Books Authors
Red Thunder

Red Thunder

by
John Varley

Synopsis of Red Thunder

In the highly anticipated new novel by John Varley, a manned mission to Mars becomes a personal mission for an unlikely bunch of astronauts: seven suburban misfits who have constructed a spaceship built out of old tanker cars and held together with all-American ambition. They call her Red Thunder. They plan to be the first people on the Red Planet...despite China's big head start. If it didn't sound so crazy, it would be history in the making...

About the AuthorJohn Varley is the Author of the Gaean Trilogy (Titan, Wizard, and Demon), Steel Beach, and The Golden Globe. He has won both the Nebula and Hugo Awards for his work.

Reviews of Red Thunder

83%

John Varley has written a first rate science fiction novel starring five unlikely heroes who end up doing the country proud. -- Harriet Klausner, BooksNBytes

This Book is unlike anything John Varley has previously written, and yet it bears all the hallmarks of his past work, work that has always exhibited startling ideas, pellucid prose, amiable characters, a gorgeous specificity of detail and a sense of honest victories achieved at real costs. -- Paul Di Filippo, Scifi.com

Despite the clich...-ridden plot, the engaging characters make Red Thunder just slightly above average. -- Mark Graham, Rocky Mountain News

...if you are willing to simply fantasize about fleeing your office cubicle and becoming a heroic space explorer, this novel will amiably fulfill your wishes. -- Martin Morse Wooster, The Washington Post

The novel is reminiscent of the pulpy space operas of 50 years ago, but Varley has the writing chops and an engaging cast of characters to pull it off. -- Dan Bogey Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

OK, the framing plot doesn't bear close inspection, and the air kinda leaks out of the tale once Red Thunder lifts off, but for 3/4 of the Book Red Thunder is GREAT, the Pure Quill, a delight to read. -- Peter D. Tillman, SF Site