Customer Reviews

The Mars Run

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*Just for the record, if the option had been available, I would have rating this 3 1/2 stars, as I believe the book to be above average, but just shy of a 4 star rating. So, as usual, please ignore the star rating all together*

The Mars Run presents an interesting twist on the standard space travel fare. In Chris Gerrib's vision of the space travel strips the glamour and sense of status from astronauts and turns them into "the lowest form of life in space." Gerrib's world makes space travel such a mundane activity that astronauts are little more than repairmen, taking all the risks of the job without any of the respect that would normally be granted to the occupation. Thrown into this world is 18-year old Janet Pilgrim, a young woman forced to enter the space program instead of attending college after her father spent her college fund on yet another get-rich-quick scheme gone wrong.

Gerrib opens his space opera strong, dropping the reader right in the middle of the terrible training accident that kills Janet's boyfriend. Janet is held partially responsible for the accident, but allowed to complete her astronaut training. She is finally assigned to her first real mission. Unfortunately, the mission rapidly goes horribly wrong when space pirates strike. Pilgrim convinces the pirates that she's worth more alive than dead, and is recruited into their ranks. As Pilgrim plots her revenge against the pirates, she becomes entangled in a web of political intrigue, misdirection, and deceit that crosses the galaxy.

The Mars Run is one of those books that are an exciting, light read, but falls apart if you think too much about it. While the character of Janet Pilgrim is in and of herself entertaining to follow, she never feels like a real 18-year-old would-be college student. She seems too indifferent at times, and at others she feels too much like the oft-copied wise-cracking, sexy heroines of TV shows geared at twenty-somethings. Scene describing Pilgrim forced to wear dog collars and sexy bikinis are not so much offensive to feminist sensibilities, but instead such a clique as to be merely annoying. Many of the incidents in the book feel contrived, as if the writer became stuck with a scene and wasn't sure how to get around it.

But to be sure, fans of hard science fiction will appreciate Gerrib's attention to realism. Technology is presented evenly and believably, and with such a subtle hand that the reader might forget this is suppose to be science fiction and not the real world. Action scenes are crisp and visceral, really throwing the reader into the mix with the characters. And while the protagonist may not always be believable, thankfully the supporting cast of characters has distinct personalities and obvious motivations to keep the reader caring about what happens to them. Overall, The Mars Run will appeal to readers looking for a sense of action and adventure in their fiction choices.

Christopher Gerrib's first offering, The Mars Run, is one of those books that grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. I soon found myself delving deeper into this captivating story willingly, and that's always a good thing. The Mars Run, at its core, is pure science fiction that imagines a future world that is as turbulent as today. The characters are well developed to the point that the reader will develop concerns for the fate of the good and the bad. And, with the exception of a few minor errors, there is little to tarnish an otherwise perfect tale. Anyone with a fascination with space, the future, and strong characters, will find The Mars Run a fascinating read.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's start with a little about the book's main character, Janet Pilgrim. She's like any other high school grad that wants to go to college, but soon finds out that the money for her college education has dwindled to near nothing from mismanagement. So Janet searches for alternative methods to earn the money and soon finds herself training for a one-year mission to Mars, which will earn her the money she needs to follow her dream. But this is where things start to go wrong. During a training exercise, her partner dies and this leads to an investigation. The investigation finds Janet only partially responsible, and she is allowed to complete her training. Then, after graduation, Janet begins serving out her one-year contract, but fate soon intervenes, and Janet finds her life moving in a direction never thought possible.

The writing of Chris Gerrib is clean and crisp, allowing the reader to follow the story with ease. Not once did I find myself confused by his writing style. The tale that Chris has crafted here is an excellent and truthful account of how life can take us in directions we never anticipated, a prime example of how best laid plans can easily go astray.

There is no doubt, in my mind, that every science fiction fan will find an enjoyable read in The Mars Run. I didn't want to put the book down, and looked forward to the next reading session so I could find out what happens to the main character, Janet Pilgrim. Chris is planning a sequel, and I'm looking forward to reading his next installment in Janet's life. And yes, that means I'm now a fan of Chris Gerrib.

Well done first effort. Keeps your interest, has plenty of action. Unexpected range of settings keep the story flowing. Attention to detail is not overpowering, just enough to provide a good mental image. Characters are well described so you can picture them in your head and they remain true to their assigned attributes. Interesting to see a man write from a female perspective. Am definitely hoping there will be other books by this author.

