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The Big Book of Mars: From Ancient Egypt to The Martian, A Deep-Space Dive into Our Obsession with the Red Planet
The Red Planet takes center stage in this entertaining, well researched, and fully illustrated pop history of Earthlings' long relationship with Mars, and its impact on pop culture, space exploration, and our hopes for the future.
Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the Ancient Sumerians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until 1877, when "canals" were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there's life on Mars. In The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells suggested that we wouldn't need to make contact with Martians--they'd come for us--while, many years later, Nikola Tesla claimed that he did make contact.
Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture. It has its own day of the week (Tuesday, or martis in Latin), candy bar, and iconic Looney Tunes character. It has been the subject of iconic novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles to Mars Attacks! to The Martian. And it has sparked a space-race feud between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, who both hope to send a manned mission to Mars in the near future.
Filled with entertaining history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists, The Big Book of Mars is the most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars--yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the Ancient Sumerians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until 1877, when "canals" were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there's life on Mars. In The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells suggested that we wouldn't need to make contact with Martians--they'd come for us--while, many years later, Nikola Tesla claimed that he did make contact.
Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture. It has its own day of the week (Tuesday, or martis in Latin), candy bar, and iconic Looney Tunes character. It has been the subject of iconic novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles to Mars Attacks! to The Martian. And it has sparked a space-race feud between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, who both hope to send a manned mission to Mars in the near future.
Filled with entertaining history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists, The Big Book of Mars is the most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars--yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
251 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2020
About the author
Marc Hartzman
21 books56 followersABC News has called Marc Hartzman "one of America's leading connoisseurs of the bizarre" and George Noory from Coast to Coast AM said he's "as bizarre as Robert Ripley." Hartzman considers both high praise since his passion for the unusual started with Ripley's Believe It Or Not and the annual Guinness World Records books during his youth.
In addition to his books about UFOs, ghosts, Mars, Oliver Cromwell's embalmed head, weird things on eBay, sideshow performers, and unorthodox messages from God, Hartzman has written for Mental Floss, HuffPost, AOL Weird News, All That's Interesting, The Morbid Anatomy Online Journal, and Bizarre magazine. He's discussed oddities on CNN, MSNBC, Ripley’s Radio, History Channel’s The UnXplained, Xploration Outer Space, the Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum, and dozens of podcasts. Hartzman has also been a featured speaker at a various of events for a range of audiences, including the Explore Mars Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, D.C., the Coney Island Congress of Curious Peoples, New York ComicCon, the Exeter UFO Festival, and the Brooklyn Historical Society.
More of his love for the unusual can be found online at Weird Historian. Outside of these projects, Hartzman earns a living as an award-winning advertising creative director.
In addition to his books about UFOs, ghosts, Mars, Oliver Cromwell's embalmed head, weird things on eBay, sideshow performers, and unorthodox messages from God, Hartzman has written for Mental Floss, HuffPost, AOL Weird News, All That's Interesting, The Morbid Anatomy Online Journal, and Bizarre magazine. He's discussed oddities on CNN, MSNBC, Ripley’s Radio, History Channel’s The UnXplained, Xploration Outer Space, the Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum, and dozens of podcasts. Hartzman has also been a featured speaker at a various of events for a range of audiences, including the Explore Mars Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, D.C., the Coney Island Congress of Curious Peoples, New York ComicCon, the Exeter UFO Festival, and the Brooklyn Historical Society.
More of his love for the unusual can be found online at Weird Historian. Outside of these projects, Hartzman earns a living as an award-winning advertising creative director.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 27, 2023
Nie jestem fanką kosmicznych tematów, ale po obejrzeniu filmu na YT Diany z @bardziejlubieksiazki, wiedziałam, że muszę to przeczytać.
