For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Tony Miksanek’s review of “Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change Our Bodies and Minds” by Scott Solomon, first published February 1, 2026, in Booklist.
Enjoy.
“Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change Our Bodies and Minds”
By Scott Solomon, February 2026. 280p. MIT, $29.95 (9780262051514); e-book (9780262051538).
The Red Planet has long been the subject of intense fascination and speculation. But landing humans on Mars one day will entail known and as yet unknown hardships and long-term consequences. Biologist Solomon ably balances aspiration with reality in this stimulating discussion about the physical and psychological challenges of space travel and settling on Mars and the Moon. Colonizing these celestial places exposes human beings to intense radiation levels, microgravity, nearly absent atmospheres, and brutally cold temperatures. Off-Earth, the physiology of the human body is strikingly affected, with weakened bones, changes in the distribution of body fluids (resulting in puffier faces and skinnier legs), alterations in the microbiome, and an increased risk of kidney stones. The chance of claustrophobia and panic in outer space is concerning. But on the bright side, sex in space is possible. Solomon considers rocket companies owned by billionaires, the International Space Station, terraforming, the NASA Twins Study of astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, and plucky robotic rovers on Mars. He muses on how evolution might eventually transform Earthling settlers on Mars into Martians whose bodies are somewhat adapted to the planet’s environment. He suggests that colonists will likely be vegans (with insects supplementing their diet) and undergo body enhancements via genetic engineering. Educational and entertaining, imaginative and inspirational, Solomon’s treatise on traveling to Mars soars.— Tony Miksanek
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