Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring
Review: I read this book as a young boy. Not an avid reader at the time and desperately trying to find a book that I could fake-out a book report for school. To my surprise I actually read the whole thing (Since then I have read it several times). This was my first R.A.H book. It holds a special place in my heart. I'm sure RED PLANET can still captivate a young mind as it did me... Realizing that reading isn't such a bad thing after all
Rating:
Summary: coolest mars book ever!
Review: I thought this book was so cool! I loved Willis and I liked how he and his 'boy' got into so many problems and back out. How robert Heinlein descriebed living in bubbles on mars made it sound realistic and interesting. I really recomend this book for anyone who likes to read.
Rating: 
Summary: A Heinlein classic
Review: I'm a huge fan of the Heinlein juveniles from way back, namely about seventh grade on. But for some reason I cannot fathom I bought Red Planet but just didn't get around to reading it. Not until my late '20's, when a friend who was a recent convert to the series strongly recommended it, did I finally read Red Planet, and it confirmed a long-held belief: That an adult can get just as much entertainment from these books as a kid. It's fun to note the Heinlein stand-in character, Doc MacRae, who is basically a mouthpiece for the author's opinions, but an amusing one. And what a delight that the Martians are the same as the ones in Stranger In A Strange Land, water ceremonies and all, but without the claptrap of the later book. Another major delight of the novel is Willis, perhaps the first example in Heinlein's work of a boy's alien "pet" that would turn out to be much more (Heinlein would expand on this notion with The Star Beast). Finally, when my son demanded I read him Red Planet recently, and after being cautioned that it had no pictures he greatly enjoyed it, this became one of my all-time favorite Heinlein juveniles. By the way, this new edition has a couple of extra paragraphs at the end; the slight extra doesn't really affect the story though.
Rating:
Summary: The kind of Mars you'd want to live on
Review: In all fairness to Kim Stanley Robinson's beyond excellent Mars trilogy and all the other fine writers who have tackled Mars in a realist fashion, there's that little Golden Age part of me that prefers romps like this one, where the story isn't as much as slave to science and fun rules the day. In Heinlein's day nobody really knew anything about Mars so a story like this where Mars is fairly run over with creatures (including the adorable ball of fur Willis) didn't cause anyone to bat an eye. And it shouldn't cause today's readers to put it aside either, its a fun and fast read that hits all the right notes and will entertain you throughout. Young adult Jim is going to school on Mars with his pet Willis when they discover something that might harm his fellow colonists back home, he and his friend Frank go through what seems like a million adventures, each one more fantastic than the last, before eventually saving the day. Yes, it's a book for the young adult in you, but Heinlein sticks plenty of stuff in here to appeal to us older folk. Granted he also loves to stick in his politics, there's plenty of "Guns make you a man" arguments running around (which I can stomach here moreso than the "letting the army kick the crap out of you makes you a man" argument in later novels) along with other issues like that but they don't get in the way of the book at all. The good guys are good the bad guys are bad and Heinlein's imagination is in full force, even the obligatory cutesy alien that winds up being far more than a cutesy alien is used to good effect here and while Jim indulges in that overly breezy dialogue we've come to know and love, none of the characters strike me as annoying (unlike the Star Beast where they all annoyed me), which is a good thing. The Martians are extremely well done, coming off as both human and alien at the same time, blessed with a culture we can barely strike the tip of. The cover of my edition trumpets that it's the "complete, uncut novel" and while that may have had some relevance for Stranger in a Strange Land, what the heck could they have cut out, it's not that long a book in the first place. Those looking for sophisticated examinations of complex issues aren't going to find that here but those who just want a fun time and a good read can do worse with this, that's for sure. There's a reason why people considered him a master before Stranger in a Strange Land.