Prócz całkiem niemałej dawki wiedzy o Czerwonej Planecie, znajdziecie w tej książce mnóstwo intrygujących zagadnień, np:
- czym charakteryzują się marsjańskie bobry
- dlaczego Marsjanin nie jest mały i zielony
- co Flinstonowie mają wspólnego z naszą wizją Marsjan
- czy Marsjanin pochodzi od foki tak jak człowiek od małpy
- co znajduje się za uchem egipskiego sfinksa
- czy da się wywołać marsjańskiego ducha
- jak zrobić kupę (sic!) międzyplanetarną
- kiedy skolonizujemy Marsa
- czy planujemy pierwszy kosmiczny poród
Czujecie się zachęceni?
Powiem Wam jeszcze, że książka jest przepięknie wydana. Zdjęcia i ilustracje oglądałam z latarką w dłoni, żeby dojrzeć wszystkie szczegóły ☺️ Podobała mi się ta kosmiczna przygoda i gorąco polecam ją każdemu, kto jest głodny wiedzy.
Prócz całkiem niemałej dawki wiedzy o Czerwonej Planecie, znajdziecie w tej książce mnóstwo intrygujących zagadnień, np:
- czym charakteryzują się marsjańskie bobry
- dlaczego Marsjanin nie jest mały i zielony
- co Flinstonowie mają wspólnego z naszą wizją Marsjan
- czy Marsjanin pochodzi od foki tak jak człowiek od małpy
- co znajduje się za uchem egipskiego sfinksa
- czy da się wywołać marsjańskiego ducha
- jak zrobić kupę (sic!) międzyplanetarną
- kiedy skolonizujemy Marsa
- czy planujemy pierwszy kosmiczny poród
Czujecie się zachęceni?
Powiem Wam jeszcze, że książka jest przepięknie wydana. Zdjęcia i ilustracje oglądałam z latarką w dłoni, żeby dojrzeć wszystkie szczegóły ☺️ Podobała mi się ta kosmiczna przygoda i gorąco polecam ją każdemu, kto jest głodny wiedzy.
November 29, 2021
This book was mental! But in a good way. I never knew Mars inspired such craziness in people! From mediums and other self proclaimed spiritual gurus claiming to have had out of body, spiritual journeys to Mars, and interplanetary telepathic relationships with Martians--and people believed that sh*t??? The other ridiculous, laughably desperate great lengths that highly intelligent people went through to get Martians' attention. How satan worshipers contributed to the advancement of space travel technology. People claiming to see Kermit the frog and Beeker on Martian terrain. And of course, there was the story of what gullible, panicking idiots people were, over The radio reenactment of War of the Worlds. Come to find out, that was not the only incidentWhere a radio show faking alien contact got people all freaked out. Oh, and the B-movies. I was laughing through the whole book. I enjoyed the more serious facts about space history to. The Author jumped back and forth through Time periods a little much, but otherwise, it was a fun, fulfilling, fact jam-packed read.
July 1, 2020
Ive always had a fascination with space, and in recent years have consumed several works of media that set its story and events on the red planet. From the martian, too red rising, and the video game surviving mars, the general interest in mars seems to have grown substantially in the last ten years.
The Big Book of Mars explains many historical opinions on mars from across history, with a prime focus in the late Victorian and pre World War 1 years. This was all fascinating to me as I had never heard some of the theories that scientists back then believed in, with some of them seeming positively ridiculous today.
This book works well when read in many smaller chunks, and reads well enough to keep your interest throughout. The author has imbued it with humour and sarcasm to convey their opinions on these ‘Scientific’ theories, which is a joy to read and helps invigorate some of the slower sections.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone and wholly enjoyed my experience reading it.
Thank you to the publisher Quirk Books, and Net Galley for providing my copy of The Big Book of Mars.
4.5 / 5
The Big Book of Mars explains many historical opinions on mars from across history, with a prime focus in the late Victorian and pre World War 1 years. This was all fascinating to me as I had never heard some of the theories that scientists back then believed in, with some of them seeming positively ridiculous today.
