Red Thunder

"The heart-pounding space race is on . . . in this riveting SF thriller" from the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Red Lightning and Rolling Thunder (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

As Chinese and US spacecraft compete to be the first to land on Mars, a former astronaut, his cousin, and four teens from Florida decide to take matters into their own hands. If they can quickly build their own space-worthy ship using scrap metal, appliances, and power tools, they have a chance to come from behind--thanks to an inventive new power source that can propel them to the Red Planet within three days. No guts, no glory . . .

"Varley's great strength is in his characterizations, but in Red Thunder he also shows a strong sense of place. . . . If you are willing to simply fantasize about fleeing your office cubicle and becoming a heroic space explorer, this novel will fulfill your wishes." --The Washington Post

"Fast paced . . . Engaging characters." --Rocky Mountain News

"Full of little gems of wit and intelligence." --Booklist

"[A] fun-filled adventure. Varley matches a serious literary style with an outrageous plot, and he's one of the few writers in the field who could make it work." --Chronicle