3.5/5. This book is an enjoyable read. Many elements are dated of course, such as the idea of vegetation on Mars, but that didn’t detract from the story for me. The journey and exploration of Mars is still a lot of fun, and I enjoy Clarke’s writing style. The family drama plot line was less interesting to me, though it hinted at a theme that would be better fleshed out in some of Clarke’s other novels such as Childhood’s End. It was strange how there are hints about Gibson having some unusual abilities, but they aren’t explained and don’t seem to have much to do with the plot. I get the sense that Clarke was setting up a sequel, but to my knowledge it was never written. The story doesn’t feel incomplete however, and I still enjoyed it overall.