Becoming Martian

Included in Publishers Weekly’s Spring 2026 Fiction & Nonfiction Preview

REVIEWS

“A fascinating combination of space science, genetics, and evolutionary biology … deeply researched and engaging.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Educational and entertaining, imaginative and inspirational, Solomon’s treatise on traveling to Mars soars.”
—Booklist

“Concise yet extraordinarily thorough … impeccably researched … Becoming Martian is one of the best popular-science books I have read within the field.”
—Physics World

“[Solomon’s] tenacious research yields a well-rounded discussion not for the faint-of-heart … Space aficionados will find Becoming Martian a fascinating addition to their libraries as will newcomers to this subject.”
—Clayton C. Anderson, retired NASA astronaut

“Scott Solomon’s new book Becoming Martian has all the answers!”
—Hugo Rifkind, Times Radio

“Brilliant.”
—IFL Science

“An in-depth and engaging look at the difficulties faced in moving to our nearest semi-inhabitable planet.”
—Popular Science

ENDORSEMENTS

“We are living in a golden age of human space exploration, and Scott Solomon expertly reveals both the wonders and the challenges of life beyond Earth and the importance of emphasizing people at the center of scientific research in space.”
—Kellie Gerardi, research astronaut; author of the Luna Muna series

“The colonization of other worlds will alter the very definition of what it means to be human. How might crossing oceans of space transform us? Will the risks be worth it? Scott Solomon’s Becoming Martian is a deft exploration of issues that will be of cosmic importance for the long-term survival of humanity.”
—Mark W. Moffett, author of The Human Swarm

“Solomon is an explorer, storyteller, and particularly gifted explainer of evolutionary biology. So, naturally, Becoming Martian is a fascinating and insightful look at our species’ past, present, and interplanetary future!”
—Kelly Weinersmith, Adjunct Faculty, Rice University; coauthor of A City on Mars

“An engaging ride through the philosophy, technology, and grit needed to survive and then thrive on the red planet.”
—Christopher Mason, Professor, Cornell University; author of The Next 500 Years

“A clear-eyed, fast-paced, fascinating, and balanced vision of the biological realities of human settlements beyond Earth. A must-read for anyone interested in the human future.”
—Rob Dunn, author of The Call of the Honeyguide

“Scott Solomon has thought more than most about the topic of space exploration and human evolution. Everyone who is concerned about humanity’s future on Earth and beyond will benefit from reading this book.”
—Frank White, author of The Overview Effect

Scott Solomon is Teaching Professor at Rice University in Houston. He is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. He is the author of Future Humans, named a 2017 Best Book by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is also the host of the podcast Wild World with Scott Solomon and cowriter and coproducer of the series Becoming Martian.

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