The Martian Race

November 29, 1999
With so many Mars novels having been published in recent years, including award-winning fiction by Kim Stanley Robinson and others, it's hard to believe that even a talented writer like Benford (Cosm) could pull off another successful retelling of humanity's first expedition to the Red Planet--but he does. In the early 21st century, after NASA's Mars program has been grounded because of a Challenger-like catastrophe, a $30 billion prize is announced to be awarded to the first private organization that can land a spaceship on Mars, do serious science and return in one piece. Enter John Axelrod, eccentric billionaire and space aficionado. His Consortium launches a bare-bones Mars expedition that is closely followed by a Chinese-European attempt, and the race for Mars is on. Landing on the Red Planet, veteran astronaut Julia Barth and her comrades run into difficulties. Their return craft has suffered serious damage and may not be repairable. Even if they can lift off, they discover that their nuclear-powered Chinese-European competitor, although launching later than they did, may have the sheer power necessary to return to Earth first. Then, after months of fruitless searching, Julia discovers evidence of life on Mars. Benford is a solid prose stylist who creates full-toned characters. A practicing physicist, he writes plausible hard SF as well as anyone on the planet, and his portrait of Mars is among the most believable in recent genre literature. His strange and beautiful Martian ecology is so well described, in fact, that most readers will hope to explore it further, in a sequel. (Dec.) FYI: The publication of The Martian Race will coincide--hopefully--with the scheduled December 3, 1999, touchdown of the Mars Polar Lander.

August 1, 1999
When two manned space shuttles land on Mars, competing for the $30 billion prize for the first to return to Earth, they also land in hot water--chances are that they might never make it back at all. From a Nebula award winner; just in time for NASA's forthcoming landing on Mars.

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2000
YA-After NASA fails in the attempt at a Mars mission, the race for the planet quickly shifts to two separate factions. A billionaire's crew consists of a married couple and two men, all highly trained in both the scientific and practical technology required to fly to Mars. They spend more than two years there in research, and fly back to Earth. This mission faces two major upheavals: the return vehicle is inoperable and a life-form is found on Mars. When the crew sponsored by a European-Chinese consortium arrives, the race is on to identify the life-form and return to Earth, until two of the researchers are discovered missing. Benford presents a realistic scenario of interplanetary science and discovery caught in the web of big business. While this theme permeates the plot, the author expertly weaves in the often tense and volatile relationships among crew members, subtly showing how the success of the misson depends on their mental, physical, and emotional stability. The depth of the characterizations, especially that of astronaut Julia Barth, along with the scientific base, also make this story ring true. Adventure, relationships, discovery, and the pursuit of fame and fortune all add up to a page-turner for teens who like their science fiction rooted solidly in science.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 1999
The recent race among sf writers to see who can write the best novel about Mars continues, and as one might expect, Benford's entry is a very fine one. It begins with a situation that could be drawn from any of a dozen space-advocacy potboilers. The NASA-manned Mars mission has a catastrophic failure, and a space-minded billionaire comes through to finance an alternative mission in time to beat a foreign consortium--nowadays, a European-Chinese one instead of an all-godless-commie crew. The novel's primary focus, however, is on the voyage of Julia Barth and her comrades, a long, long haul in a ship slightly above the bailing-wire-and-chewing-gum level in terms of repair. Technical problems, faulty personal interactions, and the Martian environment all challenge survival, but Benford is as expert as ever at seamlessly melding characterization, technology, and narrative drive in an effective novel that takes its place near the front of the pack of Martian-yarn contenders. ((Reviewed November 1, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)

December 1, 1999
After a launching pad disaster shuts down NASA's dreams of sending a manned mission to Mars, astronaut Julia Barth and her teammates find a way to travel to the red planet under the auspices of billionaire John Axelrod, who expects his investment to make a tidy profit. When a rival coalition decides to enter the race to Mars, the trials and tribulations of the privately funded expedition escalate, becoming a battle for survival against the steadily diminishing possibility of a safe return. The author of Timescape brings his copious knowledge of the physics of space travel to bear in a gripping tale of human enterprise and courage that combines a pro-space polemic with sf adventure. Benford's talent for creating issue-driven stories that do not neglect the human element makes him one of the premier crafters of the genre. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 8/99.]

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.