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The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars
The history of Mars is drawn not just on its surface, but also down into its broken bedrock and up into its frigid air. Most of all, it stretches back into deep time, where the trackways of the past have been obliterated by later events, and there is no discernible trace of where they started from or how they travelled, only where they ended up.
As NASA lays it plans for a return to the moon and, from there, a manned mission to Mars, there has never been a better time to acquaint ourselves with the dramatic history and astonishing present of the red planet. Planetary geologist, geophysicist and acclaimed SF author Dr Simon Morden takes us on a vivid guided tour of Mars.
From its formation four and half billion years ago, through an era of cataclysmic meteor strikes and the millions of years during which a vast ocean spanned its entire upper hemisphere, to the long, frozen ages that saw its atmosphere steadily thinning and leaking away into space, Morden presents a tantalising vision of the next planet we will visit.
With a storyteller's flair, piecing together the latest research and data from the Mars probes, the most up-to-date theories of planetary geology, and informed speculation as to whether there has been life on Mars, The Red Planet is as close as we can get to an eye-witness account of this incredible place.
As NASA lays it plans for a return to the moon and, from there, a manned mission to Mars, there has never been a better time to acquaint ourselves with the dramatic history and astonishing present of the red planet. Planetary geologist, geophysicist and acclaimed SF author Dr Simon Morden takes us on a vivid guided tour of Mars.
From its formation four and half billion years ago, through an era of cataclysmic meteor strikes and the millions of years during which a vast ocean spanned its entire upper hemisphere, to the long, frozen ages that saw its atmosphere steadily thinning and leaking away into space, Morden presents a tantalising vision of the next planet we will visit.
With a storyteller's flair, piecing together the latest research and data from the Mars probes, the most up-to-date theories of planetary geology, and informed speculation as to whether there has been life on Mars, The Red Planet is as close as we can get to an eye-witness account of this incredible place.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2021
About the author
Simon Morden
36 books284 followersAka S.J. Morden
Dr. Simon Morden, B.Sc. (Hons., Sheffield) Ph.D (Newcastle) is a bona fide rocket scientist, having degrees in geology and planetary geophysics. Unfortunately, that sort of thing doesn’t exactly prepare a person for the big wide world of work: he’s been a school caretaker, admin assistant, and PA to a financial advisor. He’s now employed as a part-time teaching assistant at a Gateshead primary school, which he combines with his duties as a house-husband, attempting to keep a crumbling pile of Edwardian masonry upright, wrangling his two children and providing warm places to sleep for the family cats.
His not-so-secret identity as journeyman writer started when he sold the short story Bell, Book and Candle to an anthology, and a chaotic mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror followed. Heart came out to critical acclaim, and Another War was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award, but with The Lost Art, things suddenly got serious. Contracts. Agents. Deadlines. Responsibility. Scary stuff. The Lost Art was subsequently a finalist for the Catalyst Award for best teen fiction.
As well as a writer, he’s been the editor of the British Science Fiction Association's writers’ magazine Focus, a judge for the Arthur C Clarke awards, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Arts Festival on matters of faith and fiction. In 2009, he was in the winning team for the Rolls Royce Science Prize.
Dr. Simon Morden, B.Sc. (Hons., Sheffield) Ph.D (Newcastle) is a bona fide rocket scientist, having degrees in geology and planetary geophysics. Unfortunately, that sort of thing doesn’t exactly prepare a person for the big wide world of work: he’s been a school caretaker, admin assistant, and PA to a financial advisor. He’s now employed as a part-time teaching assistant at a Gateshead primary school, which he combines with his duties as a house-husband, attempting to keep a crumbling pile of Edwardian masonry upright, wrangling his two children and providing warm places to sleep for the family cats.
His not-so-secret identity as journeyman writer started when he sold the short story Bell, Book and Candle to an anthology, and a chaotic mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror followed. Heart came out to critical acclaim, and Another War was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award, but with The Lost Art, things suddenly got serious. Contracts. Agents. Deadlines. Responsibility. Scary stuff. The Lost Art was subsequently a finalist for the Catalyst Award for best teen fiction.
As well as a writer, he’s been the editor of the British Science Fiction Association's writers’ magazine Focus, a judge for the Arthur C Clarke awards, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Arts Festival on matters of faith and fiction. In 2009, he was in the winning team for the Rolls Royce Science Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 3, 2022
“For our own selfish reasons, we crave the idea of a second Earth – and to have one so close and yet so far is tantalising – but we know that Mars was never that. It was never ours. It is its own and we have to accept it for what it is.”
I’ve been obsessed with Mars for a while now. It may have been Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy that made me initially interested and carved the names of Martian landscapes - Valles Marinaris, Tharsis Bulge, Mons Olympus - into my memory. (Not to mention the deep horror of painstakingly assembling a 1000-piece Mars puzzle to discover that I only have 999 pieces and the last puzzle piece had been irretrievably lost). And for years now I’ve been treasuring any knowledge morsels about the Red Planet.
Simon Morden’s Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars is a book that makes me happily state that “Geology Rocks”. After all, on a frozen arid planet it’s geology that we can see and not much else. Rocks of Mars hold some tantalizing answers to some of Martian secrets, and Morden succeeds in making that story fascinatingly interesting while still staying scientifically informative.
