Mars Crossing
Encyclopedia
Mars Crossing is a science fiction
novel by Geoffrey A. Landis
about an expedition to Mars
, published by Tor Books
in 2000. The novel was a nominee for the Nebula award
, and won the Locus Award
for best first novel in 2001.
The characters in the novel are members of the third expedition to Mars, following the failures of earlier Brazil
ian and American expeditions. The mission plan is based on the Mars Direct
concept, where fuel is manufactured
from the Martian atmosphere
; the Brazilian Mars expedition selected a polar
landing.
The following information comes from the book release notice:
praised the book as "a strong first novel," saying "the real strength of Mars Crossing has less to do with realistic portrayals of science at work, though there is plenty of that, and more to do with Landis's characters and the drama they face."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Geoffrey A. Landis
Geoffrey A. Landis
Geoffrey A. Landis is an American scientist, working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on planetary exploration, interstellar propulsion, solar power and photovoltaics...
about an expedition to Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, published by Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
in 2000. The novel was a nominee for the Nebula award
Nebula Award for Best Novel
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
, and won the Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for best first novel in 2001.
The characters in the novel are members of the third expedition to Mars, following the failures of earlier Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian and American expeditions. The mission plan is based on the Mars Direct
Mars Direct
Mars Direct is a proposal for a manned mission to Mars. Proponents of the scheme have claimed it to be both cost-effective and that it can be conducted with current technology. It was originally detailed in a research paper by NASA engineers Robert Zubrin and David Baker in 1990, and later expanded...
concept, where fuel is manufactured
In-Situ Resource Utilization
In space exploration, in-situ resource utilization describes the proposed use of resources found or manufactured on other astronomical objects to further the goals of a space mission....
from the Martian atmosphere
Atmosphere of Mars
The atmosphere of Mars is relatively thin and is composed mostly of carbon dioxide . There has been interest in studying its composition since the detection of trace amounts of methane, which may indicate the presence of life on Mars, but may also be produced by a geochemical process, volcanic or...
; the Brazilian Mars expedition selected a polar
Planum Boreum
Planum Boreum is the northern polar plain on Mars. It extends northward from roughly 80°N and is centered at . Surrounding the high polar plain is a flat and featureless lowland plain called Vastitas Borealis which extends for approximately 1500 kilometres southwards, dominating the northern...
landing.
The following information comes from the book release notice:
- Geoffrey A. Landis, a scientist at the NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
John Glenn Research Center and a member of the Pathfinder Sojourner Rover team, has written a science fiction novel. Mars Crossing, just released from Tor BooksTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
, tells the story of an expedition to the red planet Mars. It has been called the most accurate novel about Mars exploration ever written, and has been praised by people such as Donna ShirleyDonna ShirleyDonna Shirley is a former manager of Mars Exploration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is the author of the book Managing Martians: The Extraordinary Story of a Woman's Lifelong Quest to Get to Mars—and of the Team Behind the Space Robot That Has Captured the Imagination of the World...
, former head of Mars exploration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who said "His landscape captures the feel of Mars as glimpsed from Pathfinder's landing site... an excellent, fast-paced read." Analog magazine calls the book "an excellent job in a classic vein." Charles SheffieldCharles SheffieldCharles Sheffield , was an English-born mathematician, physicist and science fiction author. He had been a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronautical Society....
says "The characters are splendid, the scientific description is full and authentic, and the story has the epic quality of the greatest real-world adventures." While Dr. Landis has previously won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards for short fiction, Mars Crossing is his first novel.
Reception
Locus reviewer Jonathan StrahanJonathan Strahan
Jonathan Strahan is an editor and publisher of science fiction. His family moved to Perth, Western Australia in 1968, and he graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Arts in 1986....
praised the book as "a strong first novel," saying "the real strength of Mars Crossing has less to do with realistic portrayals of science at work, though there is plenty of that, and more to do with Landis's characters and the drama they face."