Mapping Mars

How can you make sense of a world where no one has ever lived? Acclaimed science writer Oliver Morton tells the story of the heroic landscapes of Mars, now better mapped in some ways than the Earth itself. "Mapping Mars" introduces the reader to the nineteenth-century visionaries and spy-satellite pioneers, the petroleum geologists and science-fiction writers, the artists and Arctic explorers who have devoted themselves to the discovery of Mars. In doing so they have given a new world to the human imagination, a setting for our next great adventure.
Oliver Morton is a contributing editor at "Wired," as well as a contributor for "The New Yorker," "Science," and "The American Scholar." "Mapping Mars" was shortlisted for the "Guardian" First Book Award, and nominated for the British Science Fiction Association's award for "Best Related Work." Morton lives with his wife in Greenwich, England.
A "Discover" Magazine Best Science Book
Shortlisted for the "Guardian" First Book Award
How can you make sense of a world where no one has ever lived or breathed? Acclaimed science writer Oliver Morton tells the story of the heroic landscapes of Mars, now better mapped in some ways than the Earth itself. "Mapping Mars" introduces the reader to the nineteenth-century visionaries and spy-satellite pioneers, the petroleum geologists and science fiction writers, the artists and Arctic explorers who have devoted themselves to the discovery of Mars. In doing so they have given a new world to the human imagination, a setting for our next great adventure.
"Mapping Mars" takes us to the most beguiling landscape in the solar system and lays out what it may come to mean to us.
"There is much to recommend this book. The author has an encyclopedic grasp of the development of major discoveries of mars science, and he summaries them in a very understandable way . . . And, I must confess, I am frankly envious of his engaging prose. This book will delight anyone interested in the exploration of the planet next door."--"American Scientist"
"I couldn't stop reading this book Fascinating, truly fascinating."--Douglas Preston, author of "Dinosaur in the Attic" and "The Cabinet of Curiosities"
""Mapping Mars" is a brilliant, sustained achievement which present not just our changing representation of mars, but the developing map of humanity's consciousness through science, technology, culture, and art. Oliver Morton is a superb writer who has made a specialist subject enthralling and universal."--Irvine Welsh, author of "Trainspotting "
"There is much to recommend this book. The author has an encyclopedic grasp of the development of major discoveries of mars science, and he summaries them in a very understandable way . . . And, I must confess, I am frankly envious of his engaging prose. This book will delight anyone interested in the exploration of the planet next door."--"American Scientist "
"Morton captures the revolutions in thought that come from envisioning another world and comparing it with our own."--"The Dallas Morning News"
"A beautifully intelligent meditation on the paradoxes of place."--"Evening Standard"
"Compelling . . . evocative . . . Morton's prose is like Earth: humid, rich, swirling, alive."--"The Boston Globe"
"Oliver Morton's approach to writing is both unique and interesting . . . The amount of research that has gone into the book is astonishing . . . One of the more surprising aspects of "Mapping Mars," considering its lavish style, is the level of detail and understanding of the scientific ideas, which are presented in a realistic and accessible manner . . . There is something in this book for everyone, from the educated lay person to experienced Mars scientists, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It is quite simply one of the most enjoyable works of non-fiction I have ever read. "--Karl L. Mitchell, "A&G"
i0"If you are, like me, curious about Mars, then you will be enthralled by Oliver Morton's wonderfully readable and authoritative "Mapping Mars." This book is a landmark in the history of space exploration; it is meticulously researched yet it is a most human book free of biased science and hype--a space flight in first class prose. Oliver Morton maps the legends, the history, and the personalities onto the contemporary exploration of Mars by instruments. It is a tale of adversity, failure and triumph as the explorers endure vicariously the pain and peril of their robot craft as they map that most awful of all deserts."--Jim Lovelock, author of "Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth"
""Mapping Mars" is a wonderful work of intellectual history and a permanent addition to the Mars bookshelf."--Kim Stanley Robinson, author of" The Mars Series" and "The Years of Rice and Salt "
"When the first global map of Mars was produced from Mariner 9 pictures, the names of features christened by astronomers of yore, such as Schiaparelli and Lowell, required total revision. This topographical renaming is one aspect of journalist Morton's lively ramble through, as he puts it, scientists' and writers' penchant to project ideas about Earth's geography onto that of Mars. Certainly some features are receptive to the comparison, such as volcanoes or polar ice caps. Otherwise, the Red Planet's surface relief is unearthly, provoking geological debate that Morton encapsulates. Some of the people he profiles are not well known but are significant, such as Merton Davies, a pioneer in surveying Mars; however, other personalities are widely known, such as sf author Kim Stanley Robinson. The startling discoveries by American spacecraft apparently rejuvenated the sf genre as well as schemes to send people to Mars, such as those percolating in the 'underground' of enthusiasts. They will flock to Morton's appealing blend of science and imagination."--Gilbert Taylor, "Booklist "
"Well-known British science writer Morton, a contributor to "Wired," "The New York