The 2020 Look at Mars Fiction Book

The 2020 Look at Mars Fiction Book

Author: John Barnes

Publisher:

Published: 2020-08

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13:

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This collection puts together 20 of the best science fiction stories about Mars published over the past two decades by top-notch authors of the genre. An improbable group of astronauts are slingshot to Mars in cheap one-person, one-way jalopies in "Terminal," by Lavie Tidhar. In "The Cascade," by Sean McMullen, an affair between a shy robotics postdoc and an adventurous young woman change the destiny of the first landing on Mars. A penal colony on Mars violently clashes with a science base in "Falling onto Mars," a Hugo Award winning story by Geoffrey A. Landis. In "The Old Cosmonaut and the Construction Worker Dream of Mars," by Ian McDonald, the lives of a young Indian construction worker and an old Estonian cosmonaut collide during the terraforming of Mars by quantum machines. Two young girls are desperate to survive on the surface of Mars after their commune's underground compound is destroyed by comet strikes in "Hanging Gardens," by Gregory Feeley. In "Digging," by Ian McDonald, a project has been undertaken to create a breathable atmosphere on Mars constructing a valley so deep that the planet's thin atmosphere will be forced into it. An amusing step-by-step program enables potential potentates to find the right Mars to rule over in "How to Become a Mars Overlord," by Catherynne M. Valente. In the Hugo Award winning story "The Emperor of Mars," by Allen M. Steele, a laborer on a corporate-owned Martian colony transforms himself into royalty while coping with a tragedy on Earth. A young girl defies the conventional role she's fated for on Mars in "La Malcontenta," by Liz Williams. In "The Burial of Sir John Mawe at Cassini," by Chez Brenchley, a gravedigger uncovers many secrets at the burial of a hanged British nobleman on a Victorian Mars. A colonist provides a moving account of his life on Mars to inspire a new generation of Martians in "Martian Heart," by John Barnes. In "The Vicar of Mars," by Gwyneth Jones, a High Priest suffers hauntings after visiting an old, reclusive, wealthy woman on Mars. A rough and tumble Martian mining town reconstructs a lawman from the Old American West to restore order in "Wyatt Earp 2.0," by Wil McCarthy. In "An Ocean is a Snowflake, Four Billion Miles Away," by John Barnes, the rivalry between two documentarians, filming on Mars, puts them in peril as the planet is being terraformed. A corporation building New Las Vegas on Mars grooms a janitor for rock stardom to improve worker morale in "The Rise and Fall of Paco Cohen and the Mariachis of Mars," by Ernest Hogan. In "Martian Blood," by Allen M. Steele, an Egyptian-American astrobiologist travels to a Martian aboriginal settlement to prove his theory that life on Earth originated on Mars. Pilgrims, tourists, and locals visit the many monoliths of Mars to commune with their unknown builders through radio bursts in "The Monoliths of Mars," by Paul McAuley. In "The Martian Job," by Jaine Fenn, the greatest heist known to humankind, with many a double-cross, is pulled on the largest corporation on Mars. The first man to step foot on Mars recounts his life's story as mankind ends its colonization of the planet in "Mars Abides," by Stephen Baxter. And finally, in the Locus Award winning story "The Martian Obelisk," by Linda Nagata, a robotic crawler threatens the remote construction of a monument on Mars, by an architect on Earth, as it approaches the obelisk.


