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A review by katherinem310
Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier by Jonathan Strahan
3.0
This short story collection contains 12 works from contemporary science fiction writers. The protagonists of the stories range in age from 12 to mid-forties. These stories are varied in their themes and language (some with profanity) so it is difficult to give appropriate age range. I would like to say that the only common denominator is that they are all about the colonization of Mars at different stages of development, and that the authors use the same Martian topography and scientific details that were recovered from NASA missions to add credibility. There are stories of friendship, racism, suicide, social class, dedication, and the idea that colonizing Mars to escape problems on Earth will never work as long as we are still human.
The problem with this collection is that it feels too long; it would be a stronger book if it cut half of the stories, particularly the Chris Roberson story which was lost in videogame and role-playing game jargon with no gripping plot. The stand outs are the stories by Kage Baker, Alastair Reynolds, Cory Doctorow, Ellen Klages, Rachel Swirsky, and John Barnes. Though these 6 writers are varied in their subject, their stories have the most appeal to teens and adults and are written in an engaging style.
The problem with this collection is that it feels too long; it would be a stronger book if it cut half of the stories, particularly the Chris Roberson story which was lost in videogame and role-playing game jargon with no gripping plot. The stand outs are the stories by Kage Baker, Alastair Reynolds, Cory Doctorow, Ellen Klages, Rachel Swirsky, and John Barnes. Though these 6 writers are varied in their subject, their stories have the most appeal to teens and adults and are written in an engaging style.