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Mohs 5.5 #2
MARS: A Hard SF Anthology
The time has finally come for humanity to conquer Mars. Or die trying.
Though robotic explorers have vastly increased our knowledge about the Red Planet, there's still so much we don't know. Will Mars be a second home for humanity? Or will it usher in our destruction?
Thirteen hard science fiction writers take on the big questions in this groundbreaking anthology, which grapples with real-life scientific puzzles and dilemmas in the format of thrilling short stories.
MOHS 5.5 stands for scientific rigor, and MARS stands for non-stop excitement. Explore the fourth planet from the sun in the company of authors such as Peter Cawdron, S.J. Morden, Gerald M. Kilby, Felix R. Savage, Douglas Phillips, and Ralph Kern. Plus a foreword by YouTube/What Da Math's Anton Petrov!
Though robotic explorers have vastly increased our knowledge about the Red Planet, there's still so much we don't know. Will Mars be a second home for humanity? Or will it usher in our destruction?
Thirteen hard science fiction writers take on the big questions in this groundbreaking anthology, which grapples with real-life scientific puzzles and dilemmas in the format of thrilling short stories.
MOHS 5.5 stands for scientific rigor, and MARS stands for non-stop excitement. Explore the fourth planet from the sun in the company of authors such as Peter Cawdron, S.J. Morden, Gerald M. Kilby, Felix R. Savage, Douglas Phillips, and Ralph Kern. Plus a foreword by YouTube/What Da Math's Anton Petrov!
- GenresScience Fiction Fantasy
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2021
43 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Bill Patterson
25 books2 followersBill Patterson is a husband, father, grandfather and friend living in Vero Beach, Florida. He is a salesman and a son of a salesman who grew up hearing "nothing ever happened until someone sold something." and similar pronouncements.
In 2019, Bill graduated from the grind to the greens. In 2023, he published his first book to help the children and grandchildren to learn from this experience and to laugh a little bit.
In 2019, Bill graduated from the grind to the greens. In 2023, he published his first book to help the children and grandchildren to learn from this experience and to laugh a little bit.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 1, 2022
There are just so many things to love about this book.
The one that grabbed me the most is the theme of thirteen stories written about the same location, Mars. Face it, we all see the world differently. When we look at the world we all focus on different things, we relate to them differently both cognitively and emotionally. So when a group of authors all write about the same location you are going to get a lot of different perspectives and that is what makes this book so interesting.
Of course, the fact that two of my favorite authors; Peter Cawdron and Douglas Phillips, wrote the first and last stories in the book was a lucky strike bonus. Unfortunately, all but one of authors in this book are male. It has been a long, uphill battle for women to be taken seriously in the field of science fiction and it is unfortunate that this book took such a backwards step. To put an exclamation point on this, Kalene Williams story stands out as one of the most original of the group.
Back to the stories themselves, they are each different, they are all engaging, they are all well written, and in each one you can almost feel yourself putting footprints on the red planet. I do have my favorites but there is no story that I feel did not deserve to appear in this anthology. If you are a fan of hard science SF you will find this book hard to put down once you pick it up.
The one that grabbed me the most is the theme of thirteen stories written about the same location, Mars. Face it, we all see the world differently. When we look at the world we all focus on different things, we relate to them differently both cognitively and emotionally. So when a group of authors all write about the same location you are going to get a lot of different perspectives and that is what makes this book so interesting.
Of course, the fact that two of my favorite authors; Peter Cawdron and Douglas Phillips, wrote the first and last stories in the book was a lucky strike bonus. Unfortunately, all but one of authors in this book are male. It has been a long, uphill battle for women to be taken seriously in the field of science fiction and it is unfortunate that this book took such a backwards step. To put an exclamation point on this, Kalene Williams story stands out as one of the most original of the group.
Back to the stories themselves, they are each different, they are all engaging, they are all well written, and in each one you can almost feel yourself putting footprints on the red planet. I do have my favorites but there is no story that I feel did not deserve to appear in this anthology. If you are a fan of hard science SF you will find this book hard to put down once you pick it up.
May 10, 2021
Writing hard science fiction is an art. Done well, it will draw you in and keep you immersed and involved in the tale. A good hard science fiction story will be based on real laws of physics and represent the real universe. What makes it science fiction is a small part is tweaked to enable the story to develop and reach denouement that logically follows the plot. Writing hard science fiction in a short story is more difficult than writing a hard science fiction novel. There is less room to develop the story and keep it from being an exercise in deus ex machina.
Mars Mohs 5.5 Volume 2 is a collection of some of the best hard science fiction show stories I have seen in a long time. It contains 13 tales that taken individually would only lead you to want more of each author. Together they pose and explore what could be possible on the Red Planet from a science and a sociological point of view from a master storyteller. Each tale focuses on a potential but logical problem or situation that needs more than a quick fix to solve.
The stories include tales of when something goes seriously wrong to what happens when people who were born on Mars decide they no longer want to be under the thumb and control of Earth’s corporations. Some of the stories end on a high note, and others, just like life. don’t. They all however will keep you enthralled, involved, and entertained while you read them.
Mars Mohs 5.5 Volume 2 is a collection of some of the best hard science fiction show stories I have seen in a long time. It contains 13 tales that taken individually would only lead you to want more of each author. Together they pose and explore what could be possible on the Red Planet from a science and a sociological point of view from a master storyteller. Each tale focuses on a potential but logical problem or situation that needs more than a quick fix to solve.
The stories include tales of when something goes seriously wrong to what happens when people who were born on Mars decide they no longer want to be under the thumb and control of Earth’s corporations. Some of the stories end on a high note, and others, just like life. don’t. They all however will keep you enthralled, involved, and entertained while you read them.
February 12, 2021
I loved this collection of short stories about Mars. Some great works by Peter Cawdron, Douglas Phillips, Gerald M Kirby and many others. Each story offered a different look at Mars and all the possibilities surrounding humanity and the red planet. I also enjoyed the Foreward by Anton Petrov-the creator of the YouTube channel “What Da Math”-who discusses humanity’s interest in this magical planet. I highly recommend this book!
February 23, 2021
When many of my favorite authors write some short stories, I know I'm going to love it, and I did.
This is a great collection. I pretty much liked them all, but the ones I remember the most were WWBD by Simon Morden, Winds of Mars by Gerald M. Kilby, and HorizonsLift by A.J. McWain.
You can't miss this collection if you're a hard sci-fi fan.
This is a great collection. I pretty much liked them all, but the ones I remember the most were WWBD by Simon Morden, Winds of Mars by Gerald M. Kilby, and HorizonsLift by A.J. McWain.
You can't miss this collection if you're a hard sci-fi fan.
March 4, 2021
All the “What Ifs...”
A compelling collection of hard sci-fi projections of a future Mars, inhabited in varying degrees by the human race, with action, adventure, mystery, contagion, and conflict in abundance.
A compelling collection of hard sci-fi projections of a future Mars, inhabited in varying degrees by the human race, with action, adventure, mystery, contagion, and conflict in abundance.
March 26, 2021
Let's go to Mars
Quick, fun read with different short stories. Very enjoyable. If you like Science Fiction and Mars then you will like this.
Quick, fun read with different short stories. Very enjoyable. If you like Science Fiction and Mars then you will like this.
November 14, 2022
Great set of Mars-themed short stories, a joy to read.
November 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews