Scan barcode
georgewrfisher's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
scottkardel's review against another edition
4.0
I recently bought a vintage paperback copy of this book and decided to give it a read as I don't think that I managed to read it in my youth. In spite of its age (it was published in 1954) and obvious changes in scientific knowledge and culture, I think that the book is still a good read.
Science note: I was surprised that Clarke mentioned gravity assists, specifically using Jupiter's gravity to help propel a spacecraft on to Saturn, as there's a controversy about the discovery of this idea, but I think Clarke beat them all.
Science note: I was surprised that Clarke mentioned gravity assists, specifically using Jupiter's gravity to help propel a spacecraft on to Saturn, as there's a controversy about the discovery of this idea, but I think Clarke beat them all.
borkarabhijeet's review against another edition
3.0
It's dated very badly, as Clarke's expectations of what space exploration and Mars colonization would be, are completely different from what the current world looks like. And the Martian geo-biology also is very much off the mark.
Apart from that, the story is simple and superfluous, with nothing much going on. I can imagine, back in the 50s, some of it might have been fantastic futuristic writing, but now it just feels quaint.
Apart from that, the story is simple and superfluous, with nothing much going on. I can imagine, back in the 50s, some of it might have been fantastic futuristic writing, but now it just feels quaint.
arrowhead87's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
larley's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
merrieberrie's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book.
The novel follows a middle aged science fiction writer who gets to travel to Mars. On one hand it's incredibly self-aware, and has an incredibly real and thought provoking conversation on the nature of Sci-fi.
On the other hand it made me think of the Expanse, but not in the way you're thinking... the book takes place when we've just begun to colonize Mars and there are ~2,000 people on the red planet. The actions those early scientists/colonists take to ensure not just the survival of their world but to make sure that it thrives make me think about the early stages of the world in which the Expanse takes place. What led to the split between Earth and Mars? How did the Mars colony become a separate entity?
Without giving anything away I'll say I really enjoyed this book, and though "older" sci-fi it does not suffer from the aged feeling of most of its contemporary works. For a novel published in 1951 before the space race really began it's incredible how relevant it is today.
The novel follows a middle aged science fiction writer who gets to travel to Mars. On one hand it's incredibly self-aware, and has an incredibly real and thought provoking conversation on the nature of Sci-fi.
On the other hand it made me think of the Expanse, but not in the way you're thinking... the book takes place when we've just begun to colonize Mars and there are ~2,000 people on the red planet. The actions those early scientists/colonists take to ensure not just the survival of their world but to make sure that it thrives make me think about the early stages of the world in which the Expanse takes place. What led to the split between Earth and Mars? How did the Mars colony become a separate entity?
Without giving anything away I'll say I really enjoyed this book, and though "older" sci-fi it does not suffer from the aged feeling of most of its contemporary works. For a novel published in 1951 before the space race really began it's incredible how relevant it is today.
tgilmore's review against another edition
4.0
Dated both in science and social norms but a fun story nonetheless. The Martian is better but if I was a kid in the 1950s I would have loved this book.
leeroyjenkins's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
It was... OK... Clarke got better later in his career. This was definitely a product of the time in which it was written. It wasn't bad but it was not up to Clarke's standard. The mystery was not great. The characters were a bit two dimensional. It was enjoyable enough but I'm not sure it deserves classic status. Were it written by someone without a "name" it would not receive the praise it has.
rainjrop's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quaint novel that plods along at its own pace. I like how Clarke hints and makes references to the future Mars that will come to be. This gives the narrative, which is short and rather contained, a feeling of fullness and scale that I really enjoy.