Mars Crossing

I particularly enjoyed the manner in which this book was written. Lots of short chapters, some only 2-3 pages long. You might think it wouldn't hold together well with that structure. But it did.

A decent story with a lot of science mixed in. A lot of backstory on each character which I found distracting. Also, a lot of editing mistakes. I would have liked more inventiveness in the main story line.

I really enjoyed this book. Eight main characters, eight points of view, but it didn't get confusing. Hard science fiction, good solid stuff, and the human angles were also solid. I have no idea how he did it.

If you were bored by what this book at one point calls "boring geology enthusiasm" that permeates Red Mars, and thought its characters were too well-developed, this might be the book for you. Otherwise, it suffers in comparison with its big cousin. Though it is certainly an easy read.

I've enjoyed Landis's short fiction, so was disappointed.

Good idea, pedestrian writing.

The story is good, a bit unbelievable, but good. Way too many details on the personal lives of the main characters. I found myself skipping pages and pages of detailed descriptions. Also, how could such people end up as astronauts on Mars ? I understand that walking hundreds of kilometers in a red desert is probably quite dull and you would end up thinking to all your past life, but I was trying to enjoy some science fiction...
So, read it if you are into stories with lots of psychological background.

Never felt a connect to the story. The Mars of Kim Stanley Robinson and Ben Bova was better.