The Secret Of Life, by Paul McAuley

A friend of mine loaned me this book. I was pleased to discover that it was written by a biologist turned science fiction writer. So you get piles of science talk, and biology basics that you can depend on to be true. Having true, in depth, facts definately added to my enjoyment of this book.

It is about a woman who is able to go on a Mars trip to do research on possible life there, and the repercussions of said life coming to earth. It was all a very plausible scenario, tiny microbiological life living deep in the ice of the northern pole of Mars. The book gets into her character a lot, her motives (some of which she is even unsure of), and her attempts to make sure science prevails in a world where corporate sponsors have great influence on directions and discoveries by NASA.

Good book, I'll definately be reading more by this author.