The week before Thanksgiving I went to an astronomy lecture where the topic was "Space: A Year in Review". The speaker talked about what the space programs of the private sector, and of governments around the world, were up to in 2018. It was a great presentation. He mentioned NASA's Mars InSight lander, which at the time was 10 days away from its successful landing on Mars.
That lecture firmly planted Mars into the forefront of my mind. A few days later, as Wendy and I were packing for our trip to visit her family, I searched through our piles of books and pulled out all the ones on Mars I could find. I've been reading them ever since. Here's the list, in order:
The Empress of Mars by Kage Baker: It's the story of a Mars colony, and it focuses on the woman who owns the only bar on the planet. It was very entertaining and I enjoyed it.
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling: After 70 pages I gave up. I did not like it. Too much tedious world building. So I moved on to the next book.
Life on Mars: a collection of young adult stories about Mars. The first short story was by Kage Baker, author of the first book on this list, and the short story referenced events from that book! So I just happened to read them in the right order. One thing I really liked about Life on Mars is that it included background notes from the author of each story. One story was inspired by a famous poem about an Arctic cremation: The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury: I think this is only the 2nd book by Ray Bradbury I've ever read. It was outstanding. More on it in a moment.
Mars Underground by William Hartmann: I actually checked this one out of the library system. I'd heard about it years ago and I decided now was the time to read it. The author is a famous planetary scientist who convinced the scientific community that Earth had been hit by a large body in the past, which resulted in the moon's formation. He also investigated UFO reports. I enjoyed his Mars book, which is based on hard science, and is about a scientist on a Mars colony who unearths a strange artifact. My only complaint is that the plot progressed at a glacial pace. The strange artifact was discovered about 80% of the way through the book.
The main reason I wrote this post is to share what I discovered while reading The Martian Chronicles. At one point some of the first humans to visit Mars are exploring the ruins of an ancient Martian city. One of them is so moved he quotes this poem by Lord Byron:
When I read those words it felt like my brain warped in confusion. I knew those words! But they didn't belong in a book. Where did they belong? I was confused for a few seconds, until I heard a voice in my head reciting those words: Leonard Cohen! Those words belong in a Leonard Cohen song! At least, that's what my brain initially thought. It turns out the Leonard Cohen song is really based on a Lord Byron poem.So we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.
For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself must rest.
Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon