Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Signet (1974), Mass Market Paperback
Description
In Clarke's first published full-length science fiction novel, renowned science fiction writer Martin Gibson joins the spaceship Ares, the world's first interplanetary ship for passenger travel, on its maiden voyage to Mars. His mission: to report back to the home planet about the new Mars colony and the progress it has been making.First published in 1951, before the achievement of space flight, Clarke addresses hard physical and scientific issues with aplomb-and the best scientific understanding of the times. Included are the challenges of differing air pressures, lack of oxygen, food provisions, severe weather patterns, construction on Mars, and methods of local travel-both on the surface and to the planet's two moons.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The book centers on Martin Gibson, a science fiction writer who visits the Martian colony. Published in 1951 naturally a lot of the scientific details are dated--we know much more about Mars today, on which we currently have a robotic presence. And I don't think this book excels in memorable
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characters or plot. But Clarke is good at making you feel a sense of awe and enthusiasm at the exploration of space. So it's a readable book, but not comparable to Clarke at his best. I'd choose The City and the Stars, Childhood's End or a collection of his short fiction as an introduction to him. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
It's Clarke's first novel form 1951 and it shows. Outdated in scientific and astronomical questions but still a good, enjoyable story although a bit simple and lacks the depth of his latter works.
LibraryThing member andyray
One of Clarke's earlier endeavors, this book has what the 2001+ series does not have -- a deep, emotionally-binding characteriaation that the reader can bind with. Where it falls down some is in the pace and plotting. It's not good enouigh to read again later; it is not bad enough you do not want
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to read a sequel. I'd love to follow youngwhatlis and heersis after they were married, find out what happened to daddy as leader of the Martian colonies, and find out more about the gas-eaters, such as Squeak. And may be use this now-flourishing cplanet of Mars 500 yhears down the line when man is cononizing saturn and jupiter. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
Enjoyable early 1950s SF which raises an issue explored much more deeply in Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy: how would the human cultures on Earth and a newly-colonized planet relate to each other? What would the parent planet expect as repayment for its investment, and how would the developing
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culture react to that pressure and to the desire to forge its own destiny? Show Less
LibraryThing member nwdavies
Always the master. Great stuff!
LibraryThing member unclebob53703
A pretty good story of an un-romantacized Mars.
LibraryThing member sf_addict
Martin Gibson is a science fiction writer and he decides to spend his money on a trip to the red planet which is now becoming colonised. Gibson seems lacking in knowledge of space travel and how things work up there and so Jimmy, a young apprentice, is assigned as Gibson's teacher as it were. The
Sands is a great little story but you can really tell its an early Clarke! Apart from Mars's strange (to us) geology, sorry aerology, it was notable for me in using the old form of the word connection, with an x! I think the last time I saw the word 'connexion' was in a Dickens novel!
Still, all good stuff with drama (a sandstorm), adventure (young Jimmy being amazed by Mars's aerology) and humour, not to mention a bit of relationship controversy!
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two become friends and soon Gibson is accepted as part of the group (at first he is looked down upon, as just another writer of space adventures). He is invited along on a mission across the planet in a jet and after an accident discovers something going on and decides to investigate. It seems there are plans afoot that could affect the future of both Earth and Mars.Sands is a great little story but you can really tell its an early Clarke! Apart from Mars's strange (to us) geology, sorry aerology, it was notable for me in using the old form of the word connection, with an x! I think the last time I saw the word 'connexion' was in a Dickens novel!
Still, all good stuff with drama (a sandstorm), adventure (young Jimmy being amazed by Mars's aerology) and humour, not to mention a bit of relationship controversy!
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LibraryThing member pgiunta
Former SF writer turned journalist Martin Gibson is given the honor of being the first and only passenger aboard the cruise ship Ares on its journey from Earth to Mars. His task is to chronicle both his travels and his time on the red planet and report back on the progress of the Earth colony
Despite a challenging launch to Gibson's adventure—during which he learns just how much actual space flight differs from what he'd imagined in his novels—he eventually befriends the crew and, to his consternation, discovers a personal connection to the youngest of them, Jimmy Spencer.
While en route to Mars, the Ares is contacted by Earth and told to expect a rocket containing a vital serum intended to battle Martian Fever. However, the rocket’s course is such that the odds of intercepting it are slim unless the Ares is able to contact the rocket's navigational transceiver and adjust its course. With some jury rigging of equipment, two of the crewman accomplish the mission and the serum is procured.
Destined to land on the Martian moon of Phobos, the Ares is inexplicably diverted to Deimos where it lands and transfers Gibson, his luggage, and supplies to a rocket which will take him to the surface of Mars.
At first, Gibson finds himself unimpressed by the alien landscape and the domed town of Port Lowell, the largest city on Mars. However, as the days pass, Gibson warms to the place and begins to explore—with results that could change the evolution of the red planet and turn Mars into mankind's second home... if only Earth could be convinced to cooperate.
The Sands of Mars was Arthur C. Clarke's first finished novel, but was published after Prelude to Space, and the similar concept of a writer hired to report on an expedition was obvious. However, unlike Prelude to Space—with its utter lack of tension and plot—The Sands of Mars was an engaging story with interesting characters (something Clarke was not always known for) and enough foreshadowing, twists, and turns to hold my attention until the end. Clarke did not belabor the reader with lengthy infoblocks of scientific jargon, but kept a steady pace, revealing just enough scientific fact to maintain credibility.
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there.Despite a challenging launch to Gibson's adventure—during which he learns just how much actual space flight differs from what he'd imagined in his novels—he eventually befriends the crew and, to his consternation, discovers a personal connection to the youngest of them, Jimmy Spencer.
While en route to Mars, the Ares is contacted by Earth and told to expect a rocket containing a vital serum intended to battle Martian Fever. However, the rocket’s course is such that the odds of intercepting it are slim unless the Ares is able to contact the rocket's navigational transceiver and adjust its course. With some jury rigging of equipment, two of the crewman accomplish the mission and the serum is procured.
Destined to land on the Martian moon of Phobos, the Ares is inexplicably diverted to Deimos where it lands and transfers Gibson, his luggage, and supplies to a rocket which will take him to the surface of Mars.
At first, Gibson finds himself unimpressed by the alien landscape and the domed town of Port Lowell, the largest city on Mars. However, as the days pass, Gibson warms to the place and begins to explore—with results that could change the evolution of the red planet and turn Mars into mankind's second home... if only Earth could be convinced to cooperate.
The Sands of Mars was Arthur C. Clarke's first finished novel, but was published after Prelude to Space, and the similar concept of a writer hired to report on an expedition was obvious. However, unlike Prelude to Space—with its utter lack of tension and plot—The Sands of Mars was an engaging story with interesting characters (something Clarke was not always known for) and enough foreshadowing, twists, and turns to hold my attention until the end. Clarke did not belabor the reader with lengthy infoblocks of scientific jargon, but kept a steady pace, revealing just enough scientific fact to maintain credibility.
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LibraryThing member ikeman100
Early novel by the great Arthur C. Clarke. This was not his best work by a long shot. Did not enjoy it and will not keep my copy. Glad his others works are so good.
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Arthur C. Clarke's The Sands of Mars serves as an early example of "realistic" or science-based Mars fiction. While many of his assumptions were valid at the time of writing, we now know that Mars is simply far too cold at present to sustain complex life or to allow humans to walk comfortably on
If the reader can suspend disbelief and imagine first encountering this book in 1951, they will find many of the ideas for interplanetary propulsion Clarke first proposed in Prelude to Space (published the same year) as well as a well-thought-out concept for alien life based on what was then current knowledge of Mars' climate. In addition to this, Clarke postulates ideas that he later honed in his Space Odyssey series. The design of the Ares, for example, resembles that of the later Discovery One with its spherical command section separated from the drive unit by a thin branch. The ignition of Phobos to create a second sun for Mars resembles events in 2010: Odyssey Two when the monoliths ignite Jupiter to create the second sun, Lucifer.
Those who enjoy Clarke's work or more conceptually-driven science fiction will find plenty to enjoy, but certain elements of this story will also appeal to those who prefer the early adventure stories that use Mars as a plot device, like H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds or Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series. Though dated by later scientific discoveries, Clarke's writing possesses an innate charm that captivates his audience.
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the surface with only a breathing apparatus.If the reader can suspend disbelief and imagine first encountering this book in 1951, they will find many of the ideas for interplanetary propulsion Clarke first proposed in Prelude to Space (published the same year) as well as a well-thought-out concept for alien life based on what was then current knowledge of Mars' climate. In addition to this, Clarke postulates ideas that he later honed in his Space Odyssey series. The design of the Ares, for example, resembles that of the later Discovery One with its spherical command section separated from the drive unit by a thin branch. The ignition of Phobos to create a second sun for Mars resembles events in 2010: Odyssey Two when the monoliths ignite Jupiter to create the second sun, Lucifer.
Those who enjoy Clarke's work or more conceptually-driven science fiction will find plenty to enjoy, but certain elements of this story will also appeal to those who prefer the early adventure stories that use Mars as a plot device, like H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds or Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series. Though dated by later scientific discoveries, Clarke's writing possesses an innate charm that captivates his audience.
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LibraryThing member Lukerik
1950s YA. The intention here is to encourage British boys to kick-start the Space Age. You can be a girl too, as long as you can smile and type. The story (there is no plot) follows Martin Gibson, British sf writer and journalist as he travels to the new British colony on Mars where everyone is
Well written on a sentence by sentence basis. There’s a couple of good mind-bending moments and a couple of passages of poetry. Don’t expect too much though.