It’s a biography of Mars. How it formed, going back to what we understand about the formation of the Solar system. How it then melted. The Great Dichotomy with two main theories about what could have happened (Morden from the get-go tells us that there’s no way to know which theory is correct, and whether any of them is what actually happened - all those billions of years are an awfully long time ago), the Tharsis Bulge with its enormous volcanoes, the polar ice caps — it’s all there.
Morden made geology (is it still called GEOlogy when it’s on Mars, by the way? Is it areology?) interesting to me, and I normally would only pay attention to rocks if I trip over one. He explains his points clearly and simply, without veering into overly jargony territory. And yeah, I realized that without magnetic field there’s no use for a compass on Mars, so I’d be hopelessly lost there. Maybe Mars is better as a dream rather than a destination?
4.5 stars. I genuinely enjoyed it, in my very nerdy way.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Also posted on my blog.
I’ve been obsessed with Mars for a while now. It may have been Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy that made me initially interested and carved the names of Martian landscapes - Valles Marinaris, Tharsis Bulge, Mons Olympus - into my memory. (Not to mention the deep horror of painstakingly assembling a 1000-piece Mars puzzle to discover that I only have 999 pieces and the last puzzle piece had been irretrievably lost). And for years now I’ve been treasuring any knowledge morsels about the Red Planet.
Simon Morden’s Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars is a book that makes me happily state that “Geology Rocks”. After all, on a frozen arid planet it’s geology that we can see and not much else. Rocks of Mars hold some tantalizing answers to some of Martian secrets, and Morden succeeds in making that story fascinatingly interesting while still staying scientifically informative.
“Such is Mars. We acknowledge its mysteries and move on.”
It’s a biography of Mars. How it formed, going back to what we understand about the formation of the Solar system. How it then melted. The Great Dichotomy with two main theories about what could have happened (Morden from the get-go tells us that there’s no way to know which theory is correct, and whether any of them is what actually happened - all those billions of years are an awfully long time ago), the Tharsis Bulge with its enormous volcanoes, the polar ice caps — it’s all there.
“Olympus Mons rises 21 kilometres above datum, and because it sits on a below-datum plain to the west of the Tharsis Rise, we can add another kilometre to its actual height. East to west, it’s 640 kilometres across. North to south, it measures 840 kilometres. As we’ll discover, it used to be even larger.”
The size of that 21 km high volcano, by the way, is close to that of Italy, France, or the state of Arizona. Everest who??? Puh-lease.
Morden made geology (is it still called GEOlogy when it’s on Mars, by the way? Is it areology?) interesting to me, and I normally would only pay attention to rocks if I trip over one. He explains his points clearly and simply, without veering into overly jargony territory. And yeah, I realized that without magnetic field there’s no use for a compass on Mars, so I’d be hopelessly lost there. Maybe Mars is better as a dream rather than a destination?
“Our view of Mars as cold, airless and dead is in need of serious revision. Its heart may be slowing, its lungs barely inflating, its blood sluggish, but there are planetary-scale systems still in motion. It might not be exactly what we want to see. For our own selfish reasons, we crave the idea of a second Earth – and to have one so close and yet so far is tantalising – but we know that Mars was never that. It was never ours. It is its own and we have to accept it for what it is.”
4.5 stars. I genuinely enjoyed it, in my very nerdy way.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
August 8, 2021
I find cosmology in general quite fascinating – after all it has told us many large truths about the universe and there is more to come. In the night sky, I always look up to see if I can see bright Venus & Jupiter or the pale red Mars. Light pollution in the cities increasingly makes this a less pleasurable experience though.
This book packs a wealth of information about Mars – how the planet formed, what it has gone through since and what can we look forward to. The length of a day on Mars is very close to Earth, a year is much longer and gravity is far weaker. While understandably, quite a bit of it is speculative, the book does well to point out the difficulties in current theories in explaining Mars evolution. The section on the dust which gives Mars its distinctive red shade makes for very interesting reading.
The last section on the future of Mars and our potential relationship with it is very pragmatic and sensible. I have seen very casual writings about establishing colonies, terraforming Mars as if these are simple things to do.
This book has some excellent information on our neighbouring planet. The writing is a bit dense though and I had to labour through many sections.
Recommended for the interesting & comprehensive information it packs.
My rating: 3.5 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & author for a free electronic review copy.
This book packs a wealth of information about Mars – how the planet formed, what it has gone through since and what can we look forward to. The length of a day on Mars is very close to Earth, a year is much longer and gravity is far weaker. While understandably, quite a bit of it is speculative, the book does well to point out the difficulties in current theories in explaining Mars evolution. The section on the dust which gives Mars its distinctive red shade makes for very interesting reading.
The last section on the future of Mars and our potential relationship with it is very pragmatic and sensible. I have seen very casual writings about establishing colonies, terraforming Mars as if these are simple things to do.
This book has some excellent information on our neighbouring planet. The writing is a bit dense though and I had to labour through many sections.
Recommended for the interesting & comprehensive information it packs.
My rating: 3.5 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & author for a free electronic review copy.
September 21, 2021
I was so excited when I started reading this book - it felt like a really new approach to popular science. Simon Morden is a planetary geologist/geophysicist turned science fiction writer (see, for example, Gallowglass) and the book opens with a few short sections that seem to have brought the storytelling skills and narrative drive of science fiction to telling the story of Mars. In my notes, the first thing I wrote was 'Fascinating style'.
