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Mars (Bantam Spectra Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Ben Bova (Author) "Touchdown." It was said in Russian first and then immediately repeated in English ..." (more)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Price:	�4.85 + �0.03 sourcing fee & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Bantam USA; Reprint edition (1 May 1999)
Language English
ISBN-10: 055356241X
ISBN-13: 978-0553562415
Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.4 x 3.3 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,563,462 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Ray Bradbury

'There used to be only one Mars and it belonged to Edgar Rice Burroughs . . . Now Ben Bova has landed, with a new pair of eyes, and Mars is brand new again' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

'A real space novel that predicts many of the problems that will confront the men and women who actually make the trip sometime around 2020'

(James A. Michener )

'There used to be only one Mars and it belonged to Edgar Rice Burroughs . . . Now Ben Bova has landed, with a new pair of eyes, and Mars is brand new again'

(Ray Bradbury )

'Extraordinary . . . MARS succeeds as scientific exploration, as adventure story, as a mythic tale'

(Orson Scott Caird )

'a splendid book . . . of his many books, MARS must be the most important'

(Arthur C. Clarke )

'Gripping, realistic - don't miss it'

(Terry Brooks ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
"Touchdown." It was said in Russian first and then immediately repeated in English. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	62% buy the item featured on this page: Mars (Bantam Spectra Book) 4.1 out of 5 stars (15) �4.88
	12% buy Return to Mars 4.7 out of 5 stars (7)
	9% buy Red Mars (Mars trilogy) 3.9 out of 5 stars (44) �6.18
	9% buy Mars Life (Grand Tour) �3.98

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plausible and difficult to put down, 3 Jan 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mars (Paperback)

This is a very well informed book that manages to avoid getting too bogged down in detail and is utterly believable as a result. I am far more interested in science fact than science fiction but Mars is a neat glimpse into the near future based on what we already know. One of the other reviewers seemed to think that the book painted a somewhat unambitious picture of Mars exploration - but I think that is precisely Bova's point, in striving for plausibility he creates a mission that is governed far more by politics than by science. An excellent read that I found difficult to put down. Also, contrary to the view of a previous reviewer, as a Mars expert myself I thought that this was by far the most accurate account of a mission to Mars I have read.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overlong and a little dull, 19 Dec 2004

By	Rod Williams "hairybloke@aol.com" (London) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Mars (Paperback)

Released during a period which saw a brief flourish of Mars-related releases, Bova's novel breaks no new ground, and invites inevitable comparison with Kim Stanley Robinson's infinitely superior 'Red Mars' published in the same year.
Bova's dual timeline structure - which returns to examine the former lives of various crew members - does little to add depth to the characterisations.
In fairness to Bova, the central character, Jamie Waterman, is an interesting creation; a geologist of Amerindian descent, whose parents have abandoned their roots in favour of a middle-class American lifestyle. Jamie has rediscovered his heritage through his grandfather and now has been selected to be part of the first team to set foot on Mars.
The science is well-researched, the political aspects are a clear and important part of the novel, but Bova fails in giving us any real feeling of Mars itself. On a first reading of Bova's 'Mars' one is left with nothing but the impression that it looks a little bit like New Mexico.
Had this novel been shorter, one might not be so critical, but in its 566 pages, much is redundant and other issues are dealt with peremptorily, such as the Jewish biologist Ilona Mater's reaction to the Russians.
Bova also, perhaps unintentionally, gives us rather caricatured characters from outside the US. The Austrian geologist - whom Jamie replaces on the mission - is depicted a sexist misogynist egomaniac. The English medical officer, Tony Reed, is initially a cowardly manipulator whose only aim seems to be to bed an unattainable female crewmember. He, in another Hallmark moment, ultimately faces his fears and saves the day.
The Russians are standard fictional Russians, efficient and humourless, but who display a more human face when disaster strikes. Conversely, the American characters, Waterman, Brumado and Pete Connors, seem to have no character flaws at all.
It's a good novel for a long journey or a rainy afternoon, but pales in comparison with other Mars-related works of the Nineties.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time well spent, 20 Feb 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mars (Paperback)

Over the past five years there seem to have been quite a few novels set on Mars. I have yet to read any of the others but they will have to be good to beat this book. Ben Bova has crafted an excellent tale of the first manned mission to Mars and the wonders the crew face when they arrive on the red planet. The characters are well drawn and the ethos is so good I felt as if I was on Mars too. A number of other interesting ideas crop as the story progresses. First of all the Mars Mission crew find themselves becoming ill. How ironic that the crew find life on Mars only for it to be a lethal virus...you'll have to read the book to find out. I hear that there is a sequel which I assume will build on the enigma the crew discover during their exploration of Mars. I certainly look forward to reading the sequel, meantime I must have a look at all those other Mars novels.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating
I imagine that the dusty ball of rock that we call Mars will remain the subject of stories until we have actually explored the planet in reality. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Mr. G. Battle

5.0 out of 5 stars Too good to sum up in words......
Out of all the books I have read about trips to Mars, this one is the best by far. It puts you in a Permanent atmosphere of suspense so it is impossible to put down. Read more

Published on 5 Nov 2004 by Robbie

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book.
Being this was the first Ben Bova book I have read I was a slight sceptical of his writing style. After the first few chapters, or sols, I found the book very difficult to put... Read more

Published on 13 Aug 2004 by orangegringo

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and believable
This was the first of Ben Bova's novel that I read, and it was so good that I have read several more, and have yet to be disappointed. Read more

Published on 24 Sep 2003 by S. Atkin

4.0 out of 5 stars A good, solid science eventuality tale.
THE STORY:
An international team of scientists in assembled to travel to Mars in search of knowledge and, perhaps, life. Read more

Published on 13 Sep 2003 by Ian Tapley

4.0 out of 5 stars Another prophetic Novel for the not so distant future!
Mars feels closer just by reading this novel. Bova is renowned for his prophetic novels and this one is no exception. Read more

Published on 16 Jan 2002

3.0 out of 5 stars Mars ahoy !
Mars is Ben Bova's latest epic near-future sci-fi novel and, while not being his best work to date, is well worth a gander. Read more

Published on 16 Aug 2000 by chrishyams

4.0 out of 5 stars Ben Bovas Best
Though Ben Bova does not implement action to such a high degree as other science fiction writers have his books, Mars in particular have a captivating feel to them. Read more

Published on 19 Jul 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT PAGE TURNER
A book full of imagination. Will keep you reading intensely to the end. If you love science fiction and dream of that to be, this is a book for you.

Published on 10 Jun 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A supremely satisfying read
This is a classic. An unputdownable page turner. I read it rather than going into work. I know little of space travel but couldn't care less if everything Bova wrote was... Read more

Published on 29 Jan 2000

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