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Red State Mars
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26A sweeping epic of Mars’s fight for freedom—an unforgettable saga of war, family, and civilization on the red frontier.For generations, the Newcastles, Mackenzies, Atkinses, Hyltons, and Hollinses have endured the hard red soil of Mars—surviving by individual grit, intense family loyalty, and free market trade. Scarred by World War III and Earth’s long, violent aftermath, they built farms, raised domes, forged alliances, and carried old grudges to a new world. Together, the Martians have forged a frontier society that is complex, ornery, and rooted in the freedom of the Texas soil from which many of the clans sprang.
Trade with the nearby Chinese enclaves brought prosperity for a time. But as Beijing’s reach lengthens, trade becomes tribute—and tribute becomes force.
When Chinese armored columns grind across Karl’s Ramp and convoys are torn apart in the Chaos, Mars is plunged into war. Robinson City’s dome falls in fire and blood. The Burrows holds out under siege until supply convoys break through beneath burning skies. At Lowell and Meltwater, city shields collapse and the red Martian soil melts and flows like blood as the Martian plains are seared with plasma fire.
The clans face an empire pressing down from above and rivalries tearing them apart from within. Senators brawl in council halls, mobs surge through the streets, and old feuds erupt—even on the football field. Out of devastation, a fragile coalition is uneasy, volatile, but fierce enough to strike back. Freightliners become fortresses. Drones become weapons. Family honor hardens into resistance.
From isolated domes to the vast Martian plains to the black sky above, war sparks into revolution and a desperate struggle to forge a nation on an alien world men now call home.
A vast chronicle of clans and civilizations, of families too proud to yield, too divided to trust, and too determined to be ruled.
Trade with the nearby Chinese enclaves brought prosperity for a time. But as Beijing’s reach lengthens, trade becomes tribute—and tribute becomes force.
When Chinese armored columns grind across Karl’s Ramp and convoys are torn apart in the Chaos, Mars is plunged into war. Robinson City’s dome falls in fire and blood. The Burrows holds out under siege until supply convoys break through beneath burning skies. At Lowell and Meltwater, city shields collapse and the red Martian soil melts and flows like blood as the Martian plains are seared with plasma fire.
The clans face an empire pressing down from above and rivalries tearing them apart from within. Senators brawl in council halls, mobs surge through the streets, and old feuds erupt—even on the football field. Out of devastation, a fragile coalition is uneasy, volatile, but fierce enough to strike back. Freightliners become fortresses. Drones become weapons. Family honor hardens into resistance.
From isolated domes to the vast Martian plains to the black sky above, war sparks into revolution and a desperate struggle to forge a nation on an alien world men now call home.
A vast chronicle of clans and civilizations, of families too proud to yield, too divided to trust, and too determined to be ruled.
- GenresScience Fiction
624 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
About the author
Travis J.I. Corcoran
14 books98 followersTravis J I Corcoran is a Catholic anarcho-capitalist, a software engineer, and a business owner. He is an amateur at farming, wood turning, blacksmithing, cooking, throwing ceramic pots, and a few other things.
He lives on a 50 acre farm in New Hampshire with his wife, dogs, livestock, and a variety of lathes and milling machines.
Travis has had non-fiction articles published in several national magazines including Dragon, Make, and Fine Homebuilding.
The Powers of the Earth is his first novel.
He lives on a 50 acre farm in New Hampshire with his wife, dogs, livestock, and a variety of lathes and milling machines.
Travis has had non-fiction articles published in several national magazines including Dragon, Make, and Fine Homebuilding.
The Powers of the Earth is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary Advance Reader Copy of Travis J.I. Corcoran’s Red State Mars from the publisher for review purposes. Other than committing to post a review I made no other representation as to what I would say.
Red State Mars is a smart, sophisticated, and thoroughly satisfying novel that delivers realistic action and intelligent world-building (I would actually say “culture-building”). Highly recommended for fans of hard military SF, frontier epics, and thoughtful colonization stories.
