Real life robotic explorations of Mars has been capturing the imagination of new generations just as science fiction novels about Mars captured the imagination of previous generations. There has been a rich tapestry of SFF novels over the last century. From The War of the Worlds (1898), Out of the Silent Planet (1938) to more recent works such as the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy. Our neighbouring planet has served as a stunning backdrop to many classics, leading to debate over the best ever.
All of the above classics influenced me in choosing to write my own novel about Mars, SENTIENT. C S Lewis’s classic, Out of the Silent Planet was the first book I ever read, over fifty years ago, inspiring my lifelong fascination for books that explored the future. The War of the Worlds has been the motivation for a large number of film and television interpretations of H G Wells famous book. I still enjoy seeing new versions of this enduring classic. My favourite SFF novel about Mars goes hands down to Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy, a masterpiece of hard science fiction.
Do you have a favourite?