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A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
* THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A Times Best Science and Environment Book of 2023“Exceptional. . . Forceful, engaging and funny . . . This book will make you happy to live on this planet — a good thing, because you’re not leaving anytime soon.” —New York Times Book ReviewFrom the bestselling authors of Soonish, a brilliant and hilarious off-world investigation into space settlementEarth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away—no climate change, no war, no Twitter—beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Critically acclaimed, bestselling authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren’t so sure it’s a good idea. Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn’t spark conflict back home. In a world hurtling toward human expansion into space, A City on Mars investigates whether the dream of new worlds won’t create nightmares, both for settlers and the people they leave behind. In the process, the Weinersmiths answer every question about space you’ve ever wondered about, and many you’ve never you make babies in space? Should corporations govern space settlements? What about space war? Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon’s Peaks of Eternal Light—and what happens if you’re left in the Craters of Eternal Darkness? Why do astronauts love taco sauce? Speaking of meals, what’s the legal status of space cannibalism?With deep expertise, a winning sense of humor, and art from the beloved creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, the Weinersmiths investigate perhaps the biggest questions humanity will ever ask itself—whether and how to become multiplanetary.Get in, we’re going to Mars.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2023
About the author
Kelly Weinersmith
4 books192 followersDr. Kelly Weinersmith is adjunct faculty Biosciences department at Rice University, where she studies parasites that manipulate the behavior of their hosts. She also cohosts Science…sort of, which is one of the top 20 natural science podcasts. Kelly spoke at Smithsonian magazine’s The Future Is Here Festival in 2015, and her work has been featured in The Atlantic, National Geographic, BBC World, Science, and Nature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 21, 2023
"It is no longer a question of if we will colonise the Moon and Mars, but when..."
—Tim Peake, astronaut
A City on Mars had its moments, but ultimately, it ended up being a mixed bag for me. I am admittedly a huge fan of books on space exploration and future science, but this one left a bit to be desired. More below. The authors drop the quote above at the start of the book.
Authors Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith are married. Kelly is an American scientist, New York Times-best selling writer, and podcaster. She is a member of the faculty at Rice University, and an alumni collaborator with the Parasite Ecology Group at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Zach is an American cartoonist and writer, best known for his webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Zach Weinersmith and Kelly Weinersmith:
The book opens with a good intro. They've got a lively style; for the most part. The book is written with liberal pepperings of humour added, in an attempt to keep things fun and light. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is (IMHO) very difficult to pull off effectively, and can be really hit-or-miss... Someone like Bill Bryson is a good example of an author who really nails this style well.
Sadly, I feel that - despite the authors' best efforts - this style didn't really work here. I found their attempts to be funny got a bit grating as the book went on, and managed to irritate the hell out of me as the book progressed... (Sorry)
Although this could have been a lot to do with the narrator of the audio version. She's very... animated (for lack of a better term), and I think this started to wear on me.
As I mentioned above, I love books about future science. I read a lot of sci-fi in my youth and it sparked a life-long flame for me. The topic(s) of space exploration and/or colonization are extremely interesting.
My own take (before and after reading this book), is that it will remain no more than a pipe dream for a very long time. There are just some basic but extremely difficult obstacles to overcome.
To their credit, each of these topics (and more) are examined in this book.
They are; in no particular order:
* Interstellar radiation. All kinds of short-wave ionizing radiation are being beamed throughout the cosmos everywhere, and always. Bad for humans. Crops can't survive this bombardment, either.
* Energy. What can we use? There are no fossil fuels on Mars.
* Life at 0- <1g. Humans have not evolved to live in environments less than 1g. Although you may want to discount this, there have been major problems with life in 0g, even from durations as short as a few months.
* The long transit time between Earth and Mars. The long communication delay for any correspondence.
They lay out the aim of the book in this bit of writing:
They also drop this quote early on, speaking to the difficulties of colonizing Mars:
On the positive side, I will say that the book was very well-researched and contains quite a lot of informative and interesting information about the possibilities, limitations, and challenges of colonizing other planets, and even space; in general. The authors clearly spent quite a lot of time with this book, and it would make a great reference guide.
However, and further to what I mentioned earlier, I felt that the book was just too long. The version I have clocks in at a buky 628 pages. The audio version: Over 11 hours. While it got off to a good start, I found my finicky attention wandering many times as it progressed...
