Rating: 
Summary: Realistic to a fault
Review: "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury is a masterful sci-fi work, though science takes a backseat to splendor and imagination. Though some it takes place in 1999 (at which time we've sent 2 expeditions to Mars), and some of the things in it are dated, it was none the less imaginative and creative and a wonderful novel, if scientifically inaccurate to the fullest. At the other end of the spectrum is Red Mars, a book that seems more like a documentary than a novel. The characters in them are very human and act accordingly. They're personalities are like those you'd find in any person. The mission to mars is equally as well-thought out, many of the methods for terraforming mars are very creative and really do seem like they would work. The human conflicts are believeable as well, with love triangles, cliques, ethnics and virtually everyother conflict you can think up have been jammed into this books.Unfortunately science takes the place of compelling writing. Everything takes forever, and the book makes only a little effort to speed through them. The book takes it's time and the pacing suffers, all the suspense, mystery and everything that compells you to read on disappears after the first chapter things slow down significantly. The human drama takes front stage now, and being on-board a spaceship for 6 months with the same hundred people you'd think that there'd be oodles of it, and there is. But it has trouble escalating, most of the conflicts pretty much stay in neutral for much of the first half of the book. Arkady causes various stirs in almost every chapter, but they all seem to fizzle by chapters end. He then proceeds onto other schemes, he ends up more of a trickster than a rebellious rouser that he's trying to be made out to be. There is little reason to read on from one chapter to another aside from mild curiosity. Another drawback is each new chapter is told through a perspective of a different person, and it stays exlusively with that person the whole time. While this could work, some chapters are 80-120 pages to the less interesting ones. While not nearly enough time is spent on some of the more interesting characters. In the end though, I guess this book is for some people, but not for others. I found that the scientific facts bogged down the story instead of mixing with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Seeing Red
Review: Red Mars is an excellent book with a fascinating plot and engaging characters. If anything suffers in this epic (the first of a trilogy), it is the actual literary style. The pacing is pleasantly leisurely most of the time but occasionally pages are spent describing geologic features with a stony earnestness and it is here that things become as dry as dust. There is very little beautiful writing here. No poetry; no breathtaking descriptions (which is what an epic really calls out for). Another down side may be found in the characters themselves. Their personalities are interesting (enough so that one is willing to wade through glacial pages of topographic description), but none of the characters are geniuses and many of the predicaments they face could have been staved off if just one of them had been thinking a little. All that said I must report that I enjoyed the book. Rumor has it that James Cameron is making a film based on the book (or on all three?), and that should be quite interesting to see. One hopes it just won't have a score by the marginally competent James Horner and...maybe not quite so many rocks...
Rating: 
Summary: Mars-nificent!
Review: "Red Mars" is the best contemporary straight-science fiction novel I've read. As far as plot, structure and style go, I don't have enough space to praise Robinson. It's an EPIC (in capital letters). Granted, he is often a bit long winded, but most of the time "Red Mars" is a page turner with substance. His introductory vignetts at the beginning of each section of the book, in particular, demonstrate his literary muscle. You'll be sold after the first three pages! The story is excellent, but as or more impressive is Robinson's portrait of the socio-economic/cultural conditions which develop on the planet. Coming from the rather arrogant post-modernistic attitude of "we've invented everything that can be invented" insofar as culture, politics, etc. is concerned, this book is a refreshing surprise. From the environmental Marsfirst movement to the Neo-marxism, the world Robinson has created is rich and interesting. His characterization is even better. Normally, I would resent the obvious plot device, longjevity (sp?), Robinson uses to allow his characters to live through Mars' entire evolution. However, his characters are so different and engaging that I was easily able to grant him that crutch. Finally, "Red Mars" also has convincing (at least for a lay person like myself) science. Their scientific gadgets which allow them to make Mars more Earth-like are giddily exotic while staying real enough that I wouldn't be surprised to read about them in the morning paper. Ultimately, "Red Mars" accels at characterization, story, style, scope and science stuff. It's simply magnificent. (Sorry for the bad pun in the title.)
Rating:
Summary: BEST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK EVER!
Review: I'm not a big fan of Science Fiction. I find it to be usually badly written, absurd, pointless and stupid. But I decided to give 'Red Mars' a read despite this, and it is today one of my all time favourite books. The amount of obvious reserach that KSL put into this book is STAGGERING! Seventeen years of compulsive obsession has payed off brilliantly. Many science fiction writers leave the 'science' out of their fiction, replacing it with futuristic fantasy. But the amount, the quality, the detail of Mars in this book blows my mind. AMAZING! The story. By science fiction standards it is FANTASTIC. Now the books main criticism seems to be that the characters are fairly one dimensional. I agree, to a point, but they are just as good as you will find in any other science fiction book. You want wooden characters, pick up Asimov or Arthur C. Clark. KSL's characters may seem like cardboard cut outs and some of them may get on your nerves from time to time (having the irritating Maya being the subject of the first proper chapter wasn't the best idea) but they are more fleshed out and unique than you'll find in other science fiction books (Frank was my favourite, shame he's not in the other two books). The central character is, of course, Mars itself. And this is the best portryal of Mars EVER. The setting spans a few decades in the twenty-first century and let me just say that it is the ULTIMATE in future history. What can I compare KSL's future history to? It is more realistic, more believable, more capitvating then the pathetic efforts of his sci-fi peers. KSL is truly unique in his vision of the future. Object to the political heaviness if you will... but in my opinion (I am an economics and political-science student) this may not be an unrealistic vision of near-future society. What MAY be unrealistic is the pace with which Mars is colonized. Nevertheless, a bit of fantasy must be allowed to give the book its excitement... the chapter that deals with the Revolution is brilliant and the chapter that follows (Shikata Ga Nai) is the best. It is a brilliant climax to a brilliant book, all the way up to the brilliant final sentence by Hiroko. Did someone say badly written? This book is NOT badly written, definately not by sci-fi standards anyway. I found it compelling the whole way through, allthough sometimes the characters' ramblings and rooting was a bit annoying. Nevertheless, in the world of science fiction, the Mars trilogy is the definitive forerunner. Better than the Dune series, better than the Foundation series, better than the Rama series. This EPIC manifesto of humanity's potential knocks everthing else to pieces, and if Green Mars and Blue Mars don't live up to the original book's brilliance it is only because that would be impossible. GET IT. READ IT.
