The Mars Run

The Mars Run
Chris Gerrib
Lulu Press
ISBN: 1-4116-9973-1
Fiction, Science Fiction
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce

Chris Gerrib’s novel The Mars Run follows eighteen-year-old Janet Pilgrim, a working astronaut who never thought she’d be where she is. In this world, being an astronaut is not the respected and difficult job it is today, but instead more like a simple repairman--only in space. Janet was supposed to go to college, but her father lost all his money, and now she’s stuck working. Even so, she fell in love--and watched him die.
That’s the first scene in the book, and it really pulls you in. The Mars Run is a quick read that will definitely be enjoyed by fans of science fiction, but it’; also a human story. Some of the scenes don’t flow as well as the exciting first two pages, but it’s still an interesting story, and Janet is a decent (but not entirely three-dimensional) character. The dialogue in this story doesn’t always feel completely real, either, but the idea is exciting enough to keep the reader’s interest, even though there are certainly some flaws in the story. The writing, however, is clear, allowing the reader to enjoy the story without excessive frills that are unnecessary in science fiction stories. The Mars run is certainly a good book, and I look forward to reading more from Chris Gerrib.