Robert J. Sawyer

Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Science Fiction Writer

Need a new title for my next book — help!

by Rob - February 29th, 2012.
Filed under: Uncategorized.

The Great Martian Fossil Rush is no more. The sales force for my US publisher doesn’t like the title, and I need to have them enthusiastic about the book. I’ve been asked to come up with a new title. It’s a hard-boiled detective novel set on Mars, expanded from my novella “Identity Theft” and my short story “Biding Time.” They want something that conveys a noir feel. Suggestions, O Brain Trust? Thanks!

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22 Responses to Need a new title for my next book — help!

  1. Red Con

  2. Red Planet Blues.

  3. Thanks, Mike Poole! Somebody else also suggested RED PLANET BLUES on my Facebook wall about an hour ago — and I like it very much. But I’m still open to more suggestions! :)

  4. (By the way, for those curious, the fossil pictured is of an ammonite cluster from the Jurassic of Russia; the genus is Quenstedticeras.)

  5. here are some suggestions:

    The Illusive Martial Trail

    Red City

    Bad Day On Mars

    The Man With The Martian Name (I have no idea what that is but sounds interesting right?)

    The Red Hands Of Mars

  6. Crimson Prospect

  7. It’s Midnight On Mars

  8. New Chinatown
    The Martian Falcon
    Dead Men Don’t Wear Mars
    The Night of the Martian Hunter
    Red Harvest
    Farewell My Martian
    Deadline at Dawn on Mars
    The Lady in the Dried Martian Lake Bed
    This Ray Gun for Hire
    M
    The Astronaut Always Rings Twice
    In a Lonely Place on Mars
    Martian Sunset Boulevard
    The Martian Night Has a Thousand Eyes
    Scarlet Street
    The Devil Thumbs a Ride On Mars
    Red Heat

    I could go on…..

  9. Here’re a few more Rob:

    Leave it in the Dust
    The Big Martian Night’s Sleep
    Transferred, New Klondike, Mars
    Truths of being a Martian Dick
    Private Detective, New Klondike, Mars

  10. Dear Mr. Sawyer. Good evening! It is midnight in Japan.
    Please forgive my clumsy English.

    The title I thought is
    “Sink in the raven red!”

    Your novels are translated as Japanese late. I cannot wait. That’s why I’m studying English. I am looking forward to reading your next novel.

  11. Mars Over Easy

    Martian Malice

  12. Calcified Mars
    Bones of Ares
    Xenontological Rush

  13. BAD DAY ON RED ROCK

  14. MARS: MaRS (My alternate Residence in Space)

  15. “Deader than Mars Itself”
    (that’s actually a quote from ‘Identity Theft’ so I can’t say it’s my idea!)

    “The Red Planet Identities”

    “The Isidis Files”

  16. Nematode

    or

    Trillobyte

  17. Christopher Green

    Riddles of Crimson Gold

    Where Icarus Fell

    Blood Trace

    Race to Ruin

  18. Mars Dick
    The Red File
    The Martian Fossil – its a bit like the Maltese Falcon
    Nothing but fossil
    Petrified
    Petrified nights
    Petrified Mars
    The rush

  19. Do Martians Bleed Red?

    Red Gold Rising

  20. Cydonia’s Secret

  21. We have a winner! (Thanks, Mike Poole!) The new title is RED PLANET BLUES. For more, see this blog post.

  22. Hi, Mike. RED PLANET BLUES will be published in April 2013 (next year).

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