Trainee for Mars follows two would-be explorers thrown into the most intense training program ever devised—an unforgiving “simulated” Martian environment complete with lethal dust, failing equipment, dwindling water, and psychological pressure designed to break even the toughest recruits. Tony Bannerman and Hal Mendoza soon discover that grit, teamwork, and sanity are all fragile when survival depends on solving every crisis with limited tools and no outside help.
But the deeper they get into the exercise, the more the dangers evolve in ways no simulation should. As fear, exhaustion, and secrecy twist the mission, the men begin to question what’s real, what’s staged, and what they’re truly being prepared for.
Harry Harrison, known for his razor-sharp pacing and clever twists, had a knack for pushing characters into impossible corners just to see how they climb out. Best recognized for his Stainless Steel Rat series and decades of influential short fiction, Harrison balanced humor, tension, and humanity with a craftsman’s precision.
Beyond his novels, he spent years shaping the field as an editor and collaborator, helping define mid-century science fiction’s adventurous tone. His shorter works—like this one—show his talent for turning a simple premise into gripping, character-driven drama that still resonates today.
