base was going to get funded, whether Jamie would have to compromise his principles, and what creative way Bova would write to propel the story forward.
I also loved the characters in this book. Jamie Waterman and Veejay Waterman are of course excellent recurring characters from the previous entries, as is Dex. However, Carter Carleton made an excellent standout character in this book, as did Billy Graycloud. There was also a teen character who is totally separated from the main characters (but it is obvious why he is included) and I thought he was an absolutely brilliantly written character (despite his very few pages present).
This book also excellent themes. Themes about standing your principles and compromising them. Themes about boundaries and themes about science vs religion and how they can work together and against each other. The themes about religion in particular are actually in many ways contrary to the way I view religion, but the exploration of those themes that Ben Bova writes here is fascinating.
There is a minor subplot with Carter Carleton that I wish had been resolved, but I understand why it isn't resolved. That was really my only issue with the book!
Overall, I LOVED this book. Ben Bova wrote another favorite of mine. I'll give this one a 9.7 out of 10. In contention for best book I've read this year!
An excellent aspect of this book is the plot regarding funding the Mars base. This sounds like it might be boring, but I was on the edge of my seat. I had to find out if/how the Mars base was going to get funded, whether Jamie would have to compromise his principles, and what creative way Bova would write to propel the story forward.
I also loved the characters in this book. Jamie Waterman and Veejay Waterman are of course excellent recurring characters from the previous entries, as is Dex. However, Carter Carleton made an excellent standout character in this book, as did Billy Graycloud. There was also a teen character who is totally separated from the main characters (but it is obvious why he is included) and I thought he was an absolutely brilliantly written character (despite his very few pages present).
This book also excellent themes. Themes about standing your principles and compromising them. Themes about boundaries and themes about science vs religion and how they can work together and against each other. The themes about religion in particular are actually in many ways contrary to the way I view religion, but the exploration of those themes that Ben Bova writes here is fascinating.
There is a minor subplot with Carter Carleton that I wish had been resolved, but I understand why it isn't resolved. That was really my only issue with the book!
Overall, I LOVED this book. Ben Bova wrote another favorite of mine. I'll give this one a 9.7 out of 10. In contention for best book I've read this year!
March 11, 2016
Imagine that you were a scientist exploring Mars and you discovered the ruins of an extinct civilization. Then imagine that you discovered unrefutable fossils. This would cause quite a sensation back on Earth, wouldn't it? Don't count on it if right-wing religionists are in power. Imagine that you present your undeniable hard evidence and they call it just scientist propaganda to force an unproven theory down their throats just like Darwinism. Then imagine that on Earth the effects of global warming were in full force with most of Florida under water and Louisiana turning into an inland sea. That would call for some very serious and drastic solutions, wouldn't it. Don't count on it if right-wing religionists are in power. In the face of this emergency they are cutting the budgets of every scientific research project they can. They are even trying to eliminate science classes in the public schools. They are trying to suppress the astounding discoveries on Mars.
Frankly, I cannot think of even one good thing about religion and I just love stories like this that illustrate the venal and bullying nature of religion. Throughout all of history it has retarded the advance of humanity and has always promoted ignorance over learning and discovery. Religion has always encouraged burning at the stake those who would expose the people to truth and in this story the religionists are getting themselves in a position to be able to do the same thing again. It is only a work of fiction, but as you read it you should see that it does a good job of describing the way creationists and right-wingers in general operate. I do think it is a bit unrealistic about what they would do in the face of the most dire effects of global warming though. They would not be just cutting budgets for science education and research. They would be still actively denying that there is any global warming at all.
Frankly, I cannot think of even one good thing about religion and I just love stories like this that illustrate the venal and bullying nature of religion. Throughout all of history it has retarded the advance of humanity and has always promoted ignorance over learning and discovery. Religion has always encouraged burning at the stake those who would expose the people to truth and in this story the religionists are getting themselves in a position to be able to do the same thing again. It is only a work of fiction, but as you read it you should see that it does a good job of describing the way creationists and right-wingers in general operate. I do think it is a bit unrealistic about what they would do in the face of the most dire effects of global warming though. They would not be just cutting budgets for science education and research. They would be still actively denying that there is any global warming at all.
January 24, 2009
I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time! I was left with the shimmering image of pueblo in a Martian cliff in Bova’s Return to Mars in 2000. I wanted to read this ending chapter in Bova’s Mars trilogy for so long that I resorted to e-mailing Dr. Bova to ask him if he was going to finish the Mars trilogy or had he given up interest in Mars in favor of his “grand tour” series of novels about the solar system. This may be the reply to my e-mail!
