Review: No Business Like Martian Business?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 2, 2013
A Face on Cydonia by Ian Miller is an intriguing science fiction work centering on the exploits of Fiona Bolton, a researcher and analyst who becomes intrigued by the phenomenal Face of Cydonia recently discovered near a Martian mining colony. Determined to investigate the cause and effect of the geological oddity, she joins an expedition party to determine whether or not there is life on Mars. Her journey becomes fraught with danger as political intrigue and corporate manipulation combine to make the author's work both timely and evocative.As a female protagonist, Fiona reminds us of an Ayn Rand heroine as her objectivist attitude resonates through the themes presented throughout the tale. If we find her logical thinking as an absolute value, then it stands to reason that the evil represented by corporate greed to be both illogical and unworkable. It immediately places Fiona in an elemental battle of good and evil which she has no alternative but to win. At once the battle becomes analogous to solving the mystery of the Face of Cydonia. If the Face is a mere optical illusion, then the chicaneries of MinBund go unexposed accordingly. Yet if the Face is the product of intelligent design, then Mars itself becomes a living entity that has exploited by the Corporation. We can draw parallels to present-day ecological movements who fight against predatory mining, and in this Cydonia becomes a universal battleground where Fiona must emerge victorious.The modern paradigm remains ever-present as the expedition is joined to validate the theory of extraterrestrial life. Nathan Gill is an explorer whose registered dome makes him a Martian resident, compromising his interests along with his allegiance to Earthling corporations and their imperatives. Jonathon Munro appears as a speculator who has made considerable investments in the Martian project. Here we see a considerably greater compromise as his own fortune remains in his Earth-bound storehouses, reminding us of Old World royalty reaping the vicarious benefits of conquest.  Sharon Galloway is a corporate engineer whose visions have empowered the corporate quests, though her spiritual investment will not be factored in by her superiors. It is a classic storyline as Fiona remains the voice of reason amidst the subjectivism of corporate speculators seeking short-term profit and gain.The climax brings Fiona and her confederates into contact with the Image, a green-clad entity who personifies the `sentient rock' composition of the Face itself. The storyline resonates with  Judaic symbolism as the `earth' is capable of crying out against the depredations of the Corporation, and the encounter between the explorers and the Image provides us with the resolution that acts as a segue to the second book of Miller's First Contact trilogy.The author's technical proficiency is evident throughout the novel as the Martian discussions are both authentic and scientifically correct. Miller builds his Martian colony on solid ground, and those who prefer the cerebral Asimov approach to their sci-fi won't want to pass this up.