Mars on Earth

“Mark Johanson’s Mars on Earth surpasses travel memoir. This is a heartfelt, evocative narrative that transports readers to revelatory, antipodean terrain where deserts hide oases of wonder.” —Bill Arnott, bestselling author of the Gone Viking travelogues “Mark is one of those rare journalists who never misses a beat. He’s always on point and writes in an intelligent and thoughtful way that is an amazing journey for the reader. From the serene, thoughtful moments to the quirky and wild substories woven throughout, Mars on Earth will, I'm sure, be a winner.” —Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association “Wandering the earth for Lonely Planet and an assortment of other publishers didn’t seem to be enough for Mark Johanson. While most of us were locked down during the pandemic, Mark set off for Mars, or at least to Chile’s Atacama Desert, which NASA considers to be a reasonable substitute for the Red Planet. His travels, alone and with his partner, result in encounters with mining heroes, towering volcanoes, tourist towns, forgotten mummies and outlaw communities. Meanwhile, political turmoil competes with covid-19 to destabilize what had been the continent’s most progressive economy.” —Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet “Mark’s journey through the Atacama Desert – a place where few travelers linger – sheds light on a unique part of our planet at a unique moment in time. He brings a depth of knowledge to the subject that comes from living in Chile for the better part of the past decade.” —Rolf Potts, author of four travelogues, including Vagabonding and Marco Polo Didn't Go There