Top 10 Non-Fiction Books About Mars 

The planet Mars, affectionately known as The Red Planet, has captured imaginations for as long as anybody can remember and it is likely it will continue to do so. There is something so deeply fascinating about that odd-looking little planet (Mars is around half the size of Earth).

Humanity will end up there one day. However, until then there are some amazing movies and gripping documentaries to watch. There are some fascinating non-fiction books about our favourite neighbour too.

Here's our top 10 non-fiction books about Mars

1. The Case for Mars – Robert Zubrin – 1997 – Revised 2011

2 Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet – 2005

The author, Steve Squyres, is the voice and face of NASA’s famous Mars Exploration Rover mission. He first thought of the idea of this mission back in 1987 and stayed with it through to its almost inevitable conception in 1995.

In 2004 there was a successful landing, with Squyres as the lead scientist of its $400 million cargo. This book is the journey of the project itself, as opposed to the people behind it, and it is packed with more detail than any other telling – because it is told by the man that made it all happen, from start to end.



3 Martian Outpost: The Challenges of 3. Establishing a Human Settlement on Mars – 2009

Like our number 1 entry, this details how humanity may one day live on Mars. The detail is incredible; with charts, graphs and statistics all present, correct and explained. The book is an astounding look at not just the logistics of getting there, landing and then establishing a settlement but also the politics back home that could help or hinder the project.

The author, Erik Seedhouse, is an aerospace engineer and former member of The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment in the British Army. A fascination with space turned his head after military service, eventually becoming a suborbital astronaut.

4 Smithsonian Book of Mars – 2003 – revised 2009

A lot has been discovered since this book was published, even the revised edition, but there is still a lot of information that is still not just relevant but ‘evergreen’ due to the nature of the science.

The Smithsonian Book of Mars, written by a former NASA Mars program scientist, explores and explains the atmosphere of Mars and its climate. Its remarkable geology is also delved into, exploring canals and extraordinary topography such as a volcano that towers 14 miles over the surface of the planet.

5 Mars: Making Contact – 2016

Mars: Making Contact provides a visually stunning insider's look, by the way of large full-colour photographs, at the way the planet has been explored. Also looked at are the challenges that face future missions to The Red Planet.

The book also looks at the challenges faced by the human body during any potential manned mission to Mars.

6 Mars: The Pristine Beauty of the Red Planet – 2017

Utilising the most powerful camera, named HiRISE, that was ever sent to another planet incredibly detailed photographs of Mars were taken. The images in this book include never before seen imagery of the most extraordinary kind.

Whether Mars is a specialist subject or something of a mild fascination, the images contained within this book are going to have you held in silent wonder. Although not exactly a conventional book, no non-fiction Mars book collection could be considered complete without it.

7 Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void - 2010

On the surface, Packing for Mars doesn't look at all serious but it is rather insightful. The fact that it uses easy to understand and humorous language is a part of its charm and genius.

The book looks at just how the human body can survive on Mars, and in space in general, by detailing the experiments and surveys conducted by scientists here on Earth. From exploring how space toilets work to crash testing capsules, Mary Roach explains serious scenarios and experiments in an accessible way.

8 Mars Rover Curiosity: An Inside Account from Curiosity's Chief Engineer – 2014

A behind-the-scenes account, completely unmatched, of adventurous engineers and scientists that came together in a quest to explore The Red Planet. Overcoming all manner of trials and tribulations, forging ahead through red tape and moments of self-doubt to successfully and triumphantly land the 1-tonne Curiosity Rover on Mars.

Mars Rover Curiosity is not just full of facts, there's fun a personal account of people using cutting-edge technology to push the boundaries of the possible.

9 Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination, and the Birth of a World - 2003

If you had never been to a country, or even the next city over, how could you begin to describe the sights, sounds, the topography? You could read city guides, travel books etc. but what if nobody had been there before?

Technology is a wonderful thing and Mapping Mars, by Oliver Morton, shows us the topographic splendour that is Mars as seen through ground-based telescopes, satellite-based telescopes and of course the galaxy-famous Rovers.

10 Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration – 2015

More a personal opinion piece, Mission to Mars is still a very noteworthy and interesting read. Most of the book is focused on Buzz Aldrin's vision of getting people to Mars, which is why it is here, but it touches on other aspects of space travel too.

There is much emphasis on the ‘how’ to get to Mars, including gaining public support for such missions, and importantly the why – why should we go to Mars? A very interesting, if somewhat self-congratulatory, read.

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