Items related to Return to Mars

Ben Bova Return to Mars ISBN 13: 9780340750087

Return to Mars - Softcover

  • 3.9 out of 5 stars
    2,580 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780340750087: Return to Mars

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Synopsis

Six years have passed since half-Navajo, half-Anglo Jamie Waterman took charge of a foundering expedition to the Red Planet, and led its surviving members on a dangerous trek to Mars' Valles Marineris - and to, perhaps, the greatest scientific discovery in the history of humankind: fragile, lichenlike organisms growing just beneath the planet's rocky surface; extraterrestrial life in its most basic form. But things have soured for Waterman back in Earth's rich atmosphere and the two halves of Jamie's heart - native mystic and rational scientist - have slipped further and further out of balance. Now a second Martian expedition has been announced - one motivated purely by its profit potential - and Jamie Waterman's wounded soul is beckoning him back to the eerie, unforgiving landscape whose sere natural beauty reminds him so strongly of Navajo lands. As commander of the new team, he will have to contend with a bitter and destructive rivalry, a disturbing new emotional attraction, and the deadly, incomprehensible "accidents" that appear to be sabotage - all of which could doom the mission to failure. But Waterman knows he must not fail - for much more is at stake than his personal redemption and the safety of his crew. For there are still great secrets to be uncovered on this cruel and enigmatic world - not the least being something he glimpsed in the far distance during his first Mars excursion; an improbable structure perched high in the planet's carmine cliffs; a dwelling that only an intelligent being could have built!

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Review

In Ben Bova's 1992 bestselling book Mars, geologist Jamie Waterman and his crewmates discovered the existence of primitive lichen on the floor of the great Martian canyon known as the Valles Marineris. In Return to Mars, Waterman is headed back to the Red Planet, this time in charge of an expedition that hopes not only to study Martian life but also to prove that exploring Mars can be profitable. Waterman also wants to revisit a part of the canyon where he thought he spotted a primitive cliff dwelling during the first Martian mission. The second voyage to Mars runs into trouble right away, however, as Waterman clashes with Dex Trumball, the son of a billionaire who's backing the expedition. Dex wants to turn Mars into a tourist attraction, while Waterman wants to preserve the planet for scientific research. Both men are also attracted to the expedition's beautiful psychologist, Vijay Shektar, who can't seem to decide which of the two she likes best. As if that weren't enough, one of the Mars team may be trying to sabotage the mission, while back home the elder Trumball is pulling strings in order to force Waterman to step down as the expedition's leader.

Like Jamie Waterman, Bova takes on a lot of responsibility in this second Mars book. He's trying to create a complex story that relies equally on science, characterization, and politics, mixed in with a healthy dose of mystery and a dash of thriller. As usual, Bova nails the science but fares less well--though by no means poorly--with his characters. He pulls off the politics with confidence, but the thriller subplot seems forced. Finally, the mysteries (there are several) all succeed reasonably well, though some are more compelling than others. The whole makes up a thoroughly enjoyable novel both about what life might be like on an expedition to Mars and what Martian life might be like. It's a better book than its predecessor, and it can be read entirely on its own thanks to Bova's carefully interwoven details about the back story that took place in Mars. --Craig E. Engler

From the Inside Flap

The BookcassetteŽ format is a special recording technique developed as a means of condensing the full, unabridged audio text of a book to record it on fewer tapes. In order to listen to these tapes, you will need a cassette player with balance control to adjust left/right speaker output. Special adaptors to allow these tapes to be played on any cassette player are available through the publisher or some US retail electronics stores.

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  • PublisherHodder & Stoughton General
  • Publication date1999
  • ISBN 10 0340750081
  • ISBN 13 9780340750087
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages320
  • Rating
    • 3.9 out of 5 stars
      2,580 ratings by Goodreads

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