Rating: 
Summary: An Eco-dreamer's vision of the future - but readable
Review: The general consensus of readers' review seems to be that Red Mars, the first of the Mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson, is that it is plodding and boring. That I can't help but agreeing with. There is next to no action, there is little suspense or drama, and only a smidgen of humor. Any development in the plot progresses at a snail's pace. What the book caries in spades is tiresome, windy descriptions of the Martian surface landscape. The author no doubt pored over Mariner Satellite Photos of Mars, and shows a strong command of the planets geography. However these descriptions go on for pages and pages. Worse, the map supplied with the book is so insufficient that half of these verbal panoramas are not even be found in it, robbing them of any point of reference. They become names without faces. Turgid, sanctimonious attacks on the supposed grim capitalist future of Earth politics is also discussed ad nauseum. The author's politics are as indignantly self-righteous as they are vague. A socialist to the core, with a hearty helping of environmentalist dogma, Robinson describes the capitalist future of the post-modern world as one of ecological ruin, over population, diminishing resources, and loss of freedom, all ideals espoused by that insightful politician of great fame Jimmy Carter. The author's answers to all these problems are the abolishment of private property and dissolution of family, a solution used to great success in the environmental paradises of the USSR and China. Religion (of the main-line variety, practiced by millions around the world) is only disparaged, it adherents portrayed as corrupt and hypocritical. Socialist of all colors, from Mao to Mussolini, held similar opinions. These criticisms die down in later installments as Robinson's politics get more utopian, and even vaguer. The monetary system itself, which has given man more control over his own life than probably any other invention in history, is to be replaced by the 'gift economy' (the description of which seems to resemble barter- a true innovation there). Apparently we can look forward to a future full of 60's-style hippy communes. Makes one wonder why there are none around anymore. The other of common theme in reader's reviews is that Red Mars's characters are one-dimension and hollow. This I can't agree with this. In fact, I felt it was the best part of the book. The French physiatrist is a deeply developed person, with both deep flaws and an endearing personality. Nadia Cherneshevsky is an excellent foil for the character flaws of John Boone, Frank Chalmers, Maya Toitovna. Robinsons grasp of science, be it physics, geology, or astrophysics is also excellent, giving a very "hard" aspect to the series otherwise "creamy" center.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Sci-Fi on an Epic Scale
Review: Red Mars was an outstanding novel. It is only barely hard science fiction (the robotics are incredibly advanced for a story taking place a mere 25 years from now and the longevity treatments seem less likely than overt genetic manipulation of embryos) but none of the laws of physics are broken open, so I guess you have to call it hard sci-fi (so don't expect to go anywhere faster than light or anything like that with this one). The story is not very fast paced and if you tend to not like books that move at anything less than a breakneck speed, you probably won't have the patience for this one. But, if you like carefully reasoned stories full of big ideas on big stages, then buy the whole trilogy. Right now. You will find them especially enjoyable if you have a background in the sciences (well...the physical sciences anyways...I can't speak for biologists) but I think you'd like them even if you didn't. Unless you have a solid background in geology and planetary science you will not be able to avoid learning *something* from this book about the planet Mars.
Rating: 
Summary: Robinson is not another Edger Rice Burroughs
Review: Not even close. I bought the series based on the Nebula and Hugo Awards. What a HUGE mistake....and I will never trust those particular award juries again. This guy does not have much to say, but says it repeatedly, exhaustively, and ad nauseum. The characters are exclusively two dimensional, all lacking passion and driven by inexplicable logic to actions that make little sense. The extensive descriptive narrative is mind numbing and filled with geological jargon. You spend most of the book wading through this blah blah blah, and when something finally does happen, it is disappointinly anti-climactic. I will never buy another piece of literature by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre sci-fi epic...
