Amazon Category:  Science Fiction Publisher: Authorhouse ISBN-10:  1425910335 Type: Fiction Pages: 256 Copyright: January 27, 2006 ISBN-13: 9781425910334 Because of Blue Star Power it has gotten easier and cheaper to get to Mars, and Mars is being developed into a vacation spot. Mars dome is becoming three domes and there are tents going up with attractions and hotels in them. Rich investors are hoping that Mars turns into the next Disney Land and will help the development of Mars. There isn''t much to do at Mars yet but some of the workers have started making Pod Cars out of old rovers and machinery. The workers are racing the Pods over the harsh terrain of Mars and the word has gotten out about the races. The sciences of Mars have not been as profitable as hoped, so Mars Dome has helped the development of the Pod Races and the Tents. Mars is becoming an exciting vacation spot with the extreme sports and the Racing. The story starts out with an introduction of investors investing into a project of turning Mars into a vacation spot with a retirement community.  The workers of this project are looking for more to do during their off hours besides eat and sleep.  Some of these workers build pod racers out of old rovers and other discarded mechanics to race around the terrain of Mars. These workers have formed teams to race each other and the Mars Dome wants to join in with the fun.  The Mars Dome was the first three story dome that has grown into three Domes.  The third dome is being constructed as this book begins.  The third dome of the now Mars Domes is a Hotel Dome for vacationers.  This dome is built faster than they expected, so the extra workers from the Hotel Dome project join the Tent project. A separate tent has been started for the retirees with a big mall at the other end of a street from the entrance of this tent with condominiums on each side.  This Mall has a gym and spa for the retirees to get there exercise with a food court and restaurants this mall even has all of the stores that you would expect in a shopping mall.  But on the second floor of this mall, is a hospital with rooms for the retirees that need full time care.  Because of the less gravity of Mars, these retirees are active at the park and sports facilities. The Pod races grow and a team from the Mars Domes join the teams of racers from the Tent project.  The racers from the Mars Domes want to have spectators for these races, so they construct six one room domes with stands inside around the race cores.  These teams of racers from the Tent project are made up of Builders, Technician, and Freelance workers.  The Team from the Mars Domes have the advantage from scientists and newer materials, so there is a bit of complaining. As the construction of the Tents goes on and the races get bigger, one of the managers get the idea of building a sports tent.  The idea sports facility is a hit with the investors to build a vacation spot that is full of activates.  This sports tent incases a small creator with a racetrack around the inner crust of this creator there is room for an active retiree community in this creator and much more.  There is even a stadium in this Tent B and a gaming center with all kinds of games. A small group of vacationers that want to be one of the first gusts on Mars show up and they explore the three tents and just love the Pod races.  After they go there are some extreme sports stars invited to brake in the park, and they bring their family to join in with the fun.  The story ends with the now called “The New Mars Project” with all three tents ready for hundreds of guests.

G. Reba (Panama City, FL)
Have you ever wondered what life would be like on another planet? "The New Mars" introduces you to this very idea.....a new civilization living on Mars. The cultivating of a new vacation or living destination is a large undertaking here on Earth, but imagine starting it from scratch? Would you be satisfied in creating the kind of "escape" the remains largely untouched by the everyday trivial things that bog our lives down? Or would you miss those tangles, dealings, and advancements so much that Mars would turn into just another vacation stop?
Explore this other-worldly possibility within Mr. Manning's literary work and decide for yourself. A work of fiction for those imaging our time in another place, as well as an eco-message for today's "using" society. Just remember, as easy as it is to add something to your world, it just as easily can disappear forever.

Rseifert
Do you feel the need to take a vacation and get away from all the stress in your life? If so you might join the author and take a spin around Mars. You will enjoy the reckless abandonment of the pod racers as they spin across several tracks on the deserts of Mars. There will also be x-games for you to enjoy watching and participating in. After a hard day of play, perhaps you will want to soak the aches away in one of the soothing spas, or relax in the community center and enjoy a drink and some entertainment.
John also takes us along with the construction crews as they build the New Mars. You will watch as they plan and build the new pod tracks as well as lay rails and build tunnels.
Perhaps my favorite part of the book is the about the author section at the end. In it we find out that John is looking for your short stories about the vacation you took on his vision of New Mars. If he receives enough good stories he is thinking about turning them into a book. What a wonderful idea.