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incredibly British. Clarke has taken British culture from 1951 and transplanted it into the near future. So we have newspapers, typewriters and telegrams. There’s even smoking on board spaceships, which must make a dreadful mess. I think Clarke’s point is that the settlement of the planets is not a matter for the far future, but the time is at hand. Unfortunately it has caused the novel to date beyond use. It would be funny if it weren’t all rather dull. Like Britain in the 1950s. So Gibson has a look about on Mars and there’s a half-hearted attempt by Clarke at some drama, and there’s a scene of mild peril which turns out to be a happy accident. You know the kind of thing.Well written on a sentence by sentence basis. There’s a couple of good mind-bending moments and a couple of passages of poetry. Don’t expect too much though.
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LibraryThing member baswood
Life on Mars? Arthur C Clarke thought so in this 1951 novel. It was published early in Clarke's career, but perhaps he could already imagine himself as a famous science fiction author. In the book Martin Gibson is the famous writer and he has been invited to travel on a spaceship to Mars with five
The novel starts with the journey to Mars and the difficulties of space travel. Gibson is the newbie travelling with four other seasoned astronauts and one junior. Clarke's ideas of space flight are not too wide of the mark considering that this was written before a manned space flight, but he also is able to portray well the developing relationships between the men who must learn to live with each other. The story starts to move forward when Gibson arrives in the colony, but Clarke is as interested in the human relationships as he is in the science of living on Mars and the politics following a trip across an unexplored section of the planet.
This is a good solid entertaining read with some fireworks towards the end of the book. It is well thought through with enough of a mystery to keep me reading till the end. Nothing spectacular and apart from some obvious anomalies I thought it held up pretty well. No obvious racism and although women on the colony are employed only as office workers , this is not unusual for the period. 3.5 stars.
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other astronauts; it is in the 1990's and there is a well established colony on Mars and the spaceship is being made ready to provide tourist accommodation for the three month trip. The novel starts with the journey to Mars and the difficulties of space travel. Gibson is the newbie travelling with four other seasoned astronauts and one junior. Clarke's ideas of space flight are not too wide of the mark considering that this was written before a manned space flight, but he also is able to portray well the developing relationships between the men who must learn to live with each other. The story starts to move forward when Gibson arrives in the colony, but Clarke is as interested in the human relationships as he is in the science of living on Mars and the politics following a trip across an unexplored section of the planet.
This is a good solid entertaining read with some fireworks towards the end of the book. It is well thought through with enough of a mystery to keep me reading till the end. Nothing spectacular and apart from some obvious anomalies I thought it held up pretty well. No obvious racism and although women on the colony are employed only as office workers , this is not unusual for the period. 3.5 stars.
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LibraryThing member PallanDavid
The beauty of this book is its optimism! Of course it is dated as it was written in the early 1950's, but because of its character development and overall use of human idealism and positive interaction I love it very much. This is not an overall story review of The Sands of Mars by AC Clark, rather
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a reason to read it. Feel good. That's why you should read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member thanbini
Freaking fantastic. Classic 1950's Science Fiction. This is the tale of Martin Gibson, a Engineering student turned Writer who travels to Mars to visit the recently established colonies there. Through his eyes we see the day to day lives of the first Martian colonists as they try to settle their
This book was written in 1951. That's 6 years before the Soviets launched Sputnik and 10 years before Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. We had very little idea what space flight would be like at the time and all we knew of Mars and the other planets was from ground-based telescopes. So many ideas though still hold up, like dome-based cities, specially designed airplanes for the Martian gravity and atmosphere, using Phobos and Deimos as staging grounds for traveling between Mars and Earth.
What a great book.
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world and become self-sufficient. This book was written in 1951. That's 6 years before the Soviets launched Sputnik and 10 years before Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. We had very little idea what space flight would be like at the time and all we knew of Mars and the other planets was from ground-based telescopes. So many ideas though still hold up, like dome-based cities, specially designed airplanes for the Martian gravity and atmosphere, using Phobos and Deimos as staging grounds for traveling between Mars and Earth.
What a great book.
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LibraryThing member brakketh
Enjoyable terraforming and exploration story. Definitely shows some age.
LibraryThing member oybon
A good story again from Clarke, with some similarity to many of his other works. As ever there are some aspects that leave you slack jawed in astonishment at what he says, but this was written many years ago in a different time. The story is essentially believable, and well written with a suitable
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twist at the end. Look out for the gross failure of Clarke to predict the modern computer, at times it is hilariously jarring. Show Less
LibraryThing member Treebeard_404
I got over half-way through the book and there wasn't even a hint of a plot beyond a travlogue of the main character. So after multiple months of trying, I'm giving up.
Language
Original publication date
1951
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Clarke |