Mars Life is an epic novel taking place on Mars and Earth (mostly) and having such diverse characters as disgraced academics in exile on Mars, Christian fundamentalist politicians, duplicitous financiers, ambitious nano-technologists, feuding astronauts, Moon colonists, and Jamie Waterman the man who discovered the Martian habitations, not a hero but a man trying to find a path to do the right thing. At first the novel seems to alternate chapters between Mars and Earth but as the plot starts to evolve and add complexity this sing-song approach is quickly left behind. The chapters are usually short but they either set up a problem for later in the novel or they delineate a discovery. But every chapter whets your appetite for the next one. Bova very successfully weaves the plot, subplots, and characters deftly in and out of sight with the confidence borne of a storyteller at the height of his powers who doesn’t need a lot of flash and sparkle to impress, but let’s the story subtly unfold in front of you. I’m even loathe to use the word subplot because there is nothing ‘sub’ about any of it, all the stories and characters serve the plot, yet none of the stories feel cheated or forced. His plotting or the action may not go in the direction you think it may, or should go, but it follows life, that is, it stays true to the characters and their motivations, and you’re never disappointed about how the action rolls out. As you approach the end of Mars Life you may ask yourself how is Bova going to wrap all these threads up? He does successfully wrap them up and without a deux ex-machina or at least one where you can see the gears grinding away at the plot. Instead we’re left with an idea and hope.
I know I haven’t divulged too much of the plot in this review, but that’s yours to discover.
Mars Life is an epic novel taking place on Mars and Earth (mostly) and having such diverse characters as disgraced academics in exile on Mars, Christian fundamentalist politicians, duplicitous financiers, ambitious nano-technologists, feuding astronauts, Moon colonists, and Jamie Waterman the man who discovered the Martian habitations, not a hero but a man trying to find a path to do the right thing. At first the novel seems to alternate chapters between Mars and Earth but as the plot starts to evolve and add complexity this sing-song approach is quickly left behind. The chapters are usually short but they either set up a problem for later in the novel or they delineate a discovery. But every chapter whets your appetite for the next one. Bova very successfully weaves the plot, subplots, and characters deftly in and out of sight with the confidence borne of a storyteller at the height of his powers who doesn’t need a lot of flash and sparkle to impress, but let’s the story subtly unfold in front of you. I’m even loathe to use the word subplot because there is nothing ‘sub’ about any of it, all the stories and characters serve the plot, yet none of the stories feel cheated or forced. His plotting or the action may not go in the direction you think it may, or should go, but it follows life, that is, it stays true to the characters and their motivations, and you’re never disappointed about how the action rolls out. As you approach the end of Mars Life you may ask yourself how is Bova going to wrap all these threads up? He does successfully wrap them up and without a deux ex-machina or at least one where you can see the gears grinding away at the plot. Instead we’re left with an idea and hope.
I know I haven’t divulged too much of the plot in this review, but that’s yours to discover.
April 8, 2009
Boorriinngg.
I don't know what happened to this book. I was riveted to Ben Bova's MARS when I first read it, and was so sad when it ended, and then so happy with the sequel, and then I couldn't believe it when I saw this book on the shelf at the library. Gah! It's dull, dull, dull.
I've caught wind of Ben Bova's nervousness about the coming New Morality, and I've encountered it in some of his other books (SATURN, maybe) but I didn't realize it's his thing now. It's a preposterous, overly complicated projection and it already feels dated. Of COURSE the greenhouse effect stuff is coming out of the global warming news and the Al Gore stuff. Of COURSE a religious fundamentalist government is in direct response to George W. Bush's presidency, but the dude was only ever going to be in office for eight years. Did people really, seriously believe that religious fundamentalists were going to take over? Come on, people. It's fun to wring hands, but to base the premise of a book about Mars on it? Plus that business with the rapist/professor stuff was dumb and unnecessary (can't people just be jerks anymore), and the anxiety about funding archaeology on Mars when Florida's going underwater and the world is dealing with displaced refugees seems misplaced.
It's not like there's a time crunch for digging up fossils on a world with no weather, and it's not like you need religion to give people reasons to spend money on Earth if the seas are really rising that fast. And I love Mars as much as anyone. But this book is contrived, silly, too agenda-driven (and such a dated agenda), and--as stated above--BORING.
I am so sad about this story. So sad. I had such high hopes and all of them are dashed. Dashed, I say.
Dashed.
I don't know what happened to this book. I was riveted to Ben Bova's MARS when I first read it, and was so sad when it ended, and then so happy with the sequel, and then I couldn't believe it when I saw this book on the shelf at the library. Gah! It's dull, dull, dull.
