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Near Space
The Emperor of Mars
"Out here, there’s a lot of ways to go crazy. Get cooped up in a passenger module not much larger than a trailer, and by the time you reach your destination you may have come to believe that the universe exists only within your own mind: it’s called solipsism syndrome, and I’ve seen it happen a couple of times. Share that same module with five or six guys who don’t get along very well, and after three months you’ll be sleeping with a knife taped to your thigh. Pull double-shifts during that time, with little chance to relax, and you’ll probably suffer from depression; couple this with vitamin deficiency due to a lousy diet, and you’re a candidate for chronic fatigue syndrome."
24 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2010
About the author
Allen M. Steele
238 books426 followersBefore becoming a science fiction writer, Allen Steele was a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Missouri, and his home state of Tennessee. But science fiction was his first love, so he eventually ditched journalism and began producing that which had made him decide to become a writer in the first place.
Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.
Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.
Since then, Steele has published eighteen novels and nearly one hundred short stories. His work has received numerous accolades, including three Hugo Awards, and has been translated worldwide, mainly into languages he can’t read. He serves on the board of advisors for the Space Frontier Foundation and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He also belongs to Sigma, a group of science fiction writers who frequently serve as unpaid consultants on matters regarding technology and security.
Allen Steele is a lifelong space buff, and this interest has not only influenced his writing, it has taken him to some interesting places. He has witnessed numerous space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center and has flown NASA’s shuttle cockpit simulator at the Johnson Space Center. In 2001, he testified before the US House of Representatives in hearings regarding the future of space exploration. He would like very much to go into orbit, and hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford to do so.
Steele lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Linda, and a continual procession of adopted dogs. He collects vintage science fiction books and magazines, spacecraft model kits, and dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 15, 2024
Read from The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of Science Fiction.
One of the better ones. Not spectacular, but a solid story harkening back to SF of old. 3.5-4 stars
One of the better ones. Not spectacular, but a solid story harkening back to SF of old. 3.5-4 stars
February 7, 2012
“The Emperor of Mars” is the third of five Hugo-nominated novelettes that I read last year as part of the voter's packet. It's about a guy who reads a lot of science fiction and then goes insane. (Unlike me, who has gone insane and begun to read science fiction.)
That's not a joke. (Other than the part in parentheses. Probably.) This Martian colonist reads old scifi stories about Mars and begins to think it's real, eventually believing himself to be the Emperor of Mars. It was weird to read a science fiction story that takes place on Mars about a guy who reads science fiction stories that take place on Mars. If you really want your mind to be blown, consider this: what are you reading right now?
But enough about the stories that this story isn't. “Mars” begins with a horrible tragedy and ends with a surprisingly uplifting and emotional conclusion. It's kind of like reading Romeo and Juliet backwards.
Additionally, the story makes you want to go google NASA's Mars Lander missions. I'd say it's a good mark of success for a science fiction story when it makes you curious about science fact.
“Mars” has the curious position of being able to address its own genre within itself, asking some interesting questions. Did we lose something when our views of Mars became less fantastical and more scientific? Is science fiction a harmful escape from life, or a helpful one? And why hasn't anybody found Marvin the Martian? Did Bugs Bunny ever really land on Mars, or was that a Loony Toons conspiracy?
I'm generally not a fan of meta-things: news stories about journalists, fiction about fiction writers, plays about putting on plays, and so forth. It just always seems a little incestuous to me. But it didn't feel gimmicky at all in this case. Because of how tragic the character was, you're not distracted by references to classic science fiction stories – you're too busy wondering with all your might what's going to happen to this guy.
There's an interesting moment as you're reading where you think, “That poor guy. Doesn't he know that science fiction is just a story?” And then you realize what you're reading. What's your response at this point? It's not very many novelettes that successfully ask the reader to confront the fact that they're reading. I should know; I've read a lot of novelettes. Multiples of three of them.
Unfortunately, this story has one enormous flaw, and that is a lack of robots. This was deliberate – you might even say that this is a story about its own lack of robots. However, that is little excuse, and I have to give this story a Robot Rating of zero robots.
