Patron of the Arts

Rotsler’s 1974 novel falls far short of the classic stature or timeless appeal that would justify this 2015 edition. Brian Thorne, one of the richest men in the 22nd century, abandons his carefree life of womanizing to find out whether a dead civilization on newly colonized Mars holds the key to travel beyond the solar system. Eurocentric naming conventions on Mars and the use of dated terms such as oriental mark Rotsler’s prose as a product of its time. The portrayal of women is appalling: they are dehumanized into objects of art, described in lurid terms, and given value only in their ability to sexually please the protagonist. No woman has individual agency, and descriptions not involving breasts are sparse and underdeveloped (“a formless form, a rainbow in the shape of a shape”). This is science fiction as male power fantasy and is unlikely to engage modern readers of any gender. (July)