BIG BOOK OF MARS

'From Ancient Egypt to The Martian, A Deep-Space Dive into Our Obsession with the Red Planet', here is the most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars yesterday, today and tomorrow. Using history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists, Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. It wasn't until the 19th century when 'canals' were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there's life on Mars. Since then Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), and many novels and movies from Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles to The Martian and to inspire advancements in exploration from NASA's launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk's quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX. Mars has been a muse for many early writers and Isaac Asimov the great sci-fi writer, Arthur C. Clarke and The Empire Strikes Back have all been inspired by Mars, and not forgetting of course in the wonderful world of sweeties, the Mars bar. Beautifully decorated large softback with many colour photos, book covers, film stills, tales of pranksters, screwballs and believers, artists' impressions, Mars Exploration scientific photographs, news articles, early telescopes and all the big hopes and big misunderstandings about Mars through history. There is so much to be discovered. 20.5 x 25.4cm, 304pp in colourful well illustrated softback with tiny remainder mark.