It’s 1985,Earth has fifty years to go. All the waterways from the smallest creek to the largest ocean have been clogged with a weed. All shipping and water traffic of every kind has stopped. A mist has formed and is covering the land.
Anarchy rules as New York is destroyed in riots, The UN has moved to Denver along with the U.S.government. India is torn apart and Australia is just about done for.
Africa is coming apart and an English outpost in Kenya has to hurry up and leave. Returning there is Dr.Peter Benbow from a reconnaissance flight over the country with nothing good to report. His girlfriend Drusilla is pregnant. They can’t go back to England as word comes that it has gone under as the weed continues to grow and the mists continue to cover the Earth.
Benbow is taken to the White Sands Proving Grounds where he is prepared for a trip to Mars to join scientists who have been there for years trying to set up a colony. Drusilla is staying in the back country with fellow scientists.
The efforts on Mars are run by Dr.Heinz Mueller who is a workaholic genius. Benbow doesn’t have an easy time of it as the scientists live and work in harsh conditions and now the supply ships from Earth are slowing down. They were being supplied by Australia and White Sands. Now Australia has been taken over and there won’t be anything coming from there.
Mars is holding a secret back from Earth which is having more problems with earthquakes and volcanoes. Benbow is shown what the long range plans are. He doesn’t agree and ends up going back to Earth.
Once back home Benbow is held in suspicion but General Kramer who is in charge at White Sands doesn’t restrict him in anyway. Benbow discovers Earth has a few secrets too.
This isn’t an action packed novel but it is a very good read with a few suspenseful spots along the way. The ending is realistic and this is well worth picking up.
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