Yet the human element, while not absent, becomes overshadowed by lofty abstractions. Tom Jefferies and his adopted daughter, Can Hai, as well as less central characters, are only partially realized, too often serving as mouthpieces for the authors. A boldly original speculation by Aldiss concerning Olympus Mons dominates the narrative for a few chapters, then inexplicably fades away. The novel feels unfinished, hurried, out of balance. Even so, Aldiss remains a writer well worth reading, and White Mars , though not among his best novels, is provocative and timely.
Humanity stands on the threshold of Mars.
These are necessary questions, and few writers are better qualified to pose them than Aldiss. I felt disappointed when I first read this novel. Yet months later, I'm still thinking about it, still working out its arguments and implications. Paul Back to the top. In this anthology Dozois unveils a collection of 23 short stories which vividly illustrate the broad range of scope and style that SF authors have employed while taking their Earthbound readers to the edge of the solar system and beyond.