Book Synopsis The 2020 Look at Mars Fiction Book by : John Barnes

Download or read book The 2020 Look at Mars Fiction Book written by John Barnes and published by . This book was released on 2020-08 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection puts together 20 of the best science fiction stories about Mars published over the past two decades by top-notch authors of the genre. An improbable group of astronauts are slingshot to Mars in cheap one-person, one-way jalopies in "Terminal," by Lavie Tidhar. In "The Cascade," by Sean McMullen, an affair between a shy robotics postdoc and an adventurous young woman change the destiny of the first landing on Mars. A penal colony on Mars violently clashes with a science base in "Falling onto Mars," a Hugo Award winning story by Geoffrey A. Landis. In "The Old Cosmonaut and the Construction Worker Dream of Mars," by Ian McDonald, the lives of a young Indian construction worker and an old Estonian cosmonaut collide during the terraforming of Mars by quantum machines. Two young girls are desperate to survive on the surface of Mars after their commune's underground compound is destroyed by comet strikes in "Hanging Gardens," by Gregory Feeley. In "Digging," by Ian McDonald, a project has been undertaken to create a breathable atmosphere on Mars constructing a valley so deep that the planet's thin atmosphere will be forced into it. An amusing step-by-step program enables potential potentates to find the right Mars to rule over in "How to Become a Mars Overlord," by Catherynne M. Valente. In the Hugo Award winning story "The Emperor of Mars," by Allen M. Steele, a laborer on a corporate-owned Martian colony transforms himself into royalty while coping with a tragedy on Earth. A young girl defies the conventional role she's fated for on Mars in "La Malcontenta," by Liz Williams. In "The Burial of Sir John Mawe at Cassini," by Chez Brenchley, a gravedigger uncovers many secrets at the burial of a hanged British nobleman on a Victorian Mars. A colonist provides a moving account of his life on Mars to inspire a new generation of Martians in "Martian Heart," by John Barnes. In "The Vicar of Mars," by Gwyneth Jones, a High Priest suffers hauntings after visiting an old, reclusive, wealthy woman on Mars. A rough and tumble Martian mining town reconstructs a lawman from the Old American West to restore order in "Wyatt Earp 2.0," by Wil McCarthy. In "An Ocean is a Snowflake, Four Billion Miles Away," by John Barnes, the rivalry between two documentarians, filming on Mars, puts them in peril as the planet is being terraformed. A corporation building New Las Vegas on Mars grooms a janitor for rock stardom to improve worker morale in "The Rise and Fall of Paco Cohen and the Mariachis of Mars," by Ernest Hogan. In "Martian Blood," by Allen M. Steele, an Egyptian-American astrobiologist travels to a Martian aboriginal settlement to prove his theory that life on Earth originated on Mars. Pilgrims, tourists, and locals visit the many monoliths of Mars to commune with their unknown builders through radio bursts in "The Monoliths of Mars," by Paul McAuley. In "The Martian Job," by Jaine Fenn, the greatest heist known to humankind, with many a double-cross, is pulled on the largest corporation on Mars. The first man to step foot on Mars recounts his life's story as mankind ends its colonization of the planet in "Mars Abides," by Stephen Baxter. And finally, in the Locus Award winning story "The Martian Obelisk," by Linda Nagata, a robotic crawler threatens the remote construction of a monument on Mars, by an architect on Earth, as it approaches the obelisk.

The Big Book of Mars

The Big Book of Mars

Author: Marc Hartzman

Publisher: Quirk Books

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1683692101

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The most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—through history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the 19th century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars. Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.


Book Synopsis The Big Book of Mars by : Marc Hartzman

Download or read book The Big Book of Mars written by Marc Hartzman and published by Quirk Books. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—through history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the 19th century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars. Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.

Last Day on Mars

Last Day on Mars

Author: Kevin Emerson

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2017-02-14

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0062306731

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“Last Day on Mars is thrillingly ambitious and imaginative. Like a lovechild of Gravity and The Martian, it's a rousing space opera for any age, meticulously researched and relentlessly paced, that balances action, science, humor, and most importantly, two compelling main characters in Liam and Phoebe. A fantastic start to an epic new series.” —Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series “Emerson's writing explodes off the page in this irresistible space adventure, filled with startling plot twists, diabolical aliens, and (my favorite!) courageous young heroes faced with an impossible task.” —Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of the Unwanteds series It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess at where we might find a new home. Liam Saunders-Chang is one of the last humans left on Mars. The son of two scientists who have been racing against time to create technology vital to humanity’s survival, Liam, along with his friend Phoebe, will be on the last starliner to depart before Mars, like Earth before it, is destroyed. Or so he thinks. Because before this day is over, Liam and Phoebe will make a series of profound discoveries about the nature of time and space and find out that the human race is just one of many in our universe locked in a dangerous struggle for survival.