Rating:
Summary: Dated, yes, but fun and interesting nonetheless
Review: It is common consensus among sci fi writers that Mars will someday become colonised. It is not a stretch to predict that the first colonists will be soldiers or employees of a multinational corporation, and will take orders from their leaders on Earth. Eventually, however, as the number of settlers grows, they will demand some sort of autonomy. Based on human history, this is a logical train of thought, which various writers have turned into highly successful novels (e.g. Greg Bear and Kim Stanley Robinson). These modern works are linear descendents of this fine early Heinlein work.Red PLanet follows the story of two teenage boys as they discover a plot by the multinational corporation that runs Mars (an oddly prophetic villain for a book written in 1949!) to restrict the rights of the free settlers. The book then chronicles the settlers' response as they fight for their "historic" rights. There is a subplot surrounding some Martian natives. All in all, it is a fun read, especially compared to Heinlein's other "juvenile" novel. Of particular interest are the Martians and the politics of the human settlements. The Martians are eerily similar to those in "Stranger in a Strange Land," which is enough to interest any Heinlein fan. The politics are rather broadly painted (as expected for a juvenile book), and the settlers are the usual Heinlein heroes - gun-toting, freedom loving, all-American cowboys - but detailed enough for a modern adult to appreciate the historical analogy. Having said that, the book is heavily dated, especially in its "Leave It to Beaver" portrayal of women (ignoring Heinlein's own country's proud tradition of hardy pioneer women!). However, they are not fatal flaws, and I found myself flipping pages as quickly as I would with any modern Crichton or Clancy novel.
Rating:
Summary: Dated, yes, but fun and interesting nonetheless
Review: It is common consensus among sci fi writers that Mars will someday become colonised. It is not a stretch to predict that the first colonists will be soldiers or employees of a multinational corporation, and will take orders from their leaders on Earth. Eventually, however, as the number of settlers grows, they will demand some sort of autonomy. Based on human history, this is a logical train of thought, which various writers have turned into highly successful novels (e.g. Greg Bear and Kim Stanley Robinson). These modern works are linear descendents of this fine early Heinlein work. Red PLanet follows the story of two teenage boys as they discover a plot by the multinational corporation that runs Mars (an oddly prophetic villain for a book written in 1949!) to restrict the rights of the free settlers. The book then chronicles the settlers' response as they fight for their "historic" rights. There is a subplot surrounding some Martian natives. All in all, it is a fun read, especially compared to Heinlein's other "juvenile" novel. Of particular interest are the Martians and the politics of the human settlements. The Martians are eerily similar to those in "Stranger in a Strange Land," which is enough to interest any Heinlein fan. The politics are rather broadly painted (as expected for a juvenile book), and the settlers are the usual Heinlein heroes - gun-toting, freedom loving, all-American cowboys - but detailed enough for a modern adult to appreciate the historical analogy. Having said that, the book is heavily dated, especially in its "Leave It to Beaver" portrayal of women (ignoring Heinlein's own country's proud tradition of hardy pioneer women!). However, they are not fatal flaws, and I found myself flipping pages as quickly as I would with any modern Crichton or Clancy novel.
Rating:
Summary: It was one of the best books I have read by the auther.
Review: It was a great book when I read it. The martions seemed more like people rather then aliens it was pretty cool on how they did things such as ice scate across the Planet. And I vivedly remember seeing the miniseries.
Rating:
Summary: Fast Paced, Fun Read!
