By Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith
* THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Winner of the Hugo Award * Scientific American’s #1 Book for 2023 * Winner of Royal Society’s Trivedi Prize *
“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 Review
From the bestselling authors of Soonish, a brilliant and hilarious off-world investigation into space settlement.
EARTH IS NOT WELL. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away—no climate change, no war, no doomscrolling—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 businesses 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. The Weinersmiths answer every question about space you’ve ever wondered about, and many you’ve never considered:
- Can you make babies in space?
- Should corporations govern space settlements?
- Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon’s Peaks of Eternal Light?
- Why do astronauts love taco sauce?
- 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, this book investigates perhaps the biggest questions humanity will ever ask itself.
🔭 From the Desk of Paul Bracken:
"I love a good, optimistic sci-fi story, but the reality of living on Mars is brutally unforgiving. Kelly and Zach do an incredible job of stripping away the romanticism of space colonization while keeping you laughing the entire time. If you've ever looked through your telescope at the Red Planet and thought, 'I'd love to live there,' read this book. It brings some much-needed grounded science to the hype, and honestly, it'll make you appreciate our pale blue dot a whole lot more!"
