Depictions of Intelligence in Science Fiction Essay -- Literature Mars

To most ancient peoples, Mars was a god, harbinger of war and destruction. While our knowledge of the nature of Mars changed greatly over the ensuing centuries, the attraction Mars holds for the human imagination never waned and continues to our day. Since the discovery that Mars was in fact a planet similar to Earth, the idea that it might harbor intelligent life has enthralled many people. Thus it is only natural that science fiction authors, those members of the human race who put into print the imagination of the species, should turn much of their efforts to speculation about the form and nature of such life. What is striking about this body of literature depicting Mars is its homogeneity. While the methods of presentation may vary from work to work, two themes truly dominate the genre: first, the decay and decline of Mars as a planet and Martian civilization in particular and second, the impact which humanity has on Mars and the ways in which Mars, in turn, impacts those ea rthlings who live on it, especially evident in the transformation of earthlings into Martians. Before discussing these themes, attention must be given to the discovery made by Mariner 4 in July 1965 and confirmed beyond any doubt by Mariner 9 in November 1971 that Mars is incapable of supporting intelligent life. Understandably, this discovery had a profound impact on writers of science fiction concerning Mars, especially concerning intelligent life. While scientists had suspected for quite a while that Mars, in particular the Martian atmosphere, could not sustain intelligent life, it wasn’t until the Mariner missions sent back images of the surface and analyses of the atmosphere that all doubt was laid to rest. Thus authors writing prior to the ... ...artian Theodicy.† Mars Probes. Peter Crowther, ed. NY: DAW Books, Inc., 2002. Lewis, C. S. Out of the Silent Planet. NY: The Macmillan Co., 1973. Moorcock, Michael. â€Å"Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel.† Mars Probes. Peter Crowther, ed. NY: DAW Books, Inc., 2002. Moore, Patrick. â€Å"Introduction: The Fascination of Mars.† Mars Probes. Peter Crowther, ed. NY: DAW Books, Inc., 2002. O’Leary, Patrick. â€Å"The Me After the Rock.† Mars Probes. Peter Crowther, ed. NY: DAW Books, Inc., 2002. Resnick, Mike and M. Shayne Bell. â€Å"Flower Children of Mars.† Mars Probes. Peter Crowther, ed. NY: DAW Books, Inc., 2002. Robinson, Kim Stanley. Red Mars. NY: Bantam Books, 1993. Robinson, Kim Stanley. The Martians. NY: Bantam Books, 1999. Strugatsky, Arkady and Boris. Far Rainbow/ The Second Invasion from Mars. Gary Kern, trans. NY: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979.