Industry and commerce dominate the space routes, and a tug
from Mars lands on schedule at the Lunar Base with Martian
leather goods for sale. From the first page of LUNAR
DUST, MARTIAN SANDS I could tell that I was in for some
fine SF. The quality of writing leaps off the page while
the industrial environment, then the touristy press of
people, resound with realism.
Ed Ferald is the tug pilot, used to shuttling between the
planets and asteroid mines, charming enough to market the
leatherwear and smart enough to keep his mouth shut when
asked to ferry a passenger back to Mars. Faizah Westerhof
isn't chatty and doesn't supply a reason for sneaking on
board under the guise of being crew. But it's okay with
Ed's boss, so this passenger will be keeping him company
for the next month. That's if they survive that long.
Politics concerning the space industries are hotting up on
Earth and someone might not want Faizah to arrive on Mars.
Meanwhile on Mars, we see red adobe farmhouses under giant
agri-domes, with Sagan Boulevard, Burroughs Street,
Edgar's
Rice takeout and Barsoom Cafe reminding us of the red
planet's heroes. Dogs are adapted to the lighter gravity
and rain mostly falls by night. Next tourist season, sign
me up for the trip.
Details of interplanetary transportation and colonisation
are well thought out and author Tom Chmielewski has
researched thoroughly. The more I read, the more I wanted
to read. Following a space disaster the story develops
into
a murder investigation, with many facets of the situation
to be understood before blame can be assigned. The tone
engagingly becomes reminiscent of a crime noir in this
exotic setting. We meet a good spread of characters who
grow stronger as they face crises.
While not written for young adults, this expertly-paced
story could be read by adults or teens with an interest in
space exploration and high tech equipment. I'm sorry that
LUNAR DUST, MARTIAN SANDS is Tom Chmielewski's first book,
because that means that I'll have to wait a while to read
more. Write faster, Tom!
Ed Ferald, pilot of the tug Cydonia Zach on the Martian-
Lunar run, receives orders from his uncle and boss to take
an enigmatic woman as his sole passenger on the return to
Mars. When an explosion destroys the passenger ship on
which the woman originally booked passage, Ed races
against time to rescue the survivors. But he soon finds
himself ensnared in plots fed by Earth politics and
corporations fighting to preserve their profits even if it
means putting the survival of the Martian colony at risk.
Ed’s passenger is at the center of the fight, though on
what side he can’t tell. He only knows he has to uncover
the plot’s conspirators to preserve his Martian home – and
to keep from being the next one killed
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