Fault me if you will for being too picky about how engaging I find a book, but I often find that shorter books are more effective at conveying information than longer ones. Longer books tend to go off on lengthy segues and dive deep into the weeds, rarely coming up for air. This has the effect of leaving the reader frustrated (well, this reader, anyhow...)
In this case, I felt that there was just too much superfluous writing, particularly after the first ~half of the book. I found the latter ~half of the book really dragged for me. Obviously, this is likely a subjective thing, and your mileage may vary...
********************
A City on Mars was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, it contained quite a lot of really interesting and informative writing. On the other hand, I became frustrated with its long length and tedium at times.
So, this leaves me rating it at 2.5 stars, but rounded up to 3, since the authors did try to keep things lively.
It's just too bad that it didn't resonate as well with me as I'd hoped...
—Tim Peake, astronaut
A City on Mars had its moments, but ultimately, it ended up being a mixed bag for me. I am admittedly a huge fan of books on space exploration and future science, but this one left a bit to be desired. More below. The authors drop the quote above at the start of the book.
Authors Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith are married. Kelly is an American scientist, New York Times-best selling writer, and podcaster. She is a member of the faculty at Rice University, and an alumni collaborator with the Parasite Ecology Group at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Zach is an American cartoonist and writer, best known for his webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Zach Weinersmith and Kelly Weinersmith:
The book opens with a good intro. They've got a lively style; for the most part. The book is written with liberal pepperings of humour added, in an attempt to keep things fun and light. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is (IMHO) very difficult to pull off effectively, and can be really hit-or-miss... Someone like Bill Bryson is a good example of an author who really nails this style well.
Sadly, I feel that - despite the authors' best efforts - this style didn't really work here. I found their attempts to be funny got a bit grating as the book went on, and managed to irritate the hell out of me as the book progressed... (Sorry)
Although this could have been a lot to do with the narrator of the audio version. She's very... animated (for lack of a better term), and I think this started to wear on me.
As I mentioned above, I love books about future science. I read a lot of sci-fi in my youth and it sparked a life-long flame for me. The topic(s) of space exploration and/or colonization are extremely interesting.
My own take (before and after reading this book), is that it will remain no more than a pipe dream for a very long time. There are just some basic but extremely difficult obstacles to overcome.
To their credit, each of these topics (and more) are examined in this book.
They are; in no particular order:
* Interstellar radiation. All kinds of short-wave ionizing radiation are being beamed throughout the cosmos everywhere, and always. Bad for humans. Crops can't survive this bombardment, either.
* Energy. What can we use? There are no fossil fuels on Mars.
* Life at 0- <1g. Humans have not evolved to live in environments less than 1g. Although you may want to discount this, there have been major problems with life in 0g, even from durations as short as a few months.
* The long transit time between Earth and Mars. The long communication delay for any correspondence.
They lay out the aim of the book in this bit of writing:
"The little book you’re reading right now, which admittedly begins with a Uranus joke and contains an explainer on space cannibalism (stay tuned), is nevertheless the only popular science book we’re aware of that offers the whole picture without trying to sell you on the idea of near-term space expansion.[*] Rather, we’ll try to clear up a lot of misconceptions and then replace them with a much more realistic view of how feasible space settlements are and what they might mean for humanity."
They also drop this quote early on, speaking to the difficulties of colonizing Mars:
"Consider the 2015 Newsweek article “ ‘Star Wars’ Class Wars: Is Mars the Escape Hatch for the 1 Percent?” which claims “the red planet will likely only be for the rich, leaving the poor to suffer as earth’s environment collapses and conflict breaks out.” The only way you could believe this would be if you had no idea how thoroughly, incredibly, impossibly horrible Mars is. The average surface temperature is about -60°C. There’s no breathable air, but there are planetwide dust storms and a layer of toxic dust on the ground. Leaving a 2°C warmer Earth for Mars would be like leaving a messy room so you can live in a toxic waste dump. The truth is that settling other worlds, in the sense of creating self-sustaining societies somewhere away from Earth, is not only quite unlikely anytime soon, it won’t deliver on the benefits touted by advocates. No vast riches, no new independent nations, no second home for humanity, not even a safety bunker for ultra elites."
On the positive side, I will say that the book was very well-researched and contains quite a lot of informative and interesting information about the possibilities, limitations, and challenges of colonizing other planets, and even space; in general. The authors clearly spent quite a lot of time with this book, and it would make a great reference guide.