Review: Jim Marlowe barely remembers leaving Earth with his family many years ago. He considers himself a Martian Colonist and loves his life on Mars. He is not looking forward to going to school on Syrtis Minor, but he knows that he is of the age where he has to go. The only thing that he insists on is that his pet/friend, Willis, a "bouncer" or Martian animal that is round, furry and sticks out appendages when he wants to see or move around, come with him. His parents are forced to admit that there is nothing in the school rules that say he cannot take Willis, so Jim wins out. On his way to school with his friend, Frank, they stop off at Cynia Station to wait for the ice to harden. Bored, the two boys decide to go and see the Martian city that lies just outside of the station. They are pleasantly surprised to meet and speak with some Martians, as they usually ignore the human colonists. There Jim makes friends with Gekko, a Martian, but insists that Willis must come with him when Gekko tries to persuade Jim to leave him there. Jim has cause to regret his insistence that Willis accompany him when their new headmaster, Marquis Howe, arrives to take over the school. It is instant hate between Jim and Howe, who infuriates Jim by confiscating Willis and caging him up in his office. Then Jim finds out that Howe is trying to sell him to the London Zoo! Jim persuades Frank to help him rescue Willis and Willis plays back a conversation between Howe and the General where the two boys learn that the Company (the Earth conglomerate who owns the colony) is determined to save money by making the colonists stay on one half of the planet where they will live in bitter cold, -100 below freezing, for one Earth year and then have a normal year, etc. Jim and Frank are determined not to let this happen. They carefully plan their escape and they are off to save their families! What Jim doesn't realize is that he and Willis will do much more than save his own little colony - the fate of all humankind on Mars rests on him and his little round friend... This book was originally published in the '60s and we obviously have more information Mars since then, but Heinlein's speculation on what Mars may be like does not detract from the story at all - in fact, it is rather fun to read about what he thought Mars would be like. Heinlein's characters are engaging, if a little flat. I do not feel that he took very much time to develop any of the characters so they would become fully fleshed out, but the plot is very fast paced and full of action. This is a great book for children who are in 4-8th grade and their parents/older siblings will enjoy it, too. Many readers will feel that it is a kind of science fiction Harry Potter book and I think that the young readers will really enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Fast Paced, Fun Read!
Review: Jim Marlowe barely remembers leaving Earth with his family many years ago. He considers himself a Martian Colonist and loves his life on Mars. He is not looking forward to going to school on Syrtis Minor, but he knows that he is of the age where he has to go. The only thing that he insists on is that his pet/friend, Willis, a "bouncer" or Martian animal that is round, furry and sticks out appendages when he wants to see or move around, come with him. His parents are forced to admit that there is nothing in the school rules that say he cannot take Willis, so Jim wins out. On his way to school with his friend, Frank, they stop off at Cynia Station to wait for the ice to harden. Bored, the two boys decide to go and see the Martian city that lies just outside of the station. They are pleasantly surprised to meet and speak with some Martians, as they usually ignore the human colonists. There Jim makes friends with Gekko, a Martian, but insists that Willis must come with him when Gekko tries to persuade Jim to leave him there. Jim has cause to regret his insistence that Willis accompany him when their new headmaster, Marquis Howe, arrives to take over the school. It is instant hate between Jim and Howe, who infuriates Jim by confiscating Willis and caging him up in his office. Then Jim finds out that Howe is trying to sell him to the London Zoo! Jim persuades Frank to help him rescue Willis and Willis plays back a conversation between Howe and the General where the two boys learn that the Company (the Earth conglomerate who owns the colony) is determined to save money by making the colonists stay on one half of the planet where they will live in bitter cold, -100 below freezing, for one Earth year and then have a normal year, etc. Jim and Frank are determined not to let this happen. They carefully plan their escape and they are off to save their families! What Jim doesn't realize is that he and Willis will do much more than save his own little colony - the fate of all humankind on Mars rests on him and his little round friend... This book was originally published in the '60s and we obviously have more information Mars since then, but Heinlein's speculation on what Mars may be like does not detract from the story at all - in fact, it is rather fun to read about what he thought Mars would be like. Heinlein's characters are engaging, if a little flat. I do not feel that he took very much time to develop any of the characters so they would become fully fleshed out, but the plot is very fast paced and full of action. This is a great book for children who are in 4-8th grade and their parents/older siblings will enjoy it, too. Many readers will feel that it is a kind of science fiction Harry Potter book and I think that the young readers will really enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Childhood and Adult Favorite
Review: Learn about the native life and what going away to school means to a couple of boys on Mars. Heinlein makes life on Mars seem real and quiet normal - in a Martian sort of way. This is an less edited version than the one I loved as a child and just as exciting.
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