The Hidden Forrests of Earth and Mars

by Anna Zumbro, LeVar Burton (Narrator)

A young woman must decide her future: planting seeds and forging civilization on Mars, or caretaking for future generations on Earth. This story originally appeared in Cast of Wonders. Find more from the author at annazumbro dot com.


Content advisory: climate change and ecological collapse

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Short Stories

Audiobook

About the author

Anna Zumbro is a short fiction writer with stories in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nature, Daily Science Fiction, and other publications. When not writing, she teaches high school English and journalism. She’s on Twitter occasionally at @annazumbro and her website can be found at annazumbro.com.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh- this short story had so many facets to think about! In the near future, the Earth is undergoing horrible climatic changes, and a lottery is giving people a chance to leave for Mars in new space colonies. A teen girl is given a chance to leave with her mother, stepfather and younger half-brother, and she has to decide if she wants to go with them or stay behind with her botanist father. It made me think of immigrant families leaving their countries and extended family forever, or even those who moved westward on the Oregon Trail or Blacks who left the South to move up north. Do you leave for new opportunities, or do you stay in hopes things will improve and are willing to put in the hard work so positive changes occur? I really enjoyed this story, and I think she made the right decision, while others won't think so.

[Mosaic · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Some wounds don't heal in a human lifetime, but why should that be all that matters?"

Ykw this helped a bit with the doomerism I’ve been feeling. A bit. Certainly not my smarted choice to read this directly after a massively destructive and completely unprecedented wild fire in January in California, followed immediately by a historic storm in southcentral Alaska where I live, but here we are. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Chrysten Lofton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ “I scraped away the top layer of decayed wood. There was green below, which meant chlorophyll. Life.”

**mild content spoilers**

♡ LBR 2024 ♡

I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the new year than with a fresh season of LeVar Burton Reads.

There must be one solar-punk story for every ten million apocalyptic (or post-apocalyptic) stories. As I’ve said, I’m losing my taste for end-of-the-world fiction, mostly because it doesn’t feel like escapism anymore so much as a morbid fortune at the center of a burned cookie I’m about to have to eat.

It’s solar punk for me—I need to imagine the health and healing, the revitalizing of our communities and natural resources. I need the blueprint for what that looks like.

Let the record show the writing was beautiful and the writing still carried satisfying character and resolve. I’m just fatigued of the genre.

Thanks for reading and if you wanna chat about the latest LBR episodes, come join us at the LeVar Burton Reads Official Community.

- 📚☕♥
Goodreads Official Star Representation
5 - It was amazing
4 - I really liked it
3 - I liked it
2 - It was okay
1 - Did not like it.

[Катерина Майковська · Rating 3 out of 5]

a family wins a lottery ticket to leave Earth and move to Mars as one of the first settlers, "to start over on a planet that hasn't yet rebelled against humanity." the daughter is torn between staying with her father or leaving with her mother, siblings, and stepdad.

i felt like the story did not take the time necessary to start feeling for the characters. it was rushed and lacking characterization.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently discovered Levar reads podcast and I am loving every part of it, from the eclectic mix of stories to the nostalgic feelings it leaves in me as a child of the reading rainbow era. This story beautifully captures the voice of a teenage girl required to make a life transformative choice. It hit a little too close to our environmental reality, so drove some strong feelings in me.

[Snail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the title of this story was more interesting than its contents. The story was well written and I enjoyed listening to Levar Burton’s narration, as always, but it didn’t leave a strong impact.

[sierra cougot · Rating 4 out of 5]

you could not pay me to choose mars over earth.

I think she made the right choice, although thinking back on Enoch in the beginning is a different level of depressing now.

"some wounds don't heal in a human lifetime, but why should that be all that matters?"

[Colleen Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful episode, the story was lovely and beautiful view of the family , and the choice she makes for herself going forward