However, and further to what I mentioned earlier, I felt that the book was just too long. The version I have clocks in at a buky 628 pages. The audio version: Over 11 hours. While it got off to a good start, I found my finicky attention wandering many times as it progressed...
Fault me if you will for being too picky about how engaging I find a book, but I often find that shorter books are more effective at conveying information than longer ones. Longer books tend to go off on lengthy segues and dive deep into the weeds, rarely coming up for air. This has the effect of leaving the reader frustrated (well, this reader, anyhow...)
In this case, I felt that there was just too much superfluous writing, particularly after the first ~half of the book. I found the latter ~half of the book really dragged for me. Obviously, this is likely a subjective thing, and your mileage may vary...
********************
A City on Mars was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, it contained quite a lot of really interesting and informative writing. On the other hand, I became frustrated with its long length and tedium at times.
So, this leaves me rating it at 2.5 stars, but rounded up to 3, since the authors did try to keep things lively.
It's just too bad that it didn't resonate as well with me as I'd hoped...
November 21, 2023
I like that the authors have really put in the time, research, and thinking to show what'll we need to be ready to settle somewhere outside of Earth, and how likely it will be in the near future.
November 6, 2023
A very good accessible and understandable academic piece of literature. As a student currently creating a piece of writing about whether humanity should be exploring space, it was a very useful resource that covered a variety of bases. It was also very informative in general about just how much needs to be considered before space colonisation can ever really be an option.
September 25, 2023
Definitely pop science. Definitely asked questions I hadn't asked yet and made the bits of real science more accessible.
July 18, 2023
I finally finished this one! So many new ideas for my space AU.
November 27, 2023
While not as hard-hitting for me as Deudney's 'Dark Skies', this book is a great complementary work pushing back on some of the optimism bias that seems to guide so many intellectuals and people of influence (including myself in years past, though not considering myself to fall in either of those categories, per se :) in their thinking about space exploration. Many of the complications of Mars settlement are not what one would immediately consider, and the authors do an impressive job in bringing them to the forefront of the conversation. I think that the book could have used a bit more ethical seriousness to provide further normative argumentation against contemporary pursuits, but it does a sufficiently laudable job in the practical aspects that I can remain very satisfied with the book overall.
November 26, 2023
I admit it, I skipped most of the legal chapters. Maybe they were awesome, but I couldn't face it. Other than that, this was a super educational and entertaining book and it changed the way I think of space settlement. To be fair, I didn't think very much about that before, but it's definitely not something I'm gunning for now.
November 25, 2023
This is my kind of pop-science book - informative, to the point and well written. It gives fresh and eye-opening perspective on the prospects of colonizing space.
November 27, 2023
Really great writing, especially loved the audiobook. Kept me engaged even through some of sections I wasn’t too interested in. Definitely recommend!
October 8, 2023
This is a really fun and interesting pop science book. If you are into space and the idea of humans eventually settling on the moon or another planet, this book is for you. It looks at some really interesting issues that humans would have to deal with - everything from physical to psychological issues, reproduction, water, food, laws, etc - in an informative but easy to understand way. The authors are very witty, which makes this book a lot of fun, and not some boring, highly technical book. I received an advance copy of this book, and am writing an honest review.
November 7, 2023
The subtitle of this book contains an important question when talking about settling space: 'Have we really thought this through?' - and in around 400 pages this key question is answered with an extremely thorough 'No way.' The Weinersmiths (as they refer to themselves) hammer many nails into the coffin of the science fictional idea that space is in some ways comparable to the kind of frontiers that were historically crossed on Earth. I was always aware that the obstacles were huge, but this book makes clear just how overwhelmingly enormous they are - and how many of them are pretty much ignored by enthusiasts for settling on the Moon, on Mars or in space habitats.
One topic the Weinersmiths cover in depth is the geopolitics of space, saying pretty well everyone ignores it. Admittedly, there has been a significant book this year dedicated to it (The Future of Geography/Astropolitics by Tim Marshall), but, that apart, the legal pitfalls and how nations will react to any attempts to settle space tend to be ignored. Here we get it analysed in depth with useful comparisons to Antarctica and the deep sea bed and what has happened there.
Similarly, the Weinersmiths give us plenty on the sociological, biological and agricultural aspects of living on the Moon, Mars or in space habitats. It's quite shocking how little we understand about these essential topics, given they will make the difference between life and death for any settlers. As the authors point out, what is spent on the International Space Station (which tells us almost nothing about living in a space settlement both because stays are too short and microgravity is not the same as being on a lower gravity planet or moon) would fund about 500 major experiments to try to find out more about those subjects. Can humans safely give birth and raise children in reduced gravity? Can we grow food on Mars, with poisonous soil, radiation and reduced sunlight? How will groups of people fare in a location where there can be no outside assistance in less than months if (or, rather, when) something goes wrong? And much more.