Book Synopsis Last Day on Mars by : Kevin Emerson

Download or read book Last Day on Mars written by Kevin Emerson and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Last Day on Mars is thrillingly ambitious and imaginative. Like a lovechild of Gravity and The Martian, it's a rousing space opera for any age, meticulously researched and relentlessly paced, that balances action, science, humor, and most importantly, two compelling main characters in Liam and Phoebe. A fantastic start to an epic new series.” —Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series “Emerson's writing explodes off the page in this irresistible space adventure, filled with startling plot twists, diabolical aliens, and (my favorite!) courageous young heroes faced with an impossible task.” —Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of the Unwanteds series It is Earth year 2213—but, of course, there is no Earth anymore. Not since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while we have prepared for a second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, our best guess at where we might find a new home. Liam Saunders-Chang is one of the last humans left on Mars. The son of two scientists who have been racing against time to create technology vital to humanity’s survival, Liam, along with his friend Phoebe, will be on the last starliner to depart before Mars, like Earth before it, is destroyed. Or so he thinks. Because before this day is over, Liam and Phoebe will make a series of profound discoveries about the nature of time and space and find out that the human race is just one of many in our universe locked in a dangerous struggle for survival.

Mars

Mars

Author: Ben Bova

Publisher: Rosetta Books

Published: 2010-02-16

Total Pages: 560

ISBN-13: 0795308809

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Considered one of Ben Bova’s most famous Grand Tour novels: “A gripping, realistic tale of man’s first expedition to the red planet. Don’t miss it” (Terry Brooks, New York Times–bestselling author of The Shannara Chronicles). Jamie Waterman is a young Navaho geologist who is picked for the ground team of the first manned expedition to Mars. He will be joining an international team of astronauts and scientists. But once the crew land on the red planet, they soon discover they must battle not only the alien land on which they have invaded but earthbound bureaucrats as well. When they come face to face with a chasm ten times as deep and large as the Grand Canyon, all twenty-five astronauts must face the most shocking discovery of all . . . “The science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.” —Ray Bradbury, author of Farenheit 451 “A splendid book . . . Of his many books, Mars must be the most important.” —Arthur C. Clarke, author of Islands in the Sky


Book Synopsis Mars by : Ben Bova

Download or read book Mars written by Ben Bova and published by Rosetta Books. This book was released on 2010-02-16 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Considered one of Ben Bova’s most famous Grand Tour novels: “A gripping, realistic tale of man’s first expedition to the red planet. Don’t miss it” (Terry Brooks, New York Times–bestselling author of The Shannara Chronicles). Jamie Waterman is a young Navaho geologist who is picked for the ground team of the first manned expedition to Mars. He will be joining an international team of astronauts and scientists. But once the crew land on the red planet, they soon discover they must battle not only the alien land on which they have invaded but earthbound bureaucrats as well. When they come face to face with a chasm ten times as deep and large as the Grand Canyon, all twenty-five astronauts must face the most shocking discovery of all . . . “The science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.” —Ray Bradbury, author of Farenheit 451 “A splendid book . . . Of his many books, Mars must be the most important.” —Arthur C. Clarke, author of Islands in the Sky

Gates of Mars

Gates of Mars

Author: Kathleen McFall

Publisher:

Published: 2020-06-16

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9781734519709

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IN THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE, HOW CAN A PERSON GO MISSING? The year is 2187. Crucial Larsen, a veteran of the brutal Consolidation Wars, is working as a labor cop on Earth. The planet is a toxic dump and billions of people are miserable, but so what? It's none of his business. He's finally living a good life, or good enough. But then Essential, his beloved kid sister, disappears on Mars. When Halo-the all-powerful artificial-intelligence overseeing Earth and Mars on behalf of the ruling Five Families-can't (or won't) locate his sister, Crucial races up-universe to find her. In the Choke, the frigid, airless expanse outside the luxury domes, Crucial uncovers a deadly secret from Essential's past that threatens to shatter his apathetic existence?and both planets. Blending science-fiction with the classic, hard-boiled detective story, Gates of Mars is a page-turning, futuristic thrill-ride featuring a gritty, irreverent anti-hero-Crucial Larsen. The first book of the Halo Trilogy, Gates of Mars is the eighth novel by award-winning authors Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall.


