Henry Steegman is hardly "Mr. Personality" aboard the Mars-bound Algonquin 9. Yet it is he who bungles upon the spectacular Macy's-like city beneath the Red Planet's crust. For better or worse, the name Steegman will be immortalized by a discovery that will transform millions of lives.

 

For a struggling screenwriter, the Martian beings could mean a big story, big bucks, headlines...and more women than any many his size has ever known...

 

For an exhiled Russian rocket man, the are a possible route to America's space program, and the land of opportunity...

 

For a flying-saucer faker of flickering fame, the possibilities are out of this world.

 

In a brilliant near-future look at the human condition, Frederick Pohl has honed his satire-sharp science fiction to a steely new edge.