Some readers will come to Red State Mars aware that it is the debut release from Ark Press — a new publisher with financial backing from Peter Thiel’s investment group — and of its’ authors’ sometimes controversial political profile. However, anyone expecting partisan preaching, culture-war gotchas, or thinly veiled commentary on 2020s American politics will be grossly disappointed. The novel steadfastly avoids hitting the reader over the head with contemporary hot-button issues or simplistic “TEAM RED good / TEAM BLUE bad” framing. Instead, Corcoran explores bigger, more enduring themes: the pioneer spirit of self-reliant families carving out a free society on a hostile frontier; the friction and strength of clan loyalties; the messy realities of democratic self-governance under pressure; and the eternal struggle between individual liberty and distant authoritarian power. The result feels like classic frontier literature and hard military SF in the tradition of Heinlein, Pournelle, or Michener — timeless and big-picture rather than ripped from today’s headlines.
Given recency bias and the success of the film, I believe many reviewers will instinctively reach for Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary as a comparison for this book, but the far closer parallel is actually Weir’s earlier novel The Martian (also a successful movie). Both The Martian and Red State Mars are rooted in the same gritty, boots-in-the-regolith reality of human beings simply trying to exist on a lethally inhospitable Mars, with the same meticulous planetary science and engineering tension. Corcoran simply expands that lens into an epic multi-generational clan saga with political depth and large-scale conflict.
As for the plot: For generations, the Newcastle, Mackenzie, Atkins, Hylton, and Hollins clans have endured the hard red soil of Mars — surviving by individual grit, intense family loyalty, and free-market trade. When trade with nearby Chinese enclaves turns into tribute and then outright invasion, Mars is plunged into war. What follows is a sweeping saga of domes under siege, freightliners turned into fortresses, Senate brawls, desperate space battles, and a fragile coalition fighting for self-determination.
One of the standout moments for me was Corcoran’s deep-dive aside on the ancient history of water on Mars — four billion years of planetary geology, lost oceans, solar wind stripping, and buried ice reserves — that unfolds right in the middle of the Battle of Meltwater. Far from feeling like a lecture, it’s a riveting, perfectly timed piece of hard-SF world-building that directly fuels the Martians’ ingenious victory. It reminded me strongly of the late Dan Simmons, whose info-dumps on everything from Arctic expedition history in The Terror to literary, philosophical, and technological layers in the Hyperion Cantos I’ve always loved. Like Simmons, Corcoran doesn’t just dump facts — he weaves well-researched science and history into the narrative so it feels alive, purposeful, and essential to the story.
Corcoran’s portrayal of the Atkins family — the rowdy, hard-drinking, rock-crawling, loose-cannon cousins whose hot-headed independence keeps testing (and ultimately strengthening) the Martian clans — brought James Webb’s Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America to mind every single time they appeared. The Atkinses feel like living, breathing descendants of that exact same ornery, “born fighting” Scots-Irish stock transplanted to the domes and red plains of Mars.
One of the smartest choices Corcoran makes is the complete absence of any non-human aliens. By keeping the focus entirely on human characters, cultures, and politics, the stakes feel immediate, plausible, and emotionally resonant — more like a 22nd-century Western than typical space opera.
Finally, the author’s afterword on how the novel came to exist and his transparency as to sources and inspiration was just terrific. I always appreciate getting clues and suggestions as to books I might be interested in adding to my “to read” stack.
A very strong start for Ark Press. And Corcoran is an author who I will look to read more from.
Red State Mars is a smart, sophisticated, and thoroughly satisfying novel that delivers realistic action and intelligent world-building (I would actually say “culture-building”). Highly recommended for fans of hard military SF, frontier epics, and thoughtful colonization stories.
Some readers will come to Red State Mars aware that it is the debut release from Ark Press — a new publisher with financial backing from Peter Thiel’s investment group — and of its’ authors’ sometimes controversial political profile. However, anyone expecting partisan preaching, culture-war gotchas, or thinly veiled commentary on 2020s American politics will be grossly disappointed. The novel steadfastly avoids hitting the reader over the head with contemporary hot-button issues or simplistic “TEAM RED good / TEAM BLUE bad” framing. Instead, Corcoran explores bigger, more enduring themes: the pioneer spirit of self-reliant families carving out a free society on a hostile frontier; the friction and strength of clan loyalties; the messy realities of democratic self-governance under pressure; and the eternal struggle between individual liberty and distant authoritarian power. The result feels like classic frontier literature and hard military SF in the tradition of Heinlein, Pournelle, or Michener — timeless and big-picture rather than ripped from today’s headlines.