Book Synopsis Gates of Mars by : Kathleen McFall

Download or read book Gates of Mars written by Kathleen McFall and published by . This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IN THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE, HOW CAN A PERSON GO MISSING? The year is 2187. Crucial Larsen, a veteran of the brutal Consolidation Wars, is working as a labor cop on Earth. The planet is a toxic dump and billions of people are miserable, but so what? It's none of his business. He's finally living a good life, or good enough. But then Essential, his beloved kid sister, disappears on Mars. When Halo-the all-powerful artificial-intelligence overseeing Earth and Mars on behalf of the ruling Five Families-can't (or won't) locate his sister, Crucial races up-universe to find her. In the Choke, the frigid, airless expanse outside the luxury domes, Crucial uncovers a deadly secret from Essential's past that threatens to shatter his apathetic existence?and both planets. Blending science-fiction with the classic, hard-boiled detective story, Gates of Mars is a page-turning, futuristic thrill-ride featuring a gritty, irreverent anti-hero-Crucial Larsen. The first book of the Halo Trilogy, Gates of Mars is the eighth novel by award-winning authors Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall.

Blue Mars

Blue Mars

Author: Kim Stanley Robinson

Publisher: Spectra

Published: 2003-05-27

Total Pages: 862

ISBN-13: 0553898299

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Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel • One of the most enthralling science fiction sagas ever written, Kim Stanley Robinson’s epic trilogy concludes with Blue Mars—a triumph of prodigious research and visionary storytelling. “A breakthrough even from [Kim Stanley Robinson’s] own consistently high levels of achievement.”—The New York Times Book Review The red planet is no more. Now green and verdant, Mars has been dramatically altered from a desolate world into one where humans can flourish. The First Hundred settlers are being pulled into a fierce new struggle between the Reds, a group devoted to preserving Mars in its desert state, and the Green “terraformers.” Meanwhile, Earth is in peril. A great flood threatens an already overcrowded and polluted planet. With Mars the last hope for the human race, the inhabitants of the red planet are heading toward a population explosion—or interplanetary war.


Book Synopsis Blue Mars by : Kim Stanley Robinson

Download or read book Blue Mars written by Kim Stanley Robinson and published by Spectra. This book was released on 2003-05-27 with total page 862 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel • One of the most enthralling science fiction sagas ever written, Kim Stanley Robinson’s epic trilogy concludes with Blue Mars—a triumph of prodigious research and visionary storytelling. “A breakthrough even from [Kim Stanley Robinson’s] own consistently high levels of achievement.”—The New York Times Book Review The red planet is no more. Now green and verdant, Mars has been dramatically altered from a desolate world into one where humans can flourish. The First Hundred settlers are being pulled into a fierce new struggle between the Reds, a group devoted to preserving Mars in its desert state, and the Green “terraformers.” Meanwhile, Earth is in peril. A great flood threatens an already overcrowded and polluted planet. With Mars the last hope for the human race, the inhabitants of the red planet are heading toward a population explosion—or interplanetary war.

The Martian

The Martian

Author: Andy Weir

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: 2014-02-11

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 0804139032

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Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?


