Novels about or Set on Mars

• Aldiss, Brian, and Penrose, Roger. 2000. White Mars. New York: St. Martin's Press.
• Allaby, Michael, and Lovelock, James. 1984. The Greening of Mars. New York: St. Martin's Press.
• Anderson, Kevin J. 1994. Climbing Olympus. New York: Warner Books.
• Bear, Greg. 1993. Moving Mars. New York: Tor.
• Benford, Gregory. 1999. The Martian Race. New York: Warner.
• Bisson, Terry. 1990. Voyage to the Red Planet. New York: William Morrow and Co.
• Bova, Ben. 1992. Mars. New York: Bantam Books.
• Bova, Ben. 1999. Return to Mars. New York: EOS.
• Bradbury, Ray. 1950. The Martian Chronicles. New York: Doubleday.
• Burroughs, Edgar Rice. 1917. A Princess of Mars. Chicago: McClurg.
• Burroughs, Edgar Rice. 1920. Thuvia, Maid of Mars. Chicago: McClurg.
• Clarke, Arthur C. 1951. The Sands of Mars. London: Sidgwick and Jackson.
• Deitz, William C. 1992. Mars Prime. New York: ROC.
• Farmer, Philip José. 1979. Jesus on Mars. Los Angeles: Pinacle Books.
• Heinlein, Robert A. 1963. Podkayne of Mars. New York: Putnam.
• Laßwitz, Kurd (aka Lasswitz, Kurd). 1971 (originally 1897). Two Planets. Carbondale and Edle: Illinois University Press.
• Mcauley, Paul J. 1993. Red Dust. London: Victor Gollancz.
• McDonald, Ian. 1991. Desolation Road. New York: Bantam Books.
• Moffitt, Donald. 1990. Crescent in the Sky. New York: Del Rey.
• Pohl, Frederik. 1976. Man Plus. London: Victor Gollancz.
• Pohl, Frederik. 1992. Mining the Oort. New York: Ballantine Books.
• Robinson, Kim Stanley. 1992. Red Mars. New York: BantamDell Spectra.
• Robinson, Kim Stanley. 1993. Green Mars. New York: BantamDell Spectra.
• Robinson, Kim Stanley. 1997. Blue Mars. New York: BantamDell Spectra.
• Shiner, Lewis. 1984. Frontera. New York: Baen Books.
• Sykes, S.C. 1991. Red Genesis. New York: Bantam Books.
• Wells, H.G. 1898. War of the Worlds. London: William Heineman.

Guidelines for Novel Report

• What are the main events of the novel (don't go overboard on this)
• Does the novel represent the early years of science-fiction (when scientific understanding was based only on telescopes and before humans had actually developed rocketry in WWII)? Or does it date from the beginnings of the rocket era (post WWII) but before the arrival of Mariner and Viking imagery in the mid and late 1960s through the early 1980s)? Or does it date from the post Viking era (1980s to present)?
• In light of the scientific understanding of the day, how "accurately" is the Martian environment depicted?
• Why is the novel set on Mars at all? Why does the author bother to take the action that far out?
• How are the Martian landscape and weather/climate depicted? Are geographical differences in regional landscapes mentioned?
• Is the environment of Mars being altered by humans? If so, how?
• What sorts of technology are depicted?
• How is the human society on Mars depicted? Are there class differences? Are there racial, ethnic, linguistic, or religious differences? How do these social categories fit into any class hierarchy? How are the genders characterized in terms of jobs, social rôles, autonomy, family or sexual relationships?
• Are there non-human Martians in the story? What kind of non-terrestrial life is discussed? Are the Martians humanoid? What are they like? How do they fit into human social, political, economic, and environmental functions?
• What is the author's purpose or hidden agenda in writing this novel? Authors don't write for the sheer joy of it, so what do you suppose s/he is trying to sensitize you to?
• Would you recommend this novel to one of your friends? Are you thinking of reading other novels by the same author(s)?

Now, notes and novel in various heaps around you, consult them frequently and compose a coherent five or six page essay about the novel, relating it to the class. The summary of main events should be pretty succinct: a paragraph up to no more than two pages. Be sure to address each of the points above to the extent it is relevant to your novel.