Given recency bias and the success of the film, I believe many reviewers will instinctively reach for Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary as a comparison for this book, but the far closer parallel is actually Weir’s earlier novel The Martian (also a successful movie). Both The Martian and Red State Mars are rooted in the same gritty, boots-in-the-regolith reality of human beings simply trying to exist on a lethally inhospitable Mars, with the same meticulous planetary science and engineering tension. Corcoran simply expands that lens into an epic multi-generational clan saga with political depth and large-scale conflict.
As for the plot: For generations, the Newcastle, Mackenzie, Atkins, Hylton, and Hollins clans have endured the hard red soil of Mars — surviving by individual grit, intense family loyalty, and free-market trade. When trade with nearby Chinese enclaves turns into tribute and then outright invasion, Mars is plunged into war. What follows is a sweeping saga of domes under siege, freightliners turned into fortresses, Senate brawls, desperate space battles, and a fragile coalition fighting for self-determination.
One of the standout moments for me was Corcoran’s deep-dive aside on the ancient history of water on Mars — four billion years of planetary geology, lost oceans, solar wind stripping, and buried ice reserves — that unfolds right in the middle of the Battle of Meltwater. Far from feeling like a lecture, it’s a riveting, perfectly timed piece of hard-SF world-building that directly fuels the Martians’ ingenious victory. It reminded me strongly of the late Dan Simmons, whose info-dumps on everything from Arctic expedition history in The Terror to literary, philosophical, and technological layers in the Hyperion Cantos I’ve always loved. Like Simmons, Corcoran doesn’t just dump facts — he weaves well-researched science and history into the narrative so it feels alive, purposeful, and essential to the story.
Corcoran’s portrayal of the Atkins family — the rowdy, hard-drinking, rock-crawling, loose-cannon cousins whose hot-headed independence keeps testing (and ultimately strengthening) the Martian clans — brought James Webb’s Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America to mind every single time they appeared. The Atkinses feel like living, breathing descendants of that exact same ornery, “born fighting” Scots-Irish stock transplanted to the domes and red plains of Mars.
One of the smartest choices Corcoran makes is the complete absence of any non-human aliens. By keeping the focus entirely on human characters, cultures, and politics, the stakes feel immediate, plausible, and emotionally resonant — more like a 22nd-century Western than typical space opera.
Finally, the author’s afterword on how the novel came to exist and his transparency as to sources and inspiration was just terrific. I always appreciate getting clues and suggestions as to books I might be interested in adding to my “to read” stack.
A very strong start for Ark Press. And Corcoran is an author who I will look to read more from.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Red State Mars is the best new science fiction book I’ve read since Project Hail Mary, and not for lack of trying. I’ve searched desperately for years for an alternative from the industrial slurry extruded by Tor, Daw, and Ace. Yes, I have found a few indie gems, such as Corcoran’s Aristillus books, which describe how a single breakthrough technology can threaten even the most entrenched of powers. They were good books, but now Corcoran has an editor. This, Ark Press’s first book, is beautifully polished.
Red State Mars follows the formation of the first Martian state, founded by a coalition of five Texan clans, which themselves coalesced in the anarchic aftermath of World War III. Now, after three generations of peace, they find themselves in another violent Turning, as foretold by Strauss and Howe. In response to the ever-escalating demands of the technocratic eugenicists of the Unitary Sovereign State of China, the Martian clans must put their differences aside and fight together.
Corcoran shows us the war through the eyes of three men: Will, a teenage boy with a dog who goes on Heinleinian adventures as he becomes a soldier; his nerdy uncle Brian, who wins the love of a good woman through feats of engineering; and his father, Jim, who is so used to leadership he’s gone soft, and is forced to admit that even he is not done growing up. Corcoran has been paying attention to many Thanksgiving-table arguments.
In the afterword, the author says he planned Red State Mars as a family saga, but that isn’t how it turned out. Under the guidance of editor Tony Daniel, the older generation’s stories were moved to a separate novella, resulting in a tighter, quicker-launching book. I actually think they could have gone further in this direction and brought more out of Will, Brian, and Jim, but that’s a quibble.
Here’s another: there were some dropped threads. What happened to the young Mormon guy with the wire-rimmed glasses? Why did they use the tainted feedstock? Maybe I missed his answers, but I got the impression that Corcoran had too many balls in the air, and dropped some.
