‘A City on Mars’ authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith on whether we can and should settle space

The New Scientist Book Club has been reading Kelly and Zach Weinersmith’s A City on Mars, a book that delves into whether the dream of settling new worlds could turn into a nightmare for both the pioneers and those left behind. They tackle every space-related question you’ve ever had, and plenty you haven’t yet imagined. This week, our culture editor Alison Flood caught up with the award-winning novelists to understand why, after years of research, they have grown sceptical of the supposed benefits of settling space, why we should be thinking about law in space sooner rather than later, and why they started calling themselves the “space bastards”.

Read more: A new life on Mars? Expect toxic dust, bad vibes and insects for lunch