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Robert J. Sawyer

Red Planet Blues Paperback – March 25 2014

by Robert J Sawyer (Author)

325 ratings

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Robert J. Sawyer presents a noir mystery set on a lawless Mars in a future in which everything is cheap and life is even cheaper...

The name’s Lomax—Alex Lomax. I’m the one and only private eye working the mean streets of New Klondike, the Martian frontier town that sprang up forty years ago after Simon Weingarten and Denny O’Reilly discovered fossils on the Red Planet. Back on Earth, where anything can be synthesized, the remains of alien life are the most valuable of all collectibles, so shiploads of desperate treasure hunters stampeded here in the Great Martian Fossil Rush. I’m trying to make an honest buck in a dishonest world, tracking down killers and kidnappers among the failed prospectors, the corrupt cops, and a growing population of transfers—lucky stiffs who, after striking paleontological gold, upload their minds into immortal android bodies. But when I uncover clues to solving the decades-old murders of Weingarten and O’Reilly, along with a journal that may lead to their legendary mother lode of Martian fossils, God only knows what I’ll dig up…

Print length

448 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Canada
Publication date

March 25 2014
Dimensions

10.8 x 3.05 x 19.05 cm
ISBN-10

0143180118
ISBN-13

978-0143180111
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Product description

Review

“Mars comes to rich life in Sawyer’s hands. This is a complex, imaginative story firmly based on Earth’s red neighbour and its unique circumstances—and its own brand of murder.” - The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)

“In Red Planet Blues, [Sawyer] has successfully used his wealth of science-fiction lore to create an intriguing mystery novel, one that is bound to have readers hoping for more.” - Waterloo Region Record

About the Author

Robert J. Sawyer was born in Ottawa and lives in Mississauga with his wife, poet Carolyn Clink. He has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novel. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Canada (March 25 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143180118
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143180111
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 236 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.8 x 3.05 x 19.05 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #878,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,785 in Amateur Sleuths
- #8,221 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Books)
- #10,478 in Mystery Action & Adventure

Customer Reviews:
325 ratings

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Robert J. Sawyer

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Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers ever to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He has also won the Robert A. Heinlein Award, the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award, and the Hal Clement Memorial Award; the top SF awards in China, Japan, France, and Spain; and a record-setting sixteen Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“Auroras”).

Rob’s novel FlashForward was the basis for the ABC TV series of the same name, and he was a scriptwriter for that program. He also scripted the two-part finale for the popular web series Star Trek Continues.

He is a Member of the Order of Canada, the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian government, as well as the Order of Ontario, the highest honor given by his home province; he was also one of the initial inductees into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

Rob lives just outside Toronto.His website and blog are at sfwriter.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Patreon he’s RobertJSawyer.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

325 global ratings

5 star		38%
4 star		35%
3 star		20%
2 star		5%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from Canada

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Cam

A Hard-Boiled Detective Novel on Mars

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 24, 2022

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I like stories like Red Planet Blues that take place in the future but include some anachronistic elements. The story has several conscious nods to Humphrey Bogart and his classic movies and the dialogue includes figures of speech from the 1940s. The main character is something of an anti-hero as in many in the hard-boiled genre.
The book is finely crafted and could be used as an example of how scenes are supposed to be written. The characters were interesting and there were plenty of twists to keep me turning the pages.
The ending is bitter-sweet, but satisfying, like in Casablanca. Over-all, it's a great story and some of the negative reviews came from people who didn't like the hard-boiled/sci-fi mashup, which was a bold departure for the author. Great book. Read it.

Helpful

Stephen Braund

A fun and fascinating ride that is well worth taking.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 2, 2014

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This is the fifth book I've read now from Robert J. Sawyer, and I’d say it was my favorite so far. The mix of noir thriller set on a Klondike Mars settlement is a brilliant mix of genres. Sawyer’s main character, the hard-boiled detective Lomax, starts out as a bit of a cliché, but gradually gains some depth as the story progresses. The supporting cast of characters doesn't fare much better, but given the pulp feel of the material and the quick pace of the narrative, it’s a forgivable sore point.
The setting in a domed colony on Mars, filled with prospectors looking to make their fortune digging up Martian fossils, is a great backdrop for the story. As always, Sawyer adds just the right amount of scientific detail to breathe life and believability into the setting.