Review: Robinson gets the science fairly right in this plodding sci-fi series, but the story he tells is largely unmoving and the characters themselves tend to the cardboard cutouts that are the bane of decent science fiction. The terraforming Mars idea has been done many times, and often better. This one, however, is longer. The best part of the series is the specifics of the science, especially in this first book. I agree with others that Robinson seems to run out of decent ideas in his sequels, often killing off characters, including some of the most interesting ones, for seemingly no purpose. Also, there is also a whole semi-immortality thing going on that eventually grows tiresome. BTW, having recently read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, I found that to be a far more meaningful work, even though the science itself was preposterous. Bradbury's stories have far more human truth, and are far more literary, than Red Mars and others of its ilk. And they come in at several hundred fewer pages.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but long-winded
Review: The premise of this book is what draws one into it: the very thought of that new frontier, that whole pristine untouched planet to mold, explore, shape, rebuild. Unfortunately, after the initial shock of seeing it already done--we are then forced to endure the agonizing journey out. The plot crawls at a snail's pace, the attention instead given to psychological character development. In some ways the book reads like a manifest of dramatic archetypes among the main protagonist colonist characters: Sax is the Scientist; Maya the Flawed Human; Frank the Politician; John the Idealist; Hiroko the Zealot; Ann the Misanthrope, and so on. Each of them plays these roles to a T, and perhaps the book is less about what man does with Mars so much as what man *is* on Mars. There are undertones of political and economic criticism (overtones, perhaps?) throughout the book, but as has been pointed out--it reads rather like a geology text at times. I think the story could have been told far more succinctly (to the tune of about 200-250 fewer pages). If you're interested in colonization theories of Mars, and have th patience to sit through lots and lots of detritus, read this. It has the flavor of some of Gentry Lee's "Rama" novels with Clarke, if that's your thing. If you're more interested in plot and events...you may want to give it a miss.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books on Earth!
Review: I don't remember when I first got this book, or had the idea to read it. It was a long time ago (I think I was 14, I'm now 17). However, like all good things, my experience with this book rose from a bed of murkiness to become a defining moment of my life. Since I read it a few years ago in the whirlwind of pre-teenagerhood, I don't remember many specifics. What I do remember is a wonderfully captivating story in a setting that is unbelievable. My whole life I've been searching for a book that quenches my thirst for knowledge, science fiction, and the like. This is it. Some of my favourite parts are: The trip to Mars. Now that is just cool, it's like a traveling home. I loved that part. The formation of the Trans-nats. It's so truthful...I mean who doesn't think that'll happen to our all-too real world? The Space Elevator connecting to Clarke (and later New Clarke, hehehe). And most of all, Burroughs. Who couldn't love Burroughs, the majestic capital of Mars? For those who have read the other two books, you're in for a sad surprise :(. That's about all I have to say about this book. READ IT!
Rating:
Summary: May as well buy the trilogy
Review: I found myself buying the 2nd and 3rd book the same afternoon I finished 'Red Mars'. A must read for anyone who loves to dream of what our future can be and the mistakes we will probably make if we do colonize Mars. Very thoughtfully written! The science is pretty sound. This is fiction that verges upon reality. A new HG Wells has emerged! What vision!
Rating:
Summary: Walking through five miles of swamp has to be more fun.
Review: It was all I could do to muster the enthusiasm to read while engaged with this novel. Why? Very Technical. So much so it got into the way of the story. Disgusised propaganda encased in a story? Yes. The idea of the story cloaked in this book kept me reading. If you must have the experiance of pain reading this book, but do not want to read it, cut off a toe with a razor. You may feel the same after is all over.
Rating: 
Summary: Red Mars
Review: This is perhaps one of the most researched studies of exo-colonisation on Mars. From the space journey out to the political and corporate implications of terraforming. While the first half of the book moved too slowly for me I was absolutely riveted in the second half.
Rating:
Summary: ADMIRED
Review: I ADMIRED this book (and series of books)a great deal, but I'm not sure how much I ENJOYED it. Typically when I fly, I can't stand the idea of running out of something to read and I usually stock up on several books and magazines. I purchased GREEN MARS (a bit of a mistake, RED MARS is first in the series) for my trip ... and I kept reading and reading and reading... Some awesome ideas... (a moving city on Mercury that always stays just ahead of the sunrise, driven by the thermal expansion of the rails it rides) but a lot of slogging through semi-stream of conciousness. The politics sounds overly familar to a Canadian ~ the Dorsa Brevia declaration reads like Meech Lake rather than the Declaration of Independence. Nice but dull.
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