Mars [Mass Market Paperback]

Ben Bova (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1993

Twenty-five astronauts of the international Mars mission set down on the harsh and unforgiving planet and soon face deadly meteor showers, subzero temperatures, and a mysterious virus. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- Jamie Waterman, a Native American geologist, is chosen at the last minute for the first manned exploration of the planet Mars. On touchdown, he is so overwhelmed with the emotion of the moment that he utters a Navajo phrase instead of the political statement he is supposed to read. This sets off a chain reaction among the leaders and politicians on Earth. Thus starts Bova's sprawling space opera. The expedition, seen from Jamie's point of view, is really the protagonist here. The story is filled with lots of characters of different nationalities and there's plenty of political intrigue. Of course, there are obstacles to overcome: a meteor almost destroys the lab, the doctor neglects his duty and nearly kills them all, crew members come down with mysterious ``Martian flu,'' and through it all is the never-ending search for evidence of life on this planet. Bova has done extensive research and his descriptions of Mars and the conditions under which the study is conducted are very plausible. All in all, a satisfying story.
- Susan McFaden, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A bulging, impressive, all-you-ever-wanted-to-know, you-are- there Martian odyssey, from the veteran writer-editor (Cyberbooks, Voyagers, etc.). In about the year 2020, a huge multinational project gets under way, the bulk of it seen through the eyes of young Navaho geologist and Mars-voyage hopeful Jamie Waterman. Unconcerned with traditional science-fictional plotting and melodrama, Bova focuses tightly on the day-to-day, nuts-and-bolts details: the inordinate amount of politicking necessary to get the project off the ground; the vital cooperation and occasional wrangling between the many participating nations (Russian pilots, American software, Japanese technology and money, plus a sprinkling of Europeans); the months of arduous training; more politicking as science and flight-crew teams are selected from the dozens of expectant trainees--Jamie gets the nod because geologist #1 falls ill, and the much-loathed #2 is forced out by his colleagues; the tensions that build up through long months in space. Neither does the exploration of Mars run smoothly. Stepping down onto the red sand, Jamie offends the powers-that-be by lapsing into Navaho instead of parroting a politically correct prepared speech; a British doctor, hot to seduce one of the female crew members, neglects his job; a meteorite shower nearly destroys the explorers' living quarters; Jamie persuades mission control to let him approach a cliff village he's convinced he finds; the explorers fall mysteriously ill; Jamie's Mars buggy falls into a dust bowl while his crew are too weak to haul themselves out. And, well, of course there's life on Mars! Technically accurate and absorbing if somewhat ponderous at times, with questions and answers reliably in balance: a dependable, satisfying foray into science realism. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Spectra; Reprint edition (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055356241X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553562415
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #362,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story of man's first trip to Mars, January 15, 2007

By 

Utah Blaine (Somewhere on Trexalon in District 268) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mars (Mass Market Paperback)

Ben Bova weaves a compelling, realistic tale of man's first mission to Mars. This is a plot-line that has been pretty well beaten to death, but Bova has created a story that, I think, explores the complexities and possibilites of our first exploration of the Red Planet. The strength of this books is definitely in character development. The main character, Jamie Waterman, is a geologist whose father is a well-educated Navaho indian, and his mother from a wealthy family in New England. This type of character could easily have been cliched, but I found him to be thoughtful, sympathetic, and well-developed. His family are both professors at Berkeley, but I found it interesting that Bova had Waterman study at a less well known school (University of New Mexico). Waterman isn't some superhuman who was destined for greatness from the time he was three, just a smart, hard working scientist who through a combination of effort and luck ultimately gets selected to go to Mars. The ultimate goals of this mission are two fold: to find out as much as they can (in a scientific sense), but also to lay the ground work for future missions.

The story starts with the explorers arrival on Mars, but the text is filled with flashbacks that describe the training, the characters, some of their initial interactions, and the background of the trip to Mars. Bova clearly did his homework when writing this book and describes Mars in great detail. Many of the difficulties encountered by the explorers are well-reasoned and well-explained, and the entire mission plan is well thoughtout by Bova. One thing that could really have added to this book was a map of Mars so that we could see where everyone was going and what the relationship was between the locations visited by the scientists.

There are a few things that I didn't like about this story. Occasionally the tale degenerates into `Beverly Hills 90210' in space. The characters become more interested in who is sleeping with who, or who is giving who little meaningful winks. There is also a minor story thread that involves the US vice-president and simple power politics. This didn't really advance the story at all and was left hanging at the end. This thread was wasted space in my view, Bova should have used it on Mars. This book was written in 1992 and the Russians play a much larger role in the mission than they likely would given the current political climate. This dates the book slightly, but there is no real US/Russian Cold War rivalry. Finally, some of the rivalries between the scientists are a bit overblown.

Finally, I thought the ending was fantastic, an intelligent ending to an intelligent book. One of the less favorable reviews states that there is no big payoff at the end. Without giving too much away, there isn't any great termination of the story, so if you're looking for some fantastic discovery to finish the tale, you'll be disappointed. The `payoff' is the journey itself, not the conclusion. Bottom line - this story is an intelligent tale of man's first visit to Mars with well-developed, complex characters. Definitely recommended.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Life on Mars?, September 17, 2000

By 

Cody Carlson (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mars (Mass Market Paperback)

Ben Bova's novel 'Mars' is slow, a little too slow at times, but nevertheless is a fun journey to the red planet. The story deals with an international expedition to Mars whose primary mission is to search for signs of life. Along the way rivalries and romance spring up among the crew. While the science-fiction is hard and entertaining, the story more often delves into the realm of soap opera. Bova is an author that no doubt has done extensive research on the subject of space travel but this proves to be both a plus and a minus. Sometimes it feels as though he's forcing situations into the book to show off his research, more often than not to the detrement of the plot. Of course, the plot itself is rather thin. But I do have to say that Bova throws in more than a few twists and turns that will hold your interest and gives us a clever ending. If you're looking for something that's fairly easy to read and you enjoy B-movie characters, this one could be for you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ben Bova sends a message in this book, December 22, 2006

By 

Alberto Leon (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mars (Mass Market Paperback)

I believe that this book was not about Mars. This book was a way to protest about the way mankind reacts when science advances faster than our understnding. Ulterior motives, politics, personal hatred, racial stereotypes, pride and more evils are found in the crew of scientist on their way to Mars.

This book was very informative. I believe that the major task of literature is to inform. Ben Bova has a fun way to do it. "Mars" is a book that keeps you reading. It's like a mirror of our soroundings.
Bova wants to make a comparison between the two worlds by placing a village that resembles terrestrial dwelings. It could be also a warning that whatever happened in Mars could happen here if we are not careful. I think this is the main message in this book. "Humans will be humans" and it's so human to go to Mars and pollute it with our prejudice, ignorance and arrogance(not to mention dangerous CFC's hydrocarbons and other pollutants).Or maybe that's the reason Mars today is dead. Maybe the Martians made the same mistakes we're making today and the result is a barren planet.

If you read this book thinking that you are going to read about Mars, then don't read it, unless you want to learn about regolites, permafrosts, and other geological formations. There is nothing else in Mars to talk about.
If you want to read about men and women undertaking a major scientific endeavor and read about their adventures, then you won't be dissapointed!