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Summary: First instalment of a modern science fiction epic
Review: The future history of Mars. The story begins with the "first hundred" Mars settlers and their struggle to colonise a new world. Differences soon appear amongst them regarding their future course on the planet while relations with Earth also start to come under strain. The novel ends with revolution, as the colonists attempt to seize control of their own destiny.Red Mars and its two sequels deserve their status among science fiction's literary achievements. The scope and depth of Mr Robinson's research is breathtaking. His descriptions of Mars will almost certainly convince you that he has somehow actually visited the planet. His account of how the initial colonisation of the planet would happen is plausible and realistic on so many levels, with interesting theories on how a Martian colony would develop sociologically, politically, economically and so on. I did enjoy reading this first instalment of the trilogy and was able to take it on its own merits, however I have to say it will not be to every taste. The plot is slow moving, the characters are essentially of the stock variety and the lengthy passages on Martian geology will turn off the majority of people. For this reason, Red Mars will mainly appeal to hard core sci-fi fans only.
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Summary: Great Book
Review: This is one of the most realistic and involved science fiction novels that I have ever read. It delves into so many areas, from human psychology to geology to economics; this is a must read for anyone who enjoys realistic science fiction novels. It is a little slow at parts, but if you stick with it, the book is worth your while. I really loved it!
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Summary: Red Mars
Review: The colonization of the Solar System has been a big topic in science fiction for decades, and yet no book on the subject has met with as much success as Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series. The explanation is simple. When writing these books, Robinson went to great lengths to include every aspect of how human life would change on another planet. When describing the first manned mission to Mars and the experience of the "First Hundred" settlers, he looks in depth at all sorts of topics ranging from psychology (How would it feel to be constantly faced by a planet that appeared completely different from Earth?) to the politics of terraforming (Would everybody agree to plans to introduce life and create a biosphere on Mars, or would some people resist?) Robinson displays solid scientific knowledge in an incredible array of fields, and carefully weaves descriptions of the scientific progress that gets made into the story of the settlers' efforts to colonize the planet. One of the best facets of "Red Mars" is the incredible description of the landscapes of Mars. Robinson gives a lot of thought to the topic of what the planet would actually look like to explorers standing on it from ground level. These sequences help set this book apart from other efforts where the planet is simply described as being red and rocky and left at that. When reading these descriptions, you can't help but share the belief of some of the characters that Mar's desolate terrain has its very own form of beauty. Of particular note are the landscapes during one character's voyage to the polar ice cap near the start of "Red Mars", and when a group of characters are navigating a dangerous canyon near the book's conclusion. Robinson also makes good use of the unique elements of geology and weather on Mars. For instance, when there's a gigantic dust storm on the planet, he gives convincing portrayals not just of the storm itself, but also of the depressing and claustrophobic effect that it has on the settlers when they aren't able to see more than a few feet when outdoors. The story is told from the perspective of several different characters, each of them being the center of attention for about fifty pages. Some critics have complained about the quality of characterization in Robinson's books. It's definitely true that they don't have the same complexity as characters should have in true literature. However, they are satisfactory for telling the story that the author wants to tell. When two people have a discussion or argument in "Red Mars", it actually sounds genuine and convincing, and there are some interesting looks at how differences in policy and worldview affect the relationship between characters. As a conclusion, let me say something in response to those reviewers who insist on judging the book by the author's politics rather than by the content of the book itself. "Red Mars" contains some amount of political and social commentary, although it occupies only a fairly small portion of the six hundred page work. For instance, there's a brief section where one character must resolve a dispute between business leaders and laborers who are upset about their living conditions on Mars. Well, this is just another example of what I mentioned earlier, which is that Robinson carefully considered every aspect of what conditions would be like for early settlers on another planet, and his explanation of the situation struck me as being very realistic. In Robinson's vision of the future, gigantic corporations work to undermine and supplant national governments on Earth as well as to control Mars; some have complained that this is unrealistic. But those of us who keep up with world events know that we're already starting to see the beginning of such a trend right now, so there''s nothing unreasonable about predicting that it will continue in the future.
