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Summary: Red Mars: the colony next door or the local strip mine?
Review: This is a great book for what could very well happen with all of the wrong factions controlling Mars after it is colonized. The whole explanation of how things would work and what would happen are exceptionally well done. I could give this book 5 stars, but something when I was reading it kept nagging that it wasn't as good as it could have been. I mean, killing the best character in the book in the prologue is a bad way to start.
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Summary: Keep waiting for more.
Review: Robinson's vivid imagery of the cold inhospitable Martian landscape presents a delightful picture of our neighboring planet for us to enjoy. She skillfully uses scientific terminology correctly without being obtrusive at a level on par with Asimov, a rare find among science fiction. However, after a hundred pages of barren landscapes, deep canyons and socially dysfunctional scientists the book wearies and left me wanting adventure and character development. A disappointing read.
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Summary: A narrative term paper
Review: The author clearly put a lot of thought into the scientific, political, and psychological issues that would be raised by the aggressive colonization of another planet, but the dull plot and uninteresting characters ultimately ruin the story. I tried to give this book every chance, but ultimately gave up three-fifths of the way through. Reading it had become too much of a chore.
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Summary: A Vision for the Future
Review: I am now on my third or fourth reading of Red Mars. It is enjoyable on so many levels, I'm afraid it takes that many readings to pick them all up. First of all, it is a story of an alien world--standard fare for science fiction readers. The research and extrapolation KSR put into his work boggles the mind. You really feel you've "seen" the Martian North Pole, Noctis Labyrinthus, or Olympus Mons.Next, Robinson creates a story of terraforming--the potential methods, motives, and pitfalls. It is easy to see this story becoming a potential blueprint for the next century's explorers. Into this milieu, Robinson creates some terrific characters--John Boone, Frank Chalmers, Maya Toitovna, Nadia Cherneshevsky, and the rest--all of them described in a third-person-limited voice that gives the reader excellent insight into these people and how they perceive and are perceived by others. And lastly, there is a political story. KSR's characters split into two camps. There is the "Red Mars" group, which seeks to keep Mars in its natural state, with human beings living in domed habitats and leaving the surface "as is." Appropriately enough, this movement is led by a geologist, Ann Clayborne. The "Green Mars" group, centered around the biologist Hiroko Ai, believes in terraforming and bringing life to Mars, but life that does not rely on heavy industry. These seem like two reasonable oppositions, and it takes a careful reading to realize KSR has fooled you. There is no "conservative" voice in this tale, save Phyllis Boyle, whom KSR portrays (through the eyes of his characters) as alternately stupid, evil, craven, or relentlessly, shamelessly greedy. He also sneers at her Christianity, which he sees as part of her stupidity or incorrect world view. In any case, given the rapacious greed and industrial evil of the "conservative" Earth, the reader is left to choose between one form of matriarchal environmentalism or the other. It is his view, and I just disagree with it. That said, the political interaction between Earth and Mars is believeable as KSR describes it. Anyone interested in reading science fiction must read this book. It is too good not to read and enjoy.
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Summary: Why Should We Care?
Review: The geology and some of the descriptions are great. But beyond that, KSR fails to give what I would consider a "satisfying reader experience." The characters are all pointed in one direction or another, and none of them ever seem to learn anything, to grow in any way. None of them ever seem to touch one another (although some of them get resigned to this state, it would be better to make contact). Nor do they touch the reader. I expected Chalmers to show some remorse for the murder, or for his friends to be horrified by his deed -- although perhaps I missed it, as admittedly my eyes were fairly glazed over during part of the experience. The revolution is described as "all revolutions" and is as empty as any of the characters. Finally, some of the first hundred find refuge -- so they can start their meaningless journey again, I suppose. Maybe now they will have learned to get along with each other. Finally, KSR's views on politics and economics -- so one-sided! He makes a few good points, but because of the heavy-handedness and lack of objectivity I soon became irritated rather than persuaded. KSR had the potential for a good story. The background was interesting, his research evident. But, even if you want to show chaos in humanity and the lack of people to reach each other, you should not write a book where the motives are so chaotic and you fail to touch the reader. I can't believe this book won awards.
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Summary: its a great book
Review: i have read the book red mars by kin staneky robinsson and i've loved it its a great book and i intend to purchce green and blue mars and read them as well
Rating:
Summary: Great book -- a buncha misc. comments on it
Review: Amazing description of a whole world -- loved it for stretching my brain... Enjoyed the whole politics/economics behind going to Mars -- something not usually dwelt on much in SF (usually only in very broad strokes.) The crisis of overdevelopment and revolution was well done -- KSM does a wonderful job of describing the terror of a situation going out of control. It's hard as a reader to lose sympathetic and interesting characters ("oh no, not him too"), but it's more real and terrifying for that -- in real life, death doesn't just claim the bit characters... I don't agree with the reviews that find the characters as one-dimensional and shallow -- they're some of the most complex characters you'll find in SF, and worthy of regular fiction. Also strange to read comments that find fault with KSM for having too dull a plot -- I think he did a good balancing act of giving a sociopolitical overview of 50 years of terraforming and also having characters involved the whole way through. By making the First Hundred be the main focus of the plot -- and giving them more than their share of political power and scientific discoveries and accomplishments -- he's already pushing against limits of realism. And inventing longevity treatments gives the reader characters who'll be around for 200 years through all 3 books. (Though of course the longevity treatments are certainly possible, and they make more plausible the more humane government that develops later on in the trilogy -- people with longer lives are less likely to settle for bad government, and will have more savvy to create change.) Hope the Mars trilogy makes it on to audiobook someday -- I'd love to savor it that way!
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Summary: Worth Reading
Review: Like many Sci-Fi novels, Red Mars has two stories to tell - a story of science (the terraforming and colonization of Mars), and a story of people (the adventures of the Mars colonists). The first story is fascinating and thought-provoking, the second is uninteresting. Put them together and you have a really good book that could have been great. If, like me, you're interested in seeing what the future might be like, you'll enjoy the book, but if what you're looking for is an interesting story, look elsewhere.
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Summary: Science Fiction or Space Opera? Spoiler alert!
Review: Don't be confused by all the technical jargon and social-political commentary - this one has all the outrageously fantastic scientific aspects of Star Trek or Star Wars! Robots/machines that can build just about everything for you? Dropping a whole moon on a planet and everyone doesn't die? Regularly scheduled - frequent - runs between Earth and Mars in only twenty years after first landing? A million immigrants to Mars after thiry years? Come on! This is pure opera! And long winded in the best tradition of opera at that. I do have to agree with some other reviews, the First One Hundred as characters did not change or learn much - and some of the ones that did manage to learn something were punished for their growth with death. Made it difficult to care for them. But then, they reminded me of some driven individuals I have encountered in life. Childish and backward in many ways and yet so very brilliant and charismatic in others. [However I was pleased that at least my favorite - the eminently practical Siberian construction specialist - did indeed survive this book.] I wouldn't recommend this book to a novice Science Fiction reader - heavy going indeed. But it certainly raises interesting and relevant points about the ethics and practicalities of expoliting other worlds. And challenges us to examine the way we live today. It's not just about the colonization of Mars. Which is the best kind of science fiction to be found.
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Summary: THE Mars Story!
Review: This is Martian fantasy for the thinking person. Written by an author who has a firm grounding in science, history and psychology, RED MARS holds the reader's interest all the way from Antarctica to the Martian Revolution. Ignore the naysayers--if you'd like a coherent and plausible vision of how the exploration and settlement of Mars is both possible and desirable, then start with RED MARS and continue through the entire trilogy. THE MARTIANS will serve as a lovely afterthought.
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