Back to the 2026 reading theme of Outer Space we go!
I feel like I've been reading a lot of great Space Opera, but the idea of the theme is to really explore more than just the fiction and fantasy about Outer Space. Enter: A City on Mars.
Kelly and Zach are self proclaimed Space nerds with a keen interest in all things "infinity and beyond". Their enthusiasm for Sp-omes (Space homes)may be unmatched. They are also a bit pragmatic, and so, if you are dreaming of a Spome, this might not be a book for you. If you are seriously planning a Spome, this is one you might want to read.
The authors explore all the ways life on space could work, or couldn't. They discuss the enormous challenges of food production, waste disposal, Children, and child bearing/rearing in an atmosphere full of radiation and the legal ramifications of permanent settlements on Mars or other planets/asteroids/man made stations. In addition, they discuss in a fairly nuanced way, why humans are motivated to pursue the idea of a Space Home! This is all done in easy to understand language without a lot of math or chemistry thrown in to cloud the picture. It's "pop-science" at it's best!
To be frank, as much as I would love to fall into the fantasy worlds of Deep Space Nine or perhaps The Ice planet Barbarians, I can see from Kelly and Zach's research that this is probably not going to happen in my lifetime. This is because (as Kelly and Zach so eloquently note) Space, as a place for humans... kinda sucks. It would require a great deal of planning, new technology, and research to really set up a sustainable Space Home. I really enjoyed reading about the different challenges space settlement faces, and Kelly and Zach's open and apparently non- biased assessment of how ready, or not ready humanity is for the step off world!
This would be an excellent book for young adults to old adults interested in space and spomes! It also made me think about how sustainable is my earth home life as well, so an interesting and thought provoking read overall. I feel like this would really be a good read for all those aspiring Sci -Fi writers who create a world on a fictional planet and then after chapter 5 forget that their characters can't breathe without a regulator mask! I do feel that the humor in the book was appreciated, but possibly overdone at times. There was a lot of snappy one liners, and after the 10th one, I was ready for something just a bit toned down, but- this is a writing style that is popular currently in pop-science, so it seemed to fit the genre just fine. (and honestly, don't let that deter you, it was pretty easy to ignore, just like one ignores the one liners from that one friend...)
So, if you, like me, have a passing interest in space, and you want to read more non-fiction this year, this one might be one for you! I'd definitely read it again, though it did kind of crush my Ice planet Barbarian dreams. Alas!
STATS
First Published : 7/29/25
Pages: 448
Available as an Audio Book : YES ( ~ 10 hrs)
Trigger Warnings: Intimate details of space flight (rectal thermometers and more), discussions of sex and reproduction in space (both historical and theoretical), discussions of alcohol in space, references to some unpopular political figures - related to space.(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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