I've caught wind of Ben Bova's nervousness about the coming New Morality, and I've encountered it in some of his other books (SATURN, maybe) but I didn't realize it's his thing now. It's a preposterous, overly complicated projection and it already feels dated. Of COURSE the greenhouse effect stuff is coming out of the global warming news and the Al Gore stuff. Of COURSE a religious fundamentalist government is in direct response to George W. Bush's presidency, but the dude was only ever going to be in office for eight years. Did people really, seriously believe that religious fundamentalists were going to take over? Come on, people. It's fun to wring hands, but to base the premise of a book about Mars on it? Plus that business with the rapist/professor stuff was dumb and unnecessary (can't people just be jerks anymore), and the anxiety about funding archaeology on Mars when Florida's going underwater and the world is dealing with displaced refugees seems misplaced.
It's not like there's a time crunch for digging up fossils on a world with no weather, and it's not like you need religion to give people reasons to spend money on Earth if the seas are really rising that fast. And I love Mars as much as anyone. But this book is contrived, silly, too agenda-driven (and such a dated agenda), and--as stated above--BORING.
I am so sad about this story. So sad. I had such high hopes and all of them are dashed. Dashed, I say.
Dashed.
September 7, 2009
I like this one enough to review it on the blog.
Due to global warming and the decimation of resources, arid areas have become floodplains, the prairies have become desert, and much of the coastline has been lost to much higher water levels. It’s hell on Earth, and sufficient monetary pressure on governments and big business to either donate or make money off the backs of refugees.
Meanwhile, in an increasingly fundamentalist USA, funding for the Mars program is cut and leaders from the religious right are seeking to stop the program entirely, since the concept of intelligent life on another planet clashes with their view of God - i.e. he made humans, to rule the EARTH. This is also a culture in which Darwin has been entirely suppressed, and only creationism is taught in schools.
Thoughtful science fiction.
Due to global warming and the decimation of resources, arid areas have become floodplains, the prairies have become desert, and much of the coastline has been lost to much higher water levels. It’s hell on Earth, and sufficient monetary pressure on governments and big business to either donate or make money off the backs of refugees.
Meanwhile, in an increasingly fundamentalist USA, funding for the Mars program is cut and leaders from the religious right are seeking to stop the program entirely, since the concept of intelligent life on another planet clashes with their view of God - i.e. he made humans, to rule the EARTH. This is also a culture in which Darwin has been entirely suppressed, and only creationism is taught in schools.
Thoughtful science fiction.
March 10, 2025
Nothing really happens in this novel, which was disappointing. The book was kind of like a prelude to the next one in this series. Of course I liked the setting (Mars!) as well as the characters, but everytime something potentially exciting was set up to happen, it didn't...
May 20, 2010
Unfortunately, Ben Bova seems to be going slightly off the deep end with some of his political and environmental ideas. While his mythical greenhouse cliff and New Morality have always been a part of the Grand Tour series, they now seem to be just a chance for him to rant and rave, rather than being an actual part of the story. The ironic thing to me is that he attributes government takeovers and conspiracies to the ultra conservative religious right (as he calls them). But, if you take everything he talks about and flip it 180 degrees, you have what the radical left is actually doing today. As an example, in his universe, the religious right has infiltrated all forms of government and business. They control the banks, transportation, insurance companies, and education - sounds familiar, except change right to left. In an ironic twist, he has the right updating all the school textbooks to take out Darwinism and only allow creationism. Funny how the left is trying to do the very same, except they want to say the Founding Fathers (who they want to rename "framers") didn't have religion as a foundation during their writings and deliberations.
The shame of it all is that when he's actually focused on the exploration of Mars and the trials of the people living there, his stories are still incredibly interesting. Just wish he could stay off the lunatic rants about the religious right...
The shame of it all is that when he's actually focused on the exploration of Mars and the trials of the people living there, his stories are still incredibly interesting. Just wish he could stay off the lunatic rants about the religious right...
January 7, 2012
A really cool "realistic" book. In the near future, Global Warming has decimated the US and the ultra conservative religious right have gained political power (so much so that Darwin is not taught in schools), and the 200 scientists on Mars are being recalled due to budgetary issues. That's when cliff dwellings are found...and then a bone. What then follows is a tale of power: on Mars and on Earth, and can the knowledge that there was once life on the red planet come back to Earth? I wish that there was no Preface for this book because it gave too much away; it should have been an Afterword. So, take my advice, SKIP THE PREFACE! This is a sad tale because so much of it seems to be coming true. Sadly, I wish only the tale on Mars was happening. A solid read but one that will make you sad--and I do admit to getting misty on the last two pages!
May 7, 2012
The ending to this trilogy was a bit of a disappointment.
Nothing really happens in this book.
Two big issues in this book are climate change and the battle between religion and science.
Both of these, in my opinion, are effed out and boring.
What's worse, they are taken, in this book, to absurd extremes.
Nothing really happens in this book.
