Martian Rainbow

Interplanetary war threatens as the power and ambition of Infinite Lord and President of the Unified States General Alexander Armstrong, the heroic victor of the battle for Mars, grows out of control

Simple-minded, Heinlein-esque, medium-future interplanetary power-struggle from the author of Dragon's Egg and Starquake. In the 21st century, Mars, after a brief independence under Communist Russians, is reconquered by UN forces under General Alexander Armstrong. Alexander returns to Earth and soon, heading his own religious cult, becomes supreme dictator of the planet. His scientist twin brother Gus stays on Mars as governor. So when the ever-more paranoid and megalomaniac Alexander orders all space colonies abandoned, interplanetary war seems likely. Deterred from invading Mars by missiles the Martians no longer have (they used them all to destroy an earlier nuclear strike), Alexander arranges that, if he dies, an asteroid will blow the Earth to bits. On Mars, meanwhile, Gus discovers an ancient alien-robot civilization; the robots agree to help terraform Mars for human occupation. A sophomoric rehash of standard notions, with cartoon characters and strained plotting, though the accurate, informative Marsology helps. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Another aspect of the good/evil dichotomy is illustrated in Forward's novel. Twin brothers Alexander and Augustus Armstrong--one a general and the other a statesman and scientist--unite to conquer the Russian forces on Mars but find themselves on opposing sides in the uneasy peace that ensues. Although Forward ( Dragon's Egg , LJ 4/15/80; Starquake , LJ 10/15/85) excels in hard sf adventure, his moral heavy-handedness and lack of political acumen weaken this otherwise intriguing foray into future politics. Not an essential purchase.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.