Terraforming Mars

[watervole]

Can anyone recommend a good book on Terraforming Mars? I've found references to a few, but my wrists are getting sore from following links.

I need a good reference source for a writer friend. He wants to be able to get the science reasonably correct and he's not got a strong science background, so it can't be too complex.

Ideally, I want something that suggests a reasonably quick method of terraforming and hopefully involves use of a soletta. I'd also prefer it to be reasonably accessible to a non-scientist.

I've been pondering Zubin's 'The Case for Mars' but I gain the impression that a large part of it is taken up with how to get to Mars in the first place. I don't know how much of it deals with Terraforming.

I'm also interested in fiction that is well-researched on the topic (so Kim Stanley Robinson's books are one option).

I've been trying to find a web site that goes into detail, but most are furstratingly brief.

I found an interesting article here http://www.marsinstitute.info/rd/faculty/dportree/rtr/ls09.html by Paul Birch, that is presumably a condensed version of a longer article. Does anyone have anything more detailed on this particular approach?

Also, I'm sure I saw a review a few years back of a book that had loads of pictorial images of a Mars terraform, but I'm not finding it on my searches. Does anyone know what book I'm thinking of?

Comments

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

The pretty much definitive book is Terraforming: Engineering Planetary Environments by Martyn Fogg (who was active in UK fandom in the mid-90s). It goes into a lot of technical detail, but is accessible if you skim the math and accept the results. Unfortunately, the book seems to be incredibly hard to get at the moment (copies are listed on Amazon and eBay at truly insane prices) but you could see if anyone in fandom has a copy (alas, I don't).

[watervole.livejournal.com]

LOL I noticed that one in my researches, but the price, as you say, was the killer. If I were Fogg, I'd do a limited reprint asap.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

I have a copy. Sadly its in my parents' loft in Orpington. del_c has a copy, and cobrabay might.

I'm still in contact with Martyn, though I doubt he has spare copies.