Two big issues in this book are climate change and the battle between religion and science.
Both of these, in my opinion, are effed out and boring.
What's worse, they are taken, in this book, to absurd extremes.
August 3, 2025
After really enjoying the first 2 novels in this series this one left me stunned with disappointment but I should’ve seen it coming with the author’s opening notes to this book. It’s very clear what he thinks of religion and while I’m not going to deny there have been some awful crimes and influences in the name of religion this book seemed almost an essay on his views of religion and the crusade to discredit the exploration of Mars because of their (the religious) views of what that could mean regarding scripture.
My second issue is with the main character of Jamie and this has probably been stemming for a while but his insistence on preservation of the planet just seemed bizarre and wrong and given the earth’s place during this book where the world is coming apart because of global warming it’s like he can’t see the forest for the trees. Even now people wonder if humans could colonize Mars if the Earth became uninhabitable but Jamie is so worried about scientific discovery it’s like he can’t understand there will be no humans to appreciate the work or the history because we will all be dead and then who cares?
This was an easy read in terms of prose and I do hope to read some others in the Grand Tour series but this left a very sour taste in my mouth.
My second issue is with the main character of Jamie and this has probably been stemming for a while but his insistence on preservation of the planet just seemed bizarre and wrong and given the earth’s place during this book where the world is coming apart because of global warming it’s like he can’t see the forest for the trees. Even now people wonder if humans could colonize Mars if the Earth became uninhabitable but Jamie is so worried about scientific discovery it’s like he can’t understand there will be no humans to appreciate the work or the history because we will all be dead and then who cares?
This was an easy read in terms of prose and I do hope to read some others in the Grand Tour series but this left a very sour taste in my mouth.
September 7, 2008
No offense to Mr. Bova, but I bailed out after 80 pages. Mars is a great topic for speculative fiction, and the science is there, but the characters are too adversarial and petty for the story to be believable, IMHO. The thought of setting up a base on Mars is much more plausible, in comparison. When we get there for real, I'm convinced that there will be far more cooperation to get the job done. There's just too many other books and things to do for me to slog through to the end, alas. Maybe next time.
December 9, 2008
I don't know ... something about this book just didn't sit well with me. It's a hard sf novel about Mars, which normally I can't resist, but ...
Maybe it's the fact that each chapter is less than three pages long. It seems like a cheater's way to make the book seem longer.
Or maybe it's the strained way Bova tries to align the ancient Martians with the ancient Navajo.
I don't know, but I'll say that I struggled to get through this one.
Maybe it's the fact that each chapter is less than three pages long. It seems like a cheater's way to make the book seem longer.
Or maybe it's the strained way Bova tries to align the ancient Martians with the ancient Navajo.
I don't know, but I'll say that I struggled to get through this one.
October 4, 2008
Written in his usual competent style, it's a little slim on story line, but does bring up some scary probabilities about the possible effects of the combination of global warming and creationism fanatics on science and space exploration in particular.
March 6, 2009
Thought to try a novel for a change. Plowing through this, seems longer than it needs to be, a lot of reiteration of the same points, same phrases over and over, tiring. Ending was anticlimatic and disappointing. Guess that's why I like short stories.
December 3, 2022
Fascinating
This was not action packed like the last of the moon base novels but it definitely had a lot of suspense and was a fitting conclusion to the series. I really do enjoy the author’s writing.
This was not action packed like the last of the moon base novels but it definitely had a lot of suspense and was a fitting conclusion to the series. I really do enjoy the author’s writing.
March 29, 2013
I have always liked good stories about Mars and this is one.
June 27, 2025
Ben Bova came into this story with some good ideas, and though the pieces are there it doesn't quite fit together into a good story.
You can feel in this story that Ben Bova spent time in Mesa Verde in Colorado or Bandolier National Monument in New Mexico or some of the other cliff dwellings across the Southwest, and felt the parallels to Mars. He added in the flavor of religious fundamentalism from the mid-2000s when he was writing, and the ethical question of "selling out" Mars (something the Navajo people do argue over to the extent they maintain control of their ancestral lands).
The writing is competent and flows well enough, but overall leaves a great deal to be desired. Many of the side characters bring nothing to the story and don't amount to fully fleshed-out people. What does mission director Chang bring to this story, for example, besides a bit of extraneous complaining about the chain of command? What does DiNardo add? The book gestures at an idea of reconciling religion and science, but never gets there. Billy has the makings of an arc, but it never lands. Shouldn't he be Jamie's spiritual successor, learning to love Mars and dedicating himself to studying it? Vijay seems to exist only as a counterpart to Jamie and to a lesser degree Carleton.
