Mike Lee was a writer-for-hire who yearned for excitement. After a strange man invites him to a meeting, Mike is kidnapped and put on a spaceship to Mars. He's unwillingly become part of the world's most expensive reality TV show. He meets Kyla Vox, a starry-eyed computer hacker with a passion for finding the truth. When a mysterious set of accidents put all the contestants in danger, Mike and Kyla must band together to protect everyone on board the ship. But when they arrive at Mars, their struggles are just beginning. Mars is a strange place, where humans and sentient robots walk under giant ice-domed cities, and computers and automation have made some people rich beyond measure. Mike and Kyla find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy, putting not only their lives in danger, but the future of all intelligent life-- silicon-based and otherwise!

The future is big right now—for perhaps the first time, our society is more focused on what is going to happen in the future than what is happening right now. In Trees on Mars: Our Obsession with the Future, cultural critic and indie entrepreneur Hal Niedzviecki asks how and when we started believing we could and should “create the future.” What is it like to live in a society utterly focused on what is going to happen next? Through visits to colleges, corporations, tech conferences, factories and more, Niedzviecki traces the story of how owning the future has become irresistible to us. In deep conversation with both the beneficiaries and victims of our relentless obsession with the future, Niedzviecki asks crucial questions: Where are we actually heading? How will we get there? And whom may we be leaving behind?

AI or BI? Artificial intelligence or beautiful intelligence? The race to create a sentient machine is headed by two teams, led by former researchers at Ichikawa Laboratories, who escape the regime there - and each other - to pursue their own dreams in the world beyond Japan. Leonora Klee is creating a single android with a quantum computer brain, whose processing power has never before been achieved. Manfred Klee is creating a group of individuals, none of them self-aware, in the hope that they will raise themselves to consciousness. But with a Japanese chase team close on their heels, will either be successful before they are trapped and caught? Beautiful Intelligence is a fast-paced, philosophical thriller that confronts questions of how we will create artificial sentience, and whether it will be beautiful. "A supremely odd yet deeply rewarding experience..." Jason Pettus, CCLAP "Stephen Palmer is a find." Time Out "Stephen Palmer is a writer you should read. His work is unique, original, sometimes challenging, always fresh and sometimes barking..." Amazing Stories

Mars in the human imagination from the invention of the telescope to the present For centuries, the planet Mars has captivated astronomers and inspired writers of all genres. Whether imagined as the symbol of the bloody god of war, the cradle of an alien species, or a possible new home for human civilization, our closest planetary neighbor has played a central role in how we think about ourselves in the universe. From Galileo to Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Crossley traces the history of our fascination with the red planet as it has evolved in literature both fictional and scientific. Crossley focuses specifically on the interplay between scientific discovery and literary invention, exploring how writers throughout the ages have tried to assimilate or resist new planetary knowledge. Covering texts from the 1600s to the present, from the obscure to the classic, Crossley shows how writing about Mars has reflected the desires and social controversies of each era. This astute and elegant study is perfect for science fiction fans and readers of popular science.

(Soft-Cover print) I designed this front cover myself, has some violence and mature inuendos) Rated Teen.------ A lone agent looking for a key to uncover a mystery of great world shaking proportions has ventured into unknown territory that no one else has returned from. His mind, his training, and his dedication are all that hold him to his quest to make contact and take advantage of a mysterious hidden culture. He is swept up into a new world he is not prepared for and has to survive to save the Earth from destruction...........Her eyes were so intense that for a moment I thought she had seen me, but it was something else. The quick movements, all of them made were inhuman, more like hyper-robotic. They were all female but they moved almost as if they were electronic. It was astonishing; the movements they made. They were robotic. They had to be! Nothing human could move that way or want to, comfortably........

The dramatic story of a band of space pioneers, who simulated a mission to the Red Planet in the most desolate regions on Earth. Here is the incredible true story of a group of determined space voyagers who wouldn't wait for the space program to catch up with them. From 1999 to 2002, the stalwarts of the Mars Society undertook a virtual exploration of Mars in the most isolated spots on Earth, where they replicated and studied the real-life challenges of exploring the Red Planet.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The national bestselling author of The God Equation traverses the frontiers of astrophysics, artificial intelligence, and technology to offer a stunning vision of man's future in space, from settling Mars to traveling to distant galaxies. “Amazing … Kaku is in smooth perfect control of it the entire time.” —The Christian Science Monitor We are entering a new Golden Age of space exploration. With irrepressible enthusiasm and a deep understanding of the cutting-edge research in space travel, world-renowned physicist and futurist Dr. Michio Kaku presents a compelling vision of how humanity may develop a sustainable civilization in outer space. He reveals the developments in robotics, nanotechnology, and biotechnology that may allow us to terraform and build habitable cities on Mars and beyond. He then journeys out of our solar system and discusses how new technologies such as nanoships, laser sails, and fusion rockets may actually make interstellar travel a possibility. We travel beyond our galaxy, and even beyond our universe, as Kaku investigates some of the hottest topics in science today, including warp drive, wormholes, hyperspace, parallel universes, and the multiverse. Ultimately, he shows us how humans may someday achieve a form of immortality and be able to leave our bodies entirely, laser porting to new havens in space.

“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) asks the questions children ask in this young readers adaptation of her best-selling Packing for Mars. What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don’t shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this whip-smart, funny, and informative young readers adaptation of her best-selling Packing for Mars, Roach guides us through the irresistibly strange, frequently gross, and awe-inspiring realm of space travel and life without gravity. From flying on NASA’s Weightless Wonder to eating space food, Packing for Mars for Kids is chock-full of firs-hand experiences and thorough research. Roach has crafted an authoritative and accessible book that is perfectly pitched to inquiring middle grade readers.