There is no doubt that the Weinersmiths have put in a huge amount of research into the topics they cover at length. The content can be a little repetitive - they don't so much make a point as drive it home with a sledgehammer. This is supposed to be lightened by the book's humour - but, to be honest, I find the cartoons included uninspiring and much of the humour weak. Author Andy Weir describes the book as 'Funny as hell' on the cover - I did wonder if it should have been a sarcastic 'Funny as Hell' with a capital H. There is also far too much information dumping, with insufficient narrative. Even what promises to be a good story about penguins and Nazis, for example, proves a big let down.
There's no doubt that the book is hugely informative, though. It should be enforced reading for anyone working in space agencies, for governments that deal with space, for journalists who overhype the possibilities, and for the many enthusiasts (space geeks, as they are called here), including certain tech billionaires, who are convinced that humans will soon be living off Earth and who tend to brush aside the economic, physical, biological, legal and other barriers. I don't doubt we will get visitors to the Moon and eventually Mars this century - but I am now far less hopeful for anything resembling the lunar/Martian colonies or vast space habitats suggested by the science fiction reading of my youth. It's more than a little depressing - but sometimes reality is.
One topic the Weinersmiths cover in depth is the geopolitics of space, saying pretty well everyone ignores it. Admittedly, there has been a significant book this year dedicated to it (The Future of Geography/Astropolitics by Tim Marshall), but, that apart, the legal pitfalls and how nations will react to any attempts to settle space tend to be ignored. Here we get it analysed in depth with useful comparisons to Antarctica and the deep sea bed and what has happened there.
Similarly, the Weinersmiths give us plenty on the sociological, biological and agricultural aspects of living on the Moon, Mars or in space habitats. It's quite shocking how little we understand about these essential topics, given they will make the difference between life and death for any settlers. As the authors point out, what is spent on the International Space Station (which tells us almost nothing about living in a space settlement both because stays are too short and microgravity is not the same as being on a lower gravity planet or moon) would fund about 500 major experiments to try to find out more about those subjects. Can humans safely give birth and raise children in reduced gravity? Can we grow food on Mars, with poisonous soil, radiation and reduced sunlight? How will groups of people fare in a location where there can be no outside assistance in less than months if (or, rather, when) something goes wrong? And much more.
There is no doubt that the Weinersmiths have put in a huge amount of research into the topics they cover at length. The content can be a little repetitive - they don't so much make a point as drive it home with a sledgehammer. This is supposed to be lightened by the book's humour - but, to be honest, I find the cartoons included uninspiring and much of the humour weak. Author Andy Weir describes the book as 'Funny as hell' on the cover - I did wonder if it should have been a sarcastic 'Funny as Hell' with a capital H. There is also far too much information dumping, with insufficient narrative. Even what promises to be a good story about penguins and Nazis, for example, proves a big let down.
There's no doubt that the book is hugely informative, though. It should be enforced reading for anyone working in space agencies, for governments that deal with space, for journalists who overhype the possibilities, and for the many enthusiasts (space geeks, as they are called here), including certain tech billionaires, who are convinced that humans will soon be living off Earth and who tend to brush aside the economic, physical, biological, legal and other barriers. I don't doubt we will get visitors to the Moon and eventually Mars this century - but I am now far less hopeful for anything resembling the lunar/Martian colonies or vast space habitats suggested by the science fiction reading of my youth. It's more than a little depressing - but sometimes reality is.
November 27, 2023
An entertaining look at the many difficulties with colonizing the Moon and Mars. If you're really excited about colonizing these places this book might be kind of a downer!
Some of the interesting things I learned:
- The "soil" on the Moon and Mars (the proper term is "regolith") is going to be a major problem. It's surprisingly sharp, dangerous to breath in, and Mars regolith has the added bonus of being toxic due to the presence of perchlorates!