Carleton is probably the best-written characters in his insecurity and aggressiveness. He reads as a kind of bad guy who actually exists in the world. Bova decided for plot reasons that he would have a fake rape allegation against him, I guess to give him an air of darkness without committing to the reality. But he is written as someone who would actually do something like that, going as far as to threaten to rape Vijay in the text. Both are largely brushed off by his fellow Martians and the Mars Foundation appears to have saved him from prison by taking him to Mars. And even there, what do his unpleasant personality and violent tendencies really add up to in the story? It's nothing more than a gross distraction from the beating heart of the novel.
The emotional core of this novel is the dilemma Jamie faces: On the one hand, he loves the planet Mars and loves the research that's being done there. He feels an emotional connection to it as a place where the history of the Navajo people can be made right (this is perhaps slightly racist?), and especially to the Martians living in their valleys and cliff dwellings on Mars just like the ancestral pueblo people did in the American southwest. On the other hand, that effort is facing a lack of funding by people cast as evil and ignorant, and the only available option is to accept tourists which he thinks will despoil the operation.
On the one hand, when you really consider it, the basic position of people on Earth is not so unreasonable. The climate disaster is written to be incredibly bad. How /could/ you justify spending billions on Mars when so many people exist in a state of crisis. Jamie and Vijay have the luxury of living in a place that has benefitted from the climactic changes and the benefits of billionaire friends who will jet them off to Mars if they ask. Most don't.
And on the other hand, it becomes hard to sympathize with Jamie because his opposition to all tourism really is wildly unreasonable. A better-written book would (for example) be asking them to host thousands or millions of Terran refugees, or to serve as a refuge for the rich like New Zealand estates do in our world (though I would likely also criticize this as an unrealistic response to climate change, at least you could more plausibly understand why he would be so strongly opposed.) The conclusion reached by the end, that they would accept tourists and use the money to do research without creating an earthlike environment around the ruins, feels incredibly obvious and something that Jamie should have come up with and accepted immediately.
While there are interesting aspects, this book is largely irrelevant digressions and vignettes. As an early draft I would say this was good work with a lot of potential. As a published work, that potential has been left largely unrealized.
You can feel in this story that Ben Bova spent time in Mesa Verde in Colorado or Bandolier National Monument in New Mexico or some of the other cliff dwellings across the Southwest, and felt the parallels to Mars. He added in the flavor of religious fundamentalism from the mid-2000s when he was writing, and the ethical question of "selling out" Mars (something the Navajo people do argue over to the extent they maintain control of their ancestral lands).
The writing is competent and flows well enough, but overall leaves a great deal to be desired. Many of the side characters bring nothing to the story and don't amount to fully fleshed-out people. What does mission director Chang bring to this story, for example, besides a bit of extraneous complaining about the chain of command? What does DiNardo add? The book gestures at an idea of reconciling religion and science, but never gets there. Billy has the makings of an arc, but it never lands. Shouldn't he be Jamie's spiritual successor, learning to love Mars and dedicating himself to studying it? Vijay seems to exist only as a counterpart to Jamie and to a lesser degree Carleton.
Carleton is probably the best-written characters in his insecurity and aggressiveness. He reads as a kind of bad guy who actually exists in the world. Bova decided for plot reasons that he would have a fake rape allegation against him, I guess to give him an air of darkness without committing to the reality. But he is written as someone who would actually do something like that, going as far as to threaten to rape Vijay in the text. Both are largely brushed off by his fellow Martians and the Mars Foundation appears to have saved him from prison by taking him to Mars. And even there, what do his unpleasant personality and violent tendencies really add up to in the story? It's nothing more than a gross distraction from the beating heart of the novel.
The emotional core of this novel is the dilemma Jamie faces: On the one hand, he loves the planet Mars and loves the research that's being done there. He feels an emotional connection to it as a place where the history of the Navajo people can be made right (this is perhaps slightly racist?), and especially to the Martians living in their valleys and cliff dwellings on Mars just like the ancestral pueblo people did in the American southwest. On the other hand, that effort is facing a lack of funding by people cast as evil and ignorant, and the only available option is to accept tourists which he thinks will despoil the operation.
On the one hand, when you really consider it, the basic position of people on Earth is not so unreasonable. The climate disaster is written to be incredibly bad. How /could/ you justify spending billions on Mars when so many people exist in a state of crisis. Jamie and Vijay have the luxury of living in a place that has benefitted from the climactic changes and the benefits of billionaire friends who will jet them off to Mars if they ask. Most don't.
And on the other hand, it becomes hard to sympathize with Jamie because his opposition to all tourism really is wildly unreasonable. A better-written book would (for example) be asking them to host thousands or millions of Terran refugees, or to serve as a refuge for the rich like New Zealand estates do in our world (though I would likely also criticize this as an unrealistic response to climate change, at least you could more plausibly understand why he would be so strongly opposed.) The conclusion reached by the end, that they would accept tourists and use the money to do research without creating an earthlike environment around the ruins, feels incredibly obvious and something that Jamie should have come up with and accepted immediately.
