Mars Underground [Hardcover]

William K. Hartmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1997

2032. The human race has established colonies on Mars. For years Dr. Alwyn Stafford researched its biggest mystery: Did life evolve on the Red Planet? The answer, except for simple, long-dead microorganisms, was no.

Now retired, Stafford stubbornly continues his quest. Rumors say he's been going farther than ever before into the Martian deserts.

Then he goes out and doesn't return. As the search for him grow, it becomes apparent that the old man found something that will forever change humanity's place in the cosmos...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although it doesn't live up to the praise lavished on it by such sci-fi masters as Arthur C. Clarke and Greg Bear, Mars Underground is a serviceable tale of life, work, and mystery on a near-future Mars. The year is 2031, and biologist Alwyn Stafford has disappeared during one of his unusual solo excursions into the desert. On his trail are Carter Jahns, reporter Annie Pohaku, and Phillipe Brach, Mars's artist-in-residence. Jahns learns that Stafford hasn't met a tragic end at all; rather, he has deliberately vanished. As the mystery unfolds--and the sexual tension between Jahns, Pohaku, and Brach peaks--it becomes clear that humans aren't the first visitors to the Red Planet.

From Library Journal

In his first novel, astronomer and planetary scientist Hartmann writes about human and alien civilizations on Mars in 2031. After biologist Dr. Alwyn Stafford goes off alone to explore the Martian landscape and disappears, the ensuing search discovers an alien artifact. This good character study explores relationships among humans and the planet Mars in the tradition of Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Recommended for sf collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (June 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031286342X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312863425
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you want beautiful moody scifi - this book has it!, September 18, 2001

By 

C. "Chris" (Hvidovre, Denmark) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mars Underground (Mass Market Paperback)

It's a pity so many people can't see the qualities of this this book. I thought it was a very good read - especially for a debut!! What I especially liked was that it focused on the characters AND on the the very vivid descriptions of Mars. You have lotsa writers, including geniuses like Asimov and Clarke, who tend to focus too much on the technology or the concept (new aliens/ alien worlds, new science, whatever), but only manage to create one or two-dimensional characters. Hartmann's characters aren't too 'deep' either, but he has definitely made them much 'deeper' - and *described* them much better than many of his more esteemed colleagues. And that makes the characters come alive in a very intense way. And it makes the whole book come alive, because the thoughts and doings of the characters are intimately connected to the experience of a lonely, and secretive - but also beautiful - Mars, which Hartmann conveys to the reader with so much vividness that it really feels like you're there! Hartmann expertly describes moods and settings, his language is rich and varied - each sentence filled with metaphors and imagery. Only very few times does he fail to maintain this level of writing. The plot drags sometimes, true, and the you may or may not like the ending, but such things can be forgiven for a debutant. (Besides: I thought it was rather gutsy not to give anything away about the aliens. It also emphasizes that this is not a plot-driven, but rather a character and 'mood-driven' story which I am sure is quite intentional.) Bill Hartmann has very much potential as a new and different writer, and I definitely look forward to future novels. If you long for more contemplative characters in today's scifi (and like the 'melancholic touch' this book has), I think you are in for a very good experience.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Slow paced plot, poorly developed characters, July 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mars Underground (Hardcover)

As i write this I am 3/4's of the way through the book and pending a miraculous change in pace, I consider the money I spent for the book a terrible waste. The plot moves at an unbearably slow pace and the author seems to go off on 2 or 3 page sidetracks which have no bearing on the plot or the development of his characters. The "love" story that seems to be developing has no reason for being....why are these characters attracted to one another??? The book makes no attempt to explain the budding relationship...one page these people meet,, the next they're in bed together and behaving like love sick teenagers..As for the technical aspect of this novel..dont look for it, its not there. Ive never NOT finished a book, and this one is threatening my perfect record.. If you enjoy books on Mars, Kim Stanley Robinsons trio, Red Mars, Blue Mars,Green Mars, is absolutely the best out there. A true epic story of the colonization of Mars. You wont want to put them down.! ..as for mars underground...skip it

g

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Much ado about nothing, January 18, 2004

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mars Underground (Mass Market Paperback)

I had heard (and read) good things about MARS UNDERGROUND so at the first chance I purchased the book. After a couple of chapters the problemse were already glaring. The first one is the matter of character - or lack of it. The people never seem to "grab" the reader and are like cardboard cutouts. There are no individual personalities and no one really "grows", totally forgetful. Then there is the matter of the S-L--O----W moving plot. After a lot of boring set-up, give and take on the planet, discussions of various ideas and operational minutiae someone goes missing.

The events are totally predictable: Media folk yap about the public's "right to know", the Cold War continues (2034), professional jealousy, secrecy, revolt, etc Toward the end the group is drilling for rock samples and discovers an alien object dated 3.2 billion years BC. It originated outside the Solar System and after some brainstorming, they declare it to be a terraforming machine.

Let's get this over with. Surprise, shock, arguments and at last we get to see the grand machine (horizontal and vertical pipes). One fool unscrews a bolt on the machine - nothing happens of course. Then battles over disclosure and suddenly an earthquake/tremors caused by ancient machine - nothing happens again. That's the sum of this book - nothing happens.