Mars on Our Mind!

Baron, David.  The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-
       Century America.  n.p.: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2025.  ISBN: 9781324090663

 

"Why Mars?" is the question asked not only by the author, but of the reader.  Why this fascination with the red planet, one of Earth's closest neighbors?  And why was there this fixation on canals and intelligent life on Mars?  Where did that come from and what has it spawned?  Those are some of the questions that David Baron seeks to answer in The Martians.

 

David Baron divides his tale into three parts - Part One - Century's End - 1876-1900, Part Two - A New Civilization - 1901-1907,  and Part Three - The Earthlings Respond - 1908-1916.  David Bruce brings in all of the big guns of the day - Percival Lowell who became enthralled with the Far East before he turned his vision onto the heavens,  the Widow Guzman who funded the Pierre Guzman prize for communication with another planet, or star, Camille Flammarion, a French astronomer,  and color-blind Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli who mapped Mars and drew in the canali or channels that he saw on the surface which caused much confusion when the term migrated into English as "canals."  Later on Nicoli Tesla makes his appearance along with H. G. Wells who brings a Martian invasion to his local village.  A whole host of British and American astronomers who argue both for and against the concept of Martian life spend decades going back and forth over the evidence that Lowell and others produce until newer and better telescopes clarify the view of Mars from Earth.  David Baron not only tells the tale of the Martian craze, he also provides the context in which it occurred giving the reader a feel for the popular culture that existed alongside it and the consequences and influence the craze had on American and world culture. 

 

If a well-written true science tale mixed with popular culture is what you crave, pick up David Baron's The Martians and be prepared to enjoy yourself!