While there are interesting aspects, this book is largely irrelevant digressions and vignettes. As an early draft I would say this was good work with a lot of potential. As a published work, that potential has been left largely unrealized.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2025
In the final installment of the "Mars Trilogy" by Ben Bova, the narrative transports readers back to a time when Mars was a warm, watery planet, teeming with complex life forms capable of developing intelligence. However, a catastrophic asteroid strike, reminiscent of the event that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs on Earth, forever altered Mars. This event stripped the planet of its atmosphere and water, transforming it into the barren landscape we recognize today, where only the hardiest organisms could endure.
At the center of the story is Carter Carleton, a xenoarcheologist dedicated to studying ancient alien cultures. He arrives on Mars with the hope of escaping his troubled past, yet the shadows of his previous life threaten to resurface, particularly if anyone seeks to undermine his research.
Bova skillfully depicts a future Earth grappling with severe climate change. In response to the chaos, people increasingly look to authoritarian leaders for security. Within this environment, the New Morality, a fundamentalist Christian organization, emerges as a significant political force. This group staunchly opposes scientific inquiries into human origins and the cosmos, viewing them as direct threats to their religious beliefs.
Among the returning characters is Jamie Waterman, who is propelled back to Mars following a personal tragedy, the death of his son. Determined to continue his vital research and challenge the restrictive influence of the New Morality, Jamie is supported by his wife, Vijay, who, despite her grief, is resolute in assisting him in uncovering the ancient Martian ruins. As they explore these ruins, they discover writings that may shed light on the Martians' perspectives of the universe, potentially garnering public support for their ongoing research.
Monsignor Fulvio DiNardo, a Jesuit scientist and priest, plays a crucial role in the story as well. He believes in the harmony between faith and science, coming to Mars with a compelling question: "Why would a loving God allow an asteroid to obliterate a civilization that appeared peaceful and virtuous?" Yet, DiNardo's journey is complicated by a secret health issue that looms over him.
Additionally, a subplot unfolds featuring a young boy from a small American town who faces resistance while attempting to conduct a science project on the intelligent Martians. This pushback reflects the political reach, suggesting the New Morality’s influence even penetrates educational settings.
As the story concludes, it offers answers to significant scientific questions but does so at a cost that leaves both its characters and readers contemplating the intricate interplay of faith, science, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge in an ever-changing world.
At the center of the story is Carter Carleton, a xenoarcheologist dedicated to studying ancient alien cultures. He arrives on Mars with the hope of escaping his troubled past, yet the shadows of his previous life threaten to resurface, particularly if anyone seeks to undermine his research.
Bova skillfully depicts a future Earth grappling with severe climate change. In response to the chaos, people increasingly look to authoritarian leaders for security. Within this environment, the New Morality, a fundamentalist Christian organization, emerges as a significant political force. This group staunchly opposes scientific inquiries into human origins and the cosmos, viewing them as direct threats to their religious beliefs.
Among the returning characters is Jamie Waterman, who is propelled back to Mars following a personal tragedy, the death of his son. Determined to continue his vital research and challenge the restrictive influence of the New Morality, Jamie is supported by his wife, Vijay, who, despite her grief, is resolute in assisting him in uncovering the ancient Martian ruins. As they explore these ruins, they discover writings that may shed light on the Martians' perspectives of the universe, potentially garnering public support for their ongoing research.
Monsignor Fulvio DiNardo, a Jesuit scientist and priest, plays a crucial role in the story as well. He believes in the harmony between faith and science, coming to Mars with a compelling question: "Why would a loving God allow an asteroid to obliterate a civilization that appeared peaceful and virtuous?" Yet, DiNardo's journey is complicated by a secret health issue that looms over him.
Additionally, a subplot unfolds featuring a young boy from a small American town who faces resistance while attempting to conduct a science project on the intelligent Martians. This pushback reflects the political reach, suggesting the New Morality’s influence even penetrates educational settings.
As the story concludes, it offers answers to significant scientific questions but does so at a cost that leaves both its characters and readers contemplating the intricate interplay of faith, science, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge in an ever-changing world.
September 9, 2019
Mars Life continues the story set out in Mars and Return to Mars, with much the same setting and characters (particularly of the latter). Seventeen books in, there's little particularly surprising about Mars Life, but it's still a solid enough entry to the series.