What I was hoping for was not that Morden would continue with the same approach through the many short sections of the book - just the right length to feel you need to read another (and another), but rather to vary the approach, but always with that clear understanding that you need an engrossing story. Unfortunately, for about three quarters of the book we fall back to default geology (or, more accurately, aresology) popular science writing with far too much descriptions of rock formation and far too little that would grip anyone who isn't obsessed with rocks. The fact is that geology is by far the hardest science topic to make interesting to the general public, and moving the scene to Mars doesn't do enough to inject fascination.
It would have helped a lot if the book had been illustrated. Remarkable-sounding structures are described - but we never see a photograph of one. There is also considerable talk about maps - without including any maps in the book. There's a whole section on mapping Mars with no maps. Later on, Morden says 'Before we consider how Valles Marineris formed, we ought to look at a map of it'... but there is no map. Time and again it's really difficult to form a mental picture of what is being described.
The last few sections, the book comes back to life, as Morden talks about living on Mars, either as a scientific experiment or stressing just how many difficulties would get in the way of colonisation. But by then it was too late to rescue what had started as arguably the most exciting popular science read of 2021, but had then settled down to be a distinct disappointment.
What I was hoping for was not that Morden would continue with the same approach through the many short sections of the book - just the right length to feel you need to read another (and another), but rather to vary the approach, but always with that clear understanding that you need an engrossing story. Unfortunately, for about three quarters of the book we fall back to default geology (or, more accurately, aresology) popular science writing with far too much descriptions of rock formation and far too little that would grip anyone who isn't obsessed with rocks. The fact is that geology is by far the hardest science topic to make interesting to the general public, and moving the scene to Mars doesn't do enough to inject fascination.
It would have helped a lot if the book had been illustrated. Remarkable-sounding structures are described - but we never see a photograph of one. There is also considerable talk about maps - without including any maps in the book. There's a whole section on mapping Mars with no maps. Later on, Morden says 'Before we consider how Valles Marineris formed, we ought to look at a map of it'... but there is no map. Time and again it's really difficult to form a mental picture of what is being described.
The last few sections, the book comes back to life, as Morden talks about living on Mars, either as a scientific experiment or stressing just how many difficulties would get in the way of colonisation. But by then it was too late to rescue what had started as arguably the most exciting popular science read of 2021, but had then settled down to be a distinct disappointment.
October 20, 2021
I always look for the red dot that is Mars in the sky when it is clear. It seems quite peaceful there, so why it ever became the God of War in the Roman Empire is a bit of a mystery to me. Even though it looks peaceful now it had an equally tumultuous beginning as Earth did during its formation.
There is a renewed interest in the planet too, there have been a number of probes sent on missions to the planet, some of which have been successful and sent back gigabytes of useful data and pictures; there have been others that have just become the latest crater on this lifeless planet…
It was formed 4.5 billion years ago, and how it came to be is the subject of many studies at the moment. Reading the Marscapes and geology is the remits of a few people, one of whom is Simon Morden, a planetary geologist. In this fascinating book, he will take us through the known stages of the planet and how it got to where it is today.
Some facts can be determined from the photos and data that have come back from the probes that are on the planet and he expands in some detail of each of the ages that it went through and explains the current theories and known facts. There are some points though where the evidence they have collected is not as clear cut and he takes time to explain each theory and the reason why scientists have reached their conclusions. These are things that can only be checked by getting evidence from those specific regions.
I thought this was a well-written book about our neighbouring planet by an expert planetary geologist with a knack for telling a story. Occasionally it felt like it was getting a bit technical, but thankfully it didn’t veer into the opaque world of academia too much. If you want to know about Mars and the unique and peculiar traits behind its creation then this is a very good place to start.
There is a renewed interest in the planet too, there have been a number of probes sent on missions to the planet, some of which have been successful and sent back gigabytes of useful data and pictures; there have been others that have just become the latest crater on this lifeless planet…
It was formed 4.5 billion years ago, and how it came to be is the subject of many studies at the moment. Reading the Marscapes and geology is the remits of a few people, one of whom is Simon Morden, a planetary geologist. In this fascinating book, he will take us through the known stages of the planet and how it got to where it is today.
Some facts can be determined from the photos and data that have come back from the probes that are on the planet and he expands in some detail of each of the ages that it went through and explains the current theories and known facts. There are some points though where the evidence they have collected is not as clear cut and he takes time to explain each theory and the reason why scientists have reached their conclusions. These are things that can only be checked by getting evidence from those specific regions.
I thought this was a well-written book about our neighbouring planet by an expert planetary geologist with a knack for telling a story. Occasionally it felt like it was getting a bit technical, but thankfully it didn’t veer into the opaque world of academia too much. If you want to know about Mars and the unique and peculiar traits behind its creation then this is a very good place to start.
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December 30, 2021Review originally on Curious Reader!
Among the space titles I’ve read in the last few years, The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars stands out with its approach. Rather than being about the adventures of human exploration, this book is grounded in geology and astrophysics to tell the origin story of the red planet. Mars is the protagonist, humans are only in the picture as far as the narrator seat. We go as far back as our knowledge spans to the planets creation and see it transform over different epochs – until it becomes the red, hot, dusty planet we recognize today. We learn about its volcanic activity, the dust storms, the relationship between Mars and the rest of our solar system, the history of water on the planet – not as far off in the past as might have been expected. Simon Morden makes one thing clear right from the start – there is little knowledge of Mars that is undisputed or obvious. Mostly we have theories, speculation, best guesses – sometimes more than one (often contradictory) explanation for the same phenomena, of equal worth. We thus find ourselves in uncertain territory and part of the book is an attempt at introducing some of the current ideas to give you a sense of what we think we know, but by no means the full picture. Or a single truth. There is so much about Mars that we have after all only recently started to learn – the water situation seems to be an area of particular rapid change in scientific understanding. We might in fact be observing not a finale state but a lull in the planet’s cycle.