That's not a joke. (Other than the part in parentheses. Probably.) This Martian colonist reads old scifi stories about Mars and begins to think it's real, eventually believing himself to be the Emperor of Mars. It was weird to read a science fiction story that takes place on Mars about a guy who reads science fiction stories that take place on Mars. If you really want your mind to be blown, consider this: what are you reading right now?
But enough about the stories that this story isn't. “Mars” begins with a horrible tragedy and ends with a surprisingly uplifting and emotional conclusion. It's kind of like reading Romeo and Juliet backwards.
Additionally, the story makes you want to go google NASA's Mars Lander missions. I'd say it's a good mark of success for a science fiction story when it makes you curious about science fact.
“Mars” has the curious position of being able to address its own genre within itself, asking some interesting questions. Did we lose something when our views of Mars became less fantastical and more scientific? Is science fiction a harmful escape from life, or a helpful one? And why hasn't anybody found Marvin the Martian? Did Bugs Bunny ever really land on Mars, or was that a Loony Toons conspiracy?
I'm generally not a fan of meta-things: news stories about journalists, fiction about fiction writers, plays about putting on plays, and so forth. It just always seems a little incestuous to me. But it didn't feel gimmicky at all in this case. Because of how tragic the character was, you're not distracted by references to classic science fiction stories – you're too busy wondering with all your might what's going to happen to this guy.
There's an interesting moment as you're reading where you think, “That poor guy. Doesn't he know that science fiction is just a story?” And then you realize what you're reading. What's your response at this point? It's not very many novelettes that successfully ask the reader to confront the fact that they're reading. I should know; I've read a lot of novelettes. Multiples of three of them.
Unfortunately, this story has one enormous flaw, and that is a lack of robots. This was deliberate – you might even say that this is a story about its own lack of robots. However, that is little excuse, and I have to give this story a Robot Rating of zero robots.
December 16, 2025
A quick but touching story about mental health and trauma and perseverance.
October 2, 2013
I listed to the Starship Sofa podcast audio version of this work. It was a very enjoyable tale of someone on a realistic version of a future Mars who finds mental refuge in older, less realistic visions of Mars.
It might even contend for the 5-star rating, but I grade on a curve when there are a lot of references to other works of science fiction. Too many of these works have won or been nominated for awards recently; it feels like a cheap way to appeal to fans. I don't think that was Steele's motive in writing this story, but it took some of the shine off my enjoyment of it.
It might even contend for the 5-star rating, but I grade on a curve when there are a lot of references to other works of science fiction. Too many of these works have won or been nominated for awards recently; it feels like a cheap way to appeal to fans. I don't think that was Steele's motive in writing this story, but it took some of the shine off my enjoyment of it.
September 24, 2020
It is difficult to find, among sci-fi stories/novels, those which do not have weapons, shootings, chases, or any other of the common element of an action film. This is one of such rare stories.
Better yet, it is a story about people and how they are affected by the changes brought by technological advance.
I really liked this story. Great read.
Better yet, it is a story about people and how they are affected by the changes brought by technological advance.
I really liked this story. Great read.
November 15, 2022
I didn’t expect such a peaceful ending to be honest I thought it was going to go in a completely different direction
July 27, 2024
If you always enjoyed Edgar Rice Burroughs, but are having just wee bit of difficulty finding recent work...
Fear not! Allen Steele to the rescue, with a new novel - or rather novelette - just the way you like it.
Just wait for a clear night, gaze upwards - et voila!
My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
Three stars is a bit generous, but there is no option of 2 1/2 stars.
Fear not! Allen Steele to the rescue, with a new novel - or rather novelette - just the way you like it.
Just wait for a clear night, gaze upwards - et voila!
My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
Three stars is a bit generous, but there is no option of 2 1/2 stars.
March 19, 2021
I have a copy of this from a Science fiction class I took years ago and I read it every once in a while. It is always an interesting, quick read. Over the years it is something that I have never forgotten either.
