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Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
"If you start to worry, assume the worst and then improve on it. Think the unthinkable and then plan for it." You could do that. Or you could take a page from Tripping Toward Mars by Richmond Scott and fly by the seat of your pants. The result may be the same, but you may enjoy being alive more. In the imminent future, when life is a daffy dystopia of climate change run amok and technology invading every nook and cranny of privacy, Zachary Johnson, his wife Bria, and his friends Sally and João are on their way to Mars. However, this is no ordinary trip; it's a three-way race between NASA, a private enterprise, and China. As each entity has its agenda ranging from the mundane to the loony, the results are far from predictable. But in a reality where the only thing more screwed up than planet Earth is the people living on it, scandals and buffoonery should come as no surprise.
Humorous, witty, absurd, and touching, Tripping Toward Mars by Richmond Scott is a delightful mix of science fiction, comedy, and a touch of romance. The plot is straightforward and centers on a new space race driven by multiple factors and the nut-job humans participating in the contest. Behind the entertaining plot, though, is a subtle theme of a man traveling to Mars and back, going through heaven and hell, only to discover what truly matters in life. Character development is expert, and the cast includes some very likable and quirky individuals who will stay with me for a long time. A blazing pace akin to a rocket launch kept me engrossed and resulted in a superbly enjoyable read. Of extra note and praise, though, is the originality and uniqueness of the premise, which I found outstanding both in concept and execution. Overall, it is an amusing, tongue-in-cheek novel that I can easily recommend.
