The Mars House
A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Orion Publishing Co
Published:19th Mar '24
Should be back in stock very soon
In The Mars House, a climate refugee and a politician enter a staged marriage to navigate a crisis on Mars, revealing deeper societal issues.
In The Mars House, the story unfolds against the backdrop of an apocalyptic dust storm that engulfs Mars, leading to a power crisis in the capital. Amidst this chaos, January Stirling, a former principal dancer from London's Royal Ballet, finds himself in a precarious situation as a climate refugee. His journey to the notorious terraformed colony of Tharsis is fraught with challenges, as he faces discrimination and the harsh realities of life as an Earthstronger. This new life, characterized by hard labor and prejudice, serves as a stark contrast to the utopian existence of the native Martians.
On the other hand, Aubrey Gale, an energy trillionaire and hereditary senator, is fighting for political power with a divisive platform aimed at protecting the native population from immigrants. His extreme measures, including the surgical naturalization of Earthstrongers, put him at odds with January and others like him. When a disastrous media incident forces them together, they devise a plan for a five-year marriage designed for reality TV, which could secure both of their futures.
As the narrative progresses, the stakes rise, revealing that their union is not just a publicity stunt but a lifeline for many. The Mars House intricately explores themes of privilege, resilience, and love across societal divides, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate genre-blending tales that challenge norms and provoke thought.
Few writers combine such warmth and heart with such consummate skill as Natasha Pulley... Reading her is both a joyful and profound experience - and The Mars House is her most daring, ambitious, and exciting book yet' * CATRIONA WARD, Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street *
Simply unputdownable - hilarious, ingenious, and full of warmth, The Mars House asks important questions about what it means to be human, and doesn't shy away from nuanced conversations about immigration, climate breakdown, and augmented reality. Plus it has talking mammoths and a very clever twist. What's not to love? * THOMAS D. LEE, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Perilous Times *
This is a book about language, how new society subcultures form, gender, mammoths, and space... I want to live inside Natasha Pulley's brain - and I would happily read a thousand more pages set on Mars. The incredible arranged marriage queer romance was just an added bonus. Book of the year for me * LAUREN JAMES, Carnegie-shortlisted author of The Quiet at the End of the World *
Already one of my favourite books of the year... There's palace intrigue, a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers plot, sassy footnotes, and also there are mammoths! It's a total delight from start to finish * LITERARY HUB *
Pulley astonishes in this thorny and addictive sci-fi romance * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *
Readers will appreciate all the delightful details of worldbuilding, character arcs, and slow romantic tension. Exquisitely layered and entertaining, Pulley's latest novel is a queer tale of planetary refugees, politics, and populist views (and mammoths).''Readers will appreciate all the delightful details of worldbuilding, character arcs, and slow romantic tension. Exquisitely layered and entertaining, Pulley's latest novel is a queer tale of planetary refugees, politics, and populist views (and mammoths) * LIBRARY JOURNAL *
Pulley has wrapped an enemies-to-lovers, fake-marriage romance in a fascinating sci-fi world package... Magnetic... Charming... Readers will have incredible fun reading about this slow-burn romance, the itch of two creepy background mysteries, and a delightful scene involving judgmental mammoths * BOOKLIST *
ISBN: 9781399618533
Dimensions: 238mm x 162mm x 44mm
Weight: 740g
480 pages