CLARKE, Arthur C. The Sands of Mars. London: Sidgwick and Jackson. 1951. 8vo. First edition, first printing. Publisher’s red cloth lettered in black to the spine, in the fragile dust jacket. A very good example, the cloth clean and bright, the binding tight and just a trifle rolled. The contents clean and fine throughout. The dust jacket unclipped (10s 6d net), gently rubbed at the corners and spine tips, but without loss and overall very presentable.
Arthur C. Clarke’s first published novel, written and published on the cusp of his achieving international fame in the science fiction genre. Published before human space flight, the story follows the maiden voyage of the spaceship ‘Ares’ on its mission to Mars, where humans from earlier missions have started to settle. It is unusual in its depiction of the otherworldly—there are no Martian princesses or ancient civilisations—and the narrative focuses not on aliens and asteroids, but on space colonisation, foretelling the repugnant yet predictable commercialisation now served to us by Messrs Bezos, Branson, and Musk.
CLARKE, Arthur C. The Sands of Mars. London: Sidgwick and Jackson. 1951. 8vo. First edition, first printing. Publisher’s red cloth lettered in black to the spine, in the fragile dust jacket. A very good example, the cloth clean and bright, the binding tight and just a trifle rolled. The contents clean and fine throughout. The dust jacket unclipped (10s 6d net), gently rubbed at the corners and spine tips, but without loss and overall very presentable.
Arthur C. Clarke’s first published novel, written and published on the cusp of his achieving international fame in the science fiction genre. Published before human space flight, the story follows the maiden voyage of the spaceship ‘Ares’ on its mission to Mars, where humans from earlier missions have started to settle. It is unusual in its depiction of the otherworldly—there are no Martian princesses or ancient civilisations—and the narrative focuses not on aliens and asteroids, but on space colonisation, foretelling the repugnant yet predictable commercialisation now served to us by Messrs Bezos, Branson, and Musk.
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