Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the Ancient Sumerians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn t until 1877, when canals were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there s life on Mars. In The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells suggested that we wouldn t need to make contact with Martians they d come for us while, many years later, Nikola Tesla claimed that he did make contact. Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture. It has its own day of the week (Tuesday, or martis in Latin), candy bar, and iconic Looney Tunes character. It has been the subject of iconic novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury s The Martian Chronicles to Mars Attacks! to The Martian. And it has sparked a space-race feud between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, who both hope to send a manned mission to Mars in the near future. Filled with entertaining history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists, The Big Book of Mars is the most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The Red Planet takes center stage in this entertaining, well researched, and fully illustrated pop history of Earthlings' long relationship with Mars, and its impact on pop culture, space exploration, and our hopes for the future.

About the Author
Marc Hartzman is one of America s leading connoisseurs of the bizarre (ABCNews.com) and has written books about sideshow performers, Oliver Cromwell s head, weird things on eBay, and unorthodox messages from God. Hartzman s work has also appeared in Mental Floss, Bizarre, and HuffPost/AOL Weird News. He s discussed oddities on CNN, MSNBC, Ripley s Radio, and the Travel Channel s Mysteries at the Museum. More of his love for the unusual can be found on his site WeirdHistorian.com. Hartzman works in advertising and lives in New Rochelle with his wife Liz and their two beautiful Earthling girls.

Reviews
"A very well researched, hilariously written, & beautifully illustrated account of Mars & its exploration in human culture. Some serious fun! Hartzman did Mars history a great service."
-Dr. Pascal Lee, co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute and planetary scientist at the SETI Institute

"Hartzman clearly enjoyed researching and writing The Big Book of Mars as much as we've had reading it...you'll learn a lot of very surprising things about our centuries-old relationship with the Red Planet and have a lot of fun in the process."
-How it Works, 5 star review

"The Big Book of Mars makes for an excellent coffee table type of book. It's simple, well-written, and way more entertaining than I expected. A perfect entry-point to get you started learning about the planet."
-Little Astronomy

"A fascinating pop history."
-The Florida Times-Union

"[The Big Book of Mars] is both easy and incredibly fun to read. It is the kind of book that makes you want to put it down every few sentences to share a weird or interesting fact you just learned with whoever happens to be nearby, and I highly recommend it."
-GeekMom

"Expertly written, organized and presented, The Big Book of Mars is an inherently fascinating and engaging read from first page to last."
-Midwest Book Review

"A gorgeous book with something for everyone...each page is brimming with facts and details as well as beautiful images, posters, and photos from past to present."
-San Francisco Book Review

"A must-have . . . smorgasbord of Martian-related weirdness."
-Weird Universe




Book Information
ISBN 9781683692096
Author Marc Hartzman
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Quirk Books
Publisher Quirk Books