Cover & Table of Contents Unveiled for Life on Mars ed. by Jonathan Strahan

Science Fiction stories about Mars have been popular within the genre for more than the past century starting with The War of the Worlds and with a particular upswing in the 1950s spurred by Ray Bradbury and the pulps of the day. Life on Mars looks to revitalize the well trod upon Martian landscape yet again with a stellar crew of contributors and another inspiring cover piece by Stephan Martiniere. To say this is an amazing group of authors given the topic is something of an understatement. Reynolds, Baxter, Doctorow, McDonald, and Robinson all in the same volume with new stories! Plus what is probably one of Kage Baker's last written stories. Behold the full table of contents:

1. “Attlee and the Long Walk” by Kage Baker

2. “The Old Man and the Martian Sea” by Alastair Reynolds

3. “Wahala” by Nnedi Okorafor

4. “On Chryse Plain” by Stephen Baxter

5. “First Principle” by Nancy Kress

6. “Martian Chronicles” by Cory Doctorow (novella)

7. “Goodnight Moons” by Ellen Klages

8. “The Taste of Promises” by Rachel Swirsky

9. “Digging” by Ian McDonald

10. “LARP on Mars” by Chris Roberson

11. “Martian Heart” John Barnes

12. “Discovering Life” by Kim Stanley Robinson

I'm very curious about Doctorow's piece. Maybe an homage to Bradbury? The anthology is being pitched to a YA audience, but it should play well with adults as well. Also, the McDonald story might have something to do with the YA novel he recently sold to Pyr. Either way this will be a can't miss for Sci-Fi short story or Mars fans. Life on Mars is scheduled to be released in April of 2011 by Viking.


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REVIEW | In the Garden of Iden (The Company) by Kage Baker (Tor)

In the Garden of Iden is the start to Kage Baker's long running time travel series The Company and was also her debut novel. Before I started In the Garden of Iden all I knew was that it played with the ideas of time travel, immortality, and involved some sort of company as the series name blatantly implies. After reading I can certainly understand why Baker has won numerous awards and has a strong following for the series. In the Garden of Iden is witty and and surprisingly engaging. The main character, Mendoza, is taken into the Company after almost perishing as a child during the Spanish Inquisition. Baker does a good job of showing how people lived during the time and how the Inquisition was viewed and acted. However, the back story is what really caught me with the idea of Dr. Zeus, who is sort of like the Moses/Einstein of the future, orchestrating events to his benefit. There were also other plot threads opened up such as cyborg Neanderthals that have been around a long time that I'd love to hear more about and is apparently something discussed in later books. The characters are a bit flat at times as are their motivations. Mendoza especially comes off emotionless, but all of sudden is taken by a influx of emotions which seem out of character. These misgivings could be explained away by the fact that Menzoda is an technology altered woman who has been given a lot of knowledge about the future, but still it bothers me. The pacing is also a little slow especially around the middle during the romance part of the story, which I didn't care too much for, but I have a feeling this may be a recurring theme in later books.

Overall, In the Garden of Iden has some great mythology building with some character issues, but it is still an enjoyable and quick read. I give In the Garden of Iden 7.5 out of 10 Hats. I'm intrigued enough to try the next volume, Sky Coyote, as I want to learn more about The Company and Mendoza's future. I'm also curious as to whether all the books center on Mendoza. If their are any fans feel free to comment. This was Baker's debut effort and I am hopeful it gets better from here. Baker also has a sort of prequel series that has elements of Steampunk coming out early next year titled Not Less Than Gods, which so far sounds interesting and I intend to give a read. The cover above is the Sub Press limited edition coming out by the end of the year although the trade hardcover won't be out until March 2010 from Tor.

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