Anyway, the battle scenes were exciting, suspenseful, and technical in the best tradition of Clive Cussler. Satellites, molten salt cooling systems, and missiles all get their chance in the point-of-view spotlight. LLMs are ubiquitous in the 22nd century, where every armored fighting vehicle quotes doctrine and every valve has a opinion. It makes sense for the machines’ voice to be close third person.
As in the Aristillus books, Corcoran is conscientious with his future technology. There’ve been incremental advances in AI, 3D printing, and genetic engineering, but there’s just one black swan: the force field generator. There were chapters of Red State Mars where I alternated between reading about space-explosions and furiously imagining force field tactics. Can you batter through a force field? Yes. Can you reshape it at will? Yes. Can you thrust or see through it? No. But you can flick it on and off rapidly in sync with your cameras or engines. Of course, if you do that, weapons can sneak in. Beautiful stuff. And don’t get me started on what impermeable, immaterial walls mean for nuclear fusion. Leave that up to Corcoran.
There’s quite a lot of town-hall politicking, which was gripping even compared to the coming-of-age-through-microgravity-combat scenes. I was never more emotional a reader than during those debates. Stop interrupting each other!
This is a book about people’s love and loyalty to a place and each other. It gives us what a good story should: a perspective on ourselves, and a view of where we might go from here.
I am delighted, inspired, and even hopeful having read this book. It seized me, it pushed me, it scintillates with the possibilities of the future. It’s exactly the sort of story I couldn’t find for a bleak, censorious decade. And it’s only Ark Press’s first. May there be many, many more.
Red State Mars follows the formation of the first Martian state, founded by a coalition of five Texan clans, which themselves coalesced in the anarchic aftermath of World War III. Now, after three generations of peace, they find themselves in another violent Turning, as foretold by Strauss and Howe. In response to the ever-escalating demands of the technocratic eugenicists of the Unitary Sovereign State of China, the Martian clans must put their differences aside and fight together.
Corcoran shows us the war through the eyes of three men: Will, a teenage boy with a dog who goes on Heinleinian adventures as he becomes a soldier; his nerdy uncle Brian, who wins the love of a good woman through feats of engineering; and his father, Jim, who is so used to leadership he’s gone soft, and is forced to admit that even he is not done growing up. Corcoran has been paying attention to many Thanksgiving-table arguments.
In the afterword, the author says he planned Red State Mars as a family saga, but that isn’t how it turned out. Under the guidance of editor Tony Daniel, the older generation’s stories were moved to a separate novella, resulting in a tighter, quicker-launching book. I actually think they could have gone further in this direction and brought more out of Will, Brian, and Jim, but that’s a quibble.
Here’s another: there were some dropped threads. What happened to the young Mormon guy with the wire-rimmed glasses? Why did they use the tainted feedstock? Maybe I missed his answers, but I got the impression that Corcoran had too many balls in the air, and dropped some.
Anyway, the battle scenes were exciting, suspenseful, and technical in the best tradition of Clive Cussler. Satellites, molten salt cooling systems, and missiles all get their chance in the point-of-view spotlight. LLMs are ubiquitous in the 22nd century, where every armored fighting vehicle quotes doctrine and every valve has a opinion. It makes sense for the machines’ voice to be close third person.
As in the Aristillus books, Corcoran is conscientious with his future technology. There’ve been incremental advances in AI, 3D printing, and genetic engineering, but there’s just one black swan: the force field generator. There were chapters of Red State Mars where I alternated between reading about space-explosions and furiously imagining force field tactics. Can you batter through a force field? Yes. Can you reshape it at will? Yes. Can you thrust or see through it? No. But you can flick it on and off rapidly in sync with your cameras or engines. Of course, if you do that, weapons can sneak in. Beautiful stuff. And don’t get me started on what impermeable, immaterial walls mean for nuclear fusion. Leave that up to Corcoran.
There’s quite a lot of town-hall politicking, which was gripping even compared to the coming-of-age-through-microgravity-combat scenes. I was never more emotional a reader than during those debates. Stop interrupting each other!
This is a book about people’s love and loyalty to a place and each other. It gives us what a good story should: a perspective on ourselves, and a view of where we might go from here.
