Marsbound

Great aurthor, with many great books... This book however is not great... Not even really that good... Because it's Haldeman I might one day continue reading the series but not anytime soon....

This is the second novel by Joe Haldeman that I have read. The other is The Accidental Time Machine, which I very much enjoyed. This novel was also very good because of it's readability. Haldeman does notdelve deep into the science behind his fiction, he keeps it simple and interesting so it will appeal to all fiction readers. This particular novel follows a teen girl named Carmen, who is moving to Mars with her family. Obviously set in the future, they use a space elevator to reach a station above the earth and then board a shuttle for Mars. The entire trip takes about 8 months. For me, this was the most enjoyable part of the story because I liked imagining what it would be like to live in a space elevator and shuttle for so long. It was also interesting to read how the technology worked. Once on Mars, Carmen finds herself in a heap of trouble and makes a startling discovery. The second half of the book is quite a bit different from the first--more fantastical-- but also very entertaining. I highly recommend it to science fiction and adventure fans. Will also appeal to teens.

This is a great book for that quiet weekend away or on the beach. Fast moving, funny and a terrific little story. I really enjoyed this - another good one by Joe Haldeman.

Some readers might consider "Marsbound" not to be vintage Joe Haldeman. It is different from most of his books, but I say, that's irrelevant. If you are a Haldeman fan and you like good SF, then this is a very good book. The story visits an old theme, the colonization of Mars, with a new twist, seen from the eyes of a teenage girl and told by her in the first person format. The thing that makes this a good read is that, in typical Haldeman fashion, it grabs and holds your attention by introducing new and unexpected twists in the plot, but not so that you lose track of the story or are overwhelmed by new material. And, the little sub-plots along the way complement the main plot in different and intriguing ways. Why do I give it five stars? Because it is Joe Haldeman, and because it's a relatively easy read, but one that keeps your attention, mostly by inserting unexpected events into the the main story line, heading towards a conclusion that can't be discerned until it occurs. Bottom line, if you like good science fiction, you'll like reading this book. Oh, and one other thing. The Martians that Carmen Dula "discovers", well, they're not . . . . Enjoy. I certainly did.

About five pages into MARSBOUND I suddenly realized how much I missed "old school" Science Fiction. I think Haldeman is pretty brave** to tackle some of the most covered ground in the genre: humans going to Mars and finding, well, Martians. If you told me last year I would not only be reading such a book but tearing through the pages to finish it in one sitting I wouldn't have believed you. I'm not sure many others could have pulled it off but Haldeman revitalizes a classic theme all the while producing something undeniably his. I think MARSBOUND compares favorable to his classic WORLDS and AFAIK this is also the start of a trilogy (and incidentally it also has a female protagonist). It's a fun story, well written, well paced, and has just enough real science to keep the story grounded. I also appreciate that Haldeman deftly avoiding obvious "plot twists" something so many of the "epic" science fiction and fantasy novelist of today can't. It's a great story and well worth your time. Haldeman fans will love it and it's not a bad place for people new to him to start. **Okay writing a time machine novel seemed pretty brave too. But Mars? No that really takes balls.

Certainly, none of us suspected that there was a 19-year old woman living inside Joe Haldeman, but one has emerged in his latest novel. Perhaps given his contact with college students at MIT, he has chosen to write his latest novel from the perspective of a 19-year old woman. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly given Mr. Haldeman's talent, he does a pretty good job of it. The current novel is classic science fiction and feels a bit retro in flavor hearkening back to earlier decades, but incorporating modern sensibilities. Marsbound is an engaging novel told entirely as a first-person narrative. It is not a long novel (the one constant in ALL Haldeman novels is his compact writing style), but it is complete and will leave the reader satisfied. As with most of his novels, Marsbound is a writing exercise. Haldeman constantly tries new things in his writing and is not formulaic. You never know what to expect when you open one of his books. Some of his experiments in writing work better than others, but the journey is always fascinating. I enjoyed the current novel and highly recommend it.