10 books like The Alternate Martians

Robert Zubrin is the foremost authority on how to get to Mars, and in addition to his engineering expertise, he is one of the most prominent advocates of colonizing it. This classic book, now in its updated 25th Anniversary edition, should be read by everyone interested in the future of humankind. It contains more technical detail about space travel than some people will care to learn, but that can be skimmed; the section about colonization, and the concluding chapter explaining why going to Mars is important, are what I chose it for. In Zubrin's opinion and my own, Mars is "the door to an open future, a new frontier on a new world, a planet that can be settled, the beginning of humanity's career as a spacefaring species."

When great science fiction strives for scientific credibility, and hits the nail on the head, you end up with a story like this. A hundred people arrive on Mars as the first colonisers, to begin the process of terraforming it for human habitation. The natural environment presents its own dangers, from low atmospheric pressure and unbreathable atmosphere to low gravity and destructive sandstorms. But the challenges don’t stop there. Not everyone has the same vision of the future Martian world, and the resulting conflicts threaten the whole project. The first book of a trilogy, this epic novel is a must-read for anyone who plans to make a new life on Mars.

It is from the power of human passions that we often find ourselves in conflict, yet it is because of passion we can ultimately find the wherewithal to escape that struggle. In The Martian, Andy Weir remarkably detailed the scientific fantasies that took his characters to Mars; but also beautifully narrated the spirited passion that invigorated the protagonist’s will to survive. It is because of the quality of his scientific descriptions and the emotions of his protagonist that I heartily enjoyed this book. 

I consider this an alien invasion novel where humans are the invaders. The plight of the Martians was enough to make me stop and think. I couldn’t help noticing that Bradbury was softly making a point about the suffering of Native Americans. This story continues to make me mindful of the fact that there are two sides to every conflict. 

As Perseverance made its way toward Mars, I found myself looking for ways to design some of my own future characters: What sorts of people are consumed by the search for extraterrestrial life? What do they hope to find, and how will they interpret what they find? Traversing the boundaries between nonfiction and autobiography, this lovely book chronicles not only the history of humans’ fascination with the red planet, but also a personal journey for its author. Through her lens, it offers an in-depth comparison of our own precious Earth to the now-dead planet with which we are endlessly obsessed—a place where we hope to find clues not only to the origins of our own life, but to “life as we don’t know it.” 

The Lady Astronaut of Mars takes place in a science fictional world, but like all the best sci-fi, it knows to keep its focus on its characters. There are no hour-long passages about future technologies or scientific theory. Instead it uses its setting to tell a human story about the missed opportunities in life and about growing old. Second chances are rare, and sometimes the decision about what to do isn’t so clear, but The Lady Astronaut of Mars reminded me that more often than not, experiences are worth having.

A hapless astronaut is on a mission to find Life on Mars and explores a seemingly barren landscape. The astronaut is unaware of what is going on -- if only he would turn around! This becomes a source of great entertainment and an early lesson on irony. I enjoyed this book not only for the illustrations, which are well suited to this story, but more importantly for the way that the words do not match what is going on in the illustrations.

Politics, ambition, and science collided when NASA announced that a small rock that fell on Antarctica contained tiny fossils of ancient life on Mars. Advance plans for the public report were kept secret while coordinated all the way up through President Bill Clinton. Aides wondered if the great discovery would help his re-election. But after a televised press conference and the subsequent media circus, many qualified scientists disputed the claimed fossils. NASA is still searching for past or present life on Mars.  They will surely take greater care in reaching future conclusions, won’t they? And if you may wonder why an alleged DC sex worker had prior knowledge of the “breakthrough,” read ace Washington Post reporter (now retired) Kathy Sawyer’s brilliant and thorough account.

John Carter finds himself mysteriously transported to another world where he fights for the new friends he finds there. I’ve picked this book from the beginning of the last century because, as a teenager, it helped form my appreciation for the adventure of discovery and to shape my sense of courage and honor. Honor in a book this old can sometimes feel strained in modern times when we understand that one’s rightness isn’t determined by being white and male. However, the female protagonist in A Princess of Mars is strong and capable, not merely a damsel to be rescued, and the indigenous people include friends of courage and integrity, not merely enemies to be defeated. Packed as it is with friendship, romance, and discovery, I found the story magical.

This is a short but comprehensive overview of why we need to colonize Mars and the problems that must be solved in settling it. We would already be there, Petranek points out, if we had preserved and improved the technology that got us to the moon. In his view, NASA has accomplished little of value during the hiatus. But now private companies are making real progress toward turning humankind into a spacefaring species, which is essential both as insurance against disaster on Earth and because “when the first humans set foot on Mars, the moment will be more significant in terms of technology, philosophy, history, and exploration than any that have come before it.” I recommend this book not so much for the information it contains as for the inspiration it offers.