Imagining Mars
Subtitle: a literary history
By: Robert Crossley.
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Middletown, Conn
Language: eng
Number of pages: 353
ISBN-13: 9780819569271
Subjects: Science fiction -- History and criticism; Mars (Planet) -- In literature; Mars (Planet)
Description: For centuries, the planet Mars has captivated astronomers and inspired writers of all genres. Whether imagined as the symbol of the bloody god of war, the cradle of an alien species, or a possible new home for human civilization, our closest planetary neighbor has played a central role in how we think about ourselves in the universe. From Galileo to Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Crossley traces the history of our fascination with the red planet as it has evolved in literature both fictional and scientific. Crossley focuses specifically on the interplay between scientific discovery and literary invention, exploring how writers throughout the ages have tried to assimilate or resist new planetary knowledge. Covering texts from the 1600s to the present, from the obscure to the classic, Crossley shows how writing about Mars has reflected the desires and social controversies of each era. This astute and elegant study is perfect for science fiction fans and readers of popular science. --
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Meaning of Mars; title: Dreamworlds of the telescope; title: Inventing a new Mars; title: Percival Lowell's Mars; title: Mars and Utopia; title: H.G. Wells and the great disillusionment; title: Mars and the paranormal; title: Masculinist fantasies; title: Quite in the best tradition; title: On the threshold of the space age; title: Retrograde visions; title: Mars remade; title: Being there; title: Becoming Martian; title: Afterword : Mars under construction.