Posthuman Blues

The reviews are in. One of them, anyway. Here's Publishers Weekly's take on "After the Martian Apocalypse":

"Was there once intelligent life on Mars? Consider the Face, a remarkably human-like image located in the Cydonia Mensae region of the Red Planet. NASA says it's just a natural formation but, as science fiction writer Tonnies points out, it does look spookily human. He describes other findings on Mars that could be the remains of a pre-cataclysmic civilization: grids that recall a 'metropolitan infrastructure'; and the Fort, a seemingly artificial structure located a few miles from the Face. While Tonnies claims scientific objectivity, his breathless tone in considering the magnitude of these discoveries is directed at believers, not skeptics. He rhetorically exploits contemporary fears, citing the possibility of an 'ecological 9/11' in support of the idea that humans must colonize space. He also calls for a manned mission to Mars to examine the Face and other phenomena to determine if they are natural or artificial formations. The value of reviving manned space missions is hotly debated in the scientific community; for those who feel its necessity is a given, Tonnies offers more fuel for the argument."

This really isn't a bad review, but I groaned when I read this part:

"While Tonnies claims scientific objectivity, his breathless tone in considering the magnitude of these discoveries is directed at believers, not skeptics."

In truth, this book is littered with "disclaimers" attempting to eradicate the notion that the subject, as strange as it is, somehow requires "belief." And since when is pointing out very real threats to human existence "rhetoric exploitation"? Publishers Weekly makes me out to be an unconditional fearmonger. Actually, I'm of the opinion that we need rational, informed "fear": specifically, a newfound collective knowledge that our planet is inconsequential in a cosmic perspective, and that yesterday's asteroidal near-miss may be tomorrow's global holocaust.

And is it just me, or does the sentence "[Tonnies] also calls for a manned mission to Mars to examine the Face and other phenomena to determine if they are natural or artificial formations" undermine the assertion that Cydonia is the turf of "believers"?

(Interestingly, though, they never accuse me of metaphysics . . .)

Lastly, here again is the scoop on the all-too-rapidly approaching July 10 "debut" discussion/signing:

July 10, 2004, 8:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
420 West 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
(816) 753-1313

I've got big shoes to fill. One of the last authors to do a signing at this particular location was Emeril Lagasse. Fans were huddled in the aisles hours before the event. It was pretty sad.