Dawn
ENGL 3850-02N
Sci-Fi Lit
Dr. Coats
6 March, 1997
Red Planet Review
Red Planet is a really good book. I like the cartoonish, Hardy-Boys-of-the-future quality of it. I read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries when I was younger and this book is a good reminder of those youthful days when girls or boys can save the day despite what the grown ups say or do. My only gripe is that I could not get a good picture in my head of Robert Heinleins' Mars. When I read these different novels, I like to envision how each writer viewed Mars. Up until this book, this picture of each writer's perception of Mars is very clear. However, this book is written for a younger audience and they may get bored with too many details.
The scene that stood out the most for me is the one when the boys get caught at Cynia Station. What is memorable is the part when the agent, George informs them that there is a warrant out for their arrest and then they ask him if he is going to do anything. He says no, that tomorrow a special scooter will pick them up and before then, they can do whatever they want. There was no other station for a thousand miles and George seemed to have the idea that the boys were not smart enough to think of the stations under construction that they eventually flee to. George doesn't even try to stop them! They end up getting away and they thwart every attempt the adults make to catch them. The adults in this book totally underestimated these boys. They seemed to think that they just didn't have the intelligence to do things, which they did anyway, such as successfully getting home in time to warn their parents. Maybe there is an underlying message that adults should not underestimate children, that they can learn from children if they listen to them. Or it could be that the evil people are just too stupid to realize that things you ignore and view as unimportant can ruin you in the end.
Overall, a fantastic book. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes the Hardy Boys route to adventure. I know that I will be reading a lot more Robert Heinlein novels in the future.