Mars Crossing

by Geoffrey Landis

Paperback, 2001

Call number

813/.54 21

Publication

New York: Tor, 2001, c2000.

Pages

433

Description

From Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, Geoffrey A. Landis, comes an epic of near-future exploration of Mars in his debut Nebula Award nominated novel,Mars Crossing. By the middle of the 21st century, humanity has finally landed men on Mars-only to watch helplessly as the first two missions end in catastrophe and death. With resources running out, a third-and perhaps final-mission to Mars is hastily mounted, with a crew of four men and two women. But from the moment of their arrival on Mars, everything begins to go wrong. The fuel tanks that were to have supplied their return trip are found corroded and empty. Their supplies are running out and their life support systems are beginning to fail. And any rescue mission won't reach them for months, or even years-if at all. The crew's only hope for survival lies in a desperate plan: an agonizing trek halfway across the surface of Mars to a ship designed to carry only half their number. Torn by conflict and dissent, and troubled by secrets that endanger them all, they must embark on an ordeal that will test them to the limits of endurance.… (more)

Awards

Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 2001)
Locus Award (Finalist — First Novel — 2001)
Compton Crook Award (Nominee — 2001)
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel — 2000)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2000

Physical description

433 p.; 6.7 inches

ISBN

0812576489 / 9780812576481

User reviews

LibraryThing member KathyGab
I really enjoyed this book. Eight main characters, eight points of view, but it didn't get confusing. Hard science fiction, good solid stuff, and the human angles were also solid. I have no idea how he did it.
LibraryThing member venza
The story is good, a bit unbelievable, but good. Way too many details on the personal lives of the main characters. I found myself skipping pages and pages of detailed descriptions. Also, how could such people end up as astronauts on Mars ? I understand that walking hundreds of kilometers in a red
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desert is probably quite dull and you would end up thinking to all your past life, but I was trying to enjoy some science fiction...
So, read it if you are into stories with lots of psychological background.
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LibraryThing member joeyreads
If you were bored by what this book at one point calls "boring geology enthusiasm" that permeates Red Mars, and thought its characters were too well-developed, this might be the book for you. Otherwise, it suffers in comparison with its big cousin. Though it is certainly an easy read.

I've enjoyed
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Landis's short fiction, so was disappointed.
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LibraryThing member ShellyS
Good idea, pedestrian writing.
LibraryThing member Treebeard_404
I particularly enjoyed the manner in which this book was written. Lots of short chapters, some only 2-3 pages long. You might think it wouldn't hold together well with that structure. But it did.
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