The second conquest

The following is a [Kirkus review]of this novel, de Wohl's only entry into the field of Catholic science fiction. > This is science-fiction with a > religious content and should surprise > those readers of The Restless Flame. > The Golden Thread and Set All Afire > who have found this author's > fictionized biographies of early > church father worthwhile in > scholarship and research. They will > not however be surprised at his able > arguing which here takes his earth > people to Mars and eventually to > avert, through spiritual concepts, a > Martian invasion. Test pilot Chris > Cary, who has a mystic feeling for the > Catholic Church, is better able to > absorb and understand the superiority > of ""unfallen"" Martians and see the > reality behind the myth than scientist > Brandeis whose use of new fuel and a > new design helicopter has taken them > to their destination. But the new > paradise has its serpent, Marmon, who > is transported to Mars and whose > perversion of fact and truth speed the > Martians to conquer Earth, for his own > satanic satisfaction. It is Chris' > faith, love and integrity that turn > the Martians back home when the > showdown cames. There's a girl, too, > and the earthmen-Martian adjustments > are interesting while the > double-conversion angle, to religion > and science-fiction, has good points. > It does help to take the comic book > quality out of SF.