This book works well when read in many smaller chunks, and reads well enough to keep your interest throughout. The author has imbued it with humour and sarcasm to convey their opinions on these ‘Scientific’ theories, which is a joy to read and helps invigorate some of the slower sections.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone and wholly enjoyed my experience reading it.
Thank you to the publisher Quirk Books, and Net Galley for providing my copy of The Big Book of Mars.
4.5 / 5
August 9, 2020
(3.5 stars) This was an interesting read about the planet that humans have always been the most fascinated with (aside from our own). The main focus of this work is how humans have viewed and reacted to Mars. In particular, when in the 1880s, astronomers saw lines along the planet and it was mis-labeled as canals, human interest in Mars increased exponentially. Thus started the desire to reach out to contact the aliens on Mars, which offered some pretty comical (in retrospect) initiative to do so. This also lead to a significant increase in science-fiction literature, with perhaps the most famous example being H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. Yet, setting aside the pop culture/literature, there was a great deal of legitimate scientific interest in the planets, as evidenced by the various satellites and probes/rovers launched to cover the surface.
Eventually, I think we will land humans on the planet. The story of Mars and our interest in the planet will only continue to grow. While we will never see Martians (that I am aware of), it will always be a point of interest to study and learn about this planet. Perhaps it will be the greater springboard to the future, when humanity moves beyond this planet and out into the cosmos. This is a fun work to demonstrate our fascination/interest in the world. The best bet is to read the hard copy, to make use of the illustrations and diagrams (a little tough in an e-book format to read).
Eventually, I think we will land humans on the planet. The story of Mars and our interest in the planet will only continue to grow. While we will never see Martians (that I am aware of), it will always be a point of interest to study and learn about this planet. Perhaps it will be the greater springboard to the future, when humanity moves beyond this planet and out into the cosmos. This is a fun work to demonstrate our fascination/interest in the world. The best bet is to read the hard copy, to make use of the illustrations and diagrams (a little tough in an e-book format to read).
March 5, 2021
This is a wonderful overview of the red planet. like many people who love astronomy, I have read a lot of science fiction as well. This book combines these aspects to produce an overview of our relationship to the red planet. From fact to fiction, from myth to science, this entertaining read is incredibly well researched and is a very satisfying read. Looking here at Goodreads, I can see the author has many other interesting books which I am now going to follow up. Highly recommended.
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December 3, 2022Tak bardzo polubiłam tę książkę, że właściwie jesteśmy teraz kumplami... bo myślę, że ona też mnie polubiła. To bardzo sprytnie napisana pozycja, przy której możesz się głośno śmiać, ale i sporo dowiedzieć - oczywiście jest także genialnie wydana! Czyli intelekt, humor i wygląd - połączenie idealne.
Marc Hartzman podarował nam WIELKĄ KSIĘGĘ MARS i jest to tytuł zarazem dosłowny, jak i dowcipny i przewrotny. Autor bowiem nie odkrywa przed nami planety, jej prawdziwego oblicza, a raczej to mityczne, baśniowe - to, które my, Ziemianie chcieliśmy, lub nawet nadal chcemy widzieć.
Nie miałam bladego pojęcia, że ludzie aż tak konfabulowali na temat Czerwonej Planety i to ludzie "nauki", nie tylko pisarze, czy jacyś tam bajkotwórcy. Te UFOLUDKI z jajowatymi głowami, te spodki krążące nad chmurami, te wizje inwazji Marsjan na Ziemię... ile tego było! I jakie to było pomysłowe! Przyznaję, że ludzkość bez wątpienia ma wyobraźnię.
Cóż, nasza droga na MARSA była wyboista, ale i bardzo ciekawa, pełna inspirujących faktów, zagadkowych odkryć, znaków zapytania, a może przede wszystkim rozpaczliwego pragnienia pewności, że nie jesteśmy sami w tym wielkim Wszechświecie - a Mars był naszym najbliższym punktem zaczepienia... choć teorie o WENUS też były interesujące.
