The Mars Run
Chris Gerrib
Reviewed by Tom Beauchamp
“Eighteen-year-old Janet Pilgrim thought she was going to
college. That was before Daddy went bankrupt. Now she’s going to Mars,
not as a
tourist, but as a working astronaut: the lowest form of life in space.”
“The Mars Run” at first glance reminds the reader of the
early Juvenile Adventure stories by such authors as Heinlein. It is a
fast
paced, adventure story set in a future just distant enough to be alien
yet
utterly recognizable due to the human element. The plot is well thought
out and
the pace fast enough to keep a juvenile readers attention.
However, this is where the similarities stop. While the plot
is well thought out, the details are not. Characters are a mere
framework. The
main characters personality and actions are so disjointed, that you
never
really build any type of relationship with her. The other characters
are less
than window dressing as they are eliminated almost as quickly as they
are
introduced.
Though I said that “The Mars Run” will remind readers of
early Juvenile Adventure stories this book is not for juvenile readers.
The
book is filled with scenes of sex and rape and should only be read by
mature
readers. However, do not read the book for the sex. It is just as
characterless
and devoid of detail as the rest of the book.
At 179 pages, “The Mars Run” is a quick read. I would
recommend it for a mature reader that needs a “quick fix” of science
fiction
before moving onto something with more substance. I could easily see
this book
being rewritten as a 400 to 500 page novel. The plot is well deserving
of some
detail. However, as it currently stands, the best thing about “The Mars
Run” by
Chris Gerrib is the beautiful picture of Mars on the cover.