Rating: 
Summary: Interesting at times, but too slow and unbelievable.
Review: This series had great potential, but had two major flaws; long rambling descriptions of terrain, and unrealistic expectations of science and people. After reading the first book, I thought that the second would be better (how much terrain could the author possibly write about?), but I was disappointed to find more of the same in the second book.Skip this series.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Science, Bad Philosophy
Review: Although I've always enjoyed science fiction, I must say that I'm not a hard core reader of such. I am, however, a strong proponent of human exploration and the eventual colonization of Mars, which is what led me to read Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars. I've offered a few thoughts below: Bad: A.) Portions of the book are quite slow, particularly the endlessly detailed and repetitive descriptions of the Martian terrain. B.) The author's politics are clearly evident. I don't normally disagree with this since I feel that an author is free to explore his own thoughts. Unfortunately, the result is not some new and interesting form of political organization envisioned by the author, but old leftist saws about evil transnational corporations, North exploitation of the South, capitalism, and environmental destruction. C.) God appears to be entirely absent in Red Mars, except in reference to a branch of Islam. Although the author may not have faith, the majority of the world's people do, and of all Westerners, the Americans especially so. In fact, about the only mention of Christianity is a reference to an Easter celebration that a dozen of the first one hundred held enroute to Mars. As if Easter were some sort of bizarre ritual rather than a celebration joined in even by those with little or no faith. The debate concerning terraforming is entirely secular, which is like building a two-legged stool considering the contributions that religion could make to the debate. Although Contact address the issue somewhat superficially, it does much better job than Red Mars. D.) Moral standards. Most characters seem to lack them, with endless bed hopping, for example. E.) The author made this a trilogy rather than having each book stand on its own. Good: A.) A wonderful technical description of what it might be like to colonize Mars. B.) A interesting storyline, if slow at times. C.) Confronts, in a limited fashion, some of the ethical and political debates surrounding human colonization of another world. Although my bad points out number the good, I consider the book worth reading, just not a blockbuster. It's an excellent description of the science involved, but lacking in the philosophical treatment of the issues raised. It's probably only a matter of time, however, before this is turned into a movie. I may read Green Mars if I have time. But then again, I may not.
Rating: 
Summary: An exceptionally good book
Review: Red Mars, as well as its following book Green Mars, is a multifaceted jewel! Blending together hard science with interesting socio-political ideas and a deep understanding of human nature, KSR has managed to create an all too truthfull tale of how it could be should we finally manage to colonise Mars. I just couldn't put it down, and it made me wish that I could be one of the first colonists on Mars. For those who do not agree with KSR's political observations, I must say that all political & economical systems that have been applied on Earth have failed, leaving us with a planet on the verge of ecological destruction. Therefore, I cannot but understand his need to search for alternatives. And if these alternatives fail even in a science-fiction book, this is only proof of the weaknesses of human nature. A truly marvelous book, food for thought and for dreams. Highly recommended. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I liked Green Mars even more, so the 5 stars go to Green Mars!
Rating:
Summary: I had it's moments but overall it was not great
Review: For starters, I didn't like any of the characters (they were NOT "crazy to begin with", just irritating jerks mostly). I want to read about mars exploration and colonization, not people's psychological problems. In fact, i think this book almost turned me off mars colonization. I so strongly disliked the characters that I cringed at the thought of more people like THAT populating the planets. The sacred ground of mars. (i guess that makes me a red eh? =) HOWEVER. It get's 2 stars for these 2 things (possible spoilers ahead) 1: The initial landing: Backhoes, Bulldozers, collapsed landers, frozen doors, jazz music in headphones etc.. Wow. That was the one moment in the book where i felt i was there. They really were there to conquer a world and they had the equipment to do it. Go figure. 2:The Skyhook and it's Destruction: There's something about a diamond fiber cable thousands of miles long that is just plain neato. Gee wouldn't that be something? Then the thing gets trashed, and wasn't that spectacular! I love the guy who bails out in orbit while the thing crashes. Great scene. Plus there are a few other pretty neat surprises... If you feel you can wade through hundreds of pages of soap opera-ish character interaction to get to a few golden nuggets of good cool stuff, go for it. I did, and I don't regret it or anything.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: KSR has definitely put in some serious study into this book. The idea of colonizing other planets is not a new one to most SF readers - yet few of us realize the various challenges involved in such an undertaking. Psychological, environmental and political evaluations of the colonization of Mars. Would reccommend it to not only SF fans, but also to those with an interest in the environment, and/or the cultural development.
