You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Title

Sometimes, science fiction books set on Mars sport cute titles that proudly announce their subject, such as Marooned on Mars, The Martian Race, or The Red Planet. Other times, they wear titles that are less revealing.

Here are ten books you wouldn’t know are set on Mars by reading the titles:

• The Sword of Rhiannon (1953), by Leigh Brackett

• Farewell, Earth’s Bliss (1966), by David G. Compton

• The Valley Where Time Stood Still (1974), by Lin Carter

• Birth of Fire (1976), by Jerry Pournelle

• Frontera (1984), by Lewis Shiner

• Desolation Road (1988), by Ian McDonald

• The Specialist (1990), by Wynne Whiteford

• Beachhead (1992), by Jack Williamson

• Climbing Olympus (1994), by Kevin J. Anderson

• Icebones (2002), by Stephen Baxter