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Summary: Lots of info, but writing could use some terraforming
Review: The author's breadth of knowledge in science and political theory is impressive, to be sure. Years of research evidently went into this book. But often it seemed he was straining to showcase just how much he knows. The psychiatrist's long esoterica on human temperaments is a case in point -- dry as the Martian soil and entirely gratuitous. (Where was the editor with scissors?) Initially, I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the topography and the explanations of how people built the first colony. Beyond the book's halfway point, I was saturated with it -- too much of a good thing. Getting through the last third of the book was a struggle (a coherent plot might have helped here). That disappointed me, because the beginning was engaging. The characters turned out to be caricatures, not people. How many times could the ultra-grouchy Frank say "shut up" or "you idiot"? And Maya, the Russian beauty with the angst of a note-passing high school sophomore -- what space program let her in?? Then there was the flaky cult leader, and the rigid environmentalist ever flashing righteous scowls. It's an annoying, exaggerated cast of characters with only a few exceptions. Also irritating was the insertion of the author's political dogmas, which revealed corporations and free-market types as predictably evil, bent on destroying the planet (just as they do on Earth, curse them all). The collectivists, of course, were the ones we were all supposed to cheer. But OK, lots of it was interesting. The space elevator, terraforming ideas, survival on a hostile world. The author managed to stoke my imagination several times. He proved an able wordsmith, displaying flashes of brilliance at times. But the editors really let him down, I'm afraid. Several hundred pages needed to go and didn't. Still, for those who like science and believable ideas about interplanetary travel, the book may be worth plodding through in your Martian rover.
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Summary: Interesting premise, but too much technical detail.
Review: I found Red Mars to be a very slow read, but surprisingly enjoyable. The story, although bogged down with infinite technical detail (most of which wasn't properly explained), was at its heart a story about people - their hardships and triumphs, their emotions and their conflicts with one another. I really disliked the overwhelming amount of technical detail. There was too much of it...most of the time it was hard to continue reading, and I found myself wanting to skip ahead. I also found it hard to like many of the characters. I had a couple of favorites, but that's about it. I didn't care what happened to the rest at all. At times, I found myself in awe of the way Robinson writes. He has a particular talent for describing things. Unfortunately, it's this same talent that often leads to long, drawn out descriptions that I often found to be unnecessary. It's clear that the plot was very well thought out from the beginning. The idea of colonizing Mars is brought to life in such vivid detail, that's it's hard to come back to reality at times. The story line progressed nicely, although the time frame was somewhat confusing for me. I wasn't quite sure how many weeks/months/years had passed between chapters, or even sections of the same chapter. Overall, not a bad book, and in fact, I plan on reading Green Mars and Blue Mars down the road... but after Red Mars, some light reading is in order.
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Summary: The Sci/Fi Equivalent of a Made for TV Movie
Review: The drivel is so thick, you'd think you were watching some made-for-TV movie produced just for the Lifetime channel and starring Melissa Gilbert and Patty Duke. This is a terrible book. Just because the "plot" takes place on Mars doesn't make it science fiction.
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Summary: Amazing piece of work, though not an easy read.
Review: This is not an easy book to get through, but is a thorough covering of all aspects of potential habitation of mars. A bit over technical and slow paced, but the author covers so much detail, I felt that I was reading a history of what happened (or going to happen). The story however, is still engaging and left me wondering what was going to happen to mars and the inhabitants.
The social aspects are intriguing, causing the reader to ponder issues such as population control in the face of a longevity treatment that is leaving people living over 150 years.
All in all it is worthy, for the indepth and detailed writing allowing you to experience living on mars and all that entails. I did go on to read Green Mars and Blue Mars, and I enjoyed all three, but to be fair I listened to all of them unabridged, so I tuned out on parts that were too technical for my understanding or just boring.
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Summary: Tough reading, but ultimately worth the effort.
Review: I must agree with the reviewer who said that while this is not a great book, it is certainly an incredible literary undertaking. The science is superb, if a little too detailed for the casual sci-fi reader, and many of the multitude of potentially interesting characters are not fully developed, remain unnecessarily mysterious or come off sterotypical. Also, at least in the hands of Robinson, the terrain of Mars does not lend itself well to lengthy descriptive prose and much of it should have been edited out of this book. After all, how many ways are there to describe rock and ice formations? At times, I felt like finishing the book might require almost as much effort as was put into writing it. And yet, many weeks later I find myself wondering what will happen to the characters, the planet, the society - in fact, the whole brave new world that Robinson has created - and I am tempted to read the next book in the trilogy anyway. I think that constant tug to return to the story is why I'd have to ultimately recommend reading this one. Just make sure you put on a strong pot of coffee before you start.
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Summary: One bonus star for theoretical science...
Review: I read a lot of science fiction, and typically enjoy books that work in good hardcore science, be it real, theoretical, or fantastical. This book manages to come up with a few of each. There is a great deal devoted to the science of terraforming mars into human habitable environment, and the process of human surviving in the harsh enviroment that exists today. Honestly though, Robinson would have done better writing a non-fiction essay on Mars habitation than this poor effort at a fictional story. The characters and plot lines are blurry and disinteresting. Time takes decades long leaps, with little warning and it became confusing and tedious. I had to force myself to finish it, and there is little danger of my reading the next two books in the series, or anything else from Robinson for that matter.
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Summary: Melodrama Masquerading as Science Fiction
Review: If you're a new-age flower child that likes saccharine melodrama, you'll love this book. A new genre needs to be developed so that books like this (and the people who love them) do not undermine the credibility of the Hugo and Nebula awards.
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