A review by boggremlin
Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth by Kate Greene

3.0

I really enjoyed Greene's essays about space, time, and family. For the most part, the framework is a research study she participated in that attempted to replicate the effects of monotony in food diets on astronauts by assigning team of individuals to live in a bio-habitat in Hawaii for a four-month period. But within that framework, Greene explores the nature of time and distance on human relationships; the human desire to explore and to find a home; the ethics of funding space research and travel (and the nature of the relationship between NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX); queer identity; and much more. There's a real thoughtfulness to the pieces in this book, which I read over the course of a few weeks. I think it's a good idea to read this with a bit of space in between (no pun intended), but the overall bones of the book are good and interesting. It's a nice counterpoint to some of the more science-heavy space exploration titles out there, and Greene's background as a science reporter is put to good use here. Her references to the end of her marriage with her longtime partner and the death of her brother add a sense of resonance and wistfulness to these essays without being overbearing or maudlin.

Recommended for more thoughtful space enthusiasts, or for those who are interested in the sociological ramifications of space travel.

Netgalley Review.