Life on Mars



Beaufort County Public Library Main Branch



Hi all once again in The Land "o" Blog. Your favorite wandering Library Ninja is actually wandering to a new library starting January 23. Friday of this week will be my last day with The Robeson County Public Library and I wish them nothing but the best. It has been a blast. My feet will be taking me back to South Carolina and The Beaufort County Public Library in a new position as Youth Services Manager at the Main Branch. These next couple of days and weeks will be kinda crazy so let me try to get out one more review of a great book that I recently finished before the madness begins!!!!!

Life on Mars: Tales From The New Frontier by various and edited by Jonathan Strahan - If you like thought provoking Science Fiction that looks on the human and not so human condition; while at the same time examining the ramifications of humanities inhabiting the Red Planet, this is the book for you. Most of the stories in this book look at the very real possibilities of colonization of Mars by humans and the wide spectrum of possibilities and problems this could present. I think my favorite story from the collection is "The Taste of Promises" by Rachel Swirsky about two brother named Tiro and Eco. Tiro is a normal Mar's born boy. Eco, his younger brother is very different in that his body has died, but his brain activity is very much alive and well. His consciousness has been "lifted" as the scientist on Mars refer to this condition. The children who have had this happen to them find their consciousness being transferred by methods unknown to all into machinery and higher functioning computers. It is also possible for those in the lifted condition to transfer their minds to and fro different nonliving computers/machines.  Tiro is on a quest to have his brother's mind transferred into a representation of a human body permanently. Along their journey they come across a colony with a girl in the same lifted condition as Eco. The girl Naghmeh has no problems with her condition and helps the people in her colony survive but running the computer systems that keep them alive. Tiro has the power to let his brother live with and as Naghmeh or fulfill what he thinks is best by getting him a permanent body. The power in the story is letting go and letting those you love decide what is best for them. This collection has lots of great stories and I highly recommended it for those 12 and older.

Be talking to you all again real soon,

Library Ninja Bill