The Dope on Mars

The first human mission to Mars needs a writer, not a warrior. That's where our narrator comes in: a humorist tasked with documenting humanity's greatest journey, though he seems distinctly unqualified for anything beyond witty observations and witty complaints. The spacecraft becomes a cramped stage for interpersonal drama, scientific mishaps, and the peculiar loneliness of hurtling through space with a crew that includes exactly the kind of brilliant scientists you'd want anywhere except trapped in a metal tube with you. Then they land on Mars and discover the locals: beings made of sugar. Yes, sugar. These sweet-toothed aliens seem harmless enough, until the crew's well-intentioned interactions with them accidentally trigger exactly the kind of catastrophic first contact they'd hoped to avoid. The invasion of Earth begins not with weapons but with an ominous sweet tooth. Sharkey's novel is a gleefully stupid satire of 1960s space optimism, the kind of book that knows full well the universe is probably indifferent to human ambition and finds that hilarious. It's for anyone who wants their science fiction with a wink and a grin.