Red Planet Settlers

Summary of Red Planet SettlersChuck Krepinski and Cmmie Green are busy working on the double-walled dome which will shield the Mars settlers from UV light, gamma rays, and cosmic rays that bombard the red planet from outer space. A group of Elm Park folks has landed on Mars to establish a new life on this cold, windy, and barren planet. Nancy, Freddy, Hank, Billy, Blanche and Granny Schmidt are welcomed by short, red hued Martians - Cratie and Craya. Freddy befriends two metal-plated Dragons who are loyal, vigilant, and hard-working. They trek up Olympus Mons, the giant Martian mountain, and encounter flying reptiles. Freddy’s stickball bat and Nancy’s sharp shooting dispose of this fearsome creature, but other alien creatures, like feral rabbits, pop up from time to time to threaten the Elm Park folks. Capsule biographies are provided of various sports figures and politicos - providing breaks in the ongoing narrative. Diverse topics such as comets, meteors, evolution, agoraphobia, kleptomania, alcoholism, vaccines, DDT, and radioactivity are discussed. Rocket trips to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, and exoplanets like Steam World, provide the Earthlings with a comprehensive view of the solar system and beyond. As time goes on, everyone yearns to return to planet Earth - their sanctuary in the dark, cold, and hostile realm of outer space.