Tango Delta: Celebrate the Perseverance Landing With 18 Books About Mars

Ever wonder what it’d be like to live on Mars? Read this book about Mars written by none other than the moon-walking legend himself, Buzz Aldrin. A detailed history of Mars exploration paired with a simulation of living on Mars makes this an informative and fascinating read.

You can’t get much cooler than cats in space. Join Major Meowser, Pom Pom, Blanket, and Waffles as these interstellar cats return for a journey to Mars. In this sequel to CatStronauts: Mission Moon, the CatStronauts aren’t the only space cat team who want to reach Mars. Can these feline friends get there first? Read meow to find out!

Does the idea of ancient lake-beds and water flowing on Mars intrigue you? The idea of water on Mars blows my mind and thrills me whenever I think about it. Lean in to this awe-inspiring concept by reading the manga series, Aria: The Masterpiece! Akari lives on the planet Aqua, once called Mars. She dreams of becoming an Undine gondolier in her city of Neo-Venezia. Joining the Aria company as a trainee, Akari begins making friends and mastering her new aquatic trade.

As a video blogger with quite the social media following, Cal thinks he’s used to the limelight. That is, until NASA chooses his dad for a mission to Mars. Now the media has the whole world watching Cal and his family. Moving to Houston so his dad can begin training, Cal meets Leon, another teen with a parent on the mission. When both your parents are training for a mission to Mars, you’re destined for a meet-cute. The stars may be aligning just right for Cal and Leon.

If you’re looking for sci-fi romance with some 1950s flair, check out Rocket Romance, a collection of two short stories set on lunar colonies. In one story, Black teen Roxy falls for the new kid at school, Mike the Martian. Drawing parallels to school desegregation, the story follows this new couple as they stand strong in the face of anti-Martian prejudice. In the second story, Kat worries her wild side will affect her long-standing relationship with Leo, a boy she’s had feelings for since middle school.

In need of a steampunk Martian adventure? I am always here for those. Get swept up in an alternative history where Captain Kidd first reached Mars by airship in the 1600s. One hundred years later, we find Arabella Ashby living in a British colony on Mars. While Arabella would rather tinker with automatons, her mother has other plans. Flying back to Earth with her daughters in tow, she hopes to make Arabella into a proper English lady. When Arabella hears of her brother’s life in danger back on Mars, she sneaks aboard a ship bound for Mars with an enigmatic captain at the helm.

In honor of the Perseverance landing on Mars, Sailor Moon fans can delight in this ode to Sailor Mars! Did I own every Sailor Scout guidebook as a kid? Yes. Nestle into the lush illustrations and detailed character overview of the feisty Sailor Mars. Celebrate Mars by reliving some of Rei’s most memorable moments in the Sailor Moon series. Then go check out the other Sailor Scout guidebooks too!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic, spins a heart-wrenching yet beautiful dystopian novella where life on Mars is a distant dream. Amelia finds herself crushed by the burdens of her life in Mexico City, yet she maintains hope of escaping to the human colony on Mars one day. She toils her days away with odd jobs including working as a friend-for-hire. Depression, apathy, heartbreak, and disillusionment weigh heavy on Amelia in the unfriendly city she inhabits. And yet, despite the cards life has dealt her, Amelia still dreams of the day she will finally reach the red planet.

Written by physicist and co-founder of string field theory, Dr. Michio Kaku, this intriguing nonfiction read paints a captivating picture of interstellar exploration. Dr. Kaku delves into the details of how technology could one day make habitable cities on Mars possible. Along with this, he builds an exciting case for the future of high speed voyages to other stars. The idea that humanity may one day reach Millennium Falcon level travel is very exciting.

I like to think of The Expanse series as Game of Thrones in space. Humanity has colonized the Moon, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt. Earthers, Martians, and Belters navigate between one another in an ongoing dance for power, control of resources (Catan, anyone?), and tentative peace. The people of Mars are known for their exceptional military and hard work ethic. Martians terraform on their planet so future generations will have a livable atmosphere. Throw together a Belter detective chasing a missing girl, a lovable crew hellbent on saving the solar system, and a dangerous discovery, and you’ve got one epic space opera. Follow the adventures of these captivating characters in the Amazon adaptation of the series too.

Nine years prior to Perseverance’s touchdown, the Curiosity rover successfully landed on Mars. For an inside look into NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the journey to build the Mars rover Curiosity, check this book out. Written by Curiosity’s chief engineer, Rob Manning, this personal account reveals the trials, tribulations, and sweet successes of building the rover.

Looking for a relatable isolation read after endearing so much pandemic-fueled social isolation? This may be just the book you need. Kate Greene’s memoir recounts her time spent as a research participant for NASA in a Mars simulation study. Over the course of four months, Kate lived in insolation with a handful of other participants inside a geodesic dome perched along a Hawaiian volcanic slope. Kate pairs her story of simulating life on Mars with reflections on her queer identity, her brother’s disability, and more.

Of course I couldn’t build a list of books about Mars without including this one. If you haven’t read The Martian yet, now is the perfect time to get stranded on Mars with the hilarious botanist/engineer Mark Watney. If you have read this one, get excited for Andy Weir’s new upcoming book, Project Hail Mary, expected to publish this spring. Here’s to hoping we get another Matt Damon adaptation out of this one.