I am delighted, inspired, and even hopeful having read this book. It seized me, it pushed me, it scintillates with the possibilities of the future. It’s exactly the sort of story I couldn’t find for a bleak, censorious decade. And it’s only Ark Press’s first. May there be many, many more.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
*I recieved an advance copy of the E-book by Ark Press in return for an honest review*
This is a refreshing, positive, action packed Sci-Fi adventure. It reminded me in some ways of a mix of Tom Clancy, Timothy Zahn, and even John Grisham, but told from a very optimistically pro-America/American culture worldview. The military action was oftentimes abstruse unfortunately, but the political story elements were well done; and there are some great characters and themes present.
The story is mainly about the American colonists and the Chinese colonists, who previously had lived in peace, now threatened with war. We follow the American characters as they try to figure out if they go to war, how to do it, who should fight, and whether they should be part of America itself or if they should be free and independent.
This book's strengths lie in it's political thriller elements, as well as its creative way it incorporates the ideas of the founding of America and the founding of the Texas republic as well. These are most prominent in the beginning 200 pages and the last 150ish pages.
The book also has some pretty great protagonist characters in the Newcastle family. I particularly enjoyed the three generations of Benji (founder colonist), Jim (current leader) and Will (the next generation kid). They were all quite entertaining to follow and had interesting character journeys. I will say that my overall favorite character was Rutts Hollins, who just felt like a specific Tom Clancy character that I enjoy.
There are some really creative visual moments in the book that really captured my imagination, as well as some scientific ideas about terraforming Mars that I found fascinating and made me remember my favorite Kursgesagt videos.
This book's weaknesses, however, lie in its military sequences. When the book gets into some military and space scenes, it slows down to much, includes way too much technical jargon, and becomes very abstruse to the reader. This is most prevalent in the middle 200 pages of the book. This kept the book from being top tier for me.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It feels as if you mixed Tom Clancy, John Grisham, and Timothy Zahn books together. I really loved the politcial elements of the book, and enjoy the hopeful attitude it portrays. 7.5 out of 10!
This is a refreshing, positive, action packed Sci-Fi adventure. It reminded me in some ways of a mix of Tom Clancy, Timothy Zahn, and even John Grisham, but told from a very optimistically pro-America/American culture worldview. The military action was oftentimes abstruse unfortunately, but the political story elements were well done; and there are some great characters and themes present.
The story is mainly about the American colonists and the Chinese colonists, who previously had lived in peace, now threatened with war. We follow the American characters as they try to figure out if they go to war, how to do it, who should fight, and whether they should be part of America itself or if they should be free and independent.
This book's strengths lie in it's political thriller elements, as well as its creative way it incorporates the ideas of the founding of America and the founding of the Texas republic as well. These are most prominent in the beginning 200 pages and the last 150ish pages.
The book also has some pretty great protagonist characters in the Newcastle family. I particularly enjoyed the three generations of Benji (founder colonist), Jim (current leader) and Will (the next generation kid). They were all quite entertaining to follow and had interesting character journeys. I will say that my overall favorite character was Rutts Hollins, who just felt like a specific Tom Clancy character that I enjoy.
There are some really creative visual moments in the book that really captured my imagination, as well as some scientific ideas about terraforming Mars that I found fascinating and made me remember my favorite Kursgesagt videos.
This book's weaknesses, however, lie in its military sequences. When the book gets into some military and space scenes, it slows down to much, includes way too much technical jargon, and becomes very abstruse to the reader. This is most prevalent in the middle 200 pages of the book. This kept the book from being top tier for me.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It feels as if you mixed Tom Clancy, John Grisham, and Timothy Zahn books together. I really loved the politcial elements of the book, and enjoy the hopeful attitude it portrays. 7.5 out of 10!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an advanced reader copy of this. I recommend it without reservation.
Do you like adventure books like Treasure Island? It's in here.
Do you like hard science fiction like Asimov? Let me introduce you to the fusion drive, orbital mechanics and a surprise appearance of actual retro tech.
Want generational family-driven fiction like L'Amour's Sackett saga? Got'em in spades.
Want political theory in an off-world experience like Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? Have I got the book for you!
Want Miyazaki-like situations where co-protagonists have to work with each other against a greater evil despite strong fundamental disagreements between the allies? Also here.
Oh, and on top of that--it's a great story. Heroism, sacrifice, white-knuckle risk taking, even a bit of awkward nerdy romance, and a plot that keeps the "what happens next" part of your brain active and anxious.
