Research Catalog

Title

Mars : a tour of the human imagination / Eric S. Rabkin.

Author

Rabkin, Eric S.

Publication

Westport, Conn. : Praeger Publishers, c2005.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xiv, 208 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. (some col.), ports.; 25 cm.

Summary

"In this book Eric Rabkin weaves a chronological tale of many threads, including mythology, astrology, astronomy, literary criticism, and cultural studies." "More than 60 brief chapters focus on people, events, or phenomena concerning the eternal object of curiosity, Mars. This series of readable, illustrated chapters can be sampled at will for the fun of discovery, read sequentially as a connected history, or enjoyed as a resource for the contemplation. Featuring over 100 illustrations, this unique examination of humanity's most storied companion serves as a resource for the study of ourselves."--Jacket.

Subject

• Mars (Planet) > Exploration
• Science fiction
• Science in popular culture

Note

• Includes index.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Red light in the black sky -- Starry night -- Ancient Egypt : Har Decher -- The idealized solar system -- What was a planet? -- Mesopotamia : Nergal -- Ancient Greece : Ares -- Ancient Rome : Mars -- The sunset of Mars -- Changes in Venus -- Metaphorical Mars -- Ptolemy -- The observation of the planets -- Astrological symbols -- Days of the week -- Alchemy -- The Mars symbol -- Nicolaus Copernicus: Reorganizing the universe -- Johannes Kepler : Putting Mars in its place -- Galileo Galilei : Questions of authority -- Evangelista Torricelli : How space became empty -- Christian Huygens : Other earths? -- Giovanni Cassini : Very, very carefully -- Isaac Newton : One big universe -- Mars on their minds -- Jonathan Swift : Imaginary travels -- William Herschel : Stars and Mars -- The solar system today -- Asaph Hall : The sons of Mars -- Giovanni Schiaparelli : Gaining in translation -- Camille Flammarion : Astrophile extraordinaire -- Percival Lowell : A glorious obsession -- Percival Lowell : Mapping Mars and Martians -- H.G. Wells : The War of the Worlds -- H.G. Wells : Another view from Mars -- A world ready to believe -- Mark Wicks : A Lowellian utopia -- Edgar Rice Burroughs : Mars and America -- Mars: The bar from barsoom -- Dead Mars? -- Orson Welles : The War of the Worlds broadcast -- Marvin the Martian : Playing With Aliens 200 Ray Bradbury: An American Fairyland 202 George Pal: The War of the Worlds again 208 Spacecraft: Us v. them -- Off to camp -- Chemosphere -- Robert A. Heinlein : The Martian savior -- Enter NASA -- My favorite Martian -- The age of Aquarius -- The face on Mars -- Mars attacks! -- Leaving earth behind -- Mars today -- Phobos and deimos today -- Men are from Mars ... -- The NASA fication of Mars -- Mars : The eighth continent -- Marscape -- Terraforming Mars -- Red rover -- Water on Mars -- Land of spirit and opportunity -- August, 2003 266 -- The beagle hasn't landed -- A-roving we will go.

ISBN

0275987191 (alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2005003476

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library