- If we do try to colonize space, it probably makes sense to "go big" and start with a big colony after we feel like we have sufficient technology. The colony is going to need a large support structure and it will be more likely to survive the bigger it is. But of course that means it will need more supplies from Earth, etc, so that is also tough. (it's unlikely to be entirely self-sufficient with the technology we have today)
- The international law around what you can do in space is pretty limiting right now. The two models we have of governing shared territory that work right now are:
- Antarctica: it is divided up based on existing claims (before the treaty went into effect), but you can kind of build wherever you want. But you can't extract anything from the land for private gain, which would probably be a problem in space because colonies will need to do that to survive.
- The bottom of the ocean: outside of territorial waters, if you want to extract resources somewhere you have to apply to the International Seabed Authority, and if the Authority says yes then the applying company gets access to half of the area and the Authority gets access to the other half, with the proceeds going to developing nations in some way that isn't terribly concrete yet. This is somewhat more promising.
- I knew very little about international law before this book, and apparently some space enthusiasts don't think international law is going to have an impact on how we colonize space because we can just ignore it. But countries actually adhere to international law more than one might think, and "just ignore it" probably isn't a viable strategy!
- There's also an interesting section about how areas of land become countries that are recognized by other countries. Basically, "distinct groups" of people have the right to "self-determination", and may have the right to unilateral secession if they're being persecuted. (this last point is why a ruling was made that Quebec cannot unilaterally secede from Canada, and while the book doesn't mention this, probably rules out Texas doing so as well!)
Some of the interesting things I learned:
- The "soil" on the Moon and Mars (the proper term is "regolith") is going to be a major problem. It's surprisingly sharp, dangerous to breath in, and Mars regolith has the added bonus of being toxic due to the presence of perchlorates!
- If we do try to colonize space, it probably makes sense to "go big" and start with a big colony after we feel like we have sufficient technology. The colony is going to need a large support structure and it will be more likely to survive the bigger it is. But of course that means it will need more supplies from Earth, etc, so that is also tough. (it's unlikely to be entirely self-sufficient with the technology we have today)
- The international law around what you can do in space is pretty limiting right now. The two models we have of governing shared territory that work right now are:
- Antarctica: it is divided up based on existing claims (before the treaty went into effect), but you can kind of build wherever you want. But you can't extract anything from the land for private gain, which would probably be a problem in space because colonies will need to do that to survive.
- The bottom of the ocean: outside of territorial waters, if you want to extract resources somewhere you have to apply to the International Seabed Authority, and if the Authority says yes then the applying company gets access to half of the area and the Authority gets access to the other half, with the proceeds going to developing nations in some way that isn't terribly concrete yet. This is somewhat more promising.
- I knew very little about international law before this book, and apparently some space enthusiasts don't think international law is going to have an impact on how we colonize space because we can just ignore it. But countries actually adhere to international law more than one might think, and "just ignore it" probably isn't a viable strategy!
- There's also an interesting section about how areas of land become countries that are recognized by other countries. Basically, "distinct groups" of people have the right to "self-determination", and may have the right to unilateral secession if they're being persecuted. (this last point is why a ruling was made that Quebec cannot unilaterally secede from Canada, and while the book doesn't mention this, probably rules out Texas doing so as well!)
November 25, 2023
I love reading about what we can do next in space. It can excite a generation and provide a number of life changing technologies, even the result is just a bunch of photos and rocks. The book attempts to lay out reality, that we’re not selling hotdogs on Mars in 20 years. Or even by the end of the century.
I came away from the book with a good sense of what should be next on the roadmap to space settlements, but the journey was frustrating. The authors seem to delight in all kinds of weird trivia that kind of makes sense within the chapter. Some of it is funny, but some of it is just cringy while trying to convey a point.
One theme throughout the book, is that we do not have the experience required to live on the Moon or journey to Mars. The sample size of human / space interactions is somewhat limited. Sci-fi story handwaving won’t help the next wave of astronauts. The authors advocate a measured approach, with clear goals. Saying 1MM people on Mars in 30 years is not reality. If we can’t solve the radiation problem, then its robots all the way down. This is something missing from any discussion of space exploration. Apollo built on Gemini, which built on Mercury. The Moon is a good place to try techniques out for a trip to Mars. But it isn’t ideal. The book is a good primer for all of the limitations of permanent settlements in space.
The space law portions were interesting at first, but ultimately dull. It is very important, but a lot of it is treaties that no one follows. The authors use other places on Earth as examples, but those may not be all that applicable. It mainly shows humans make up a lot of laws that overlap and are generally vague, especially when no one is actually living out on the Moon or Mars.
