''Old Mars'' is a "retro

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

"-themed

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

edited by

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

and

Gardner Dozois Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American people, American science fiction author and editing, editor. He was the founding editor of ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of ...

, published on October 8, 2013. According to the publisher

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...

, the collection celebrates the "

Golden Age of Science Fiction The first Golden Age of Science Fiction, often recognized in the United States as the period from 1938 to 1946, was an era during which the science fiction genre gained wide public attention and many classic science fiction stories were published. ...

", an era before advanced astronomy and space exploration told us what we currently know about the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...

, when "of all the planets orbiting that G-class star we call the Sun, none was so steeped in an aura of romantic decadence, thrilling mystery, and gung-ho adventure as Mars." ''Old Mars'' won a 2014

Locus Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the pl ...

The anthology includes 15 stories: *"Red Planet Blues" (Introduction) by George R.R. Martin *"Martian Blood" by

Allen M. Steele Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr. (born January 19, 1958) is an American journalist and science fiction author. Background Steele was born in Nashville, Tennessee on January 19, 1958. He was introduced to science fiction fandom attending meetings ...

; a doctor explores the Martian wilds in search of a blood sample from a native

Martian Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. It became the most popular celestial object in fiction in the late 1800s as the Moon was evidently lifeless. At the time, the pred ...

. *"The Ugly Duckling" by Matthew Hughes; an archaeologist explores "the ruins of the Martian past in a place from which few have returned." The story draws heavily from the setting of

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

's ''

The Martian Chronicles ''The Martian Chronicles'' is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth that ...

''. * "The Wreck of the Mars Adventure" by

David D. Levine David D. Levine (born February 21, 1961, in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American science fiction writer who won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2006 for his story "Tk'tk'tk". His novel ''Arabella of Mars'' was published by Tor Books in J ...

; in 1701, pirate William Kidd must journey to Mars to earn a pardon for his crimes. In 2016, Levine published a novel sequel, ''Arabella of Mars''. *"Swords of Zar-Tu-Kan" by

S.M. Stirling Stephen Michael Stirling (born September 30, 1953) is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author who was born in France. Stirling is well known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and his later time travel/alternate his ...

; a "tale of kidnap and rescue." This story is a prequel to Stirling's 2008 novel ''

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings ''In the Courts of the Crimson Kings'' is a 2008 alternate history science fiction novel by American writer S. M. Stirling. Plot introduction The story takes place on the planet Mars in an alternate universe solar system in which probes from ...

''. *"Shoals" by

Mary Rosenblum Mary Rosenblum (born Mary Freeman; June 27, 1952 – March 11, 2018) was an American science fiction and mystery author. Biography Rosenblum was born in Levittown, New York and grew up in Allison Park, Pennsylvania. She earned a biology deg ...

; disabled Maartin is one of the few people who can see the native inhabitants of Mars. *"In the Tombs of the Martian Kings" by

Mike Resnick Michael Diamond Resnick (; March 5, 1942 – January 9, 2020) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He won five Hugo awards and a Nebula award, and was the guest of honor at Chicon 7. He was the executive editor of the defunct ...

; "an Indiana Jones-type story set on the ruins of Martian civilization." * "Out of Scarlight" by

Liz Williams Liz Williams (born 1965) is a British science fiction writer, historian and occultist. ''The Ghost Sister,'' her first novel, was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, ''Empire of Bones'' (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick ...

; a story involving "a missing dancer, romance, and a sorcerer." *"The Dead Sea-Bottom Scrolls" by

Howard Waldrop Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021. Personal life Though born in Houston, Mississippi, Waldrop has spent ...

; a tale "like a journalistic account from a man of science." Nominated for a 2014

. *"A Man Without Honor" by

James S. A. Corey James S. A. Corey is the pen name used by collaborators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, authors of the science fiction series ''The Expanse''. The first and last name are taken from Abraham's and Franck's middle names, respectively, and S. A. ar ...

; a story with a premise reminiscent of

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...

' Mars. *"Written In Dust" by

Melinda Snodgrass Melinda M. Snodgrass is a science fiction writer for print and television. In February 2021 Melinda was the Screenwriting Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the 39th annual Life, the Universe, & Everything professional science fiction and fan ...

; a story about a family and a strange Martian illness. *"The Lost Canal" by

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...

; an adventure about a man in search of a bomb he needs to disarm. * "The Sunstone" by

Phyllis Eisenstein Phyllis Eisenstein (February 26, 1946 – December 7, 2020) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as novels. Her work was nominated for both the Hugo Award and Nebula Award. Early life Eisenstein was born Phy ...

; "the analogue for White Man’s intrusion into North America, with added mysticism." *"King of the Cheap Romance" by

Joe R. Lansdale Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor. A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...

; a girl and her father try to bring the cure to Martian Fever back to their village. * "Mariner" by Chris Roberson; a "swashbuckling tale" featuring Roberson's Jason Carmody. * "The Queen of the Night’s Aria" by Ian McDonald; "a tale of people on the front lines of a Martian war."

Reception

Robert H. Bedford wrote that "the majority of these stories were strong, fun and evocative," noting "only a few out of the dozen plus didn’t fully engage me." He called the works of Eisenstein, Corey, Roberson, Rosenblum and Steele "definite standouts." ''Old Mars'' won a 2014

, and Howard Waldrop's story "The Dead Sea-Bottom Scrolls" was also nominated.

References

{{Martin-Dozois anthologies 2013 anthologies Gardner Dozois anthologies Short stories set on Mars Bantam Books books

Contents

Reception

See also

References