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Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth Hardcover – July 14, 2020

by Kate Greene (Author)

4.1 65 ratings

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When it comes to Mars, the focus is often on how to get there: the rockets, the engines, the fuel. But upon arrival, what will it actually be like?

In 2013, Kate Greene moved to Mars. That is, along with five fellow crew members, she embarked on NASA’s first HI-SEAS mission, a simulated Martian environment located on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawai'i. For four months she lived, worked, and slept in an isolated geodesic dome, conducting a sleep study on her crew mates and gaining incredible insight into human behavior in tight quarters, as well as the nature of boredom, dreams, and isolation that arise amidst the promise of scientific progress and glory.

In Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars, Greene draws on her experience to contemplate humanity’s broader impulse to explore. The result is a twined story of space and life, of the standard, able-bodied astronaut and Greene’s brother’s disability, of the lag time of interplanetary correspondences and the challenges of a long-distance marriage, of freeze-dried egg powder and fresh pineapple, of departure and return.

By asking what kind of wisdom humanity might take to Mars and elsewhere in the Universe, Greene has written a remarkable, wide-ranging examination of our time in space right now, as a pre-Mars species, poised on the edge, readying for launch.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Enlightening...Greene’s eloquent memoir is equal parts escape and comfort."--Publishers Weekly

"[Greene] addresses [the issues] with wit, insight, compassion, and, ultimately, hope."--Booklist

"Greene is a talented writer, and her words shine throughout, whether discussing science or its influence on her. This engaging account will interest sf lovers, scientists, and dreamers who see the red planet in the night sky and wonder, what if."--Library Journal

"In her thoughtful, well-written account of the mission, Greene not only discusses what it was like to spend several months cooped up indoors with five strangers and limited resources but also reflects on what this and other space missions can teach us about ourselves and life on Earth."--Physics Today

"Kate Greene’s insightful, nuanced writing is the dose of perspective we so desperately need right now. Once Upon A Time I lived on Mars is a book about the wonders of space, but even more so, it’s a triumphant account of what it means to be a thoughtful, messy, and ultimately hopeful human right here on spaceship Earth." ―Juli Berwald, author of Spineless

"This stirring, smart, and truly original debut begins with questions and then progresses beyond facile answers, into even less answerable questions. Along the way, Greene charts a course that is propulsive, discursive, and pure pleasure to read, whether it is exploring boredom, guinea pigs, pineapple, grief, or deep space. Like a conversation with your smartest, most fun friend, each essay travels an unexpected and exhilarating path, more often between people than planets, examining the distances between who we were and who we have become, what we expected and what we have found in this life."―Melissa Febos, author of Whip Smart and Abandon Me

"A prescient look at humans alone, separate from the world they once knew. Truly a book for our times."--Sarah Stewart Johnson, author of The Sirens of Mars

About the Author

Kate Greene was the crew writer and second-in-command on the first simulated Mars mission for the NASA-funded HI-SEAS project. A poet, essayist, and former laser physicist, her work has appeared in multiple publications and radio shows. She’s taught writing at Columbia University, San Francisco State University, and the Tennessee Prison for Women. She lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; Illustrated edition (July 14, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250159474
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250159472
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.65 x 0.87 x 8.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #851,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,204 in Astrophysics & Space Science (Books)
- #1,701 in Scientist Biographies
- #3,807 in Traveler & Explorer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.1 65 ratings

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Kate Greene
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Kate Greene is an essayist, poet, journalist, and former laser physicist whose work has appeared in Aeon, Harvard Review, the New Yorker, The Economist, and WIRED, among others. She was second-in-command on the first simulated Mars mission for NASA’s HI-SEAS project. She holds a BS in chemistry, an MS in physics and an MFA in poetry, and has taught writing at Columbia University, San Francisco State University, and the Tennessee Prison for
Women. She lives in New York City.
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cantsaywhy

An outstanding achievement

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2020

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Sometimes, in and among the fifty or sixty non-fiction books that I read each year, I will find one that demonstrates the author’s profound ability to research and think through the topic at hand. And sometimes, I will find one where the author demonstrates a masterful writing style, the thoughts and words flowing like a clear mountain stream, making for effortless reading. In such a case the subject matter almost becomes secondary.

And sometimes, I will find one with both qualities. Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars is just such a story, and Kate Greene is just such an author.

Magnificent, heartfelt, and highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful

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Nancy Adair

Entertaining and informing

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020

Kate Greene was one of six people who spent four months living in a geodesic dome in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, simulating a Martian environment. The 'almost' astronauts were human guinea pigs in the Hi-SEAS project focused on the domestic challenges of privacy, food, and shared resources in space.

This book is the result of Greene's struggle to find a way to talk about those months and how they changed her.

Greene travels across a broad range of philosophical questions that arose from her experience, discussing food, finding a balance between solitude and sociability, boredom, and isolation, applying her insights to daily life.

I appreciated her thoughts on the privatization of space technology and the lack of oversight in the data collection and use of social media by tech companies, influencing users without their knowledge or consent.

The Space Race arose from a quest for military and political dominance. Greene asks, is it possible for space exploration to transcend "nationalist pride, capitalist power, and ordinary ego?"

"I've come up with more questions than answers," Greene writes.

Entertaining and informing.

I received a free egalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2020

In this collection of essays, we follow Kate Greene through a period of her life, which takes some interesting turns. One of the most interesting events in her life is when she becomes a member of a life on Mars simulation to study the eating habits of the faux astronauts. Outside of this simulation, she also reflects on her life, which includes her parents, brother, friendships, marriage and eventual divorce.

I’ve always been fascinated with space, so when I got the opportunity to read this book, I took it. I find the studies on space travel very interesting, and Greene was a member of a simulation that involved pretending to live on Mars while living in an artificial environment built in Hawaii. I never knew how many space studies that take place outside of space until later life, but it makes sense. Even something as simple as food can become a big deal due to the limitations of what and how one can eat while in space.

While the subject matter was interesting, it took me a while to read because the book itself felt disjointed. It is a collection of essays reflecting on various parts of Greene’s life, but because it is a collection of essays from one person, the book bounces around quite a bit. I discovered that I would’ve liked it better if it was in chronological order, but that’s just my preference. The way it bounces around would’ve worked if this was a collection of essays from different people instead of one author.

All in all, I did enjoy the book as well as Greene’s perspective on anything from space to general life experiences. If space related experiments to general life reflections is something you’re interested in, I would highly recommend this. Just be aware that Greene does bounce around subject matter since this is a collection of essays.

2 people found this helpful

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KAD

Somehow transcendent and grounded at the same time...

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2020

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I absolutely LOVE this book. As I read Once Upon A Time I Lived on Mars, I was completely in awe of Kate Greene's narrative dexterity, seamlessly interweaving pertinent stories from a variety of sources with her own insights and memories to create a stream-like and cohesive arc. I'd recommend this book to pretty much anyone, but especially people who are also considering their place in the narrative of humanity, Earth, Mars, and beyond...

One person found this helpful

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Simon Engler

Smooth and capturing read

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2020

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Excellent book capturing accurately the fun and difficulties of Mars analog simulations. A surprising broad look at space sciences as a whole while maintaining a deeply personal perspective.

2 people found this helpful

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LTay

Blending of Space Info and Memoir

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2020

(received an advanced copy from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for my honest review)
Kate Greene's book reads like a blend of memoir and book report on space (meant in a good way). Though filled with scientific jargon and studies, Greene does not write as one that is smarter than thou, and instead explains her mission on "Mars" and other facts about Space travel in a relatable and easily digestible way. Weaving in facts and figures and anecdotes from other books like Endurance to talk about experiences she personally hasn't had--Greene gives us an insight into life on "Mars" as well as some of her personal stories including her divorce from her wife and her brother's illness. The book is broken into fairly short chapters and is easy to read in short or long bursts. I found some chapters more interesting than others and I would have liked to learn more about her reintegration to life after her time on "Mars" but overall this was an interesting book and likely will be a hit for anyone interested in space, space travel, NASA, SpaceX or science in general.

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020

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Interesting book. Like how it was written, liked reading it. Like how it keeps coming back to me. Nicest present I got in a long time.

One person found this helpful

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Waldemar kammer

My opinion