Police Your Planet

"Police Your Planet" by Eric Van Lhin is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story follows the main character, Bruce Gordon, as he navigates the gritty landscape of Marsport, a city rife with crime, corruption, and social decay. Gordon finds himself sent to Mars as part of a dubious assignment, where he has to adapt to the harsh realities of life on the planet while grappling with his past and the expectations of the Solar Security office. The opening of the novel introduces Bruce Gordon during his journey to Mars, where he is marked as a "traitor" for exposing governmental scandals. As he disembarks, he quickly assesses his new environment—a slum-like area filled with poverty. Gordon's immediate goal is survival, but he carries the weight of his troubled past and Ministry orders to act as an informant. Events unfold that make it clear he will need to rely on his wits and experience in law enforcement to navigate the treacherous dynamics of Marsport’s criminal underbelly. The rich world-building is reinforced by vivid descriptions of the desolate Martian landscape and the interactions with various characters, setting the stage for Gordon's journey toward a deeper involvement in policing the chaotic world he has entered. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the fantasy editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction imprint of Ballantine Books, subsequently Random House, working for his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey’s imprint, Del Rey.