But by far, the most intriguing part of Sawyer’s story is the concept of human transference into artificial bodies. These “Transfers” as they are called, are part of a relatively new industry, potentially granting immortality to those with the money to afford the process. While at first, this works in favor of the plot for an obvious early twist (which was more relevant in the previous short story version the book grew out of) it later adds some thematic depth in exploring our humanity.

There were some moments of confusion when characters mentioned as part of the back story were suddenly revealed for a plot twist, making it was hard to remember who they were. Also with the first person perspective, there were a few too many surviving darlings that felt more like clever phrases by the author, rather than the main character.

But overall, this story is a fun and fascinating ride that is well worth taking. It has a lot of cinematic potential, so I wouldn't be surprised to see this one adapted for the big screen someday soon. If you’re a fan of both noir and science fiction, this is one book you shouldn't miss!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Lisa Adams

An Entertaining Diversion

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on September 9, 2014

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Alex Lomax is a P.I. - the only one to prowl the mean streets of New Klondike, Mars. He gets mixed up in identity theft (as in artificial bodies and transfer of consciousness), murder, and a scheme to steal priceless Martian fossils.

The story satirizes the noir thriller genre with a sci-fi twist. As such, is starts out clichéd - very clichéd. I didn't think I was going to like it, but as events unfolded, Lomax's unique personality emerged through all the clichés and I started to like him in spite of his faults (there are many). The story is fun, and funny - mostly in a groaner kind of way, but there were a couple of laugh out loud moments.

Unfortunately the overall plot is somewhat klunky, probably because it was originally published as a sort story, and then Sawyer added more to turn it into a novel. I also felt dangling a little at the end in regards to transfers - if someone makes two copies of himself, which is the "real" one? That wasn't adequately answered.

All in all, I didn't love it, but I definitely liked it.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 9, 2017

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This book is sort of a retro-futurist take on a film-noire style detective novel. It's definitely not my favourite Robert I. Sawyer novel but it achieves what it seems it sets out to do.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 31, 2019

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great story. a new twist on the old Detective novel. a good read. could not put down

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AdamV

Sci-Fi Detective Novel

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 21, 2013

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One of Sawyer's weakest efforts to date. The combination of the sci-fi novel with the traditional P.I. is fun at first but slowly falls apart. A summer beach read at best.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 16, 2017

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Well written with twists and turns to keep you guessing

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 23, 2013

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I cannot seem to put it down!
Another great read from Robert Sawyer.
Keep them coming!
Realistic Science Fiction.
Great!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

PJ Online

Not Saywers best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 20, 2014

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I love Robert Sawyers books, they are engaging and explain science in an entertaining way as well as expanding to the "what if".

This book is a departure from his normal style, it's a detective novel in space. The idea is OK, the story is good enough but it's the use of detective clichés I thought was a bit below Mr Sawyer.

That said, it is a decent enough read, just not one of his best so don't judge his output by this alone, or the USA TV version of "Flash Forward", which seemed to have almost no similarity with the book.

Daltone

Spaced Out

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 12, 2019

Verified Purchase

Average detective novel with no real standout points. Vaguely reminiscent of a short story from the pages of 2000 AD, only without the wit.

Marlowe in space this is not. You would be better off reading Aaron Conners' Tex Murphy books for something a bit more lively.

Richard Johnson

Nice Entertaining Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 6, 2018

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Nice, entertaining read. Sort of Philip Marlowe on Mars but not quite so witty and hard boiled.

David Avery

Brilliant ideas around mind uploading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

The this books main thrust is a private investigator novel placed on Mars in the next century, the philiosphical conundrums around mind uploading and what it actually means to be an uploaded mind in a machine body were the most interesting parts of this book. Sawyer (as usual) mixes some interesting philosophy into his yarn.

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 11, 2017

Verified Purchase

nice sf/pi adventure

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Red Planet Blues Paperback – March 25 2014

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Robert J. Sawyer

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