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The Martian Race
- Author
- Gregory Benford
- Narrator
- Gabrielle de Cuir
- Publish Date
- 9 December 2014
- Run Time
- 15 hours 10 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Science fiction
What to expect
From the Nebula Award–winning author of Timescape and Foundation's Fear comes a hard-science thriller about the race to Mars.
When an explosion of the rocket launching the Mars Transit Vehicle kills four crewmen, the US decides to redirect its energies to near-Earth projects, killing the manned mission to Mars. But tycoon John Axelrod assembles a consortium to fund the project, and he expects to net billions. But a European-Asian airbus will make a similar expedition. Now, the race is on to get to the Red Planet first.
Critics Review
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“Benford is a rarity: a scientist who writes with verve and insight not only about black holes and cosmic strings but about human desires and fears.”
New York Times Book Review, praise for the author
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“Engaging and thorough.”
Amazon.com
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“Among the most believable in recent genre literature…Strange and beautiful.”
Publishers Weekly
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“One of the premier crafters of the genre.”
Library Journal
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“Adventure, relationships, discovery, and the pursuit of fame and fortune all add up to a page-turner for teens who like their science fiction rooted solidly in science.”
School Library Journal
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“Benford is as expert as ever at seamlessly melding characterization, technology, and narrative drive in an effective novel that takes its place near the front of the pack of Martian-yarn contenders.”
Booklist
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“Taut, plausible, and full of ideas.”
Kirkus Reviews
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“Narrator Gabrielle de Cuir takes listeners inside an exhilarating competition to explore Mars in this lively science-fiction production…De Cuir skillfully brings to life the multifaceted Aussie biologist and her international crew mates, with a multitude of authentic accents. She also keeps the necessary flashbacks of backstory wonderfully animated. The result is one satisfying Martian journey.”
AudioFile
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“Combines a realistic Mars mission plan with a dynamic plot and a sense of wonder to produce a real page-turner. One of the finest novels about human exploration of the Red Planet ever written.”
Dr. Robert Zubrin, president of The Mars Society and author of The Case for Mars
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“Both gritty and inspiring! Benford has a deep grasp of how the future might be seized, one bold move at a time.”
David Brin, author of Foundation’s Triumph
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“A fascinating drama of total plausibility…I predict that many of the ideas in this book will soon make the transition from fiction to fact.”
Paul Davies, author of The Fifth Miracle
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“Benford emulates the winning strategy of Prince Henry the Navigator to achieve one of our dearest dreams—to land humans on Mars. Mission planners at NASA might seriously consider taking a leaf from this book.”
Eric Kotani, author of Legacy of Prometheus
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“Cast in the fiercely anti-establishment tradition of Robert Heinlein, but evolving a twenty-first–century cooperative perspective…A great read…Thought-provoking.”
Bruce Murray, professor at California Institute of Technology and president of The Planetary Society
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“Superbly details the ambitions and frailties of both the explorers and the exploiters.”
John Connolly, planetary scientist
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“An exciting adventure and a remarkable novel.”
Nathalie A. Cabrol, planetary scientist
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“Accurate science…Highly credible…An innovative thriller.”
Edmond A. Grin, planetary scientist
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Gregory Benford
- Narrator
- Gabrielle de Cuir
- Duration
- 15 hours 10 minutes
- Release Date
- 9 December 2014
- ISBN
- 9781483039947
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Science fiction
Synopsis
From the Nebula Award–winning author of Timescape and Foundation's Fear comes a hard-science thriller about the race to Mars.When an explosion of the rocket launching the Mars Transit Vehicle kills four crewmen, the US decides to redirect its energies to near-Earth projects, killing the manned mission to Mars. But tycoon John Axelrod assembles a consortium to fund the project, and he expects to net billions. But a European-Asian airbus will make a similar expedition. Now, the race is on to get to the Red Planet first.
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