I just finished A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. Earlier this year, I read Soonish by the same duo, and it left a lasting impression. That book had a delightful curiosity to it—a playful but rigorous exploration of emerging technologies—and I was eager to see what the Weinersmiths would make of the next frontier: space colonization. My interest, admittedly, is hardly abstract. With SpaceX’s recent successes, the idea of humans stepping beyond Earth feels less like distant science fiction and more like a slow, inexorable march toward reality.
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In many ways, A City on Mars confirmed what I already suspected about the technical hurdles of extended space travel and planetary settlement. The challenges—propulsion, radiation shielding, life support systems—are immense, but not unknown. Where the book surprised me was in its exploration of the legal landscape. I had barely considered the treaties that govern space, or the delicate politics that might arise if nations—or private corporations—begin claiming territory off-planet. The authors’ comparisons to Antarctica and the deep seabed brought a kind of clarity: these are human spaces that are legally and morally complicated, yet astonishingly empty, and they require frameworks that anticipate both cooperation and conflict.
I found myself less concerned about the specter of a space race spiraling into war. The immediate economic incentives seem too thin to drive the sort of escalation we fear on Earth. It reminded me of discussions surrounding AI: the risks are real, yet the response cannot be to halt progress. Understanding, preparation, and careful governance seem far more productive than fear-driven inaction.
Comparing the two books, I found Soonish the more immediately engaging read. Its topics—ranging from robotics to biotech—intersect with our daily lives in ways that feel urgent and tangible. A City on Mars has a loftier scope, more speculative in nature, which made it intellectually stimulating, but in a quieter, more contemplative way. I enjoyed both, but for pure curiosity and the thrill of unexpected discoveries, Soonish remains the winner in my eyes.
As November winds down, these readings have left me reflecting on humanity’s impulses: the drive to explore, to innovate, and to imagine futures that stretch far beyond our immediate horizon. Both books serve as reminders that while technology can carry us to new worlds, it is our imagination, our governance, and our curiosity that will ultimately shape what those worlds might become.
