Customer Reviews

Mars Attacks #1: Martian Deathtrap

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bud and his buddies are out riding their motorcycles when their afternoon joyride is canceled by an alien invasion. It seems that the probes we have sent to Mars have irked its inhabitants and they decide to attack first, blasting into oblivion every Earthling they happen upon. Bud and two surviving companions narrowly escape a gruesome death, running into the surrounding woods. While the Martians pelt that area with some kind of bioweapons, Bud lead his companions through the woods towards the only nearby shelter, the famous Gelman Mansion. A rich man's folly, the mansion is an intricate maze of rooms and passageways turned museum (a sort of ficitionalized version of San Jose's famous Winchester Mystery House) where, in a contrived coincedence, Bud used to work as a tour guide. Once at the mansion Bud and his companions discover another group of survivors. The Martians in the ship that attacked Bud discover the mansion and send out a small unit to investigate. Who will survive and what will be left of them?

Martian Deathtrap as all the depth one would expect from a book based on a series of trading cards. In other words, not much. None of the characters really acts or behaves in a realistic manner and, to be honest, almost all of them are in the story simply to die gruesomely at the hands of the Martian invaders or the insects made giant and deadly by the aliens' bio-weapondry. The Martians are also comically unaware of Earth customs, so some humor can be found in their lack of understanding the strange environment. Overflowing with gore and sprinkled with comedy, the book is passable entertainment. But readers wanting more emotional depth in their alien invaders yarns had better look elsewhere.

Wonderful book. Reads like a comic book from the 50s, but lots of blood and gore, be warned. You will like this if you like the

I read it and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a refreshing read. The author started the book off in a way I expected him to. Then he took it in another direction, to keep control of the grandness of the invasion, and I thought that direction was very clever, indeed.

This novel starts out resonably straight forward when a group of people are trapped in an old mansion during an all out attack by Martians. At first it seems like everything favours the survival of these people despite the superior Martian technology and then the deaths start...

This novel is easy to read - in fact it based on a comic book style ensures that somewhat. It starts out easy but by the end of the book its a bloodbath. If you don't like seeing characters you like killed off at random then avoid this book, but if blood and gore and stomping on Martians is your thing then you may enjoy it.

Having just finished HG Wells' War of the Worlds, I thought it would be appropriate to check out the other side of the coin by going from serious Martian invasion to pure Martian pulp. You cannot get pulpier than Mars Attacks. It's totally disposable, just like all good pulp.

Written by Nathan Archer (who has cranked out a few Predator books in the past) the story follows a group of tourists, led by a biker, who have sought shelter in an old mansion built by an eccentric industrial tycoon. With loads of secret passages and rooms they think they are safe from the Martian invasion until giant, Martian-created insects turn up.

Unable to control the insects, the Martians seek refuge inside the mansion too. But they are kind of wimpy and have not got a clue what the mansion is supposed to be. The story jumps back and forth between the humans and the Martians (who, strangely, seem to have Arabic names) and their various misadventures of blasting each other to pieces. Nothing life-changing but fun if you're up for it.

I might check out the follow-up some time, but I'm not going to go out of my way. But if you are a Mars Attacks fan (not including the awful Tim Burton movie) then go for it.

It wsa an OK book some part were pretty suspensful but it wasn't one of those "stay up all night reading " books. I would reccomend reading it but only if it s the only book the library(and book store)have left that you havent read.

Archer makes Stephen King read like Joseph Conrad. There is virtually little plot, character development or suspense and lacking a central hero to root for. I know these things are supposed to be fun and I enjoy violence when it can be fun but I have to draw the line when it comes to the senseless killing of children.

I just finished reading Mars Attaks: Martian Deathtrap and I belive that it is a very good book if you are into science fiction. It was really a great book.

Humans never suspected that their world was going to be invaded by aliens. Thats just what this group thought until they were being chassed by a menacing group of the Martian Death squad.. [this book is a great if you like Science Fiction novels.

Humans never suspected that their world was going to be invaded by aliens. Thats just what this group thought until they were being chassed by a menacing group of the Martian Death squad.. [this book is a great if you like Science Fiction novels.