First Landing

Book excerpt: From renowned Mars visionary Robert Zubrin comes his much-anticipated debut novel. Filled with startling authenticity, First Landing follows humankind’s first manned mission to Mars, a new frontier of undreamed-of possibilities—and nightmarish dangers. Five are chosen for the landmark mission to Mars—to become the first humans to walk upon the Red Planet. But when their findings set off a wave of controversy and political upheaval back home, public opinion turns against the Mars mission—and an ineffective government leaves the team stranded. As their situation becomes more desperate, all trust is lost in NASA Mission Control. With differences dividing the crew into warring cliques, life-threatening accidents begin to look like sabotage. Yet somehow the crew must try to pull together. Because if they don’t save themselves, no one will.