#29. MAN PLUS By Frederik Pohl

Published : 1976
Pages : 215
Overall Mark : 8/10

Ill luck made Roger Torraway the subject of the Man Plus Programme, but it was deliberate biological engineering which turned him into a monster - a machine perfectly adapted to survivie on Mars. For according to computer predictions, Mars is humankind's only alternative to extinction. But beneath his monstrous exterior, Torraway still carries a man's capacity for suffering.

FREDERIK POHL (1919-)
A professional SF writer and editor for nearly 50 years. He first achieved fame for the series of novels he wrote in the 1950s in collaboration with C. M. Kornbluth, notably The Space Merchants and Wolfbane. He grew up in New York, but now lives near Chicago. He won the Nebula Award for best novel in consecutive years with Man Plus and Gateway.

VERDICT
I really enjoyed this novel which allows Pohl to really goes into detail about his view of the preperations for a Mars mission that spells the final hope for humanity, even when it pretty much puts and end to humanity as we know it. The characters manage to remain warm even when they have their humanity stripped away, and that is probably what makes this such a compelling read.