Want to Go to Mars Someday?

By Carma Spence1. Science Fiction, Events & ConventionsMars, NASA, Ray Bradbury

If you’ve always wanted to visit the Red Planet, you have Ray Bradbury to thank. Well, sort of.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, The Planetary Society will be presenting Bradbury with the Thomas O. Paine Award for the Advancement of Human Exploration of Mars. As the author of The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury has inspired many people — scientists included — to dream of visiting Mars.

The award, named after the former NASA administrator who served at the time of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and long-time director of the society, will be presented at a gala with the theme “Our Next Age of Exploration.” The event coincides with The Planetary Society’s 25th anniversary and will be held in Arcadia, Calif.

James Cameron, The Titanic director who has been spending time shooting undersea documentaries of late, will also receive an award: the Cosmos Award for the public presentation of science.

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About the author

As The Genre Traveler, Carma Spence loves to view the world through Genre-Coloured glasses. In other words, she sees the world through a lens of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, where trash cans can be Daleks in disguise and neighborhood forests can harbor faeries and sprites. Magic realism is real! Or at least you can choose to see the world that way to add to the fun and awe of life.