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Summary: Gripping near-future novel of Mars exploration
Review: This is the best science-fiction novel I've read in years. Robinson's in-depth research shines through on every page. It's a true treat to read about this very possible tale of Mars exploration. Afte reading it, you're left with only one thought, "What's taking us so long? We should have a ship headed to Mars as soon as possible!"
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Summary: Anincredibly realistic account of colonizing the Red Planet
Review:
Kim Stanley Robinson has brought to science fiction a work not only of impeccable scientific accuracy, but one that brings to light issues that very likely would be faced if any humans really were to live on Mars. Just as the destruction of the rainforests and the abuse of natural resources are argued over in our world, the author poses the question, is it right to irreversably change the planet, even for the benefit of mankind? Then again, should the planet be preserved when Earth is overcrowded and there is an entire new planet where people could live? The manners of terraforming Mars put forth by Robinson are entirely feasible, but the conflict over whether or not to use them may cause the magnificent colonization project to decay into violence and destruction.
Robinson does not fall into the trap of some "hard" science fiction writers- having excellent settings and scientific details but leaving the charecters shallow and cliche-like. Each charecter has mannerisms and beliefs that the reader will get to know, making the conflicts between them frighteningly true to life.
Red Mars chronicals the colonization of Mars from when the first hundred set foot on the planet to the existance of many domed cities and population in the millions. After the heart-pounding and emotional ending, though, you will want to find out more about the inhabitants of Mars. Look for the other two books in the trilogy- Green Mars and Blue Mars.<HTML>
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Summary: thrilling to read.
Review: Red Mars is the promising beginning of a trilogy. Thrilling to read
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Summary: The most intriguing,hard-core sci-fi book I've read to date.
Review: Red Mars, unsuprisingly, is a science fiction novel written by Robinson in which other authors or authors-to-be will follow suit in. The plot line is excellent, and the details and dialogue unbelievable. Robinson has put an incredible amount of imagination and pure energy into this masterpiece.I recommend this book who likes to read about futuristic but practical concepts at the same time, and for those who enjoy reading about the colonization of other planets.
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Summary: Red Mars absorbs your consciousness!
Review: Robinson's Red Mars is one of the densest books I've ever
read! It is incredibly thorough: the characters and the
setting come alive as a result. I recommend this book for
anyone who wants to live a separate "virtual life."
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Summary: One of the Best Mars colonization books I've ever read!
Review: Kim Stanley Robinson has thoroughly impressed me with this first book of his Mars
trilogy. Always a fan of literature about society effected by technology I found Red Mars
extraordinarily satisfying in this respect. Not since The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by
Robert A. Heinlen have a found a more believable tale of a space colony or it's revolution.
And the internal tension between colonists is as exciting as their rebellion. Robinson's
science fact is excellent for a layman and his prose outstanding for any genre. I highly
recommend this book for lovers of Mars tales, science fiction fans, and any one who loves
a good fight.
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Summary: A gripping tale, it draws you in and won't let you go.
Review: This astonishing tale of the colonization of Mars is the most accurate and absorbing novel yet. The characters each had different personalities and desires, and these were exploited throughout the book. A must read novel
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Summary: This is the most accurate tale of Mars Colinization yet
Review: This is an amazing book. It is incredibly accurate and
an amazing tale.
