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From: chabot@miles.DEC (Bits is bits)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: D G Compton on Mars
Message-ID: <2192@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-May-85 18:27:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.2192
Posted: Tue May 14 18:27:46 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 17-May-85 01:22:49 EDT
Sender: johnsson@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 14

Chuq's request reminded me of a book I own but can't find: it was a novel by
D G Compton about a penal colony on Mars.  The existence there is marginal.
A large dust storm arrives just at the time the ship arrives, preventing the
current penal colony inhabitants from reaching it and bringing the newcomers
to their new home for a couple of weeks; many of the new arrivals starve; it
turns out later that this always happens: the "dust storm" is contrived to 
eliminate all but the strongest, so as to stretch resources, get rid of the
weak quickly, etc.  It's a rather depressing story--no chance of return, no
chance of escape, no chance of a life that at all resembles what the prisoners
might have had on earth. 

Does anyone else remember this one?

L S Chabot   ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-amber!chabot   chabot%amber.dec@decwrl.arpa