Historia podboju Czerwonej Planety jest targana dwoma emocjami : ciekawością i strachem. Z jednej strony nie możemy oprzeć się szukaniu, z drugiej boimy się najeźdźców, obcych. Piszę to w czasie teraźniejszym, bo nadal tak jest. Oczywiście dążymy do zrozumienia, ale nadal, gdzieś tam, pod skórą, czujemy napięcie i strach.... przed nieznanym.
WIELKA KSIĘGA MARSA jest pełna fantastycznych faktów, dzikich teorii, ale prawdopodobnie one wszystkie były i są nam potrzebne. Pobudzamy swoją wyobraźnię i choć teraz się z tego śmiejemy, to to jest nasza, ludzka cecha - wymyślać i sprawdzać. Jest w tym coś pięknego, choć większość z przedstawionych w tej książce opowieści jest wręcz kuriozalna.
mamy do czynienia z pięknie wydaną książką, przy której będziecie się świetnie bawić i poznacie inne oblicze MARSA, bo kto wie? Może pod powierzchnią? ... "MARSJAŃSKIE ISTOTY ROZUMNE MOGĄ SPOGLĄDAĆ NA NAS TAK JAK MY PATRZYMY NA MAŁPY W MENAŻERII..."
Bogato ilustrowana książka, z naprawdę masą ciekawych ilustracji i zdjęć. Jest co oglądać i jest co czytać. Obok SZARLATANÓW najlepsza książka od bo.wiem Wydawnictwa UJ z serii #nauka. Bardzo polecam, nie tylko żywo zainteresowanym kosmosem, ale każdemu, bo ta książka, to świetna rozrywka.
cześć zielony ludku
seria #nauka
bo.wiem
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytety Jagiellońskiego
Marc Hartzman podarował nam WIELKĄ KSIĘGĘ MARS i jest to tytuł zarazem dosłowny, jak i dowcipny i przewrotny. Autor bowiem nie odkrywa przed nami planety, jej prawdziwego oblicza, a raczej to mityczne, baśniowe - to, które my, Ziemianie chcieliśmy, lub nawet nadal chcemy widzieć.
Nie miałam bladego pojęcia, że ludzie aż tak konfabulowali na temat Czerwonej Planety i to ludzie "nauki", nie tylko pisarze, czy jacyś tam bajkotwórcy. Te UFOLUDKI z jajowatymi głowami, te spodki krążące nad chmurami, te wizje inwazji Marsjan na Ziemię... ile tego było! I jakie to było pomysłowe! Przyznaję, że ludzkość bez wątpienia ma wyobraźnię.
Cóż, nasza droga na MARSA była wyboista, ale i bardzo ciekawa, pełna inspirujących faktów, zagadkowych odkryć, znaków zapytania, a może przede wszystkim rozpaczliwego pragnienia pewności, że nie jesteśmy sami w tym wielkim Wszechświecie - a Mars był naszym najbliższym punktem zaczepienia... choć teorie o WENUS też były interesujące.
Historia podboju Czerwonej Planety jest targana dwoma emocjami : ciekawością i strachem. Z jednej strony nie możemy oprzeć się szukaniu, z drugiej boimy się najeźdźców, obcych. Piszę to w czasie teraźniejszym, bo nadal tak jest. Oczywiście dążymy do zrozumienia, ale nadal, gdzieś tam, pod skórą, czujemy napięcie i strach.... przed nieznanym.
