(SF Adventure) Mac’s team drills tunnels that will connect the big Martian bases together. He came to Mars to run away from his problems on Earth, but some problems come with you. (4,814 words; Time: 16m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"The Rains on Mars," by Natalia Theodoridou [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 135, published on December 1, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The plot is essentially about how Mac forgave himself for his brother’s death, but ended up still carrying guilt for Yulev’s death.
We’re told up front that this is “Delicate work, the kind of work you need a good, level head on your shoulders to do well,” and that they’re here because there’s risk of the tunnel collapsing, so it’s not a surprise when a disaster happens.
Consistent with blaming himself, it’s no surprise that Mac simply lets himself be beaten up—even though the hallucination that caused the accident wasn’t really Mac’s fault.
Con: Mac is a very passive protagonist, and that gets annoying.
One wonders that the company didn’t screen people better for these jobs. Or that the equipment didn’t have better safety measures.
The speculative element here is disposable; the same story could be set in a mine on Earth or even an oil platform.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 135)
Natalia Theodoridou Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
We’re told up front that this is “Delicate work, the kind of work you need a good, level head on your shoulders to do well,” and that they’re here because there’s risk of the tunnel collapsing, so it’s not a surprise when a disaster happens.
Consistent with blaming himself, it’s no surprise that Mac simply lets himself be beaten up—even though the hallucination that caused the accident wasn’t really Mac’s fault.
Con: Mac is a very passive protagonist, and that gets annoying.
One wonders that the company didn’t screen people better for these jobs. Or that the equipment didn’t have better safety measures.
The speculative element here is disposable; the same story could be set in a mine on Earth or even an oil platform.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 135)
Natalia Theodoridou Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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