Publication
Tachyon Publications, c2021
Status
Available
Description
"What happens when your dream mission to Mars is a reality TV nightmare? This debut science-fiction romp with heart follows the tradition of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles with a dash of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. For the six lucky scientists selected by the Destination Mars! corporation, a one-way ticket to Mars--in exchange for a lifetime of research--was an absolute no-brainer. The incredible opportunity was clearly worth even the most absurdly tedious screening process. Perhaps worth following the strange protocols in a nonsensical handbook written by an eccentric billionaire. Possibly even worth their constant surveillance, the video of which is carefully edited into a ratings-bonanza back on Earth. But it turns out that after a while even scientists can get bored of science. Tempers begin to fray; unsanctioned affairs blossom. When perfectly good equipment begins to fail, the Marsonauts are faced with a possibility that their training just cannot explain."--Provided by publisher.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
I actually did finish this, but I did not enjoy it.
It looks like the characters are balanced, half male, half female, but the female characters are all on the side lines, and the author has no idea what to do with them.
BTW, given that they are all bored to death, I can't understand why nobody
It looks like the characters are balanced, half male, half female, but the female characters are all on the side lines, and the author has no idea what to do with them.
BTW, given that they are all bored to death, I can't understand why nobody
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thinks of unpicking the big logos that make the towels not very useful. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
I’m not very good at SF humor so while I appreciate the absurdity of this book, the humor ran thin pretty quickly. I don't watch reality TV so I don't know all the conventions of the genre but basically here we have too few people crammed together for the rest of their lives on Mars operating
If you like humorous fiction then you will probably like this book. If not, give it a miss.
I received a review copy of "How to Mars" by David Ebenbach from Tachyon through NetGalley.com.
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under an arbitrary system of rules that no one would normally accept. The operations manual for the Martian outpost is bizarre and unhelpful, and the pre-departure training seems to have been inadequate. Was there any psych profiling and matching at all?If you like humorous fiction then you will probably like this book. If not, give it a miss.
I received a review copy of "How to Mars" by David Ebenbach from Tachyon through NetGalley.com.
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LibraryThing member 1Randal
A group of scientists is sent to Mars, on a one-way ticket, as participants in the ultimate reality show. Rather implausible, as the public gets to vote on who gets to go. As you might expect, things start out good, but as time goes on, people start going stir-crazy. Personality conflicts ensue, a
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surprise pregnancy occurs, and a possible undetectable in the normal way Martian life form interferes. Taken as a form of comedy, the book is entertaining. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookAnonJeff
Zany Space Story. The best way to describe this book, really, is that if you like Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy - a perennial favorite among the geek set for decades now that has in many cases transcended into pop culture - ... you're probably going to like this one too. There are quite a bit of
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similarities, given the hilarious and offbeat humor and even the "guidebook" element of the story. (Though unlike the Adams epic, this one actually includes at least parts of the guide in the story.) As others have noted, the fact that this was spurred many years ago by a (now defunct) Mars colonization effort that had the same general premise is, quite frankly, even more amusing. If you're looking to see what all the fuss over Hitchhiker is about but you're not willing to commit to something of quite that length, try this one. At roughly 250 pages, it is a short-average length and thus a good primer for that type of humor and creativity. If you're looking for a more serious/ Hard Science Fiction ala Andy Weir's take on The Martian... this isn't that. So strap in and get ready to blast off on one wild ride. Very much recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member gothamajp
Six people are selected for a one-way mission to Mars, and their exploits beamed back to Earth and edited into a Reality TV show.
It’s an interesting premise that doesn’t quite pay off. The story opens after the “marsonauts” have been on the planet long enough for the science to become
While there a six main characters the story is mainly told from the perspective of two of them, so I never felt I got to know the others. There are seeds of ideas sown that never get explored, and some pointless subplots that detract from the narrative.
The text is also periodically intertwined with pseudo science reports, and extracts from the eccentrically written mission handbook. At first the “handbook” sections were mildly amusing but grew to be more of an irritating interruption to the human story unfolding.
It’s an interesting premise that doesn’t quite pay off. The story opens after the “marsonauts” have been on the planet long enough for the science to become
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routine and the TV show canceled. Then two of the crew do something that’s forbidden in the mission handbook and everyone has to learn how to deal with the consequences.While there a six main characters the story is mainly told from the perspective of two of them, so I never felt I got to know the others. There are seeds of ideas sown that never get explored, and some pointless subplots that detract from the narrative.
