Tonight I read the first 50 pages of Paul McAuley's "The Secret of Life," about a mysterious oceanic blight thought to have originated beneath a Martian polar cap. McAuley's off to a great start: cool futuristic nuances, believably rendered geopolitics and an inspired look at the future of humans in space. This might end up being the most mature Mars novel I've ever read.

Just thought you should know.