New Mars Forums

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

This was Adrian's idea -- and a great one!   

I'll type in my list a bit later...am pressed for time right now!

--Cindy

MS member since 6/01

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

Haha, I think I'll recommend my favorite novel of all time, The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima, that should scare them away from Earth.  But in the non-fiction department I'd try to send them something about human history that shows both the noble and savage characteristic of humanity.  Can't think of a single book off the top of my head though.

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To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

clark

Member

Registered: 2001-09-20

Posts: 6,362

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

Fixing the Air Generator for Dummies.

rgcarnes

Banned

From: In the country near Rolla Miss

Registered: 2002-02-04

Posts: 111

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

How about an all time best seller like the Bible?  It would seem to fit the requirements of Phobos' second sentence, and, if you consider it carefully, the first verse or two of Revelations chapter 21 has enough latitude in the meanings of the words and phrases that it could pertain to the planet Mars.  Further reading might also indicate that discussions of the type of government Mars will have may be merely academic.  It might already have been determined and noted some time ago.

Unless you happen to have a perfect translator for ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Common Greek of the original writings, look at more than one English translation.

Please note the qualifiers I used, and maintain balance.

Rex G. Carnes

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Rex G. Carnes

If the Meek Inherit the Earth, Where Do All the Bold Go?

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

How about an all time best seller like the Bible?  It would seem to fit the requirements of Phobos' second sentence, and, if you consider it carefully, the first verse or two of Revelations chapter 21 has enough latitude in the meanings of the words and phrases that it could pertain to the planet Mars.  Further reading might also indicate that discussions of the type of government Mars will have may be merely academic.  It might already have been determined and noted some time ago.

Dam, I gotta find my Bible.  Even though I'm an athiestic infidel, I'd be fascinated in hearing a Bible study on Mars and the future it may hold in store for us.  The Bible might not be such a bad choice of books to send either, it's definately got a lot of the human condition in it.  I just can't buy some of its concepts though, things like love thy enemy and turn the other cheek.  I don't think it's healthy or even possible to be that altruistic.   Really, if an alien was to send me a single book, I'd hope they'd send me a book on their dominant religion (if they have one) since it would likely entail a lot of the philosophical and moral groundings of their society.  And of course I hope they'd send that book to me in English.

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To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

Josh Cryer

Moderator

Registered: 2001-09-29

Posts: 3,830

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

Anything by any of the true anarchists.

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Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
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The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth totals some 3.9 million exajoules a year.

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

Here's a partial list of books I'd recommend (in no particular order):

1.  Nightfall, by Isaac Asimov.
2.  Prometheus Rising, by Robert Anton Wilson.
3.  Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan.
4.  The Philosophical Dictionary, by Voltaire.
5.  The Portable Voltaire Reader, by J. R. Redman.
6.  Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu.
7.  Two Treatises on Government, by John Locke.
8.  Essays Concerning Human Understanding, by John Locke.
9.  Common Sense, by Thomas Paine.
10. The Age of Reason, by Thomas Paine.
11. Collected Works of Voltaire, by World Classics Library, Bobley.
12. The Age of Voltaire, by Ariel & Will Durant.
13. Rousseau and Revolution, by Ariel & Will Durant.
14. The Portable Enlightenment Reader, Viking/Penguin.

--Cindy

qw <--- those letters courtesy my kitten, who patted the keyboard to say "hello" to you all, apparently 

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

I'm thinking Shakespeare might be good to send to them.  I know a way out of the single book requirement though, we'll just bind a few hundred books or so into one volume and send them that.  There's just to much good stuff to contemplate a single volume.

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To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

Mark S

Banned

Registered: 2002-04-11

Posts: 343

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

I like Cindy's suggestion of books that deal with political thought.  Perhaps "The Crisis," "The Federalist Papers," "The Anti-Federalist Papers," and "The Wealth of Nations" should be added to the list.

I'd also like to see the first Martians have some sort of folklore so they could say to each other, "How did we get here in the first place?" and "What did the people on earth think Mars would be like?"  I submit the following to the reading list for future explorers of Mars:

1. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
2. Lost Moon By Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
3. Red Mars, Green Mars, &Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Sir Arthur C. Clarke

And I'd also like to add two of my favorite misanthropic novels:
5. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

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"I'm not much of a 'hands-on' evil scientist."--Dr. Evil, "Goldmember"

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

Here's a partial list of books I'd recommend (in no particular order):

1.  Nightfall, by Isaac Asimov.
2.  Prometheus Rising, by Robert Anton Wilson.
3.  Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan.
4.  The Philosophical Dictionary, by Voltaire.
5.  The Portable Voltaire Reader, by J. R. Redman.
6.  Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu.
7.  Two Treatises on Government, by John Locke.
8.  Essays Concerning Human Understanding, by John Locke.
9.  Common Sense, by Thomas Paine.
10. The Age of Reason, by Thomas Paine.
11. Collected Works of Voltaire, by World Classics Library, Bobley.
12. The Age of Voltaire, by Ariel & Will Durant.
13. Rousseau and Revolution, by Ariel & Will Durant.
14. The Portable Enlightenment Reader, Viking/Penguin.

--Cindy

qw <--- those letters courtesy my kitten, who patted the keyboard to say "hello" to you all, apparently 

*I want to add a few more:

15.  Animal Farm, by George Orwell.
16.  1984, by George Orwell.
17.  The True Believer, by Eric Hoffer.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,226

Re: Book List::Reading Recommendations - Books you would recommend to Marsians?

a thread worth a bump perhaps.

The Essential Ursula K. Le Guin
https://www.nytimes.com/article/ursula- … books.html

Liu Cixin sci-fi event kicks off at writer's hometown in North China's Shanxi
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1296422.shtml

TikTok Book Awards: Edinburgh bookshop wins big during first TikTok Book Awards
https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cultu … rs-4260439

Mars will probably have a list of physics, math, biology, engineering and chemical processing books studied by most that will help keep a colony alive, then again it might depend on new tradition or language, customs and local Mars government. Perhaps they will read in VR or download or explore entertainment like a video game rather than reading a manual they might do a driving simulation . Perhaps there could be civil social people study or maybe on Mars there might be lessons from Earth's past on history and what kinds of exploration missions were successful or not or what past civilizations grew or failed.

Mars will probably also have some downtime, a simple Novel Drama or Best Cooking on Mars book or a book of escape and Fantasy and stories from home might be of importance to people.

There are also the classic 'Hugo Award' or Fan level Oscar type reviewed stuff and Nebula Award for classics like Protector, Rendezvous with Rama, Dune, War of the Worlds, Neuromancer, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Rendezvous with Rama, 334, Ender's Game, Ringworld. Hindu or Jewish or Christian or Buddhist might watch similar movies like they did back home, listen to similar music or read some of the best selling fictional books from their own cultures Gone with the Wind, Poetry and Theater and Play like Shakespeare or The Divine Comedy, the Ming Dynasty Journey to the West or classic like The Count of Monte Cristo.

Another thread from many years ago
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=840
' Good books you've just read '

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-08-21 10:15:12)