WIELKA KSIĘGA MARSA jest pełna fantastycznych faktów, dzikich teorii, ale prawdopodobnie one wszystkie były i są nam potrzebne. Pobudzamy swoją wyobraźnię i choć teraz się z tego śmiejemy, to to jest nasza, ludzka cecha - wymyślać i sprawdzać. Jest w tym coś pięknego, choć większość z przedstawionych w tej książce opowieści jest wręcz kuriozalna.
mamy do czynienia z pięknie wydaną książką, przy której będziecie się świetnie bawić i poznacie inne oblicze MARSA, bo kto wie? Może pod powierzchnią? ... "MARSJAŃSKIE ISTOTY ROZUMNE MOGĄ SPOGLĄDAĆ NA NAS TAK JAK MY PATRZYMY NA MAŁPY W MENAŻERII..."
Bogato ilustrowana książka, z naprawdę masą ciekawych ilustracji i zdjęć. Jest co oglądać i jest co czytać. Obok SZARLATANÓW najlepsza książka od bo.wiem Wydawnictwa UJ z serii #nauka. Bardzo polecam, nie tylko żywo zainteresowanym kosmosem, ale każdemu, bo ta książka, to świetna rozrywka.
cześć zielony ludku
seria #nauka
bo.wiem
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytety Jagiellońskiego
December 31, 2022
Współpraca barterowa.
Na sam początek powiem, że niestety, mnie ta książka nie kupiła i w zasadzie się rozczarowałam, poprzednią książkę z serii (Szczepienia) pokochałam i liczyłam na podobne podejście do Marsa, to było jednak ciut, hm, dziwaczne?😂
Nie powiem, że źle się to czytało, bo styl jest świetny, dużo humoru i w zasadzie bardzo szybko to przeczytałam, jednocześnie co chwilę łapiąc się na przerywaniu z poczuciem dezorientacji zmiksowanej z rozbawieniem. Dostajemy tu dużo naprawdę nietuzinkowych ciekawostek, jednak, co by nie było, to wszystko nie znajduje się w kręgu mych zainteresowań.
To bardziej książka o postrzeganiu Marsa przez ludzkość niż o Marsie, zważajcie na to. Można z niej wynieść naprawdę wiele zaskakujących farmazonów dawnych lat i aż ciężko w niektóre uwierzyć, więc jeżeli to spojrzenie ludzkości Was interesuje, to na pewno będziecie się świetnie bawić!😎
Podobała mi się strona wizualna książki i wszelkiego rodzaju dodatki, zwłaszcza archiwalne zdjęcia! W tej kwestii nie podobał mi się tylko brak podpisów pod zdjęciami - byłoby to bardziej przejrzyste, jednak źródła zdjęć znajdują się na końcu książki.
To była nieszablonowa pozycja i choćby za tę wyjątkowość zasługuje na uwagę, przedstawia dziwne rzeczy, może rozbawić, ale może też zainteresować. Pełna ciekawostek, ale szczerze Wam mówię, to nie było dla mnie, brakowało mi jednak typowo ścisłej nauki, której oczekiwałam!😩
Ode mnie 4/10 ⭐
Nie zaskoczyło między nami, ale wierzę, że na pewno znajdzie swoich miłośnikowi, lecz to nie jest mój typ lektur bym mogła ją polecać ogółowi 😅 Zdecydujcie sami!
Na sam początek powiem, że niestety, mnie ta książka nie kupiła i w zasadzie się rozczarowałam, poprzednią książkę z serii (Szczepienia) pokochałam i liczyłam na podobne podejście do Marsa, to było jednak ciut, hm, dziwaczne?😂
Nie powiem, że źle się to czytało, bo styl jest świetny, dużo humoru i w zasadzie bardzo szybko to przeczytałam, jednocześnie co chwilę łapiąc się na przerywaniu z poczuciem dezorientacji zmiksowanej z rozbawieniem. Dostajemy tu dużo naprawdę nietuzinkowych ciekawostek, jednak, co by nie było, to wszystko nie znajduje się w kręgu mych zainteresowań.
To bardziej książka o postrzeganiu Marsa przez ludzkość niż o Marsie, zważajcie na to. Można z niej wynieść naprawdę wiele zaskakujących farmazonów dawnych lat i aż ciężko w niektóre uwierzyć, więc jeżeli to spojrzenie ludzkości Was interesuje, to na pewno będziecie się świetnie bawić!😎
Podobała mi się strona wizualna książki i wszelkiego rodzaju dodatki, zwłaszcza archiwalne zdjęcia! W tej kwestii nie podobał mi się tylko brak podpisów pod zdjęciami - byłoby to bardziej przejrzyste, jednak źródła zdjęć znajdują się na końcu książki.
To była nieszablonowa pozycja i choćby za tę wyjątkowość zasługuje na uwagę, przedstawia dziwne rzeczy, może rozbawić, ale może też zainteresować. Pełna ciekawostek, ale szczerze Wam mówię, to nie było dla mnie, brakowało mi jednak typowo ścisłej nauki, której oczekiwałam!😩
Ode mnie 4/10 ⭐
Nie zaskoczyło między nami, ale wierzę, że na pewno znajdzie swoich miłośnikowi, lecz to nie jest mój typ lektur bym mogła ją polecać ogółowi 😅 Zdecydujcie sami!
Read
June 20, 2020Well, this looked like a wonder of the modern age, which makes it even more of a shame that netgalley were only dispensing the first third of this wonderful non-fiction read. I'm guessing only a writer with an eye for the esoteric could cover the stories of ancient contact between Earth and Mars, considering as it does signals boosted from here to there by a high-flying hot air balloon, and flashes of mirrored light, Morse Code, numbers, a face, oh and a stone carving allegedly looking like Geoffrey Chaucer of all people coming back the other way. This bright and breezy book only suffers when it gives itself too many pictorial pages and box-outs, but on the whole is eminently readable, and right up my street with its depth and lightness, its scientific eye yet its enjoyment of the trivial. On the evidence of the chapters concerning our thoughts about Martian canals and civilisations, and our limited rover research up there (including the signs of life NASA found but never spoke about), this is an essential look at all things Red Planet-related. Unseen chapters bringing Tim Burton, chocolate bars and Elon Musk into the picture can only add to the fun.
July 18, 2020
Read this review and more on my blog.
I received a free copy of The Big Book of Mars in exchange for my honest opinion.
The sample copy of The Big Book of Mars that I received was only 82 pages long, so I am reviewing these pages. The rest of the book should be different to what there was at the start but unfortunately I am unable to comment on the rest.
The Big Book of Mars attempts to collect all the historical thoughts and idea on Mars, life on Mars and how to get to Mars. Back in the early days, before modern astronomy, there were numerous idea as to what Martians looked like, what their cities and lifestyles were and almost all agreed that Martians were smarter than humans.
I struggled to get into this book, while I absolutely love space and was super interested to learn more about ‘the red planet’ I frequently putting this book down and had to force myself to pick it back up again.
While I struggled to enjoy the writing style, the actual information contained with these pages was of extreme interest. I learnt a great deal about how early astronomers shaped the publics opinion on our closest neighbour.
While our fascination with Mars has not waned, the only way that we are going to learn more our this planet is by going to it. The probes that have been launched in the past (and some that are still active on Mars) have given us a great insight as to what to expect when we arrive; I suspect that few will have gotten what Mars is actually like.
What I read was very well researched but ultimately did not hook me into the story that was being told.
I received a free copy of The Big Book of Mars in exchange for my honest opinion.
The sample copy of The Big Book of Mars that I received was only 82 pages long, so I am reviewing these pages. The rest of the book should be different to what there was at the start but unfortunately I am unable to comment on the rest.
The Big Book of Mars attempts to collect all the historical thoughts and idea on Mars, life on Mars and how to get to Mars. Back in the early days, before modern astronomy, there were numerous idea as to what Martians looked like, what their cities and lifestyles were and almost all agreed that Martians were smarter than humans.
I struggled to get into this book, while I absolutely love space and was super interested to learn more about ‘the red planet’ I frequently putting this book down and had to force myself to pick it back up again.
While I struggled to enjoy the writing style, the actual information contained with these pages was of extreme interest. I learnt a great deal about how early astronomers shaped the publics opinion on our closest neighbour.
While our fascination with Mars has not waned, the only way that we are going to learn more our this planet is by going to it. The probes that have been launched in the past (and some that are still active on Mars) have given us a great insight as to what to expect when we arrive; I suspect that few will have gotten what Mars is actually like.
What I read was very well researched but ultimately did not hook me into the story that was being told.
August 13, 2020
Um olhar para o planeta Marte, dividido entre várias vertentes. Primeiro, os mitos das ciências incipientes, sobre canais e possíveis habitantes. Não esquece a interrelação entre cultura popular e estes mitos vindos de observações que posteriormente vieram a ser desacreditadas pelo avançar da ciência. Marte, com os seus canais e civilizações imaginárias, captou a imaginação no cinema e literatura, e não deixou de o fazer quando a ciência nos mostrou ser um planeta deserto e desprovido de vida (tanto quanto se sabe), com o sonho de o colonizar a substituir a aventura clássica. Finalmente, encerra com um panorama do que se sabe, hoje, de Marte graças à exploração levada a cabo por sondas e rovers, bem como uma visão dos planos para o estabelecimento de uma presença humana no planeta vermelho.
July 7, 2022
As always, to study Mars is to study Earth, and to study the idea of Martians is to examine humans and our own history.
Hartzman goes through the history of humans' thoughts on Mars, from ancient civilizations to today's think tanks, and our thoughts at any given point on the Red Planet say a LOT about how we are doing here on Earth.
For example, a lot of the 19th century ideas that there must be Martians and we should try and talk to them are fascinating, especially as they say so much about Western optimism and expectations in regards to expansion and technology, as opposed to the 20th century, when our world gets darker, and thoughts on Martians reflect that.
The last chapter, covering current attempts to get a manned mission to Mars, is already outdated, and I hope there are new editions to keep this section more up to date.
September 29, 2021
An interesting and often quite entertaining overview of Mars and our evolving relationship with the Red Planet, Marc Hartzman’s The Big Book of Mars offers history, insight and speculation in an easily accessible package.
Although I was disappointed by the relatively low quantity of images (it is designed as a ‘large-format’ picture book) and question the frequency of spreads featuring nothing other than text (including full pages containing only a short quote), there’s a lot to like about the included content, and the author’s very readable approach to summarising Mars’ impact regarding science, technology, fiction, personalities (individuals often scheming to make a buck) and ongoing influences in our popular culture.
Although I was disappointed by the relatively low quantity of images (it is designed as a ‘large-format’ picture book) and question the frequency of spreads featuring nothing other than text (including full pages containing only a short quote), there’s a lot to like about the included content, and the author’s very readable approach to summarising Mars’ impact regarding science, technology, fiction, personalities (individuals often scheming to make a buck) and ongoing influences in our popular culture.
June 18, 2020
"The Big Book of Mars" is a lot of fun. Marc Hartzman's use of humour makes for a quick read and prevents the book from becoming dry. The photos are a joy. This is the perfect coffee table book.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
September 5, 2020
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone non-fiction book about Mars. I got a copy of this book through the publisher, Quirk Books, for review.
Content (4/5): This was a well done book with some fun information about Mars. There was a lot of obscure info in here that I had never heard about. I also really enjoyed all the pictures of old newspaper articles and other Mars paraphernalia.
Writing Style (4/5): I think my only complaint is that it was organized by theme rather than timeline. So, for each chapter that started a new theme you would go back to the 1800's (or earlier) and work your way to the present. I think it would have presented a better "story" and been more engaging and easy to follow if it hadn't jumped around the historic timeline so much. Aside from that issue it was written in an entertaining way that was very engaging and humorous at times.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a great book for people who want to learn more about Mars, or just like quirky facts in general. It also makes a great coffee table type of book.
