MARS

Bova's 1992 novel follows Jamie Waterman—a Navaho geologist—on the first manned mission to Mars. The multinational expedition is wrought with political and personal strife, as well as a mysterious illness that strikes the entire land crew and nearly brings the project to a halt. The earnestness and longing of the lead character comes through in Stefan Rudnicki's voice as he narrates the story of Waterman's dogged search for signs of life on the Red Planet. Whether or not there’s life beneath the frozen surface of Mars, Rudnicki's spellbinding baritone brings all the members of the international crew to life, providing believable accents for Russian, Brazilian, English, Japanese, and Israeli members of the landing team. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2010]