I’ll be honest, for someone like myself with little to no understanding of astrophysics this was at times hard-going. Funnily enough, Morden thanks friends in the acknowledgements of the book for reigning in his natural desire for nerdy highly-specific scientific information. I’m sure it could’ve been worse had he been without friendly inputs but this book is a bit on the dense side, which led me to watch several Mars documentaries trying to make sense of what I was reading. In a way, it is probably the topic itself that makes me scratch my head in confusion – the red planet is full of contradictions and there is something so foreign about it, it’s hard to imagine what all of this information truly means. On the other hand, Morden does manage to convey some of the knowledge humans painstakingly continue to gather about the planet, the evolution of our thinking on Mars, the planet’s weird nature, and of course to a degree why learning about Mars is interesting for humans in the first place. What does it all mean for us earthlings? He concludes the books with a look towards the future, with two different paths – the path of science and the path of colonizing. Both equally fascinating chapters.
The Red Planet is in fact a natural history of Mars, not a book about space exploration in a direct sense nor is it centrally about humans landing and/or living on the planet, but it is about climate, weather, evolution – what the planet is made of, how it came to be, how it has transformed, what we’re looking at today, what our relationship with the planet could mean for the future. It’s a fascinating book that had me deep into a red-planet rabbithole and I feel pretty confident I’m still down there, trying to make sense of the unknown.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!
Among the space titles I’ve read in the last few years, The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars stands out with its approach. Rather than being about the adventures of human exploration, this book is grounded in geology and astrophysics to tell the origin story of the red planet. Mars is the protagonist, humans are only in the picture as far as the narrator seat. We go as far back as our knowledge spans to the planets creation and see it transform over different epochs – until it becomes the red, hot, dusty planet we recognize today. We learn about its volcanic activity, the dust storms, the relationship between Mars and the rest of our solar system, the history of water on the planet – not as far off in the past as might have been expected. Simon Morden makes one thing clear right from the start – there is little knowledge of Mars that is undisputed or obvious. Mostly we have theories, speculation, best guesses – sometimes more than one (often contradictory) explanation for the same phenomena, of equal worth. We thus find ourselves in uncertain territory and part of the book is an attempt at introducing some of the current ideas to give you a sense of what we think we know, but by no means the full picture. Or a single truth. There is so much about Mars that we have after all only recently started to learn – the water situation seems to be an area of particular rapid change in scientific understanding. We might in fact be observing not a finale state but a lull in the planet’s cycle.
I’ll be honest, for someone like myself with little to no understanding of astrophysics this was at times hard-going. Funnily enough, Morden thanks friends in the acknowledgements of the book for reigning in his natural desire for nerdy highly-specific scientific information. I’m sure it could’ve been worse had he been without friendly inputs but this book is a bit on the dense side, which led me to watch several Mars documentaries trying to make sense of what I was reading. In a way, it is probably the topic itself that makes me scratch my head in confusion – the red planet is full of contradictions and there is something so foreign about it, it’s hard to imagine what all of this information truly means. On the other hand, Morden does manage to convey some of the knowledge humans painstakingly continue to gather about the planet, the evolution of our thinking on Mars, the planet’s weird nature, and of course to a degree why learning about Mars is interesting for humans in the first place. What does it all mean for us earthlings? He concludes the books with a look towards the future, with two different paths – the path of science and the path of colonizing. Both equally fascinating chapters.
The Red Planet is in fact a natural history of Mars, not a book about space exploration in a direct sense nor is it centrally about humans landing and/or living on the planet, but it is about climate, weather, evolution – what the planet is made of, how it came to be, how it has transformed, what we’re looking at today, what our relationship with the planet could mean for the future. It’s a fascinating book that had me deep into a red-planet rabbithole and I feel pretty confident I’m still down there, trying to make sense of the unknown.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!
August 22, 2021
What I know about the planet Mars, isn't much and so I was quite interested when I got the chance to read an advanced copy of The Red Planet.
I do have an interest in life, the universe and planets. Natural history is something that belongs far beyond our planet. I have no science background so what I understand has to be, well, basic. When I saw this book I did a bit of a double-take when I read about the author. He is a sci-fi author who also happens to have degrees in geography and planetary geophysics, so it's safe to say he knows what he's on about.
I liked the way this book is laid out, a brief intro from the author and then a trip to the planet Mars. From then the author goes into how Mars was formed, what changes it went through and is still going through. The climate, geography, geology, atmosphere.
For a planet smaller than Earth, this red blob in the night sky seems to have been through it all. A planet that has impacts leaving massive craters, a dry dusty atmosphere, frozen areas and one of the largest volcanoes known, it makes earth's largest volcano in Hawaii more like a peak in comparison.
Throughout this book I was aware that this was on the whole quite understandable, at least while I was reading it, it was. I understood enough to grasp what the author was explaining and for me that is a good thing. There were the odd bits that I just couldn't grasp but part of me was expecting that as I went into this book. Unless you have more of a science background I think this is quite an approachable book. But even the scientists who have studied this planet for decades still cannot agree on some things. There are various theories surrounding how Mars came to be, what forces sculpted the planet we see, and where, how and when there was water.
