Retrograde (Peter Cawdron)

Retrograde
Peter Cawdron
John Joseph Adams Books
Fiction, Sci-Fi/Thriller
**** (Good)

DESCRIPTION: "They just nuked Chicago."
With those four words, the first international mission to Mars plunges into disarray. Like the other scientists, Elizabeth came to the red planet for the research opportunity of a lifetime, enduring grueling training both physical and psychological, but nothing could have prepared her for war on Earth. Just when they should be coming together, though, the teams begin to pull apart, as paranoia and nationalism grip the scientists... but is that all that's at work, or is some more sinister game being played? Soon, it becomes clear that the real threat isn't millions of miles away on Earth, in the radioactive rubble of its major cities. The danger is right there with Elizabeth on Mars.

REVIEW: Retrograde starts fast and rarely slackens its pace. Several characters remain general sketches, but tend to have a little more depth and complexity than first appears, especially as tension brings out the worst instincts in the scientists (Elizabeth included, sometimes.) Liz and the others prove resourceful, as astronauts by nature need to be, but are not beyond the odd mistake, nor are they beyond occasionally-blinding bouts of emotion. It makes for a dangerous balancing act, even as the death toll and danger ratchet up with every chapter.
The technology is rooted in real-world research and engineering, highlighting the difficulties and possibilities of creating a human presence on Mars. It's not so simple as throwing up a dome and planting crops; the very soil (or regolith, rather) is carcinogenic, and dangerous radiation levels constantly bathe a surface mostly unprotected by atmosphere. Even the possibility of groundwater hardly makes the red planet more inviting. Nevertheless, the technology (or, at least, the theories for such technology) exists, or is within a few decades of existing (apparent rejection of science and progress by a major spacegoing nation's current leadership notwithstanding.)
Toward the end, a couple developments almost strike false notes, leaps that feel a bit forced specifically to jab proverbial knives into protagonist Liz's heart (but, then, that's pretty much a main function of a thriller's plot), and the conclusion leaves the tale open to possible sequels. Overall, though, it's a fast-reading story of attack, survival, and raw ingenuity in the harshest of imaginable environments.

You Might Also Enjoy:
Vacation Guide to the Solar System (Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich) - My Review
Red Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson) - My Review
The Martian (Andy Weir) - My Review