I don't know. I think it is a very boring planet personally. But it has been the subject of lots of fanciful speculation ever since observers around the turn of the century claimed they had discovered canals on Mars. 20th century literature is full of references to creatures from Mars invading Earth.
Astronomically, it is the only other solar system body that once had lots of liquid water on its surface, and some speculate that billions of years ago before it lost its atmosphere, there may have been simple bacterial life forms on Mars, that could have survived to modern times by going underground.