If you have an interest in planets, and nature beyond our planet then this is a book that will really appeal to you. I found it fascinating and I really enjoyed reading it. I also found myself internet hopping as I read this book, looking up various items, viewing images and also looking at the most recent news. It is a book that I would happily recommend.
I do have an interest in life, the universe and planets. Natural history is something that belongs far beyond our planet. I have no science background so what I understand has to be, well, basic. When I saw this book I did a bit of a double-take when I read about the author. He is a sci-fi author who also happens to have degrees in geography and planetary geophysics, so it's safe to say he knows what he's on about.
I liked the way this book is laid out, a brief intro from the author and then a trip to the planet Mars. From then the author goes into how Mars was formed, what changes it went through and is still going through. The climate, geography, geology, atmosphere.
For a planet smaller than Earth, this red blob in the night sky seems to have been through it all. A planet that has impacts leaving massive craters, a dry dusty atmosphere, frozen areas and one of the largest volcanoes known, it makes earth's largest volcano in Hawaii more like a peak in comparison.
Throughout this book I was aware that this was on the whole quite understandable, at least while I was reading it, it was. I understood enough to grasp what the author was explaining and for me that is a good thing. There were the odd bits that I just couldn't grasp but part of me was expecting that as I went into this book. Unless you have more of a science background I think this is quite an approachable book. But even the scientists who have studied this planet for decades still cannot agree on some things. There are various theories surrounding how Mars came to be, what forces sculpted the planet we see, and where, how and when there was water.
If you have an interest in planets, and nature beyond our planet then this is a book that will really appeal to you. I found it fascinating and I really enjoyed reading it. I also found myself internet hopping as I read this book, looking up various items, viewing images and also looking at the most recent news. It is a book that I would happily recommend.
August 31, 2021
Mars is a planet that has not only inspired the imagination through literature, history, and cinema it has been one of the main preoccupations of explorers throughout time, to go to the planet and see what’s there. In The Red Planet, Simon Morden allows us a taste of what to expect as he guides us through a geographical history of our elusive neighbour who has been shrouded in mystery since the early days of human civilisation.
Admittedly, Mars isn’t the Final Frontier, yet it is a vital step to our understanding of how to survive on other worlds and also help to understand the world in which we currently live and it’s Morden’s expertise as a planetary geologist and geophysicist that helps the reader understand the turbulent history of Mars.
With new expeditions to explore Mars, now is the ideal time for such a book as The Red Planet to be published. With NASA and SpaceX landing rovers, and projects looking to land people on the planet, we need to know what to expect and why to go there in the first place. In The Red Planet, Simon Morden doesn’t just guide us through the planet’s history but reveals the planetary aspects currently unknown to us that can not only help us in our exploration of other worlds but help us understand some of the geographical history of our own planet, some things that are still unknown to us today.
Mars has long been in our imaginations and it’s likely not going to change much, with much popular fiction from science-fiction writers such as Ray Bradbury and H.G. Wells who have given us not just visions of Martian invaders but a vision of a future that, likely won’t exist but isn’t stopping us for reaching out in the first place, just to see what’s really out there.
The Red Planet is not just the story of Mars, it’s the adventure of Mars and all the dreams that have dwelt upon it for thousands of years of human history, and even as we know the planet is not full of Martians waiting to attack our planet it stands as a pinnacle to the highest of our desire to explore.
Admittedly, Mars isn’t the Final Frontier, yet it is a vital step to our understanding of how to survive on other worlds and also help to understand the world in which we currently live and it’s Morden’s expertise as a planetary geologist and geophysicist that helps the reader understand the turbulent history of Mars.
With new expeditions to explore Mars, now is the ideal time for such a book as The Red Planet to be published. With NASA and SpaceX landing rovers, and projects looking to land people on the planet, we need to know what to expect and why to go there in the first place. In The Red Planet, Simon Morden doesn’t just guide us through the planet’s history but reveals the planetary aspects currently unknown to us that can not only help us in our exploration of other worlds but help us understand some of the geographical history of our own planet, some things that are still unknown to us today.
Mars has long been in our imaginations and it’s likely not going to change much, with much popular fiction from science-fiction writers such as Ray Bradbury and H.G. Wells who have given us not just visions of Martian invaders but a vision of a future that, likely won’t exist but isn’t stopping us for reaching out in the first place, just to see what’s really out there.
The Red Planet is not just the story of Mars, it’s the adventure of Mars and all the dreams that have dwelt upon it for thousands of years of human history, and even as we know the planet is not full of Martians waiting to attack our planet it stands as a pinnacle to the highest of our desire to explore.
November 13, 2023
Mars evokes all kinds of fantasies and futures: Martian invasions; human colonization. But the history, geology, and things (all of the un-living variety so far) of Mars has gone largely unnoticed and underappreciated, until Simon Morden's book "The Red Planet." Over 4.5 billion years, Morden traces the development of Mars, from its creation in the early solar system through its hell-like development phase of volcanism, and through to the present, with detours to the polar ice caps, the massive Tharsis formation, and features like Olympus Mons.
Morden achieves something remarkable: an entertaining and accessible book about Mars that requires nothing more than the laws of physics and observations.
Morden achieves something remarkable: an entertaining and accessible book about Mars that requires nothing more than the laws of physics and observations.