I wanted the book to be a bit funnier and cleaner so I could recommend it to kids. But right up front, the authors ensure it is for an adult audience. Space babies goes into details, quotes about astronauts and porn are found in sections. As I said, the authors really pull out the weird when ever they can. The book could have just been a bunch of weird stories all on their own. I get that it allows for more people to reach for the book to better understand the science of space & get some giggles.
I came away from the book with a good sense of what should be next on the roadmap to space settlements, but the journey was frustrating. The authors seem to delight in all kinds of weird trivia that kind of makes sense within the chapter. Some of it is funny, but some of it is just cringy while trying to convey a point.
One theme throughout the book, is that we do not have the experience required to live on the Moon or journey to Mars. The sample size of human / space interactions is somewhat limited. Sci-fi story handwaving won’t help the next wave of astronauts. The authors advocate a measured approach, with clear goals. Saying 1MM people on Mars in 30 years is not reality. If we can’t solve the radiation problem, then its robots all the way down. This is something missing from any discussion of space exploration. Apollo built on Gemini, which built on Mercury. The Moon is a good place to try techniques out for a trip to Mars. But it isn’t ideal. The book is a good primer for all of the limitations of permanent settlements in space.
The space law portions were interesting at first, but ultimately dull. It is very important, but a lot of it is treaties that no one follows. The authors use other places on Earth as examples, but those may not be all that applicable. It mainly shows humans make up a lot of laws that overlap and are generally vague, especially when no one is actually living out on the Moon or Mars.
I wanted the book to be a bit funnier and cleaner so I could recommend it to kids. But right up front, the authors ensure it is for an adult audience. Space babies goes into details, quotes about astronauts and porn are found in sections. As I said, the authors really pull out the weird when ever they can. The book could have just been a bunch of weird stories all on their own. I get that it allows for more people to reach for the book to better understand the science of space & get some giggles.
November 22, 2023
This is a fun, accessible read on a very heavy topic, and, spoiler warning: the answer to the last question in subtitle is "No." And, honestly, I knew that going in (though of course I hoped I was wrong), but I still appreciated the detail and care the Weinersmiths put into making it absolutely clear how extremely we've not thought this through and how very much we're not ready for this. This book does a great job of elucidating the many ways this could all go wrong, and the many steps between here and even attempting it. (To be clear, this is a book about *settling* space. Obviously, science in space is a whole different and much more plausible concept.)
This is also a surprisingly relevant book. It's hard not to look at the smoking ruins of Twitter (and the quieter disaster that is Tesla) and shudder when you imagine the dude who accomplished that being in charge of a space city. It's hard not to look at Jeff Bezos's incredible commitment to hoarding every resource on this planet to the point of destruction and shudder when you imagine him in charge of a space program.
The books' tone is light enough and amusing enough to be enjoyable, and the content is definitely easy to understand. (Yes, the Weinersmiths do belabor their points a bit, but given the general attitude of most space enthusiasts, I understand why. They're fighting an uphill battle against zealots here.) Overall, recommended for people interested in space and for people who write or read a lot of fiction about space.
This is also a surprisingly relevant book. It's hard not to look at the smoking ruins of Twitter (and the quieter disaster that is Tesla) and shudder when you imagine the dude who accomplished that being in charge of a space city. It's hard not to look at Jeff Bezos's incredible commitment to hoarding every resource on this planet to the point of destruction and shudder when you imagine him in charge of a space program.
The books' tone is light enough and amusing enough to be enjoyable, and the content is definitely easy to understand. (Yes, the Weinersmiths do belabor their points a bit, but given the general attitude of most space enthusiasts, I understand why. They're fighting an uphill battle against zealots here.) Overall, recommended for people interested in space and for people who write or read a lot of fiction about space.
September 5, 2023
"A City on Mars" is a captivating exploration that delves far beyond the technical engineering hurdles often associated with space settlement. Its insightful discussion spans an array of vital aspects, including politics, economics, psychology, physiology, and legal considerations. These topics are expertly woven together with the aid of historical examinations, conducted experiments and ongoing research, offering readers a comprehensive view of the complexities involved when humans are part of a "closed" system.
What sets this book apart is its delightful and humorous writing style. This approach not only enhances readability but also ensures that even those without an academic background can engage with the content.
For individuals who harbor both a critical eye and a passionate enthusiasm for space settlements, "A City on Mars" is an essential read. It broadens horizons, providing a profound understanding of the multifaceted challenges that underlie the endeavor to establish off-world settlements.
Thus, this highly recommended as an enlightening and enjoyable journey into considering the future of human colonization beyond Earth.