The text is also periodically intertwined with pseudo science reports, and extracts from the eccentrically written mission handbook. At first the “handbook” sections were mildly amusing but grew to be more of an irritating interruption to the human story unfolding.
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LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I was still in highschool when I read Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein but it made such an impression on me I have never really forgotten it. In case you have never read it the book is about a man who was born and raised on Mars by Martians comes to the earth and starts a new religion.
In this book six scientists, three women and three men, get sent on a one-way trip to Mars by the Destination Mars! corporation. Destination Mars! plans to build a reality TV show around the group but it turns out that once they get to Mars there isn't much in the way of TV moments. In fact, it is downright boring both watching them and being them. All of the scientists were supposedly sterilized plus there was a strict injunction against sex so a pregnancy should not have happened. But Jenny and Josh were attracted to each other and after the cameras were turned off because the reality show tanked they started having sex. Jenny, who wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant even when she was on earth, tells Josh the news one day when they go for a walk outside the habitation dome. Of course they are wearing space suits and helmets and using a radio frequency that was supposed to be private but by the time they get back to the habitation dome (called Home Sweet) everyone else knows and congratulates them. The other two women, Trixie and Nicole, are physicians in addition to other specialties and they figure they can handle a birth. So, despite the Destination Mars! people wanting Jenny to terminate the pregnancy proceeds. Roger, the Canadian geologist, starts making booties and rattles so he is supportive of this. The other male, Stefan, who is Danish and an engineer, is not. In fact, he is showing decidedly antisocial behaviour. Josh, a psychiatrist, tries talking to him but Stefan continues to exhibit worrisome behaviour. That's a big problem because systems and machines keep breaking down and Stefan is the one who knows how to fix them. In fact, Stefan may be more than just antisocial; he has started hearing voices and he may be mentally unstable. Or maybe there really are Martians and Stefan is the one who has tuned in to them.
Interspersed between the chapters of the story are excerpts from the Handbook the Destination Mars! founder has written to guide the six scientists in this adventure. Some of them are pretty funny and some of them are more philosophy than instructional. They do tend to break up the narrative which can be good but some times I just wanted to get on with the story. All in all I thought this was a fun and interesting read.
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This book is not Stranger in a Strange Land but it does involve a human born and raised on Mars. In this book six scientists, three women and three men, get sent on a one-way trip to Mars by the Destination Mars! corporation. Destination Mars! plans to build a reality TV show around the group but it turns out that once they get to Mars there isn't much in the way of TV moments. In fact, it is downright boring both watching them and being them. All of the scientists were supposedly sterilized plus there was a strict injunction against sex so a pregnancy should not have happened. But Jenny and Josh were attracted to each other and after the cameras were turned off because the reality show tanked they started having sex. Jenny, who wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant even when she was on earth, tells Josh the news one day when they go for a walk outside the habitation dome. Of course they are wearing space suits and helmets and using a radio frequency that was supposed to be private but by the time they get back to the habitation dome (called Home Sweet) everyone else knows and congratulates them. The other two women, Trixie and Nicole, are physicians in addition to other specialties and they figure they can handle a birth. So, despite the Destination Mars! people wanting Jenny to terminate the pregnancy proceeds. Roger, the Canadian geologist, starts making booties and rattles so he is supportive of this. The other male, Stefan, who is Danish and an engineer, is not. In fact, he is showing decidedly antisocial behaviour. Josh, a psychiatrist, tries talking to him but Stefan continues to exhibit worrisome behaviour. That's a big problem because systems and machines keep breaking down and Stefan is the one who knows how to fix them. In fact, Stefan may be more than just antisocial; he has started hearing voices and he may be mentally unstable. Or maybe there really are Martians and Stefan is the one who has tuned in to them.
Interspersed between the chapters of the story are excerpts from the Handbook the Destination Mars! founder has written to guide the six scientists in this adventure. Some of them are pretty funny and some of them are more philosophy than instructional. They do tend to break up the narrative which can be good but some times I just wanted to get on with the story. All in all I thought this was a fun and interesting read.
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LibraryThing member lyrrael
What happens when the reality TV show is over and you're still stuck at your destination? Boredom. Lots of it. When the biggest argument left is whether Mars is red or orange, you know you're over it. A book not just about a found family, but consciously patching one together. Bonus? I really
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enjoyed the 'handbook excerpts' in this book. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781616963576