April 13, 2024
There are no maps, no diagrams and no photographs. Unforgivable! This cost you a star, my friend, and be grateful it didn't cost you two.
January 8, 2023
A little gem of a book. A brief but extremely enjoyable romp through the complete history of Mars.
The author, a science fiction specialist with a background in geophysics, is perfectly suited to the role of guide.
The descriptions of places are as easily imaginable as anything described in good fiction, placing you in the thick of the scene with ease. However, it's also clear from both the content and the references that this book is based firmly on the latest scientific interpretation rather than a flight of fancy.
My only criticism is the lack of images, but it's not even enough of an issue to knock a star off for.
The author, a science fiction specialist with a background in geophysics, is perfectly suited to the role of guide.
The descriptions of places are as easily imaginable as anything described in good fiction, placing you in the thick of the scene with ease. However, it's also clear from both the content and the references that this book is based firmly on the latest scientific interpretation rather than a flight of fancy.
My only criticism is the lack of images, but it's not even enough of an issue to knock a star off for.
July 17, 2021
Simon Morden is a science fiction writer by trade (and a PhD in Geophysics) and he brings those skills to bear brilliantly on this non-fiction “biography” of our mysterious sister planet, Mars.
The red planet poses many questions - Why is the northern half of the planet significantly lower than the southern half? What happened to its atmosphere? Where did all the water go? Simon Morden answers, or in some cases, attempts to, all these questions, and more.
But this is no dry textbook - the opening chapter is stirring and evocative, describing dawn on Mars as “you” - us, the reader as intrepid astronaut? - explore the planet in a rickety rover. Other excursions await you sporadically throughout the book, on water and ice.
Morden takes us on a journey from Mars’ earliest beginnings in the nascent solar system right up to the present day and speculates on what the next 100-200 years might entail for Mars. Relating the multilayered history of Mars he lets the planet tell its own, ambiguous story. Deftly explaining the various Martian features and their colourful names, Morden quickly makes you feel like you could pass yourself off as an expert on the red planet. Chapters are short and snappy even though they relate a story across billions of years. Shorn of waffle, Morden keeps the information concise and digestible.
Thanks to Morden’s skills as a fiction writer, this book is a comfortably easy read; quite the page-turner in fact. It deals with some very complicated science but you barely notice. It is a complete(ish) history of Mars, insofar as such a thing could exist, and is a joy to read. I’ve read a lot of books about Mars but Simon Morden’s effort has become one of my favourites.
The red planet poses many questions - Why is the northern half of the planet significantly lower than the southern half? What happened to its atmosphere? Where did all the water go? Simon Morden answers, or in some cases, attempts to, all these questions, and more.
But this is no dry textbook - the opening chapter is stirring and evocative, describing dawn on Mars as “you” - us, the reader as intrepid astronaut? - explore the planet in a rickety rover. Other excursions await you sporadically throughout the book, on water and ice.
Morden takes us on a journey from Mars’ earliest beginnings in the nascent solar system right up to the present day and speculates on what the next 100-200 years might entail for Mars. Relating the multilayered history of Mars he lets the planet tell its own, ambiguous story. Deftly explaining the various Martian features and their colourful names, Morden quickly makes you feel like you could pass yourself off as an expert on the red planet. Chapters are short and snappy even though they relate a story across billions of years. Shorn of waffle, Morden keeps the information concise and digestible.
Thanks to Morden’s skills as a fiction writer, this book is a comfortably easy read; quite the page-turner in fact. It deals with some very complicated science but you barely notice. It is a complete(ish) history of Mars, insofar as such a thing could exist, and is a joy to read. I’ve read a lot of books about Mars but Simon Morden’s effort has become one of my favourites.
October 15, 2021
I see Mars show up in headlines and articles more frequently, and the more I learn about it, the more I realize how little I actually know about this planet. It was fun to read this deep dive into the history of Mars (as far as we know). Morden is up front that what he talks about in the book could be proven wrong as we continue to explore and learn more about this planet, but he does not shy away from going into detail where he can and sharing current theories and explanations for some of the mysterious aspects of Mars.
One interesting thing is that some of the chapters describe Mars from the second person point of view. It was a fun way to get a better feel for what Mars might be like. Only occasional chapters do this, so it did feel a bit jarring to go back and forth between the different points of view, but I thought it was helpful overall.
This book paints a picture of a planet with a history all its own that we know so little about, and it makes it clear that there are mysteries we won't have answers to until the planet can be better explored. While I have no desire to be one of those explorers, I look forward to the discoveries that are certain to happen as we get closer to visiting Mars!
Thank you to Simon Morden, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book!
One interesting thing is that some of the chapters describe Mars from the second person point of view. It was a fun way to get a better feel for what Mars might be like. Only occasional chapters do this, so it did feel a bit jarring to go back and forth between the different points of view, but I thought it was helpful overall.
This book paints a picture of a planet with a history all its own that we know so little about, and it makes it clear that there are mysteries we won't have answers to until the planet can be better explored. While I have no desire to be one of those explorers, I look forward to the discoveries that are certain to happen as we get closer to visiting Mars!
Thank you to Simon Morden, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book!
September 26, 2022
Interesting ,skim read some chapters as quite in depth in places.
December 11, 2022
Learned a lot and enjoyed the ride. I’m a fan of geology and planetary history, and of imagining myself experiencing these forces in action, and of evocative writing, and this book delivers on all fronts. I also appreciate its honesty and willingness to pose questions without definitive answers.
