Before Mars

'Cathartic and transcendent' New York Times

Acclaimed author Emma Newman returns to the captivating PLANETFALL universe with a standalone dark tale of a woman stationed on Mars who slowly starts to doubt her own memories and sanity.

After months of travel, Anna Kubrin finally arrives on Mars for her new job as a geologist and de facto artist-in-residence. Already she feels like she is losing the connection with her husband and baby at home on Earth--and she'll be on Mars for over a year. Throwing herself into her work, she tries her best to fit in with the team.

But in her new room on the base, Anna finds a mysterious note written in her own handwriting, warning her not to trust the colony psychologist. A note she can't remember writing. She unpacks her wedding ring, only to find it has been replaced by a fake.

Finding a footprint in a place the colony AI claims has never been visited by humans, Anna begins to suspect that her assignment isn't as simple as she was led to believe. Is she caught up in an elaborate corporate conspiracy, or is she actually losing her mind? Regardless of what horrors she might discover, or what they might do to her sanity, Anna has find the truth before her own mind destroys her.

PRAISE FOR EMMA NEWMAN'S PLANETFALL NOVELS

'An exceptionally engaging novel . . . a vivid, riveting read' Washington Post

'Gripping and sorrowful' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'Emma Newman creates addictive page turners' Starburst Magazine

“Before Mars is incredible. This is one of the best SF series I ever encountered, every book brilliant and ingenious, every one different in tone and feel. I'm envious.”

Cathartic and transcendent - New York Times

"An exceptionally engaging novel that explores the complex relationship between mythology and science...Surprising plot turns and richly developed characters make for a vivid, riveting read - Washington Post

Newman writes with exquisite precision of grief, divided loyalties, and the struggle for self-actualization in this noir-inflected standalone...Gripping and sorrowful - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A lovely locked room mystery in which the stakes are incredibly high and the world is so very engaging....Emma Newman creates addictive page turners - Starburst Magazine

Emma Newman writes short stories, novels and novellas in multiple speculative fiction genres. She won the British Fantasy Society Best Short Story Award 2015 for 'A Woman's Place' in the 221 Baker Streets anthology. Between Two Thorns, the first book in Emma's Split Worlds urban fantasy series, was shortlisted for the BFS Best Novel and Best Newcomer 2014 awards. Her science-fiction novel, After Atlas, was shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke award and the third novel in the Planetfall series, Before Mars, has been shortlisted for a BSFA Best Novel award.

Emma is also a professional audiobook narrator and also co-wrote and hosted the Alfie and Hugo Award-winning podcast 'Tea and Jeopardy'. Her hobbies include dressmaking, painting and role playing. She blogs at and can be found as @emapocalyptic on Twitter.

'Cathartic and transcendent' New York Times Acclaimed author Emma Newman returns to the captivating PLANETFALL universe with a standalone dark tale of a woman stationed on Mars who slowly starts to doubt her own memories and sanity. After months of travel, Anna Kubrin finally arrives on Mars for her new job as a geologist and de facto artist-in-residence. Already she feels like she is losing the connection with her husband and baby at home on Earth--and she'll be on Mars for over a year. Throwing herself into her work, she tries her best to fit in with the team.But in her new room on the base, Anna finds a mysterious note written in her own handwriting, warning her not to trust the colony psychologist. A note she can't remember writing. She unpacks her wedding ring, only to find it has been replaced by a fake. Finding a footprint in a place the colony AI claims has never been visited by humans, Anna begins to suspect that her assignment isn't as simple as she was led to believe. Is she caught up in an elaborate corporate conspiracy, or is she actually losing her mind? Regardless of what horrors she might discover, or what they might do to her sanity, Anna has find the truth before her own mind destroys her. PRAISE FOR EMMA NEWMAN'S PLANETFALL NOVELS 'An exceptionally engaging novel . . . a vivid, riveting read' Washington Post 'Gripping and sorrowful' Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'Emma Newman creates addictive page turners' Starburst Magazine

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