Mars and the Mind of Man

by Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Bruce Murray

On November 12, 1971, the day before NASA’s Mariner 9 mission reached Mars and became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, Caltech Planetary Science professor Bruce Murray summoned a panel of thinkers to discuss the implications of the historic event. The panel included Carl Sagan and science fiction icons Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke in a conversation moderated by New York Times science editor Walter Sullivan. What unfolded was a quilt of perspectives on the relationship between mankind and the cosmos, the importance of space exploration, and the future of our civilization. Two years later, the record of this conversation was released in Mars and the Mind of Man, alongside early images of Mars taken by Mariner 9 and a selection of “afterthoughts” by the panelists, looking back on the historic achievement.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Space, Philosophy, History, Astronomy

143 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.

Bradbury is best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and The October Country (1955). Other notable works include the coming of age novel Dandelion Wine (1957), the dark fantasy Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992). He also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books. Bradbury also wrote poetry which has been published in several collections, such as They Have Not Seen the Stars (2001).

The New York Times called Bradbury "An author whose fanciful imagination, poetic prose, and mature understanding of human character have won him an international reputation" and "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream".

Reviews

[Phillip Welshans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually the transcript of remarks given at a panel in November 1971 prior to the Mariner 9 probe entering orbit around Mars. The panel was held at CalTech and consisted of Carl Sagan, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Bruce Murray (professor of planetary sciences at CalTech) and was moderated by Walter Sullivan (science editor at the NYT at the time).

The first part of the book are the panelists' remarks during the event. The second part of the book are remarks each panelist wrote a year after Mariner 9 entered orbit.

Being a big Bradbury fan, his remarks are my favorite, however, all the panelists, including Sullivan, present very interesting viewpoints on Mars, space exploration and its place within both American culture and humankind's evolution.

It's a super short read at just 143 pages and you get everything from the scientific, analytical take from Murray to the fantastical view from the two writers. Sagan's writing is a blend of both, and is compelling as well.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! This book interviews leading Mars scientists and sci-fi authors on the eve of Mariner 9's arrival at Mars, soliciting guesses about what we might see -- and then two years later asks them to reflect on what we DID see. The transformation is a glimpse of science at its best, responding to what we observe and giving up outdated expectations, as well as the bravery of making predictions about the unknown. It really drives home the importance of this mission and how it transformed our understanding of Mars.

[Eric Konzelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at the mindset of popular thinkers of the 70s as it relates to the uncovering of the surface of Mars via the Mariner 9 probe. Wouldn't have encountered this book had it not been gifted to me, but for fans of space, Mars, or generally the stories we tell ourselves about exploration and the unknown, it's a pretty good read from some famous scientific thinkers and public speakers.

[Michael A. Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old, but *still* worthwhile. Yeah, we know more now, but the heady promise of exploration is timeless. Great assembled cast of essayists, lots of full-page photographs from the Mariner 9 mission, short and easy to read.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting look at the history of not just the American but Soviet (Russia for you young ones) exploration of Mars. There was a seminar on the eve of Mariner 9 entering Martian orbit. The panel consisted of Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Bruce Murray, Carl Sagan, Walter Sullivan. They had a lot to say about the history, fiction and science of Mars. It was interesting to see where what they believed would be changing shortly once the images started to arrive from Mariner 9. The second half of the book was the thoughts of the panel members written a year later. In some of the writings you can detect the post Apollo mission decline of support for space exploration it is kind of sad to see and living today knowing there is so little support for science and exploration. The writings were just so very interesting especially what Ray Bradbury had to say and Mr. Bradbury's poetry.

If you have an interest in science and exploration along with fiction this is a book you should read. The look back is amazing.