a-city-on-mars
Explanation
The Joke
This comic is a promotional piece in which Zach Weinersmith (alongside his wife and co-author Kelly) directly addresses the reader to advertise their book "A City on Mars." The comic is structured as a behind-the-scenes look at the five-year process of writing the book, which covers the science, law, biology, psychology, and politics of space settlement.
The Weinersmiths describe how what was supposed to be a straightforward pop-science book about space colonization turned into a years-long deep dive that kept revealing how complicated and potentially dangerous the prospect of settling Mars actually is. They describe the "mental screaming" of realizing the book's scope kept expanding.
The Humor
The humor comes from the candid, self-deprecating tone. The Weinersmiths present themselves as two people who naively thought they could write a quick book about space settlement, only to discover that every aspect — from space law to food farming to the biological effects of low gravity — is a rabbit hole of complexity and alarming findings. The recurring joke is the contrast between the breezy optimism of space-settlement advocates and the grim reality of what the research actually shows.
Key comedic moments include: the admission that Zach "almost killed himself in order to promote a movie" (a reference to testing space-related stunts), the line "Hope you like your bibliographies THIIIIICK," and the general tone of two exhausted authors begging people to buy a book that took over their lives.
Broader Context
"A City on Mars" was published in 2023 and received strong reviews. The book argues that while space settlement is a worthy long-term goal, the current discourse around it is dangerously naive about the biological, legal, and political challenges involved. This comic effectively summarizes the book's thesis: we aren't against space settlement, but there's a massive checklist of problems humanity needs to work through first. The comic also includes real blurbs from authors like Andy Weir (The Martian) and James S.A. Corey (The Expanse).