Who Do We Need to Go to Mars?
A Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi from Brian McLaren

“But the nun also told her that the dark night of the soul was the tomb for the old you, and it was the womb for the new you. That’s what made Mama happy.”

Why I Read a Sci-Fi Book (and Why You Might Too)

Let me just say: I don’t typically read science fiction novels. But when I saw Brian McLaren was writing this one, I caved. I’ve trusted his voice for years in the non-fiction genre as a spiritual leader and as a wise, decent human being. So I decided to get curious about this fiction series.

The Last Voyage (Book 1 in a planned trilogy) is a smart and emotional story about humanity’s final chance to get it right somewhere else, after messing up on Earth. It deals with questions like “How do we start over?” and “What kind of people do we need to be to make it work?”

What It’s About

It’s 2056. Earth is falling apart—ecologically, politically, spiritually. A set of billionaire philanthropists have built a spaceship and handpicked a diverse team of thinkers, scientists, and a spiritual guide to establish a long-term colony on Mars. Their mission: build something better, before it’s too late.

But this book isn’t about space wars or aliens. It’s about human nature, values, conflict, and hope. And it’s not just one character’s story—if you poke deep, you’ll see it’s a story about each of us, as a species, trying to improve.

Some of the characters you’ll meet:

• Colfax, the arrogant ecologist who struggles with alcohol and loneliness
• Thurman, the billionaire in charge of the Macopro project, and the great-grandson of 20th century civil rights leader Howard Thurman
• Eve, an American theologian-ethicist grappling with spiritual needs and the relationship with her father, Colfax
• Refa, a Palestinian poet-musician, the youngest space team member, who brings beauty and pain
• Gabriela, a Guatemalan geneticist with corny jokes and a desire to heal the planet

But in an interview about the book, McLaren says the real protagonist isn’t any particular character. Rather it’s a set of human traits—love, trust, wisdom, accountability—that bind these people together.

Why I Recommend It

1. It asks the big questions

The story is fiction, but the themes are very real:

• What do we take with us when we try to start over?
• How can we prevent systems from causing harm?
• Is there such a thing as moral purity?
• How can we prioritize human thriving instead of power and money?

2. It makes beautiful statements

Here are a few quotes by the characters that I highlighted:

• “It’s worth saving what we can, isn’t it, Colfax? What we love, we see value in, and what we value, we protect and save.”
• “So much of our brains evolved to keep us alert to danger. Danger is real, of course, but fear . . . fear easily becomes our greatest danger.”
• “None of us are as rational as we wish we were.”
• “Maybe faith and hope are overrated. Maybe what you need to do is fall back on love.”
• “It’s the logos of plants to grow toward the light. I trust, on the days when I can, that we’ll all, eventually, grow toward the light.”

3. It’s timely—and timeless

It deals with climate change, authoritarianism, white nationalism, political collapse—but also with grief, community, meaning, and inner transformation. It reminded me that the most important revolutions have to start inside and work their way outward.

4. It feels personal

Because I’ve read many of McLaren’s books through the years—and have heard him speak on numerous occasions the past three or four years—I smiled when I caught glimpses of McLaren’s personality in the text: his love of birds and nature and their demise due to climate change; his extensive knowledge of philosophy, politics, and religion; and even his named car in the book, the McLaren (which “makes Thurman’s Tesla look pedestrian”).

Final Thoughts

The only thing I didn’t like was that the book ends with a cliffhanger. Some people love an uncertain ending. I understand that with nonfiction. But I prefer my novels to give me closure. However, the open ending does make me look forward to Book Two.

With The Last Voyage, Brian McLaren didn’t just write a sci-fi novel. He wrote a moral invitation. If like me, you’re a bit overwhelmed by the current problems on Earth, this book won’t give you easy answers. But it does offer some excellent questions.

And it might just remind you that we are not as powerless as we might think. That we can grow toward the light. That love, even in the face of doom, is worth choosing. [See McLaren’s 2024 nonfiction book, Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart; I highly recommend it!]

I don’t think I’m a good candidate for Mars. I lack an adventurous spirit and my remaining years are too numbered. But I did enjoy thinking about it. Even if you’re not a sci-fi reader either, I recommend you give The Last Voyage a try. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and calls on the best parts of what makes us human.

The Last Voyage will be published July 29; you can pre-order it now. Read more in this short interview with Brian McLaren.

Would you be willing to start over on Mars? Share your thoughts in the comments.

My thanks to NetGalley for the
review copy of The Last Voyage

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