What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMars Express
Jérémie Périn · Film · 2023
If you loved Mars Express, start with PLUTO (2023) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Mars Express across media.
You loved the way Mars Express uses the detective genre to interrogate the blurred line between human consciousness and artificial intelligence.
Books on the same thread
All Systems Red
Martha Wells · Book · 2017
Shares a thread with Mars Express: Cyberpunk.
Like Mars Express, this story centers on an artificial construct struggling with autonomy. You will find the same sharp critique of corporate control and sentient digital existence here.
The Murderbot Diaries
Martha Wells · Book · 2020
Shares a thread with Mars Express: Cyberpunk.
This collection mirrors the journey of the android Carlos in Mars Express, focusing on the internal life of a machine navigating a world defined by corporate exploitation.
Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy
Martha Wells · Book · 2025
Explores: found family, artificial intelligence sentience, anti-corporate rebellion.
This narrative expands upon the themes of rebellion and existential autonomy found in Mars Express, tracking an artificial intelligence as it navigates complex corporate-controlled environments.
Broadband Horizons
Marcelo Palacios · Book · 2024
Shares 3 threads with Mars Express: Artificial Intelligence, Corporate Corruption, Cyberpunk.
If the corporate corruption in Mars Express kept you engaged, this story offers a similar deep dive into the loss of humanity within a digital-obsessed, high-stakes future.
Series on the same thread
PLUTO
Series · 2023
Shares 3 threads with Mars Express: Artificial Intelligence, Existentialism, Cyberpunk.
Much like the detective investigation in Mars Express, this series uses a mystery about robotic murder to explore the profound moral ambiguity inherent in artificial life.
The Expanse
Mark Fergus · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with Mars Express: Artificial Intelligence, Cyberpunk.
The missing person case and planetary conspiracy in this series provide a structural echo to the investigation that drives the plot of Mars Express forward.
Psycho-Pass
Series · 2012
Shares 2 threads with Mars Express: Artificial Intelligence, Cyberpunk.
This series mirrors the technological determinism seen in Mars Express, challenging your perception of justice and control through the lens of a rigid, algorithm-driven society.
Ergo Proxy
Shukou Murase · Series · 2006
Shares 3 threads with Mars Express: Existentialism, Artificial Intelligence, Cyberpunk.
The existential dread and search for identity present in Mars Express are central to this story, which follows an inspector questioning the foundation of her society.
Podcasts on the same thread
Lex Fridman Podcast
Lex Fridman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, technological ethics, deep thinking.
These conversations provide the real-world intellectual framework for the speculative AI ethics that form the philosophical backbone of the world depicted in Mars Express.
The Orphans
The Light and Tragic Company · Podcast · 2025
This audio drama captures the same themes of artificial intelligence sentience and survival in a hostile universe that made the world of Mars Express so compelling.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Mars Express set on Earth?
No, Mars Express takes place on Mars in the year 2200. The story follows private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera as they navigate the underbelly of the planet's capital city to uncover a conspiracy involving robots and political corruption.
What is the primary conflict in Mars Express?
The central conflict in Mars Express involves a missing girl who holds a secret about robots. This discovery threatens to change the face of the universe while exposing a dark reality of brain farms and systemic political corruption within the capital city.
Who are the main characters in Mars Express?
The main characters in Mars Express are Aline Ruby, a private detective, and her android partner, Carlos Rivera. They are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker, which leads them into a dangerous investigation on the planet Mars.
Does Mars Express feature robots as a central plot element?
Yes, robots are central to the plot of Mars Express. One of the main characters is an android, and the story revolves around a secret regarding robots that threatens the structure of the universe, uncovering deep issues like brain farms and corruption on Mars.