Rating: 
Summary: a disappointing effort by the author
Review: This is 2 books, and the first book is ok and the second is unreadable. The first is a story of assorted characters in Antartica in the near future, with lots of geology, weather and exploration history which you should want to read or you should avoid the book altogther. However, it more of a descriptive overview of the area disguised as an novel, and the plot is thin, illogical and filled with subplots that are allowed to wither away without any real development. Then the last third of the book kicks in, and that is the second book. In the guise of various characters speaking, it is a mish-mash of uninteresting political views about assorted environmental topics. Much of it is lioterally in the form of multi-page speeches by the characters, and so isnt even arguably hidden away in an interesting plot line. At that point my close reading accelerated into skim-overdrive and the book became, overall, a failed effort not worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Antarctica up for grabs!
Review: Set in the near future, all who come to this last great wilderness have their own agenda for its development once the international treaty expires. This is one hair-raising richly historical adventure about the feats of explorers, their beau gestes & their pettiness. So nowadays we are different? Not at all! We've just got blander titles such as ecology protectors & corporate profit takers. this is a bit of a slog yet well worth it. Lots to think about. .........
Rating: 
Summary: Unbearable
Review: Hard as I tried, I could not finish reading this book. It must be the first time in the last 20 years that that happens to me. One of the things I learnt at school: don't use literature to promote propaganda.
Rating:
Summary: Antarctia or Pre-Red Mars?
Review: After reading the geological Mars trilogy (Red, Green, and Blue), I wasn't sure if Antarctica was going to be another geological story. Unfortunately, this turns out to be another story whose focus is on the geology and the environment, instead of a true sci-fi near future story. Though I truly felt as though I were in Antarctica, I did not want to feel this way for 600+ pages. The characters seemed to be secondary compared to the landscape -- and the extended history review of former Antarctic explorers just did not grab me. I wanted this story to wow me, but it just reminded me of Red Mars (the mysterious Asian woman who is leading a group of ferrel explorers who want to get closer to the native livestyle). Don't get me wrong, I'll continue to read Robinson's novels, but maybe geological sci-fi just is not my cup of tea...
Rating:
Summary: Politics in the Guise of Fiction
Review: I first became a fan of Mr. Robinson's work through his Mars trilogy, which is superb. So, first, the good news: KSR has once again managed to convey a true sense of place. I envy his superb, "visual" style of writing. That said, I found myself getting quite angry at this book (and the author) for its relentless, downright hostile attitude toward conservatism, capitalism, and practically all things European-American. Unlike the Mars trilogy, which had at least a few characters speaking for "the other side," all such pretense is gone in this book. In one chapter, a liberal congressman and his aide engage a dialogue about the evils of the Republican party and all things and people associated with it. When the scene switches to Antarctica, the industrial world is completely off-stage. The protagonists consist uniformly of well-meaning liberal characters, who are absolutely convinced that the capitalist West just "doesn't get" the beauty of Antarctica, the scientific method, or the joys of communalism. The only character who favors commercial development of Antarctic resources is someone from Latin America, and he also takes a swipe at the US for its hypocritical denunciation of developing the rain forest. So let there be no doubt: the Americans are the bad guys, except for those who are enlightened enough to become scientific socialists. One more Robinson fantasy I have a problem with (which also appears in muted form in the Mars trilogy) is his creation of "scientific ferals." These are people who have "gone native" in some new environment (Mars, Antarctica) by creating their own environments/habitats from stuff stolen from those aforementioned evil capitalists. How would these societies have come into being without having someone to steal from in the first place? Robinson doesn't say. He merely asks the reader to accept that the small, communal scientific community, doing nothing more than exploration of an area, is the ultimate utopia. Well, that's groovy, but how do we get from point A to point B? He has no answers. I have, perhaps, taken KSR's diatribes too seriously (it IS just a story), but he has already established himself as someone who (rightly) expects to be taken seriously. It was disappointing--though revealing--to see the author's gloves come off. Given my admiration for Robinson's writing, I will continue to buy his books. That doesn't mean I have to agree with him.
Rating: 
Summary: Antarctica: A world worth contemplating
Review: I have never read Kim Stanley Roberts before reading Antarctica, but am I ever glad I picked this novel up at the airport bookstore! Before reading this book I, like the vast majority of people on this planet, knew next to nothing about the icy continent at the South Pole. I can proudly say that my knowledge has been increased many fold thanks to Mr. Robinson's superb novel. Mr. Robinson weaves a wonderful, fictitious story with the true history of exploration of the icy continent, and with modern scientific authority. This combination keeps the reader turning page after page into the wee hours of the morning! When all is said and done, the reader comes away satisfied with an intelligent story, an appreciation of the history of mans' exploration of Antarctica, and an awareness of the need for a sane,workable, globally-endorsed plan to manage and protect the great continent at the bottom!
Rating:
Summary: "Antarctica the last true wilderness"
Review: Once in a long while a book comes along that can leave such an impression on a person, such a new perspective on a whole continent, such a feeling for the characters in the book, you'll forget what was life before you read this. It is impossible to put this book in words, so i won't even try. Just go get the book, its worth it. Oh, and you may think the first hundred or so pages are dull, but after a while in you really feel like you know these people, and that really adds up to the feeling you develop for the characters in the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece!
Review: Robinson has written a powerful and beautiful novel which challenges the reader to think about the state of our planet and its immediate future. The setting is the continent of Antarctica in the near future and the political, social, and environmental free-for-all that develops as nations look to the last pristine area of the globe for natural resources. Robinson gives us believable characters caught between the forces of the tides of human history. In particular, the chatacter named Val is one of the great heroines of literature of any genre. Their plight is exhilarating and heart-rending. This novel is about the love of place and the heroic nature of the best in us as humans.
Rating:
Summary: Ice Cold Pleasure
Review: Antarctica will chill your soul! If you like Michener you really need to go to Antarctica with Kim Stanley Robinson. This book has great historical info, a moving plot, and an artistic touch to it that will chill you on the hottest of afternoons. I really enjoyed Antarctica and fully recomend you hunker down with a copy.
Rating: 
Summary: blue snow ,white rock ,spellbound by nature
Review: The fact that Robinson has gone to such immense trouble to research the real feeling of being on the ice is a pleasure in itself. In particular the extracts of the book as described through the eyes of a feng shui master, journeying in the footsteps of the great early explorers, transports you body and soul to the ice desert. This book contains something for everyone, from a hard nosed love story to adventure and hardship. A must read and a chilling look into the future of adventure tourism!
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