Finches of Mars

Finches of Mars
Brian Aldiss

Mars is in crisis. Ten years after its formation the Earth colony on the red planet has yet to produce a healthy child. Every baby has been deformed and stillborn. With Earth overpopulated and at war, the success of the Mars experiment is crucial to the survival of the human race. Something must be done to ensure its future.In Finches of Mars, Brian Aldiss has produced a fascinating and thought-provoking novel that considers the practicalities of man’s exploration of space. It is shot through with the trademark wit and visionary philosophy which have been ever present across the seven decades of his writing career.

BRIAN ALDISS

Finches of Mars

For my grandsons

in the future

Laurence and Thomas

(Thomas who was the first person

to read this discourse)

And to Jason and Max

and Ben and of course

Archie

with my love.

He who can read Sir Charles Lyell’s grand work on the Principles of Geology, which the future historian will recognise as having produced a revolution in natural science, and yet does not admit how vast have been the past periods of time, may at once close this volume.

– Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

Table of Contents

Title Page (#u3625d089-cfa1-513b-a0f6-a27e033a4604)

Dedication (#uca0c3267-0942-54ed-9a81-353c4946c8cf)

Epigraph (#u3d9c6836-95a4-5fe8-83c1-4b3fa55e7fbc)

1. An Oceanless World

2. A Freedom

3. Mangalian’s Remark

4. Final Journey

5. The Shape of the UU

6. Mangalian Among the Ladybirds

7. The Care of a Child

8. The Death of a Hero

9. Life Elsewhere?

10. The Inevitable Happens

11. A Belated Announcement

12. Mulling Over Required

13. Some False Dispositions

14. The Mad Horse & Ooma’s Sad Poem

15. An Hour’s Friendship

16. Shap’s Lecture

17. Interlude: A Farewell To Families

18. Interlude Part II: A Long Journey and A Short Walk

19. The Vexed Question of Umwelts

20. A Troubled Exwo

21. Images of the Past

22. Phipp has Problems to Share

23. The Four Birds

24. Consolations of Knowledge and Sex

25. Meeting an Astronomer

26. Life on Mars! The Capture of Things

27. Hitting the Trail

28. Some Problem for Mangalian

29. Questions of Evolution

30. Precious Discoveries

31. Visitors