What sets this book apart is its delightful and humorous writing style. This approach not only enhances readability but also ensures that even those without an academic background can engage with the content.
For individuals who harbor both a critical eye and a passionate enthusiasm for space settlements, "A City on Mars" is an essential read. It broadens horizons, providing a profound understanding of the multifaceted challenges that underlie the endeavor to establish off-world settlements.
Thus, this highly recommended as an enlightening and enjoyable journey into considering the future of human colonization beyond Earth.
August 17, 2023
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really thought This Through? is both hilarious and thoughtful. The Weinersmiths have scienced the heck out of interplanetary travel and settlement, presenting a rich examination of advantages and caveats, historical anecdotes and futurist visions, politics and legalities, pros and cons. They don't just ask, "How would that work, exactly?", they spell out the answer. All stitched together with their wicked sarcasm that kept me in stitches. Whether you're looking for entertaining space tech, or serious consideration of our next fifty years, or Zach's pin worthy illustrations that absolutely nail it, I consider this a must read.
September 21, 2023
A brilliant and riotous book on the details of what we'd need to not just get to Mars, but establish a presence there. The book is both a thoughtful read and a delightful one, with facts and evidence laid out playfully and clearly for all the things humans need to (and should!) be working on if we truly want to be multiplanitary. This is not a book for naysayers, but a blueprint for the work humans have ahead of them!
The Weinersmiths have done a REMARKABLE amount of painstaking research, evidenced by the extensive bibliography, diving into space science, international law, biology, memoirs of basically every astronaut, coming up with pearls of wisdom and fascinating anecdotes, often dispelling common misconceptions around historical space happenings.
This book is a must for any science nerd, but is accessible for the layperson too.
The Weinersmiths have done a REMARKABLE amount of painstaking research, evidenced by the extensive bibliography, diving into space science, international law, biology, memoirs of basically every astronaut, coming up with pearls of wisdom and fascinating anecdotes, often dispelling common misconceptions around historical space happenings.
This book is a must for any science nerd, but is accessible for the layperson too.
November 17, 2023
It's clear that an enormous amount of research effort went into this book; the highest praise I can give is that the Weinersmiths successfully distill that immense undertaking into concise and clear arguments about space settlement. I'd love to see some of the work that didn't make the final cut eventually made available in some other medium, especially if that medium is long-form SMBCs.
Generally my takeaway from the book is that short-term space settlement is a bad idea for a bunch of very good reasons, but that the pre-work necessary to get humanity to a state where it's no longer a bad idea will likely confer a bunch of scientific benefits (to biology, ecology, etc), so there's no reason not to get started on those now. Seems pretty reasonable!
Generally my takeaway from the book is that short-term space settlement is a bad idea for a bunch of very good reasons, but that the pre-work necessary to get humanity to a state where it's no longer a bad idea will likely confer a bunch of scientific benefits (to biology, ecology, etc), so there's no reason not to get started on those now. Seems pretty reasonable!
November 16, 2023
When I began this book and the text read with all the reasons why space travel wasn't a good idea I thought two things. This book is mercilessly pessimistic and a totally different way of looking at futurism which fed my inner skeptic. As I read on though things became much more balanced without all the negativity and ultimately I enjoyed this exploration on all things space exploration.
I did find it a bit slow towards the end with all the talk about the legal aspects but since I overall enjoyed this pop-science book I felt like it earned a 4 star rating.
I did find it a bit slow towards the end with all the talk about the legal aspects but since I overall enjoyed this pop-science book I felt like it earned a 4 star rating.
November 18, 2023
Well-researched and thorough pop science book about the possibilities and impossibilities of space settlement in the near feature.
The books has a snarky/jokey tone, and the authors are clear about their opinions and takeaways from their research about just how far we have to go before space settlement is a reality (to me author’s showing their hand is a plus, not a drawback), so your appreciation of those aspects may vary, but I found the book educational and engaging.
Thank you, Penguin and Goodreads for the ARC.
The books has a snarky/jokey tone, and the authors are clear about their opinions and takeaways from their research about just how far we have to go before space settlement is a reality (to me author’s showing their hand is a plus, not a drawback), so your appreciation of those aspects may vary, but I found the book educational and engaging.
Thank you, Penguin and Goodreads for the ARC.
