title: The Dead Survivors: A Mars Bahr Mystery
author: Kj Erickson
description: A disappointing follow-up to a promising debut (2001's Third Person Singular), this second novel featuring Minneapolis Special Detective Marshall "Mars" Bahr stumbles in ways mystery fans do not easily forgive: a meandering plot, a too-obvious killer and a limp rendering of what should have been a riveting investigation. Bahr, the head of the elite First Response homicide unit, takes on a case that appears to be a cut-and-dried suicide, except for a 13-digit number written on the dead man's arm. Then other "suicides" begin showing up, all bearing the same number. Gradually, it becomes clear that someone is targeting descendants of a famed Minnesota Civil War regiment, and dozens of volunteer genealogists work furiously to track them down. The real source of tension here is this race against the clock, but it is curiously tame and leaves readers unsatisfied. More satisfying is the very appealing relationship between Bahr, a divorced father, and his young son. The only true source of warmth in the book, as it is in Bahr's life, their time together is a joy to witness. One utterly charming scene between father and son about the birds and the bees almost makes up for the many gratuitous scenes throughout that add nothing and go nowhere but not quite. Erickson's obvious strengths make the flaws all the more apparent by contrast, and leave us longing for a more polished work next time. <br />Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: The Far-out Worlds of A. E. Van Vogt
  
  by
  
  A. E. Van Vogt
  
  NEL Books are published by New English Library Limited
  
  Barnard’s Inn,
  
  Holborn, London, E.C.l.
  
  First published in the United States by Ace Books 1973 First published in
  Great Britain by Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd, 1973
  
    
  
  ![](Images/image00151.jpeg)  
  
    
    
  
  _Le Scrob_
  
  CONTENTS
  
  THE REPLICATORS 7
  
  THE FIRST MARTIAN 28
  
  THE PURPOSE 42
  
  THE EARTH KILLERS 82
  
  THE CATAAAAA 110
  
  AUTOMATON 124
  
  ITSELF! 135
  
  PROCESS 138
  
  NOT THE FIRST , 143
  
  FULFILMENT 157
  
  SHIP OF DARKNESS 182
  
  THE ULTRA MAN 198
  
  THE REPLICATORS
  
  I
  
  Standing there, after killing the monster, Matlin began to get mad.
  
  In its death throes, the twelve-foot creature had done a violent muscular
  convulsion and somersaulted over into the dump section of Matlin’s truck.
  
  There it lay now, with its elephantine head and quarter-length trunk twisted
  to one side, and a huge arm and hand Sung up and visible over the rear end.
  What must have been tons of shiny, black body was squ