Mars Underground [Paperback]

The events are totally predictable: Media folk yap about the public's "right to know", the Cold War continues (2034), professional jealousy, secrecy, revolt, etc Toward the end the group is drilling for rock samples and discovers an alien object dated 3.2 billion years BC. It originated outside the Solar System and after some brainstorming, they declare it to be a terraforming machine.

Let's get this over with. Surprise, shock, arguments and at last we get to see the grand machine (horizontal and vertical pipes). One fool unscrews a bolt on the machine - nothing happens of course. Then battles over disclosure and suddenly an earthquake/tremors caused by ancient machine - nothing happens again. That's the sum of this book - nothing happens.

Stafford isn't found before his air runs out, and is presumed dead.
Carter finds the abandoned buggy. Oddly, it had been deliberately hidden.
The director of Hellas Station is uncooperative. Carter heads to the
University of Phobos to study satellite imagery for clues to the fate of his
friend. He finds interesting IR imagery; overnite, the imagery is lost due
to "computer error". Annie has followed. They become lovers, and plot
the next move in an increasingly-murky mystery...

Hmmph. I've never much cared for plot-outline book reviews, but how
else do you start one?

Astronomer and planetary scientist Hartmann makes an impressive
fiction debut in "Mars Underground". The areology and extrapolation
are impeccable, as one might expect. Less-expected, but equally welcome,
are fully-formed characters - people you come to care about - set in a
well-paced story with intriguing plot twists and a satisfying resolution.
Bravo!

I've read and enjoyed a number of Dr. Hartmann's nonfiction books and
papers over the years. An endnote says his novel took 8 years to write. I
hope we don't have to wait that long for his next.

For bookstore blurb-browsers: Tor has assembled an impressive
collection, ranging from Clarke, Benford & Bear to Tony Hillerman.
They're all fair and accurate, IMO. Nice cover art, too.

Happy reading!
Pete Tillman