Book Synopsis The Martian by : Andy Weir

Download or read book The Martian written by Andy Weir and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2014-02-11 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Imagining Mars

Imagining Mars

Author: Robert Crossley

Publisher: Wesleyan University Press

Published: 2011-01-03

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0819571059

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Mars in the human imagination from the invention of the telescope to the present For centuries, the planet Mars has captivated astronomers and inspired writers of all genres. Whether imagined as the symbol of the bloody god of war, the cradle of an alien species, or a possible new home for human civilization, our closest planetary neighbor has played a central role in how we think about ourselves in the universe. From Galileo to Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Crossley traces the history of our fascination with the red planet as it has evolved in literature both fictional and scientific. Crossley focuses specifically on the interplay between scientific discovery and literary invention, exploring how writers throughout the ages have tried to assimilate or resist new planetary knowledge. Covering texts from the 1600s to the present, from the obscure to the classic, Crossley shows how writing about Mars has reflected the desires and social controversies of each era. This astute and elegant study is perfect for science fiction fans and readers of popular science.


Book Synopsis Imagining Mars by : Robert Crossley

Download or read book Imagining Mars written by Robert Crossley and published by Wesleyan University Press. This book was released on 2011-01-03 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mars in the human imagination from the invention of the telescope to the present For centuries, the planet Mars has captivated astronomers and inspired writers of all genres. Whether imagined as the symbol of the bloody god of war, the cradle of an alien species, or a possible new home for human civilization, our closest planetary neighbor has played a central role in how we think about ourselves in the universe. From Galileo to Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Crossley traces the history of our fascination with the red planet as it has evolved in literature both fictional and scientific. Crossley focuses specifically on the interplay between scientific discovery and literary invention, exploring how writers throughout the ages have tried to assimilate or resist new planetary knowledge. Covering texts from the 1600s to the present, from the obscure to the classic, Crossley shows how writing about Mars has reflected the desires and social controversies of each era. This astute and elegant study is perfect for science fiction fans and readers of popular science.

The Sirens of Mars

The Sirens of Mars

Author: Sarah Stewart Johnson

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1101904828

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“Sarah Stewart Johnson interweaves her own coming-of-age story as a planetary scientist with a vivid history of the exploration of Mars in this celebration of human curiosity, passion, and perseverance.”—Alan Lightman, author of Einstein’s Dreams WINNER OF THE PHI BETA KAPPA AWARD FOR SCIENCE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Times (UK) • Library Journal “Lovely . . . Johnson’s prose swirls with lyrical wonder, as varied and multihued as the apricot deserts, butterscotch skies and blue sunsets of Mars.”—Anthony Doerr, The New York Times Book Review Mars was once similar to Earth, but today there are no rivers, no lakes, no oceans. Coated in red dust, the terrain is bewilderingly empty. And yet multiple spacecraft are circling Mars, sweeping over Terra Sabaea, Syrtis Major, the dunes of Elysium, and Mare Sirenum—on the brink, perhaps, of a staggering find, one that would inspire humankind as much as any discovery in the history of modern science. In this beautifully observed, deeply personal book, Georgetown scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson tells the story of how she and other researchers have scoured Mars for signs of life, transforming the planet from a distant point of light into a world of its own. Johnson’s fascination with Mars began as a child in Kentucky, turning over rocks with her father and looking at planets in the night sky. She now conducts fieldwork in some of Earth’s most hostile environments, such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and the salt flats of Western Australia, developing methods for detecting life on other worlds. Here, with poetic precision, she interlaces her own personal journey—as a female scientist and a mother—with tales of other seekers, from Percival Lowell, who was convinced that a utopian society existed on Mars, to Audouin Dollfus, who tried to carry out astronomical observations from a stratospheric balloon. In the process, she shows how the story of Mars is also a story about Earth: This other world has been our mirror, our foil, a telltale reflection of our own anxieties and yearnings. Empathetic and evocative, The Sirens of Mars offers an unlikely natural history of a place where no human has ever set foot, while providing a vivid portrait of our quest to defy our isolation in the cosmos.