For the most part, we're back to dealing with the New Morality (which makes me wonder about the timeline a bit) and greenhouse flooding on Earth. In particularly how they just want to put their heads in the sand and ignore concrete evidence of intelligent life on Mars and user their oomph to get the Mars project shut down entirely. It's interesting enough on one hand, but as mentioned, it's starting to feel like more of the same.
One thing that is really starting to get frustrating is Jamie's absolutely inability to bend and compromise throughout much of the work. I get that he doesn't want to see Mars destroyed and at first, that was an admirable goal. Something of the little guy fighting back against the corporations and governments of Earth. But now... who exactly is he to make that call? And why exactly can't Mars be used for more than one thing? It's an entirely planet for crying out loud.
Overall, it's a solid continuation to Bova's Mars trilogy and the Grand Tour in general and I'm glad to have read it. It could easily be read immediately after the other Mars books without particularly spoilering anything in the greater universe. On the other, 17 books in and I think I'm almost done with this series. Almost. Onward to Venus!
For the most part, we're back to dealing with the New Morality (which makes me wonder about the timeline a bit) and greenhouse flooding on Earth. In particularly how they just want to put their heads in the sand and ignore concrete evidence of intelligent life on Mars and user their oomph to get the Mars project shut down entirely. It's interesting enough on one hand, but as mentioned, it's starting to feel like more of the same.
One thing that is really starting to get frustrating is Jamie's absolutely inability to bend and compromise throughout much of the work. I get that he doesn't want to see Mars destroyed and at first, that was an admirable goal. Something of the little guy fighting back against the corporations and governments of Earth. But now... who exactly is he to make that call? And why exactly can't Mars be used for more than one thing? It's an entirely planet for crying out loud.
Overall, it's a solid continuation to Bova's Mars trilogy and the Grand Tour in general and I'm glad to have read it. It could easily be read immediately after the other Mars books without particularly spoilering anything in the greater universe. On the other, 17 books in and I think I'm almost done with this series. Almost. Onward to Venus!
April 12, 2018
Not sure what I was expecting when picking this one up, but, I feel rather dissapointed upon finishing. The book itself was well written, and the characters had depth; but, the plot line itself was lacking the return on investment for a moderately longer novel. It had the potential to be more interesting (why I kept reading), but not much came of it. It reminded me of the dryer W.E.B. Griffin novels, mostly soap opera drama built around interesting events. Never really reaching much of a climax or tension.
The crew is at Tithonium Base on Mars, while back on Earth the political scene is turning into an anti-science religious revolution, bent on stopping any idea of Mars, ancient martians, or the slightest challenge to their orthodox narrative. The foundation supporting the Mars mission must then struggle for a means to keep the expedition going, now that the fundamentalists have convinced the various governments to cut funding. Meanwhile, new discoveries on Mars are providing breakthroughs in extraterrestrial exploration; but, by the time the news reaches Earth the New Morality cult manages to stifle any publicity.
It really is a good cast and some interesting material, I just kind of wished there were more to the conflict and resolution, rather than just inferring that things worked out in the end.
The crew is at Tithonium Base on Mars, while back on Earth the political scene is turning into an anti-science religious revolution, bent on stopping any idea of Mars, ancient martians, or the slightest challenge to their orthodox narrative. The foundation supporting the Mars mission must then struggle for a means to keep the expedition going, now that the fundamentalists have convinced the various governments to cut funding. Meanwhile, new discoveries on Mars are providing breakthroughs in extraterrestrial exploration; but, by the time the news reaches Earth the New Morality cult manages to stifle any publicity.
It really is a good cast and some interesting material, I just kind of wished there were more to the conflict and resolution, rather than just inferring that things worked out in the end.
June 18, 2021
Good, but short.
This felt like a good ending to the Mars trilogy, but also like a perfunctory epilogue. Jamie’s continued obstinate refusal to accept any compromise felt artificially protracted in order to drag the story
out, while more meaty issues introduced could have played a more interesting role in driving the story forward.
A lot of interesting threads were introduced and then allowed to fall by the wayside, while Jamie was forced to retread the same character arc he went through in book 2.
It was a fun read for a fan, but not one of Ben’s better works. It was short, messy, and seemed like the author felt perhaps held back in by the rest of the Grand Tour mythos he had already established.
Perhaps it was just a bookend to check in with several favorite characters and establish that they’d continue to do just fine despite the rise of the darker forces introduced in the Grand Tour canon.
This felt like a good ending to the Mars trilogy, but also like a perfunctory epilogue. Jamie’s continued obstinate refusal to accept any compromise felt artificially protracted in order to drag the story
out, while more meaty issues introduced could have played a more interesting role in driving the story forward.
A lot of interesting threads were introduced and then allowed to fall by the wayside, while Jamie was forced to retread the same character arc he went through in book 2.