Content (4/5): This was a well done book with some fun information about Mars. There was a lot of obscure info in here that I had never heard about. I also really enjoyed all the pictures of old newspaper articles and other Mars paraphernalia.
Writing Style (4/5): I think my only complaint is that it was organized by theme rather than timeline. So, for each chapter that started a new theme you would go back to the 1800's (or earlier) and work your way to the present. I think it would have presented a better "story" and been more engaging and easy to follow if it hadn't jumped around the historic timeline so much. Aside from that issue it was written in an entertaining way that was very engaging and humorous at times.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a great book for people who want to learn more about Mars, or just like quirky facts in general. It also makes a great coffee table type of book.
February 17, 2023
Love this format. It would make a good gift for a tween or high schooler who is into the solar system and things, but not overly interested in physics and math. It's very readable without getting too lost in the details.
December 22, 2020
DNF'd 50%
May 2, 2021
Witty humor combined with science and history makes this book for an enjoyable read.
November 8, 2023
A good book about how people have had this fantasy about what Mars is to what it could be but often times being sensationalized
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2020
This was a great book that delved into the history of mars and humanity's obsession with the red planet. There were times I found myself laughing out loud and other times where I made mental notes to store the tidbits of knowledge for future conversations. Who knew NASA is thanks to Satanists?!
February 10, 2021
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Originally, I received an excerpt, but promptly proceeded to order the actual book once I started reading it. (The paper version itself is hefty and printed on thick glossy paper and smells good, and yes, I know, I like smelling my books.)
This book deals with how we have perceived Mars, currently and historically, whether in reality or in fiction works, starting with the Victorian period. It abunds in colourful illustrations, which makes its reading all the more pleasant – especially if you do that in little chunks rather than all at once (but really, “all at once” is very tempting, because it is definitely interesting). The style is fairly humoristic in places, making for an entertaining read on top of an informative one – perhaps even more information would’ve been good here? I can never get enough when it comes to Mars, I guess.
I couldn’t decide at first whether I liked the choice of going by theme rather than purely chronologically, but in the end, the “themed” approach worked well enough. The other way might have been too much of a catalogue of dates. Also, it makes it easier to come back to it later knowing roughly what I’m looking for (“fiction about Mars”, and so on) even if I’ve completely forgotten by then when exactly that “thing” happened.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable book, and a pretty one to boot.
Originally, I received an excerpt, but promptly proceeded to order the actual book once I started reading it. (The paper version itself is hefty and printed on thick glossy paper and smells good, and yes, I know, I like smelling my books.)
This book deals with how we have perceived Mars, currently and historically, whether in reality or in fiction works, starting with the Victorian period. It abunds in colourful illustrations, which makes its reading all the more pleasant – especially if you do that in little chunks rather than all at once (but really, “all at once” is very tempting, because it is definitely interesting). The style is fairly humoristic in places, making for an entertaining read on top of an informative one – perhaps even more information would’ve been good here? I can never get enough when it comes to Mars, I guess.
I couldn’t decide at first whether I liked the choice of going by theme rather than purely chronologically, but in the end, the “themed” approach worked well enough. The other way might have been too much of a catalogue of dates. Also, it makes it easier to come back to it later knowing roughly what I’m looking for (“fiction about Mars”, and so on) even if I’ve completely forgotten by then when exactly that “thing” happened.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable book, and a pretty one to boot.
January 29, 2026
This is not only informative in terms of explaining some very technical things in a non-technical way, but great fun, with Hartzman's trademark ability to reveal weird and wonderful (or otherwise) details about humanity's fascination with the Red Planet. Learning and laughing go hand in hand in some of the entries in his book, and it is all the more enjoyable because of it. The Big Book of Mars, like his book on ETs (We Are Not Alone) is in itself, a laudable piece of pop culture, one to which the reader can read piecemeal or in full and still find much to enjoy.
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