MURDER ON THE "FAR VENTURE" Nose pointed skyward, the Far Venture rested on the barren soil of Mars, poised for take-off. Outside, a party of scientists had wandered from the ship into the mysterious lichen forests and disappeared. Inside, the 125 man crew of military and civilian specialists seethed with conflict and tensions. An alien intelligence seemed to be interfering with the ship's rocket engines and nuclear activator. And, into this explosive situation, suddenly comes-murder. It was a race against the clock and Dane had to make a fast decision. Colonel Cragg, the C.O. of the USAF spacecraft Far Venture, was ready to write off the party of scientists who had strayed from the ship and seemingly disappeared. The crew of civilian and military specialists were poised for the nuclear blast-off that should take this first Martian mission back to Earth. But Dane had seen the curious spark fires that flashed across the sands from the mysterious lichen beds. Dane believed they were the signals of some alien form of life and that the scientists were still alive?He had to prove his theory, even if it meant clashing with the military brass and placing his own life in danger. For unless they understood the nature of what he believed to be a hostile, threatening force and took steps against it-none of them might ever see the planet Earth again?Here are all the ingredients for a first-rate science fiction thriller, written with the authenticity that only a man close to our nation's space program could give it.