It was a fun read for a fan, but not one of Ben’s better works. It was short, messy, and seemed like the author felt perhaps held back in by the rest of the Grand Tour mythos he had already established.
Perhaps it was just a bookend to check in with several favorite characters and establish that they’d continue to do just fine despite the rise of the darker forces introduced in the Grand Tour canon.
October 23, 2020
Before I started reading “Mars Life” I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the two previous volumes in Ben Bova’s Mars trilogy. It was a waste of time – as “Mars Life”, for me, exceeded the others, bringing the early exploration of Mars, seen predominantly through the eyes of part Navajo geologist Jamie Waterman, to a satisfying conclusion. This final volume features challenges to the Mars scientists that eerily echo situations we have experienced in recent years on Earth in our own century – namely the rise of fundamentalism and, particularly in Trump’s America, the suppression of science (along with common sense).
The lesson in “Mars Life” is that some things just take time – a long time, but they can be worth it if a balance can be struck between the extremes in our society – and our ideologies.
The lesson in “Mars Life” is that some things just take time – a long time, but they can be worth it if a balance can be struck between the extremes in our society – and our ideologies.
August 9, 2020
Too little science fiction.. i wish there was more to how the martians were described, also although fossils can be found crushed under layers of rock, litke the sea urshin fossils at the cap blanc nez in northern France, once the flesh has decayed the space is filled with sediment kindo right away, and as sediment builds up tge pressure transforms it into rock, with fossils inside. The weight of the above rock does not crush the bones. Here we have 30 m or 90 feet of soil/rock above the remains.. i also didnt like that it was all about economics and fanatical religious belief more than about the exploration of Mars, the author sprinkled that over the three books to keep our interrest.. i enjoyed parts of it but remain sur ma faim as they say in french
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2021
Politics and economics are form a convoluted system, especially when religion gets added to the mix. The attempts by the "New Morality" to stifle science in almost all its forms, its almost xenophobic revulsion for any further study of Mars causes no limit of troubles for the dedicated scientists straining to study our Red neighbor before they are sent home.
Interesting, with great science fiction elements my only regret with the book was the lack of a tension or thrill that would have drove the story farther forward. As with the previous two books concerning Mars in this series Earth is the jealous, demanding monster and the scientists are the knights that defend it. I look forward to more stories in this series, but prefer to explore other celestial bodies in the future.
Interesting, with great science fiction elements my only regret with the book was the lack of a tension or thrill that would have drove the story farther forward. As with the previous two books concerning Mars in this series Earth is the jealous, demanding monster and the scientists are the knights that defend it. I look forward to more stories in this series, but prefer to explore other celestial bodies in the future.
August 4, 2020
This is one of the better entries in this series, largely because Bova (for the most part) sticks to science and not those PESKY HUMAHN RELATIONSHIPS BLEEP BLORP.
However, this good news must be balanced by the fact that there is waaaaaaay more racial stereotyping in this book than in the rest—the main character, who is Native American, and a side character, who is Jewish, in particular are described by the author and treated by other characters in a manner that should have been unacceptable in 2008 but apparently wasn’t. While it’s nice to reflect on how far we as a society have come even within the last decade, it’s jarring to read and brought my overall rating down a star.
However, this good news must be balanced by the fact that there is waaaaaaay more racial stereotyping in this book than in the rest—the main character, who is Native American, and a side character, who is Jewish, in particular are described by the author and treated by other characters in a manner that should have been unacceptable in 2008 but apparently wasn’t. While it’s nice to reflect on how far we as a society have come even within the last decade, it’s jarring to read and brought my overall rating down a star.
July 7, 2019
Good to 'see' Jamie Waterman again; I think he's one of Bova's most interesting characters. This novel also had a lot of other things going for it -- but the ending was quite weak, specially the weird 'solution' found by the main character for his dilemma, which read as no solution at all. I'm kinda disappointed as I was expecting a great book, but this was just ok.
December 29, 2023
Excellent ending to series.
Ben Bova spins an excellent tale .Some of the same characters are here with added people and plots which come together to give the feel of how life might be if Spacex gets us to Mars.
Ben Bova spins an excellent tale .Some of the same characters are here with added people and plots which come together to give the feel of how life might be if Spacex gets us to Mars.
May 21, 2024
A solid space adventure. Written in 2008 I hope this isn't a fortelling of the future of America; the religious fundamentalist takeover of the government, banning most science made me angry, as was no doubt the intent.
June 18, 2025
I could not get interested in the plot when so many male – female interactions seemed to revolve around, viewing the woman as a potential sexual conquest. I guess I'm just over that; there are more interesting stories out there and only so much time to read them.
July 25, 2018
Kind of a silly ending for a decent book. It comes to this point where is like "and they all agreed and were happy, the end"
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