First published 2019. Gollancz paperback, 2019, pp 372, c.120,000 words.
This is the sequel to One Way, and while it could easily be read as a standalone story, much context would be missed without reading them in order. While One Way was a slow burner, this starts at a cracking pace and maintains it right through to the end.
Frank is alone on Mars, his crewmates all murdered. He was supposed to be part of team from a commercial company setting up a base on the planet for NASA, so there is plenty of equipment to keep him alive until the NASA people arrive, supposedly. Unless he is killed by one of the many known and unknown hazards that lie in wait for the unwary astronaut. That sounds a bit like The Martian, but this book is quite different: it’s a pure thriller that just happens to be set on Mars.
Morden has a straightforward, easily digested writing style. The prose is solid and the dialog crisp. The eerie Martian landscapes are well described and realistic. The equipment, vehicles and habitats are all functional. Of course the action is over-the-top, but so it should be. We are never quite sure who the good guys are and who are the bad, and who will survive and who will die next – and how. This is a thoroughly entertaining read for those of us who enjoy a good gritty thriller set in an exotic location.
© William John Graham, May 2022