My Concept for a Dark Comedy Utopian Sci-fi Series, about a group of polyamours hippy-types, setting out on a journey to colonize Mars as a leftist wet-dreamland.
Making it on Mars, is a sexy, dark comedy, Utopian sci-fi series, about a bisexual and polyamorous urban planner turned diplomat, named Max. She’s been tasked with leading a team of scientists, engineers, politicians and planners who must create a brand new sustainable human colony on Mars. This will eventually become home to nearly half the population of the world, but only the leftist half.
The experiment is not run by any one particular country on earth, but rather individuals were selected in top disciplines from countries throughout the United Nations, to create a new human settlement on Mars. It will have its own autonomous, country, planet, government and culture. One that they will have the opportunity to create from the ground up.
Around the year 2025, many of the countries of earth hit a breaking point with political polarization. Following the massive global pandemic of 2020, that led to an massive economic recession, and eventual depression, the economy as we know it was completely destroyed. People simply could not agree on how to move forward.
The left and the right wing factions of government in all of the countries of the world became so polarized that it became impossible for governments to function normally in a democratic system of government. Every vote was too close to call. So all of the countries of the world in a global referendum voted, with a large majority, to begin planning and developing a new human settlement on Mars.
The new settlement would house those on the far left politically, fiscally and socially. Those who felt strongly that the status quo could no longer serve, and a complete re-think was needed. These people would go to a place where that kind of restart button approach was possible. A new planet that has no living population to be displaced or upset by the new order of things. A blank slate.
The idea is, that the planet can house the “outliers” from every country involved, who don’t feel at home in their native lands, due to their highly liberal, sex positive, LGBTQ+ friendly, socialist beliefs. Values that have divided them from the dominant culture of the places they were born.
Both sides, left and right, agreed that this was the best resolution to the problem without resorting to the human and financial costs of war, or global border restructuring. Been there, done that – Would War I and II, it didn’t work very well, no need to repeat that experiment.
The solution was tabled by Max, a Canadian city planner in Hamilton. The current Prime Minister was so impressed with the concept that he funded a massive research study and brought her to present the findings and lay out their plan at the G20 summit of 2025. She and her task force of diplomats and scientists, from various countries around the world presented their possible solution to the problem at the summit, and got a shocking unanimous agreement.
It was determined that much of the technology and research necessary to make this a viable option was now possible, due to the recent scientific breakthrough in alternative rocket fuels. This made it possible for shuttles to move people to and from Mars without prohibitive costs or manpower. There had also been recent breakthroughs in creating safe drinking water in large quantities.
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-utopian-science-fiction-books/
After the successful vote in favour of the Mars plan, Max’s team worked with top experts in various fields for ten years to compile the rest of the research, plans and experiments necessary for the mission ahead. The series, which will at times flash back to this period of presenting and planning, begins in present day 2035. We start in the team’s final months on earth, as they prepare the ship to move the first group of people to the new Mars colony.
Max’s male, primary partner, Alexander (Alex) has been on the fence whether he will join Max and her team on the Mars mission, although he has been a big part of the planning.
With Max and all of the liberal minded folks she calls friends, colleagues and her other life partners going, Alex would be the minority as a white, straight, conservative, man. It’s been a constant struggle for he and Max to decide if they should stay together, or if she should go and he stay on earth. Due to his more conservative belief system they have always struggled to find common ground, although their love and partnership has always been very strong.
He has been living with Max and her team in their experimental, communal-living, green-powered ship that they built in the Lanzarote desert, of the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. Alex is a rocket scientist and involved in the mission on the technician side.
Alex has always struggled with the political differences between him and Max. They both wonder if living on a planet of entirely left wing, and socialist minded people might not work for him long term. But this difficult decision could have disastrous consequences for their relationship, and the mission itself.
Alex is the head of his team of rocket scientists and it would be a risk to the mission if he didn’t accompany them to Mars. He insists that his right hand man, Ron is up to the task, but Max and others on the team are not convinced that he’s experienced enough to take this on.
However, Ron is much more aligned with the mission’s political and social goals, which makes him a better fit for the team. Alex respects Ron’s science, but they often disagree politically, as do Alex and Max.
Sometimes it seems that Max and Ron get on much better than she and Alex do. Many of her friends and colleagues as well as her other partners have suggested that she consider just letting her relationship with Alex go, and develop a new one with Ron. They are far more suited to one another.
However, Max and Ron do not see each other that way. They have become close friends since they met in the process of planning the mission and they have a lot of similar ideas, but they are not sexually or romantically attracted to one another. They have never really considered a relationship together.
Basic Three Season Arc:
Season 1
Starts in their final months before they leave earth. They leave earth in the spaceship for Mars – does Alex come or not? Are the technical issues that delayed their launch resolved? Years of preparation, research, planning and training, but are they really ready for this? Their journey to Mars, which of course takes several months, ends with their landing on Mars in the finale. Does Max and Alex’s relationship last the trip? What technical, mechanical difficulties happen along the way? Are there already disagreements among key members of the team? Messy poly relationship stuff etc.
Season 2
Their first year on Mars, setting up the colony and building the city, making space to take on the new arrivals to the city. Another ship is on its way. Everyone has to work extremely hard to build the new city with limited numbers. However the tech is next level. By the end of season two, the new ship arrives and the settlement doubles in population. There is a big party to celebrate their arrival, but it’s clear there are both positive and negative consequences to the sudden increase in population, doubling their numbers.
Season 3
The settlement adjusts to the increase in population and responsibilities begin to be reassigned. The plan must be adjusted as things take shape on the red planet. Max’s authority as the leader of the team, country, and planet are in question as a new leader emerges… The captain of the ship from the second wave mission. She does not want to be second in command on Mars, and they gear up to have their very first election on the new planet. The season ends with the other captain of the second vessel being elected.