Customer Reviews

Mayan Mars

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is not your typical sci-fi thriller. I was amazed at all the different themes that the author was able to incorporate into the plot. The depth of Mayan Mars ensures that the story keeps moving and there is never a dull moment. I finished the book in a few sittings. Having a science background, I thoroughly enjoyed the engineering and biological discussions presented in this book. However, there is something here to please everyone, so don't stray away! Overall, this is a great read for anyone that wants to experience something different in their reading.

The theme of this novel is the juxtaposition of religion, through the old Mayan gods, and science, through modern space exploration.

The novel starts in Yucatan, AD 514, and finishes in AD 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar. In Calakmul, the Mayan priest Kuk Kawil makes astrological measurements. He calculates the year in which Venus will each its lowest point in the firmament (AD 2012). This is the end of the calendar. The reddish halo of Mars haunts him and he searches for its significance. A human sacrifice is made. A vision comes to him that the end of the calendar will be marked by great bloodshed and followed by the redemption of the Mayan people.


The main body of the novel covers the period between AD 2004 and 2012 (the end of Mayan Calendar). Meyers uses his intimate knowledge of scientific research to create a plot that is at the same time realistic and ominous. It involves NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where scientists are planning an ambitious new program to bring Mars soil samples back to Earth. It also involves real metal fabrication processes such as explosive welding.

There are good guys, bad guys and romantic interludes. The story covers exotic places, from the Yucatan to Japan to Southern and Baja California. I will not continue the description in order not to reveal the story. I can assure the readers that, once I started to read, I could not put the book down. I would not classify it as a thriller or as science fiction. It is a mixture of at least three genres and appeals to a broad audience.

From what I read in the back cover, I can see how Meyers has used his broad knowledge acquired by living in Brazil, Europe, and the US to weave a rich plot that will keep the reader glued to the pages. This book should be of special interest to engineers and scientists because Meyers' background pulls him in that direction and every now and then we get glimpses at our research and scholarly world. The book also contains a strong warning: the perils to which uncontrolled and inconsequential technology can lead us.

Many science researchers have written technical books and most have authored research papers. However, the number of those who have ventured into fiction is small. The novel by Marc Meyers is therefore an auspicious event.

I loved the book and read it from cover to cover in a couple seatings. I give it a thumbs up!!!

This book contains a bit of everything....Shock wave technology, Mayan lore, modern biology, bad behaviour within a University Department, NASA blindness to outside criticism coupled with its unwillingness to admit that NASA "experts" might be incompetent.

I found one minor technical error, an incorrect crystal structure for the low-pressure form of BN, that is irrelevant to the plot. With that exception, the technology and science presented in this book is accurate and essential to the development of the story.

Mayan Mars combines the thrilling suspense of the Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" with the imaginitive style of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction".
From the very beginning you realize that this is not your ordinary suspense novel. This story is a violent mix of the religious taboos of mayan culture juxtaposed with the lifestyle of leading modern scientists to produce a sexy, mature novel that is impossible to stop reading.

I highly recommend Mayan Mars.

Amazing book. The most intersting topic was the capacity of the author to connect the history of an old civilization with a modern science situation. In this manner, we can feel the possibility of the history becomes true.

The author gives a captivating window into his own struggles with the polarity between science and religion. As a professor of engineering it is clear that Meyers has a command of the scientific background required to write such a novel, however in Mayan Mars he presents an intimate knowledge of the raw emotions in the human spirit. The reader glides easily between two parallel stories, one in the ancient Mayan world, and the other in the present day world of a scientist working hard to define himself. As they merge together the stories unfolds into one dramatic and inspiring commentary on the dangers of our own ambitions. This is an easy to read thriller that keeps you engaged, and leaves you thinking.

Sex, organized crime, academia politics, science fiction, ancient history, globalization -- this page-turning suspense novel has it all condensed in <300 pages. At times, however, the author does a poor job of painting a picture. Some settings are described vividly but others are simply stated. Also, was a large chunk of pages missing from the book? There was no pinnacle. There was build-up leading up to it, but the denoument was rushed into. Still, it was satisfying. Overall this is a great read: it's both entertaining and instructive. If you don't enjoy it you'll at least learn a few things!

This novel is an intoxicating cocktail of suspense, mystery, and action. The rich descriptions of Brazil, Peru, and Japan transports the reader through both space and time. With an ambitious approach to examine science vs. nature and the wild vs. civilization, Meyers explores the complicated relationship between man and progress. A must read across all genres.

During my recent visit to Brazil I had great pleasure to meet the author, Prof. Marc Meyers, in person. This motivated me even more to read "Mayan Mars" - I heard of the author and his book earlier. I must admit that I read his book with great interest - as soon as I immersed myself into it, my curiosity increased immensely and I wanted to discover what will happen next. The plot depicts a truly unusual concatenation of science, technology and human emotions; integrating the past, the presence and the future into a very captivating, intriguing and moving story. It is the kind of book that increasingly compels the reader to reflect on how the ways we have used to shape our past will take our civilization into the future. Are we all going to adjust our behavior to protect our descendants, or are we going to perish as most of the unfortunate people in "Mayan Mars" did? I shall now anxiously await the next sequel by Marc Meyers! There has to be one more!

This book gives us a wonderful trip to Mayan, to its history and its culture. This story combined together the ancient legends, the real life, and the fabulous imagination of future. It also makes us to think about the fate of human being.