"How the Heroes Die" by Larry Niven

This story takes place about 2040AD . 

It's a sequel to "Eye of an Octopus" which covered the first manned mission to Mars.

This story tells of the  second expedition which was dispatched to make first contact with

the Martian natives if they are alive.

The previous expedition discovered a mummy and an ancient well made from diamond bricks. 

 

"How heroes die" was First published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, October 1966. 

 

 "Every man on Mars was a hero --- but some heroes were more brave & daring than others!" .... is the opening  paragraph.

 

I found this novelette a tad unsettling

The problems aren't the Martians. It's the human, all male crew

who make a mess of things (and murder one another).

Whoever picked these astronauts as being capable of living with each other on a long journey read their personalities all wrong.

In reality, all Astronauts undergo rigorous personality, stress, and psychological evaluations before being sent into deep space.

 

 

 

 

 

There certainly are living Martians but the crew are all too busy trying to kill each other. 

Most of the story is a cat and mouse Martian-buggy chase over the Martian landscape. 

 

Problems start with a murder.

The catalyst was a homosexual advance towards the lead character, John Carter by  a fellow crew member, Lew Harness. John kills Lew over this sexual advance. This escalates into Carter escaping

into the Martian landscape on a buggy, pursued by the dead Lew's brother, Alf Harness.

He is bent on revenge for his brother's death.

 

Carter escapes from Bubble Town - the human settlement almost killing the rest of the crew. Most of the story is of Alf chasing John, & their conversations over the radio. 

They taunt each other on the radio.  Who will turn back first?  Who has the stronger will to live?

 

 The story gets interesting as they get further from the base, and they realise that they are running out of oxygen

 

There is enough combined oxygen for one man only.  Only one can return to the base alive.

The two end up fighting each other for the remaining oxygen.

Cat and mouse 

 

During  the chase, we get glimpses of local Martians.

At the end of the story one finds the body of one of the humans. Touching a oxygen cylinder we discover that oxygen is poison for Martians, but gives life to humans.

 

On the left is a Virgil Finlay Illustration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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