Mars Life

By: Ben Bova

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Jamie Waterman has made an important discovery on Mars. A cliff dwelling reveals the fact that an intelligent race lived on the red planet 65 million years ago, only to be driven into extinction by the crash of a giant meteor. But now the exploration of Mars is itself under threat of extinction, as the ultraconservative New Morality movement gains control of the U.S. government and cuts off all funding for the Mars program.

Meanwhile, Carter Carleton, an anthropologist who was driven from his university post by unproven rape charges, has started to dig up the remains of a Martian village. Science and politics clash on two worlds as Jamie desperately tries to save the Mars program and uncover who the vanished Martians were.

Listen to Ben Bova's complete Mars trilogy, including the first book, Mars, and the second book, Return to Mars.©2008 Ben Bova (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] gripping and convincing conclusion....Bova deftly captures the excitement of scientific discovery and planetary exploration. This compelling story, balancing action and plausible political intrigue, will easily be enjoyed by both fans and newcomers." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Another attention-grabbing entry in a series that continues to grow in stature, scope, and complexity. Once again, Bova in top form." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Description of Mars and its life

Really enjoyed the excitement of finding the evidence of the Martians. I didn’t find the gratuitous sexual encounters and the physical descriptions of the characters necessary or interesting.

Great book

Ben Bova did a great job on this book, some of his best very work.

weak

The performance was weak in my opinion. The performers voice was too deep and a little monotone. when he read the part of the female, it was so forced, it distracted me.

Excellent if you read all 3.

I absolutely loved the first two books in this Mars series. To me, It reads like I’m there with them. I see and hear all they do. There don’t seem to be any cliffhangers, but my attention was riveted to the story. I’m a Faith works with Science person ….. I did feel a bit uncomfortable with the way believers were portrayed. Really seemed like only one person believed both science and faith in this book. The rest seemed quite foolish. Still I say worth reading If you read the whole series

Great realistically written and narrated.

Great realistically written and narrated. I look forward with anticipation to the next in the series.

Climate change and communism

As usual climate amid religion are to blame for everything but it is an interesting story except for some rude and profane language. The religion that is being blamed produced the reasons the people of the United States wanted to include ten amendments in the constitution and later added a few more. The reason religion is being blamed centers on the fact that those ten amendments did not work, and the feeble acceptance that there is God has been firmly chucked out the window. We presently are enjoying that results of that rejection with doom and gloom in the form of its all the fault of religion and the climite is failing stories. Even more interesting is that this has been going on for 60 of my years steadily.

Another great audiobook!!

Another excellent story. I really enjoyed Jamie’s continuing. Can’t wait to listen to the next book!

Science or Religion?

This book is a sci-fi novel with the theme of religion versus science. Science is represented by the planetary explorers of Mars, who are studying the planet after discovery of 60 million year old human-like life. A group of earthly religious fundamentalists has become so politically powerful that it can determine the outcome of elections. New Morality leadership sees the archeological work being done on Mars as a threat to its core religious beliefs--it wants the project shut down. I believe it's obvious that Bova sees the religious movement as a fanatic fringe; he even states that when religious movements become too powerful, conflict results. Lots of conflict in the book, but the resolution seems like an afterthought. The book just sort of ends, leaving the reader to wonder what the result might be...the epilogue gives a clue. I liked the book. It was exciting--makes one think.

Mars should be part of the curriculum!

Christian fundamentalists have attempted over the centuries to destroy science. They must be stopped. I agree with Ben Bova's exposure of the dangers of allowing our primary schools and universities to be censored by these self serving simpletons. Separation of Church and State is fundamental to the US constitution. This story is an effective medium for presenting the effects of permitting that law to slide towards ruin. Humankind must go forward in space exploration and scientific endeavor not backwards to the Dark Ages where such groups as the Spanish Inquisition ruled the human world. Now we have the moral majority, donald trump and right wing fundamentalists to contend with and constrain.

One of the best

I grew up on Ben Bova and similar authors. This type of sf seems to have gone out of favor with the advent of special effects. The exploration of possibilities is far more compelling than computer generated aliens and weapons. If you haven’t read Bova you’re missing something wonderful