How to Mars

Cheesy and pretty plot-less, with interesting ideas that turn out to be nothing or explained away. Just way too many loose ends.

This was a fun and humorous take on society, media, and human psychology in an unprecedented situation. What if the first colonial mission to Mars, made up of scientists and professionals were the stars of a reality television show, With all of the technological delays and non-exciting events, what happens when no one cares about the show anymore? The author dives into some behavior studies of varying personalities amongst the team. It was a fun ride and completely plausible almost. well written and well narrated, 3 stars.

What a fun read this was! Despite its setting on Mars, it isn't hardcore sci-fi, and in fact, I half expected the book to eventually reveal that the six residents of the Mars colony had been duped and they were really in the Australian outback (as they are for a portion of their selection process/training). But, no. The book has some great characters, an excellent narrative structure, and very funny writing.

Zany Space Story. The best way to describe this book, really, is that if you like Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy - a perennial favorite among the geek set for decades now that has in many cases transcended into pop culture - ... you're probably going to like this one too. There are quite a bit of similarities, given the hilarious and offbeat humor and even the “guidebook” element of the story. (Though unlike the Adams epic, this one actually includes at least parts of the guide in the story.) As others have noted, the fact that this was spurred many years ago by a (now defunct) Mars colonization effort that had the same general premise is, quite frankly, even more amusing. If you're looking to see what all the fuss over Hitchhiker is about but you're not willing to commit to something of quite that length, try this one. At roughly 250 pages, it is a short-average length and thus a good primer for that type of humor and creativity. If you're looking for a more serious/ Hard Science Fiction ala Andy Weir's take on The Martian... this isn't that. So strap in and get ready to blast off on one wild ride. Very much recommended.