Read
June 24, 2018very self pandering story. It is based on mars, but might as well be based on an oil rig.
November 7, 2022
Read as one of the selections in one of Gardner Dozois's "Year's Best" anthologies.
Beautiful. This was exactly the kind of story I like: all character. Along with callbacks to old genre fiction.
Beautiful. This was exactly the kind of story I like: all character. Along with callbacks to old genre fiction.
Read
May 10, 2024Sad, but deed story about human life and power of books
March 31, 2013
Rating: 5.8 / 10
When I first discovered Allen Steele, it was through one of his standalone novels, “Oceanspace”. From there I moved onto “Chronospace” and I believe by that point the first “Coyote” was out, and in waiting for the second “Coyote”, I discovered “A King of Infinite Space” at my local library and devoured that almost immediately.
Let me back up. If you're not as well versed in Allen Steele as I am, all that name dropping above will seem meaningless. What you need to know about Steele is that his career is marked by the writing of two series, with a few standalone novels in between. For the past decade, he's written the very successful “Coyote” series, which consists of a trilogy, a subsequent duology (Steele remains adamant that collectively they do not comprise a pentology), as well as three spin-off novels therein. Prior to that, he'd written the much looser “Near Space” series, which take place in the immediate vicinity of Earth, sometimes decades or whole centuries apart from one another, and all only ethereally connected through their greater shared backdrop. In addition to the novels of the “Near Space” series, he's also penned many short stories, novelettes, and novellas (including “The Weight” and his award-winning “The Death of Captain Future”).
This novelette, “The Emperor of Mars”, is yet another within the “Near Space” series.
Steele doesn't always have the best titles for his books – my favourite book of his, “Chronospace”, was titled at the insistence of his publishers; he wanted to name it “Time Loves a Hero” – but this one caught my eye, and I had to add it to my list, even though it's a novelette and quite difficult to track down (“The Weight” I've been looking for for a while now). It stood on my list for only a month or so before I happened upon it in audio format following an Allen Steele interview. Even better, it was free, streaming, and only took 47 minutes of my time.
(Available from Aural Delights, show number 168 – http://www.starshipsofa.com/2010/12/2...)
The story is that of general labourer looking to build a nest egg on the Martian frontier, signing over three years in exchange for enough money for a house, or to start a business or whatnot. Travel to and from Mars at this point is not the easiest thing, and when tragedy strikes his family back on Earth, he's stuck on Mars for the next two years before he can go home and find closure. So, encroaching into madness, he retreats into the world of old science fiction novels he's found from an old rover, and constructs a false reality where he doesn't have to deal with the tragedy. In it, he's the Emperor of Mars, and everyone goes along with it because they understand he has mental health problems.
The novel is narrated first person by this man's boss at that Martian station, à la Nick Carraway from “The Great Gatsby”, which I found to be a really interesting narrative choice. It was short, as I say – only 47 minutes – which was a decent length for the story involved. Steele's endings (excepting, of course, “Coyote Rising”) have always been anti-climactic and this is no exception.
As most of the story is told expositionally in passing, it does leave you wanting parts of the story expanded, or just a little more dialogue thrown in. For example, as Emperor, he gains himself two “consorts” – single women working on Mars that would much prefer his respectful company on a Saturday night movie screening in the rec room than the frat brother-type attitudes of some of the other men up there. What I've just written there is pretty much the extent of that plot element, and I'd have been more curious about expanding that into at least one brief snippet of dialogue.
As always, I have no quibbles with Allen Steele, and I'm glad I managed to track this down. If you have 47 minutes to spare, check it out and become familiarized with a great science fiction author (and if you have more than 47 minutes, scroll back and additional 20 or so to hear the interview with Steele).
When I first discovered Allen Steele, it was through one of his standalone novels, “Oceanspace”. From there I moved onto “Chronospace” and I believe by that point the first “Coyote” was out, and in waiting for the second “Coyote”, I discovered “A King of Infinite Space” at my local library and devoured that almost immediately.
