Settlers may one day construct a number of self-sustaining cities, altering the barren Martian surface and allowing humans to flourish away from Earth. This will have the convenient side-effect of extending the lifespan of collective human consciousness.
It’s a scenario posed by both Elon Musk (who, in 2024, posted on X of his plans to land on Mars within two years – though his firm SpaceX has since shifted focus to the moon), and one of the most acclaimed science-fiction novels of the last century: 1992’s Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.
Set in a then-future 2026, the book doesn’t rely on conflict with aliens or implausible technology for its action. The focus is instead on the infighting that occurs between the humans who believe that intelligent life is sacred and should spread, and those who maintain that the solar system must remain largely undisturbed.