Book Synopsis The Sirens of Mars by : Sarah Stewart Johnson

Download or read book The Sirens of Mars written by Sarah Stewart Johnson and published by Crown. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Sarah Stewart Johnson interweaves her own coming-of-age story as a planetary scientist with a vivid history of the exploration of Mars in this celebration of human curiosity, passion, and perseverance.”—Alan Lightman, author of Einstein’s Dreams WINNER OF THE PHI BETA KAPPA AWARD FOR SCIENCE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Times (UK) • Library Journal “Lovely . . . Johnson’s prose swirls with lyrical wonder, as varied and multihued as the apricot deserts, butterscotch skies and blue sunsets of Mars.”—Anthony Doerr, The New York Times Book Review Mars was once similar to Earth, but today there are no rivers, no lakes, no oceans. Coated in red dust, the terrain is bewilderingly empty. And yet multiple spacecraft are circling Mars, sweeping over Terra Sabaea, Syrtis Major, the dunes of Elysium, and Mare Sirenum—on the brink, perhaps, of a staggering find, one that would inspire humankind as much as any discovery in the history of modern science. In this beautifully observed, deeply personal book, Georgetown scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson tells the story of how she and other researchers have scoured Mars for signs of life, transforming the planet from a distant point of light into a world of its own. Johnson’s fascination with Mars began as a child in Kentucky, turning over rocks with her father and looking at planets in the night sky. She now conducts fieldwork in some of Earth’s most hostile environments, such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and the salt flats of Western Australia, developing methods for detecting life on other worlds. Here, with poetic precision, she interlaces her own personal journey—as a female scientist and a mother—with tales of other seekers, from Percival Lowell, who was convinced that a utopian society existed on Mars, to Audouin Dollfus, who tried to carry out astronomical observations from a stratospheric balloon. In the process, she shows how the story of Mars is also a story about Earth: This other world has been our mirror, our foil, a telltale reflection of our own anxieties and yearnings. Empathetic and evocative, The Sirens of Mars offers an unlikely natural history of a place where no human has ever set foot, while providing a vivid portrait of our quest to defy our isolation in the cosmos.

Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars

Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars

Author: Kate Greene

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2020-07-14

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1250159482

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When it comes to Mars, the focus is often on how to get there: the rockets, the engines, the fuel. But upon arrival, what will it actually be like? In 2013, Kate Greene moved to Mars. That is, along with five fellow crew members, she embarked on NASA’s first HI-SEAS mission, a simulated Martian environment located on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawai'i. For four months she lived, worked, and slept in an isolated geodesic dome, conducting a sleep study on her crew mates and gaining incredible insight into human behavior in tight quarters, as well as the nature of boredom, dreams, and isolation that arise amidst the promise of scientific progress and glory. In Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars, Greene draws on her experience to contemplate humanity’s broader impulse to explore. The result is a twined story of space and life, of the standard, able-bodied astronaut and Greene’s brother’s disability, of the lag time of interplanetary correspondences and the challenges of a long-distance marriage, of freeze-dried egg powder and fresh pineapple, of departure and return. By asking what kind of wisdom humanity might take to Mars and elsewhere in the Universe, Greene has written a remarkable, wide-ranging examination of our time in space right now, as a pre-Mars species, poised on the edge, readying for launch.


Book Synopsis Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars by : Kate Greene

Download or read book Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars written by Kate Greene and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2020-07-14 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When it comes to Mars, the focus is often on how to get there: the rockets, the engines, the fuel. But upon arrival, what will it actually be like? In 2013, Kate Greene moved to Mars. That is, along with five fellow crew members, she embarked on NASA’s first HI-SEAS mission, a simulated Martian environment located on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawai'i. For four months she lived, worked, and slept in an isolated geodesic dome, conducting a sleep study on her crew mates and gaining incredible insight into human behavior in tight quarters, as well as the nature of boredom, dreams, and isolation that arise amidst the promise of scientific progress and glory. In Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars, Greene draws on her experience to contemplate humanity’s broader impulse to explore. The result is a twined story of space and life, of the standard, able-bodied astronaut and Greene’s brother’s disability, of the lag time of interplanetary correspondences and the challenges of a long-distance marriage, of freeze-dried egg powder and fresh pineapple, of departure and return. By asking what kind of wisdom humanity might take to Mars and elsewhere in the Universe, Greene has written a remarkable, wide-ranging examination of our time in space right now, as a pre-Mars species, poised on the edge, readying for launch.