Let me back up. If you're not as well versed in Allen Steele as I am, all that name dropping above will seem meaningless. What you need to know about Steele is that his career is marked by the writing of two series, with a few standalone novels in between. For the past decade, he's written the very successful “Coyote” series, which consists of a trilogy, a subsequent duology (Steele remains adamant that collectively they do not comprise a pentology), as well as three spin-off novels therein. Prior to that, he'd written the much looser “Near Space” series, which take place in the immediate vicinity of Earth, sometimes decades or whole centuries apart from one another, and all only ethereally connected through their greater shared backdrop. In addition to the novels of the “Near Space” series, he's also penned many short stories, novelettes, and novellas (including “The Weight” and his award-winning “The Death of Captain Future”).
This novelette, “The Emperor of Mars”, is yet another within the “Near Space” series.
Steele doesn't always have the best titles for his books – my favourite book of his, “Chronospace”, was titled at the insistence of his publishers; he wanted to name it “Time Loves a Hero” – but this one caught my eye, and I had to add it to my list, even though it's a novelette and quite difficult to track down (“The Weight” I've been looking for for a while now). It stood on my list for only a month or so before I happened upon it in audio format following an Allen Steele interview. Even better, it was free, streaming, and only took 47 minutes of my time.
(Available from Aural Delights, show number 168 – http://www.starshipsofa.com/2010/12/2...)
The story is that of general labourer looking to build a nest egg on the Martian frontier, signing over three years in exchange for enough money for a house, or to start a business or whatnot. Travel to and from Mars at this point is not the easiest thing, and when tragedy strikes his family back on Earth, he's stuck on Mars for the next two years before he can go home and find closure. So, encroaching into madness, he retreats into the world of old science fiction novels he's found from an old rover, and constructs a false reality where he doesn't have to deal with the tragedy. In it, he's the Emperor of Mars, and everyone goes along with it because they understand he has mental health problems.
The novel is narrated first person by this man's boss at that Martian station, à la Nick Carraway from “The Great Gatsby”, which I found to be a really interesting narrative choice. It was short, as I say – only 47 minutes – which was a decent length for the story involved. Steele's endings (excepting, of course, “Coyote Rising”) have always been anti-climactic and this is no exception.
As most of the story is told expositionally in passing, it does leave you wanting parts of the story expanded, or just a little more dialogue thrown in. For example, as Emperor, he gains himself two “consorts” – single women working on Mars that would much prefer his respectful company on a Saturday night movie screening in the rec room than the frat brother-type attitudes of some of the other men up there. What I've just written there is pretty much the extent of that plot element, and I'd have been more curious about expanding that into at least one brief snippet of dialogue.
As always, I have no quibbles with Allen Steele, and I'm glad I managed to track this down. If you have 47 minutes to spare, check it out and become familiarized with a great science fiction author (and if you have more than 47 minutes, scroll back and additional 20 or so to hear the interview with Steele).
August 25, 2011
Jeff, a contract worker on Mars, is told that his parents, his fiance and his unborn child have died. He cannot return home for another eighteen months. He descends into a special form of insanity.
While he has written several good novels, Steele is at his best in the shorter forms, and this novelette is no exception. In fact it won the Hugo Award in its category in 2011. This story is both charming and interesting.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1038
While he has written several good novels, Steele is at his best in the shorter forms, and this novelette is no exception. In fact it won the Hugo Award in its category in 2011. This story is both charming and interesting.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1038
January 5, 2013
A troubled worker at a Mars base finds solace in the science fiction stories about Mars of the 20th Century. An interesting examination of mental illness and how the literature of imagination could help restore someone’s sanity.
August 26, 2017
This is one of my all time favorite short stories... I heard it first on StarShipSofa podcast...
April 24, 2012
A novelette worthy of its award. A psychological film tightly packed in 3 (or 4?) chapters.
to-read-short
January 22, 2013Marsin keisari - Portti 4/2011
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews