Mars - Book Review

Kliatt, Nov, 2002 by Carol Kellerman

Ben Bova. 1992/2002. Read by Harlan Ellison Abridged. 4 tapes. 6 hrs. American Audio Literature. 1-57453-476-9. $25.00. Cardboard, plastic; content, author notes. JSA

An international team of 25 astronauts from nine different countries who have been selected for their scientific expertise in various fields make up the crew that accomplishes the first manned landing on Mars. They are trained for every contingency: meteor showers, subzero temperatures, dust storms, and the potential dangers of exploration of the Red Planet's surface. What they are unprepared for is a debilitating illness that strikes all the landing crew but one.

Ellison's skill at reading matches his skill at writing and editing SF literature: he is adept at creating nine different accents for the various countries represented within the team, along with a slightly higher pitch for the females; and he catches the excitement experienced by the scientists as they begin to realize the full significance of their discoveries, if they can stay alive long enough to take them back to Earth. The fiction part of this novel is a well-crafted story whose characters have well-developed personalities. The science part is based on fact and some supposition, but it is educational and well integrated into the plot. Definitely appropriate for teens with an interest in science and space exploration. Carol Kellerman, retired Lib/Media Spec., Santa Fe, NM