Chris Gerrib's novel The Mars Run follows eighteen-year-old Janet Pilgrim, a working astronaut who never thought she'd be where she is. In this world, being an astronaut is not the respected and difficult job it is today, but instead more like a simple repairman--only in space. Janet was supposed to go to college, but her father lost all his money, and now she's stuck working. Even so, she fell in love--and watched him die.

That's the first scene in the book, and it really pulls you in. The Mars Run is a quick read that will definitely be enjoyed by fans of science fiction, but it'; also a human story. Some of the scenes don't flow as well as the exciting first two pages, but it's still an interesting story, and Janet is a decent (but not entirely three-dimensional) character. The dialogue in this story doesn't always feel completely real, either, but the idea is exciting enough to keep the reader's interest, even though there are certainly some flaws in the story. The writing, however, is clear, allowing the reader to enjoy the story without excessive frills that are unnecessary in science fiction stories. The Mars run is certainly a good book, and I look forward to reading more from Chris Gerrib.

"The Mars Run" by Chris Gerrib is a fairly fast-paced space opera drama, mixed in with just enough personal history to get us caring about the protagonist, naive 18-year-old Janet Pilgrim, on her journey from the accidental death of her training buddy, Raj, at NASA, through kidnapping & pirates, on Mars and in Africa.

The scientific and space details ring true; and the characters, though often having short roles, are more than just caricatures.

Janet wins through, with just a little help from friends. Her role as sex toy may come off as overblown, complete with a metal collar and leash around her neck for half the book, but the book does reach a feel-good open ending with a definite possibility of further episodes, including whether she will undergo an abortion or choose to raise a child.

This is a fast, easy romp of a book.

[Reviewed by Jill Stockinger]

In the last half of the 21st century, Janet Pilgrim has just graduated from high school, and is looking forward to college. That is, until her father, who invests in one get-rich-quick scheme after another, tells her that he is bankrupt. Not wanting to face her friends, and after considering joining the Army, Janet signs on to a cargo ship to Mars. Being a working astronaut is the lowest form of life in the Universe, but one cargo run will fund several years of college.

Somewhere between Earth and Mars, the ship on which Janet is traveling is seized by space pirates, killing the three other members of the crew. Janet is taken prisoner, and given a choice; willingly join the pirates, or get a one-way trip through an airlock. It is not a hard decision. Janet has several moments of doing what she has to do to stay alive.

Mars is sparsely populated, so Janet's first escape attempt does not get very far. She gets a metal slave collar affixed around her neck, and spends more than one night in a cage. On the way back to Earth, another ship is seized, but, this time, there are casualties among the pirates.

To turn their booty into cash, several members of the crew land in the Central African Empire, your average corrupt African regime. The Emperor makes it clear that if they don't become leaders of his new space pirate fleet, they can forget about getting any payment for their pirate activities. Back in space, they attack a larger passenger ship, which has the nerve, and the ability, to fight back.

This is a first novel that is actually pretty good. In space, sometimes man is the biggest enemy. It is not a young adult novel, and it is worth reading.

"Eighteen-year-old Janet Pilgrim thought she was going to college. That was before Daddy went bankrupt. Now she's going to Mars, not as a tourist, but as a working astronaut: the lowest form of life in space."

"The Mars Run" at first glance reminds the reader of the early Juvenile Adventure stories by such authors as Heinlein. It is a fast paced, adventure story set in a future just distant enough to be alien yet utterly recognizable due to the human element. The plot is well thought out and the pace fast enough to keep a juvenile readers attention.

However, this is where the similarities stop. While the plot is well thought out, the details are not. Characters are a mere framework. The main characters personality and actions are so disjointed, that you never really build any type of relationship with her. The other characters are less than window dressing as they are eliminated almost as quickly as they are introduced.

Though I said that "The Mars Run" will remind readers of early Juvenile Adventure stories this book is not for juvenile readers. The book is filled with scenes of sex and rape and should only be read by mature readers. However, do not read the book for the sex. It is just as characterless and devoid of detail as the rest of the book.

At 179 pages, "The Mars Run" is a quick read. I would recommend it for a mature reader that needs a "quick fix" of science fiction before moving onto something with more substance. I could easily see this book being rewritten as a 400 to 500 page novel. The plot is well deserving of some detail. However, as it currently stands, the best thing about "The Mars Run" by Chris Gerrib is the beautiful picture of Mars on the cover.