Rating: 
Summary: the theme of Terraforming Mars deserves a better author
Review: I ordered all three of these books,thinking they would be a treat. Alas, I fell asleep over Red Mars, but I finished that one, just because I hoped it would get better. But Green and Blue MArs were to much to endure, boring characters going through improbable adventures and getting immortal in the process; that is if they were not killed in the full scale war between the settlers of Mars and the bad guys from Earth that they author envisaged. Really, it was totally uninspired and to boring to endure!
Rating:
Summary: Politics,Love,Hate,Envy,Religion, Mars in one boring book,
Review: I just finished this book "Red Mars". Obviously the author put a lot of work into the science etc and ideas contained in this story. However I just felt is was all just too boring. Just how many pages can you devote to landscape of mars before the reader just wants to give up? There were just too many "rover" ,"glider" ,"zeppelin" and "plane" trips each describing in minutiae, the details of the Martian landscape. Maybe I'm too visually orientated or lack imagination but I just could not "picture" what Roberson was describing! For me , there is only so many vast plains to cross, huge creators to explore, enormous valleys to ford and rocks to avoid etc. etc. before I started wishing the "rover" and all its occupants would just fall down a icy cravat or get blown up by a cloaked Klingon bird of prey, and we could get back to the plot. Yes, Yes I know these where voyages of "self" discovery for the characters, psychologically changed by the slow passage through the alien Martian landscape.....but ooooh soooo boring! I did enjoy the multifaceted human characters rather than the Hollywood style "good" people responding to "evil" people, however I just failed to get any emotional connection or insightful understanding of any of the main characters. Overall it was not so bad, but hardly the greatest science fiction novel of the 20th century!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book on the beginings of a new civilization
Review: Kim Stanley Robinson writes an absolutely wonderfeull book on the colonization of Mars. He uses science and political situations to illustrate the problems and successes that would result from colonizing Mars.
Rating:
Summary: Socialist Blather Creates Boring Series
Review: Kim Stanley Robinson is far less interested in telling a compelling story about colonizing Mars than he is in propagating a poorly conceptualized, ham-fisted socialist fantasy utopia, full of anti-libertarian diatribes that would be laughable if they weren't so breathtakingly ignorant. Almost every chapter features a character (mouthpiece) chanting KSR's retrograde philosophy: "There was no obvious reason why they [the Martian underground] should all want to become one single thing. Many of them had been trying specifically to get away from dominant powers - transnationals, the West, America, capitalism - all the totalizing systems of power. A central system was just what they had gone to great lengths to get away from." (Green Mars.) Note this list - the evil "transnationals," "the West," "America," "capitalism" - your agenda is showing, Kim. Yet KSR has the inhabitants of Mars vote (unrealistically, too) to establish a socialist system that's inherently a centralized government. It bans private ownership of land, controls businesses' sizes, forces them to be "employee-owned" (as if shareholders in a corporation don't help determine company policy), limits companies to 1000 employees, and bans people from passing on wealth to their children (beyond a certain amount, so people can't "accumulate capital." This leads to a discussion between the characters Sax and Coyote, where Sax notes, quite rightly, that from a biological standpoint, parents want to take care of their children. Whereupon Coyote, with astonishing arrogance, says, "Maybe there should be a minimum inheritance allowed... enough to satisfy that animal instinct, but not enough to perpetuate a wealthy elite." And who determines "what's too much?" Yep, you guessed it - the Almighty State. KSR also seems to completely miss the irony of having Mars' first president become a despotic ruler, in spite of all the utopian socialism he desperately spends hundreds of pages trying to justify. Mix all this laughable, and illogically-presented propaganda with endless discussions of Martian geography, irritating and unappealing characters, and plot points that are introduced, then dropped, and you have one of the most overrated SF series in recent memory. Don't buy it -- pick up Dan Simmons' "Hyperion" or John Varley's "Titan" books instead.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, one of the best books I've ever read
Review: Well, what can I say? I love this book! It gives a vivid picure of what life on Mars might be like for the first colonists. The characters are interesting if occationally annoying and the story is intriuging as a stand alone or as part of the series.
| 