July 18, 2021
This is the story of Mars. Told with a narrative and like the unraveling of a story, The Red Planet will take you through a journey of its formation, origins, it’s early life, to now and to its future.
The book is very immersive and lyrical and really entertaining to read. It isn’t just interesting with its descriptive facts and informative writing but lovely to read with the way it was written. I liked the flow of this book, which seem to stream effortlessly and really worked with the style of writing.
It’s very atmospheric and easy to place yourself into the Martian world as you navigate around it’s early atmosphere, it’s craters and it’s geography.
There’s so much information in here, it’s packed to the brim with Martian geography and details and information about its formation. It would definitely need a second read for all of the writing to sink in and be remembered. It’s definitely an overwhelming subject when thinking about planets origins and creations and how it came to now but so interesting.
It’s very thoroughly and technically written and one of the best in depth accounts of Mars that I’ve read. A great read if you’re interesting in the red planet.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this copy via NetGalley, all thoughts are my own and honestly reviewed.
The book is very immersive and lyrical and really entertaining to read. It isn’t just interesting with its descriptive facts and informative writing but lovely to read with the way it was written. I liked the flow of this book, which seem to stream effortlessly and really worked with the style of writing.
It’s very atmospheric and easy to place yourself into the Martian world as you navigate around it’s early atmosphere, it’s craters and it’s geography.
There’s so much information in here, it’s packed to the brim with Martian geography and details and information about its formation. It would definitely need a second read for all of the writing to sink in and be remembered. It’s definitely an overwhelming subject when thinking about planets origins and creations and how it came to now but so interesting.
It’s very thoroughly and technically written and one of the best in depth accounts of Mars that I’ve read. A great read if you’re interesting in the red planet.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this copy via NetGalley, all thoughts are my own and honestly reviewed.
September 14, 2021
The book start with a tidbit about the narrator, which I am assuming is the Author. Then the book gets into a sci-fi blurb about a person walking on Mars. Which I am still unsure how this blurb is relevant to the book? After the sci-fi blurb, we start to get into some actual information about Mars. The Author tells us the atmosphere of Mars compared to Earth, and then goes on to describe the orientation of the planet. Part two of the book tells the reader how Mars was formed, which I found very interesting. The rest of the book talks about the theories and history of the planet. I found some parts to be confusing, but others were interesting.
I did conclude that the Author does have an enormous amount of knowledge and material on the planet Mars. I found most of the information presented to be interesting, and other parts were over my head. As an uninformed reader, this piece was very informative and I feel like if I had to write a report on the planet, I would use this book as one of my references. I would absolutely recommend this book to others who were interested in learning about Mars.
I did conclude that the Author does have an enormous amount of knowledge and material on the planet Mars. I found most of the information presented to be interesting, and other parts were over my head. As an uninformed reader, this piece was very informative and I feel like if I had to write a report on the planet, I would use this book as one of my references. I would absolutely recommend this book to others who were interested in learning about Mars.
September 6, 2022
Simon Morden has convinced me that I do not want to colonize Mars. Someone else can take my ticket, thank you.
The Red Planet is a biography of sorts for Mars. It traces its beginning from the literal creation of everything to the present day. We find out why its looks the way it does, what it was like at various stages of development, and what we might need to anticipate as we continue to explore Mars.
I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy this book. I am much more of a narrative history buff but Morden converted me. He keeps the flow light, puts the reader in some specific scientific situations on a theoretical Mars mission, and never takes himself seriously. If you don't like science at all, maybe this book isn't for you. But if you have even the smallest curiosity about other worlds then this book is a great introduction to the science of Mars.
Final disclaimer: yes, there were times I had no idea what Morden was talking about. But hey, there was very little math so yay!
(This book was provided to me as an advance read copy by Netgalley and Elliott & Thompson books. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 11/15/2022.)
The Red Planet is a biography of sorts for Mars. It traces its beginning from the literal creation of everything to the present day. We find out why its looks the way it does, what it was like at various stages of development, and what we might need to anticipate as we continue to explore Mars.
I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy this book. I am much more of a narrative history buff but Morden converted me. He keeps the flow light, puts the reader in some specific scientific situations on a theoretical Mars mission, and never takes himself seriously. If you don't like science at all, maybe this book isn't for you. But if you have even the smallest curiosity about other worlds then this book is a great introduction to the science of Mars.
Final disclaimer: yes, there were times I had no idea what Morden was talking about. But hey, there was very little math so yay!
(This book was provided to me as an advance read copy by Netgalley and Elliott & Thompson books. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 11/15/2022.)
August 10, 2021
Mars is a cold tease, an object of immediate interest to anyone who believes humanity needs to continue to venture outward. It’s neither so hostile or so far from us to preclude manned
missions entirely, and it has its own resources that could, with a bit of planning and savvy, be used to support an expedition. Still, Mars: A Natural History is as close as you or I will ever get to Mars: not only does Simon Borden take us through its past, told through the features of its landscape, but he uses bursts of a second-person narrative to put us on the surface of Mars itself, both in the past and present, to as though we were literally exploring the red tunes. Borden’s talent for description, already developed through his primary vocation as a science fiction author, is well on display here, both in the analysis of Mars’ geological features, and in the narrative imaginings that take us there as future and past explorers. For the space buff or lay exogeologist, The Red Planet recommends itself.
missions entirely, and it has its own resources that could, with a bit of planning and savvy, be used to support an expedition. Still, Mars: A Natural History is as close as you or I will ever get to Mars: not only does Simon Borden take us through its past, told through the features of its landscape, but he uses bursts of a second-person narrative to put us on the surface of Mars itself, both in the past and present, to as though we were literally exploring the red tunes. Borden’s talent for description, already developed through his primary vocation as a science fiction author, is well on display here, both in the analysis of Mars’ geological features, and in the narrative imaginings that take us there as future and past explorers. For the space buff or lay exogeologist, The Red Planet recommends itself.
