Ben Bova

Jamie Waterman, part Navajo, geologist, Mars explorer and hero. The latter two almost did not happen but for a few serendipitous events that promoted Waterman from backup geologist to primary team member. He is eventually chosen to be among an international crew of 25 scientists, astronauts, and cosmonauts who embark on an eighteen month round trip to Mars and spend 60 days on its surface gathering rock samples, recording climate changes, searching for water…and life.

In doing so, the scientists, astronauts, and cosmonauts find themselves battling more than the planet’s harsh conditions and treacherous terrain. Waterman finds himself in hot water with the bureaucrats on Earth when he fails to recite his rehearsed speech upon arrival on Mars, lapsing into a brief Navajo greeting instead.

Days after their arrival, a micro meteor storm damages their inflatable domicile, and causes another issue that comes back to haunt them later in the story. A few weeks later, when one of the Japanese scientists working on Deimos has a stroke, the media goes into a feeding frenzy, swarming Alberto Brumado, the public face of the mission and it’s most ardent supporter. Is Mars too dangerous for us to explore? Is it worth risking human lives? Brumado’s daughter Joanna is among the scientists on the planet, working closely with Waterman. At times, a bit too closely perhaps.

When he is convinced that a formation in a cliff wall of Tithonium Chasma might be the remains of an ancient civilization, Waterman pushes against authority to have the mission planned changed to allow a return to the area. However, a mysterious illness and a crash of their Mars rover prevent Waterman from reaching his target. Against orders from mission control to evacuate the base, two of the Russian cosmonauts and the base’s British chief medical officer set out to rescue Waterman’s team in another rover only to find themselves unable to cross a massive sand filled crater. It’s up to a sick and weakened Waterman to take charge by leaving his stranded rover and walking miles around the crater with a steel cable to connect the two vehicles.

All was not lost, however, as lichens are discovered in the rocks at the base of Tithonium Chasma. Life on Mars!

Bova does an exemplary job of chronicling an expedition to Mars in a scientifically sound story. This is a solid “hard SF” tale that does a fair job of exploring the human element in each of the main characters but only Waterman truly has any depth. In his usual style, Bova will pull the readers out of the storyline every so often to spend a brief chapter describing the background of a particular character. These days, some people call that “info dumping” and would prefer to see characters develop and reveal their backgrounds as the story progresses. I’m not particularly bothered by it, however, as these flashbacks are only about a page and a half long.

Bova tends to gloss over some of the hardships and temptations that might exist when two dozen people are cramped in a small living space in rough conditions for two months. There are the occasional arguments, lustful desires, plotting and scheming, fears, and backstabbing, but they are superficial and often dwindle away as the story progresses. Exploration and science are at the forefront of Bova’s MARS.

Bova returns Jamie Waterman to Mars with his sequels Return to Mars and Mars Life. I think he did a better job on the human element in those stories.

Now, in this novel, Card fulfills his early promise… and more.