Mars in fiction the past; Mars is a setting rather than a goal. Mariner 4 in July 1965 found that Mars—contrary to expectations—is heavily cratered, with a very thin atmosphere. No canals were found; while scientists did not believe that Mars was a moist planet, the lack of surface water surprised them. Science fiction had so influenced real explorations of the planet, however—Carl Sagan was among the many fans who became scientists—that after Mariner 9 in 1971-1972, craters were named after Wells, Burroughs, and other authors. The Mariner and Viking space probes confirmed that the Martian environment is extremely hostile to life. By
Jesus on Mars Orme reaffirms his commitment and the novel ends abruptly with a sense of the years of impending struggle against the forces of evil. Greg Costikyan reviewed "Jesus on Mars" in "Ares Magazine" #1. Costikyan commented that ""Jesus on Mars" would be brilliant if it were written by a novice; but from Farmer, one expects better things." Jesus on Mars Jesus on Mars is a 1979 science fiction novel by American writer Philip José Farmer, set on Mars and involving an alien civilization. It makes social commentary on a just society and on religious belief. An unmanned scientific probe sent to