Mars Ascends

THIS IS MY RIFLE. There are many like it but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I master my life. My rifle without me is useless. Without my rifle I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will...remembering always I hand of the gun.

Mars Ascends is a second book of collected short stories written by author L. A. Espriux. Whereas the first volume titled Mask of her Reflection in Venus highlights challenges of 10 female protagonist, this volume creates context from position of male perspective. These stories examine what it means to be born male within context of divided ideologies prepared always for battle. These tales make no attempt to justify or condemn elemental human condition.  Just as women instructed into a role from birth uniquely suited to their chemistry, so are men similarly indoctrinated through coded sequence of their chromosome composition. This same chemistry also guides purpose of future decision, changed into allure of material necessity and innate desire to procreate.  Just as women made by nature illumination of distant allure; men mature into force of desire, becoming definition of grounded position. Both conditions as seeds planted in fertile soil imprinted with a retro-code of genetic competitiveness, engendering anger of rebellion, xenophobia, and lust: potentially making all into monsters. 

However, no man born knowing hate, difference in politics, race, or material position; no woman a radiant star from her mother*s womb lavishly adorned. These are all imprinted attributes instructed by mind of this world: a mind committed to corruption of meaning, whose promise is war and destruction without end. To truly see, one must become blind to the senses; and to truly know one must behold wonder of being from perspective of a small child. Although humankind thinks to calculate heavenly distance; yet approaches no closer to beginning of the end. As Jesus stated plainly to the Sadducee concerning the gender-role limitation ascribed to male and female: "You do err, not knowing the power of God. For in the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in Heaven."