It's the story of people who are a few generations away from actual, kinetic, fight-for-your-freedom times that suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves thrust back into that, and all of the pain, resolve, tension, and hope that comes out of it.
A thoroughly satisfying read that will stick with you.
Bonus review of bonus material:
For a while, I was picking up all the different editions of Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 that I could find at used bookstores because each edition would have different interviews or other material from the author (reminiscing about the creation of, inspiration for, and societal impact of the book, etc). Eventually I found one edition that collected all of it.
Well, Red State Mars comes with what would be years of snippets here and there from interviews, pre-packaged, at the end of the text. All the in-jokes explained, the impetus for the whole thing, which parts were hard science and where poetic license was taken with the physics, etc. Honestly, after reading that, I was tempted to immediately read it again with the advantage of that background knowledge. A very pleasant surprise at the end of the read.
Do you like adventure books like Treasure Island? It's in here.
Do you like hard science fiction like Asimov? Let me introduce you to the fusion drive, orbital mechanics and a surprise appearance of actual retro tech.
Want generational family-driven fiction like L'Amour's Sackett saga? Got'em in spades.
Want political theory in an off-world experience like Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? Have I got the book for you!
Want Miyazaki-like situations where co-protagonists have to work with each other against a greater evil despite strong fundamental disagreements between the allies? Also here.
Oh, and on top of that--it's a great story. Heroism, sacrifice, white-knuckle risk taking, even a bit of awkward nerdy romance, and a plot that keeps the "what happens next" part of your brain active and anxious.
It's the story of people who are a few generations away from actual, kinetic, fight-for-your-freedom times that suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves thrust back into that, and all of the pain, resolve, tension, and hope that comes out of it.
A thoroughly satisfying read that will stick with you.
Bonus review of bonus material:
For a while, I was picking up all the different editions of Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 that I could find at used bookstores because each edition would have different interviews or other material from the author (reminiscing about the creation of, inspiration for, and societal impact of the book, etc). Eventually I found one edition that collected all of it.
Well, Red State Mars comes with what would be years of snippets here and there from interviews, pre-packaged, at the end of the text. All the in-jokes explained, the impetus for the whole thing, which parts were hard science and where poetic license was taken with the physics, etc. Honestly, after reading that, I was tempted to immediately read it again with the advantage of that background knowledge. A very pleasant surprise at the end of the read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Red State Mars is like the lovechild of Heinlein, Andy Weir, and Neal Stephenson in the best way possible. It's equal parts near-future sci-fi, military sci-fi, and character drama, with a gripping plot that never feels like it overstayed its welcome.
Much like Corcoran's earlier works, the Aristillus stories, the science is laid out in a plausible way without being dry, adding a level of reality that brought me in rather than making my eyes glaze over. Most importantly, the world of Red State Mars felt lived in, where you can see why the characters are the way that they are, where the world is so unlike our own, but the motivations and reasons for their culture makes perfect sense.
RSM is about pioneers trying to carve out a living on the edge of what is humanly possible, namely the lifeless planet of Mars. Then an outside force decides to upset the delicate balance of disparate people, leading to possible calamity or to triumph. The lives of the families of Mars are beset on all sides by a much more powerful foe, who wishes for total hegemonic domination of the planet.
This book is great if you like underdog stories of smart, competent people rising to the occasion and overcoming a seemingly unstoppable enemy.
Much like Corcoran's earlier works, the Aristillus stories, the science is laid out in a plausible way without being dry, adding a level of reality that brought me in rather than making my eyes glaze over. Most importantly, the world of Red State Mars felt lived in, where you can see why the characters are the way that they are, where the world is so unlike our own, but the motivations and reasons for their culture makes perfect sense.
RSM is about pioneers trying to carve out a living on the edge of what is humanly possible, namely the lifeless planet of Mars. Then an outside force decides to upset the delicate balance of disparate people, leading to possible calamity or to triumph. The lives of the families of Mars are beset on all sides by a much more powerful foe, who wishes for total hegemonic domination of the planet.
This book is great if you like underdog stories of smart, competent people rising to the occasion and overcoming a seemingly unstoppable enemy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary Advance Reader Copy of Travis J.I. Corcoran’s Red State Mars from the publisher for review purposes. Other than committing to post a review, I made no other representation as to what I would say.