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Summary: Sometimes long-winded but enjoyable
Review: Reading Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars" sometimes feels like you're finishing a reading assignment in school. There were times I found myself wondering why I was still reading it. But overall, it is very enjoyable and worth taking the time to read, even if it may seem like more of a chore than it should. The book tackles the story of starting to colonize Mars and make it more hospitable to humans. Robinson has assembled an array of different characters from different countries on this voyage. It may even be too many characters to keep track of, but the story focuses on around eight main characters. And of those you only get to know about four of them really well and understand their behavior. Robinson can also describe a foreign planet with such detail you think he was with Mariner when it first landed many years ago. At times you can visualize yourself right there on the planet with the characters. Other times he can get too detailed. It's almost as if he likes to hear himself write. This bogs down the story at times, particularly when it seems nothing is happening so he has a character traveling around the planet so he can describe more of the scenery. As for his ideas on colonization, he never really flaunts them like some SF writers. Sometimes it seems an entire book is centered around some writer's "great idea" and they try to build a story (usually a weak one) around it. Robinson has many interesting ideas on colonization. None of them seem too far from reality. And of course he can describe his ideas very well. One problem he had to tackle was the length of time colonization would take. If this were a true-to-science story (which it is for the most part), colonization and terra-forming would take hundreds of years. So what do you do in the meantime? How long can you read about the character's day-to-day life without anything happening? Robinson tackles this from two fronts. One is he gets more involved in the political side of colonizing the planet. It actually is the main part of the story. Some have complained that it's too much of the story. But this is truer to life than some might like to think. Everything we do in life is framed in our beliefs. And by bringing different factions together that have different perspectives, you're bound to get conflict. This is what the book is primarily focused on, not just people performing different tasks to achieve colonization. If this was the case, it would be a rather short and boring book. The other way Robinson keeps you involved in the long process of colonization is to keep the same characters throughout the story. This wouldn't be possible without some "poetic license." So what he does is invent a drug that makes people live longer. There no sure just how much longer, but having seventy and eighty year olds performing tasks like thirty and forty year olds allows him to keep us focused on the same people. So he doesn't have to keep introducing new characters to us and having us adjust to their philosophies. We can stay focused on the core people and not get confused with more and more people coming into the story. This leads to my other complaint about the story. Because time isn't as much of a factor you lose track of it sometimes in the story. Years and decades may have went by and you might not have noticed. This makes it a little difficult to visualize what's happening on the planet. You still feel it's in the initial stages of colonization when it's actually been decades later and much has changed. Robinson needed to stress that point a little more to the reader. Overall it's an enjoyable story but it finishes with a second (and third) story in mind. I suppose you could read the first, enjoy it and not bother reading the next two books. I will continue reading because Robinson is very talented and can make you feel you're right there with the characters on a foreign planet. And his human-interest stories, while not very complex, can be compelling at times. This is definitely not a summer-easy-reading type book, but one that is very enjoyable no less.
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Summary: God and the devil in the details
Review: Kim Stanley Robinson does a masterful job of realizing a diverse array of characters, not the least of which is the planet itself. I found Ann and Frank exasperating, John and Nadia at times exhilirating and something of a disappointment, Sax and Hiroko equally inscrutable, and Maya making me wish someone would just slap her. I am astonished that anyone can keep track of so many personnae and keep their voices distinct. Equally, I am astonished by Robinson's command of geology, meteorology, thermodynamics, and even economics. The details read well and ring true. For years, I wondered why no one had covered this sort of project in detail: terraformation, colonization, expansion. Most writers seem satisfied to take these things as read. Robinson shows what a great literary work a little delving (okay, a whole lot of delving) can produce. On the down side, the details occasionally get in his way. In particular, I found three details more than a little discomfiting. First, in the personna of Michel, Robinson outlines his personal psychometry of personalities. In doing so, he provides both an oversimplification of human character and an unwelcome glimpse at Robinson's methodology for building characters. Like sausage-making and legislation, perhaps this process would have been better left unexamined. Second, I think the abundance of water in the substrate of Robinson's Mars is more than a tad optimistic. I realize that having to bring in water ice from the asteroid belt and Saturn's rings would have slowed the development quite a bit, but considering what a wealth of story Robinson typically finds in the details, I think this obstacle would have made for even more excellent writing opportunities. Third, in a move that appears nothing more than a technique to allow character continuity, Robinson introduces the deus ex machina of a revolutionary new genetic longevity treatment. With no foreshadowing or side-plot leading to it, the main characters suddenly have a chance to live for a thousand years. My, how convenient. This device left he second guessing the author's motives through the rest of the series. I love the books, but I don't think this was a necessary addition. As the principal plotline of this first book readily demonstrates, key characters can die without compromising the story.
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