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The Grand Tour #4

Mars

Name: Mars
Rating: 3.86 (9007 reviews)
Author: Ben Bova

Ben Bova January 1, 1992

3.86 9k Ratings

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Synopsis

Encore peu connu en France, Ben Bova est l’un des maîtres de la hard science aux États-Unis. Son roman, Mars, qui imagine la première exploration habitée de la planète, a eu un fort succès outre-Atlantique. Pour renforcer l’intérêt du lecteur, l’auteur a choisi d’ouvrir son récit sur les paroles de l’équipage, à dominante russo-américaine, se posant sur la planète rouge. Puis le récit évoque la période qui a précédé, avec les oppositions, les conflits, les difficultés du recrutement des membres de la future expédition…
Alliant les références rigoureuses sur la planète – l’auteur est conseiller de la NASA – à une psychologie des personnages soignée (on s’attache à suivre le parcours de Jamie, le géologue navajo, qui joue un rôle majeur), Bova parvient à donner un effet de réel qui constitue une bonne part de l’intérêt du récit.

Roman classique, voire traditionnel, Mars plaira à tous ceux que l’exploration spatiale passionne et qui apprécient qu’on leur raconte avec efficacité une bonne histoire.

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