November 21, 2023
Solid, but kind of a downer, especially if you're a Trek or Wars fan (or both!). The first 2/3 that deals with the logistics of humans in space, biology, and the engineering that would need to go along with that is the strongest. The legal section, while necessary, is far more boring. Overall, it's a fine foray into all things space exploration and a good sobering reminder of the lengths we still have to go, even if that ultimately feels like a cold splash of water to the face of every stargazing dreamer on Earth.
November 22, 2023
This book is thorough, interesting, and does well to shed light on the political constraints of space settlements. However, I think it overindulges in skepticism, an easy response to a difficult problem. I think the book also leans too far towards treating international law as immutable and could benefit from a more realist perspective of international relations and state formation. As a response to exuberant calls for space settlements, the book is quite well calibrated in its skepticism. I do think it's still a valuable contribution and worth reading.
November 25, 2023
Perhaps the most entertaining sci-comm I've ever read? I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this. The first half on the technological challenges of space settlement is very good, but mostly isn't news to me—I started this well aware that space sucks. But the authors really hit their stride in the second half on the legal / political / sociological challenges, which is almost entirely new to me and is captivating in a way only rivaled by, like, your favorite class in school. I've already started recommending this to people and will continue to do so. Essential reading for any and all space geeks.
November 19, 2023
Accessible and extensive views about how and when humans will enhabit space.
The Weinersmiths dove into several challenges of establishing space societies that I'd not considered.
Most of the book details the cons about hurrying to populate Mars but also details ideas about how to do it successfully.
I read City on Mars completely but it could also be treated as a reference book.
However you dive in I think all my fellow space nerds will be very interested.
The Weinersmiths dove into several challenges of establishing space societies that I'd not considered.
Most of the book details the cons about hurrying to populate Mars but also details ideas about how to do it successfully.
I read City on Mars completely but it could also be treated as a reference book.
However you dive in I think all my fellow space nerds will be very interested.
November 24, 2023
As a lover of space and science I find the reality in this book quite frustrating. Space research has given us great stuff. GPS, medical tools, light and strong materials, the internet right in our hands are all awesome things. Simply advancing human knowledge is great just because. That all being said, we're not about to colonize Mars. We all know this. Not sure why Weinersmith has to be such a party pooper and write what we all don't want to admit.
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November 27, 2023Overall I think a very good presentation of all the challenges involved in ever setting up permanent off-world colonies. The first two thirds or so deal with the more sciency aspects and I found it an enjoyable read. The last third deals with legal and diplomatic challenges and I found it rather dry, maybe a little repetitive and I rushed to get through it. Not disagreeing with the point just... I get it, it's complicated. Can we talk more about rockets now?
November 16, 2023
Sober review of our space dreams
This does a very good job of laying out the never-talked-about challenges to settling space and shining a spotlight on what needs to be done to make it real.
For a space enthusiast, it's a challenging read but an important one!
Hopefully people will read this and heed its words!
This does a very good job of laying out the never-talked-about challenges to settling space and shining a spotlight on what needs to be done to make it real.
For a space enthusiast, it's a challenging read but an important one!
Hopefully people will read this and heed its words!
November 26, 2023
A City on Mars is a book that needed to be written. Almost all of the literature, both academic and popular, fully support the goal of establishing humans on the Moon and Mars within the next few decades. As Buzz Aldrin's t-shirt proudly declares, "Get Your Ass to Mars," nearly all settlement enthusiasts fail to recognize that while getting to the Moon or Mars may be technologically feasible, it will be an incredibly difficult task for humans to survive for long there much less live long lives of multiple generations. The devil is in the details. The book is written in a very approachable style, frequently interjecting humor along with scientific fact and opinion. Where there is opinion, it is labeled as such and invites the reader to form their own stance on the viability of space "colonies." The authors provide solid suggestions for how to move forward while avoiding some of the problems of settlement. As a professional in the field, I found the book an enjoyable and honest account of the rocky road ahead. A City on Mars should be read by anyone who has an interest in the future of human settlement of space.
November 22, 2023
Interesting, enjoyable! Well worth a read. I find myself wanting a version with all the cut chapters added back in. Lay it on me, Weinersmiths, I've read the Silmarillion, I've read the Lost Tales, I've even read the Bible including all of Leviticus. Give me the Special Extended Version, I want the Weinersmith Cut.
August 22, 2023
Fascinating, thorough, and highly entertaining! There aren't many books that combine in depth scientific and legal analysis with laugh-out-loud humor. Kelly and Zach Weinersmith are emerging as the dynamic duo of science communication!
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