Rating: 
Summary: Like reading a boring textbook! Hideous Read!
Review: I love to read fun and enjoyable science fiction books. The ones I have enjoyed most are Star Wars series and the "Area 51" series by Robert Doherty. The reason I mention this is to give you a perspective of the types of books I like to read. I honestly tried to get through the first 50 pages three different times. This book sounded so interesting and it was such a painful disappointment. If you like fun and enjoyable reading, don't waste your time. This is the worst book I have read in the last 5 years. I highly recommend reading the first chapter in a book store first. I am not very good at describing a writers style, but I can assure you that you will have a strong opinion after the first chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Read "Mars"
Review: Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy, of which "Red Mars" is the first, is classic epic science fiction writing that is compelling and quite plausible. Don't expect to get through it quickly, as the whole series consists of nearly 2000 pages. Those who like their SF writing fast and action packed should look elsewhere. Robinson's writing is literally bursting with ideas and his descriptions of the political developments among Martian colonists who as time goes by have less and less in commom with the Earth the left behind rings absolutely true. Warning, read "Red Mars" only if you intend to complete the series for you'll find yourself unable to avoid it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent books to read
Review: This was the first of Kim Stanley Robinson's books I ever read. I'm a big sci-fi fan and thought the cover interesting. I read the back cover then bought it. It didn't take long for the story line to grab me. I later bought the other books in the series, Blue Mars and Green Mars. I'm now hooked on his books. Try one and see...
Rating:
Summary: Hard Science Fiction for Potential Colonists
Review: Kim Stanley Robinson has pulled off the best 'wagon train to Mars ' scenario I could imagine. This book reads like a journal of science fact encompassing the disciplines of physics, astronomy, physiology, psychology, criminology,.. just about any "ology" there is. Instead of cold case studies, this 'journal' is told from the point of view of those involved in the development of a new branch of the human species. A personal experience for the tellers and narrators, since they are this new human. This is hard science fiction. As close to the real and dangerous business of space travel as it's possible to get. Radiation storms, debris fields, equipment malfunction, everything in Murphys green earth, ( Or Robinsons RED MARS )that can go wrong or threaten to go amok, does. The author has used his words to describe the magnificent desolation of the planet in a way that a fantasy like Ray Badbury's THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES could not attempt, yet these two works are bound together by the human factor. Avarice, jealousy, despair and lonliness are balanced by the determination of the few to survive and push ahead in a new land. The scale of the project(s) are terrifing; awesome. Agendas abound. Creativity flourishes in a way we Terrans could not imagine. Make no mistake - This book is two-in-one. There is a book about the ancient world we call Mars, and a book about the faulted, fragile beings from the next planet over who come to wrest a new life from it.
Rating:
Summary: Deserving of the label "epic"
Review: It isn't very often that a book affects me, makes me change the way I think about a topic. It's even rarer that I recommend books to others; since everyone's reading preferences are so different it usually isn't worth it. But I totally and unequivically recommend "Red Mars," the first of three novels about the colonization of our nearest neighbor. The novel begins with action and violence and ends in much the same manner, taking us through the beginning years of human existance on Mars. Immediately, I was amazed at the depth of Robinson's characters. Maya, John, Frank, Ann, Nadia, and Arkady are especially well-drawn, but I have to confess my favorite is Sax Russell. I adore science, and I was captivated by the technical in this book. Robinson doesn't skimp on us, he doesn't gloss over the details. And for this I thank him. Several times while reading, I stopped and thought that he has written exactly what we will do when we finally go, so crisp and precise and educated and researched his writing was. This has become my favorite book, along with the two sequels. I have reread them several times, always finding something new I hadn't noticed before, the mark of a good book in my opinion. Pick up a copy, I guarantee you will enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: A great example of "epic" science fiction
Review: THERE ARE *NO* SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW A novel describing the colonization of Mars on an intricately grand scale. Kept reminding me of _Dune_ in terms of it's scope and ability to tackle grand socio-political issues. An enthralling read for those who like their science fiction heavy on politics, ecology, and economics. Bottom Line: A work of such grand scope, it leaves you humbled and wondering how Kim Stanley Robinson managed to pull it off so successfully.
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