Mars (Abridged) Audiobook

" Boring. Underwhelming. Outdated. Ben Bova's Mars is mundane through and through. It is so slow and directionless that, by the time the story starts, you have turned the last page. I would only recommend it to those who particularly love this setting. Otherwise, move along. "

" If you like hard science fiction, it's hard to ignore Ben Bova. I think I would have killed a few of the characters, but then that wouldn't be good hard science fiction. "

" Had this on my bookshelf for ever, and not gotten around to it. Did so in the wake of the mars lander excitement. And it was pretty good. Although slightly frustrating at times, I really wanted to know what the thing Waterman spotted was. "

" This was a very satisfying read. It was a little dated--they used "floppy disks" and the media coverage of the Mars expedition was a little bit exaggerated but the story and characters were still interesting. I learned a lot about Mars and what it would be like to go there. The descriptions of the planet were very detailed. I enjoyed the characters and especially liked the main character, Jamie. I thought his transformation from being confused about his place in life to being sure of himself was seamless. The book was a little bit hard to get into, but after a while I found myself really enjoying it. It was a very comfortable read and I thought it was a good way to end my summer reading. Although, I was disappointed that they never found any Martians. "

" 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book, although not quite as much I hoped I would. I'm unsure if I will read the next book in the series or not now. It honestly got a bit boring at times with the lengthy character studies seeming to be more the focus than the overall story line. I found it hard to believe that a few of the characters would ever have been allowed to go on a mission such as this, too. I did like the main character, though, and his story alone might entice me to go ahead and read the next book to see what happens next. "

" He uses a great variety of words, but overall, the book was boring. "

" Well written science fiction about a trip to Planet Mars....could it happen? "

" One of the most plausible novels of the exploration of Mars, this book is a fascination and riveting read. Bova is at his finest in this novel, and it is a great place to begin the loosely related novels that compose his Grand Tour series of the solar system. Be prepared to buy another book soon after this because you will mostly likely not want to put this one down. I could not! "

" A great book. The characters and situations that they are in are awesome. "

" Not life changing or anything, but I enjoyed reading it, learned a few things, and found it entirely pleasant. "

" I have always liked good stories about Mars and this is one. "

" Hard science fiction about man's first visit to the red planet. Part of the author's grand tour. "

" One of the only two great Ben Bova books I've read. This is a great read, a nice, solid piece of science fiction, with a great sequel as well. "

" I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait for the follow up. "

" I'm loving this book, it is so amazing! I would like the story was real and we have colonized Mars. "

" Just started reading Ben Bova and really like his style. It's very clear and concise writing like Isaac Asimov. Great start to a three book series. Very interesting characters and plot. "

" What I like about Ben Bova is that he doesn't make it all fairytale magic, he tells the story as to how it will be. The world he writes about is a human world. The pages of his books reflect his scientific approach to fiction, and you will always find real people there. "

" Loved every page of it! Some great hard sci-fi. "

" Lots of laughs! Good science fiction. The author acknowledges using photos of the planet to assist him which really got me wanting to read it. "

" Excellent Sci-fi written so well you think you are there. About a settlement on Mars. "

" If you've ever wondered what it would be like to explore another planet, this book is for you. "

" Some really interesting ideas and a good plot-- but the dialog.... ugh-- simply awful. "

" Man's first landing on Mars "

" What I loved about this book is the realism. Mr. Bova did not have to get fancy. It was exciting and one was well reminded of the dangers and awe that comes from legitimate space exploration. For those of you who dreamed of being an astronaut as a child this is a great read. "

" I listened to this book. The narrator didn't help the story at all. He made it sound like a 5th graders book. I could not finish it. Maybe it is a better 'read' than 'listen'. "

" If you'd like to know what I thought of this book, please contact me directly and I'd be happy to discuss it with you.All the best,--Symon "

" Makes me forever sad that I can't go... "

" this is good, but often very slow and had to put it down for a few days at a time. "

" solid story telling and good characterisation. a tad cheesy but i loved it and the end was breathtakingly exciting "

" the rocks in this book have more personality than the characters. No I'm serious! there's this lovely martian boulder with a green streak in it that has all this.. this potential! this guy knows his science but can't write complex emotion for shit. "

" This is an entertaining novel, with a completely believable trip to Mars. The characters are interesting, and the descriptions of both Earth and Mars are vivid. Good story, too. "

" My First Ben Bova that has lead me to collect the rest of the Grand Tour of the Solar System books. I really liked the non fantastic approach to the technology and setting. "

" A little slow to start, but it gets interesting as you go along. I'm planning on reading the next one. "

" If you like hard science fiction, it's hard to ignore Ben Bova. I think I would have killed a few of the characters, but then that wouldn't be good hard science fiction. "