September 4, 2022
This was a fantastic read. I could of done with this book 18 years ago when I was writing my dissertation on water on Mars. It certainly explains everything you ever want to know about Mars. The author writes with passion and explains everything so well. I loved the flow of the book and ease in with I took in all the information. For the 5th star I would of loved to see some pictures to break up the text. It would of given it that extra dimension. The text was so informative that its probably the most comprehensive book I have read so far about Mars. I really couldn't put this book down and I read it in one day.
I really can't recommend this book enough. If you have any interest in Mars then I know you will love it to. Its definitely a must read book.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fantastic book that I became easily engrossed in and learnt so much from. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this amazing author.
I really can't recommend this book enough. If you have any interest in Mars then I know you will love it to. Its definitely a must read book.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fantastic book that I became easily engrossed in and learnt so much from. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this amazing author.
September 6, 2022
A fascinating look at our neighbor, this is a historical record of Mars, as well as a detailed look at its geography. So many things are impossible to know for sure, but the author makes educated guesses. Simon Morden is a science-fiction writer, so his non-fiction book is very approachable and reads almost like a novel. Some parts are so lovingly described in detail that you can picture yourself there. There is also some hard science that went a little over my head, but in general this book is easy to follow and very engrossing.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Elliott & Thompson!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Elliott & Thompson!
September 1, 2021
Well-told book full of fantastic information about Mars, which casts a whole other light on the science fiction books I'm used to reading. Far from easy however and very dense with information, only for true fans of the Topic.
Libro ben raccontato e pieno di fantastiche informazioni su Marte, che gettano tutta un'altra luce sui libri di fantascienza che sono solita leggere. Tutt'altro che facile comunque e densissimo di informazioni, solo per veri appassionati dell'Argomento.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Libro ben raccontato e pieno di fantastiche informazioni su Marte, che gettano tutta un'altra luce sui libri di fantascienza che sono solita leggere. Tutt'altro che facile comunque e densissimo di informazioni, solo per veri appassionati dell'Argomento.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
September 18, 2022
A fun, detailed, vivid history of the Red Dot that's been so present in our thoughts for so long. As someone who's always dreamed of stepping out onto a new world, it was disheartening to learn how significant the obstacles to human colonization are, but the image Morden paints is a rich and vibrant one, and at the end I felt as if I went there and back.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the geological history of Mars, as it struck a good balance between readability and heady scientific content.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the digital advance copy.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the geological history of Mars, as it struck a good balance between readability and heady scientific content.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the digital advance copy.
September 2, 2021
This is a fascinating and detailed look into the geological history of Mars. It doesn't provide all the answers, but where there are competing theories, it presents the most likely ones. It's interesting to learn how the different size and composition of Mars compared to Earth affected its development. It's also tantalizing to learn how much water ice occurs near the surface, and how that could affect the possibility of human colonization of the planet.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 13, 2022
A brilliant book about Mars. Having been interested in astronomy and involved in it in bursts throughout my life, I was really blown away by this book. Some things I knew but some things I had no idea about and it has given me a whole new perception on the red planet.
It is an acquired taste but it is a very easily readable book, and perhaps my only bug bear was just how much information there was in the book. I will most likely go back and read this in sections again at some point just to get my head around it all because it is s lot of information to take in also.
It is an acquired taste but it is a very easily readable book, and perhaps my only bug bear was just how much information there was in the book. I will most likely go back and read this in sections again at some point just to get my head around it all because it is s lot of information to take in also.
August 24, 2021
"The Red Planet" is two books in one. On one hand, you have the spectacularly described science of Mars, and on the other you're given a taste of the maybe. It just works so well. Simon Morden makes the science exciting and easy to understand, while throwing some truly fascinating scenarios into the mix. This is the best book about Mars I've ever read!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
September 22, 2022
A detailed and informative natural history. Perfect for fans of Cosmos or those Discovery Channel shows that break down the formation of the solar system, though perhaps information better presented in that medium - some visual aids and artists' renderings would be helpful in explaining the techniques and landscapes described, as well as fully expressing the awesome processes involved in Mars's planetary evolution.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for the ARC.
October 30, 2021
The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars by Simon Morden uses a bit of "You Are There" SF time and space travel (think Sagan's "ship of the imagination") to introduce us to the latest theories about the planet's development.
November 7, 2021
What a wonderful book, explaining Mars. As a Geologist not working in this profession I can fully understand Simon Mordens intention. Nevertheless I think it is a must read for everyone interested in Mars. Maybe there could be a publisher found to produce an illustrated/pictured version.
December 30, 2021
I found this book fascinating and informative, it is the first book of this type that I have read but I found the information included to be accessible.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 18, 2022
A fascinating, well researched, and informative book about the story of Mars. It's a science book and I liked how the author was able to talk about the topic without being dry or too technical.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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