What an incredibly bumpy ride. Political intrigue, running space battles, and sociological insights of cramped quarters, family clans, and cultural issues, woven together into a story that reminded me of some of the old classics that I have loved, but with a completely new voice. The characters felt relatable and familiar, the setting wove nicely between Mars and orbit, and I loved how much I related to the annoyance of the AI and the story of a boy and his dog. My friends know that I am less a hard-core sci-fi reader, though I have been known to love Asimov, Heinlein, Niven, and Pernell, but this is a great story, no matter where it might have been set. More than enough action to keep me riveted and enough cultural color to keep me entertained. I am buying a copy for my husband to enjoy. This is more up his alley than my own, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
What an incredibly bumpy ride. Political intrigue, running space battles, and sociological insights of cramped quarters, family clans, and cultural issues, woven together into a story that reminded me of some of the old classics that I have loved, but with a completely new voice. The characters felt relatable and familiar, the setting wove nicely between Mars and orbit, and I loved how much I related to the annoyance of the AI and the story of a boy and his dog. My friends know that I am less a hard-core sci-fi reader, though I have been known to love Asimov, Heinlein, Niven, and Pernell, but this is a great story, no matter where it might have been set. More than enough action to keep me riveted and enough cultural color to keep me entertained. I am buying a copy for my husband to enjoy. This is more up his alley than my own, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had the pleasure of receiving an advance reader copy and greatly enjoyed the book. This story reminded me of a cross between Heinlein and Crichton and had the hallmarks of great sci-fi by combining cool technological developments and the corresponding evolution of humanity to adapt to the future and life on Mars. There was just the right amount of technical asides that added the hard sci-fi flavor to stay grounded, but the heart of the story is in the realpolitiking between the different factions on Mars. Corcoran did a great job creating real ideological and philosophical motivations for each of the characters so that their interactions felt organic and fresh. The action was great and I thought the tactics described felt real to the terrain and weapons. It was paced like a thriller and I never was dragging on any passages. I also thought the niche references of the ship names were especially humorous. Overall great read and a good glimpse into a world I hope to get more of in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Red State Mars is an odd cross of genres being very much a science fiction novel, but with a western frontier feeling. It has a pre-1980s sci-fi sense of hopefulness with things being new and open to exploration instead of the more modern "humans are the real baddies" flavour. The science is on the harder side as opposed to "space magic" and things like the nods to specific events in the space program help make the fictional world feel grounded. At the same time, there aren't overly long passages about dry technical details. Politics are a part of the story and fortunately in the form of universal themes as opposed to the author weighing in on current-day issues. The book clocks in at a helfty 624 pages, but never feels bogged down.
I received an advance copy with the promise to write a review, which I'm happy to do. It's a solid 4.5/5 sci-fi western that's very modern while retaining an old school hopefulness.
I received an advance copy with the promise to write a review, which I'm happy to do. It's a solid 4.5/5 sci-fi western that's very modern while retaining an old school hopefulness.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Captivating military science-fiction.
While there were to passages, that dragged out some technical expertise, they weren't too long and couldn't distract from the great pacing of the rest of the rest of the book.
It started with a lot of characters, but it didn't devolve into too many more, so you could easily follow the action and the characters after that.
While there were to passages, that dragged out some technical expertise, they weren't too long and couldn't distract from the great pacing of the rest of the rest of the book.
It started with a lot of characters, but it didn't devolve into too many more, so you could easily follow the action and the characters after that.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks for the arc.
No of the characters grabbed me. And in some chapters we switch pow Little to offend for my tastes. But the book was fast pase and the story was interesting. I felt there could be less pow and little shorter.
If you like hope full sci-fi and character (about 5 pow) base story with drone battle this may be for you.
No of the characters grabbed me. And in some chapters we switch pow Little to offend for my tastes. But the book was fast pase and the story was interesting. I felt there could be less pow and little shorter.
If you like hope full sci-fi and character (about 5 pow) base story with drone battle this may be for you.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a great scifi book. The world building of the history of the US in the 22nd century is really good. The vision of how AI will be normalized is super realistic. The pacing of the book is really good too. It is a good change up compared to the Aristillus Series.
Read
May 12, 2026Got to read an advanced copy and really enjoyed it. Full review to come.
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