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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Sociologically-heavy look into colonizing Mars. Told through the perspective of a different person at a different in each part, presents different stages of humans getting to and living on Mars. Focuses on the human element rather than the scifi element.
'Red Mars' is a detailed, granular novel exploring the scientific, sociological, political, and economic ramifications of colonizing Mars.
Alas, it isn't a very good novel.
The author shows us the results of his no-doubt exhaustive research. He really makes us think about the nuts and bolts of how Martian colonization could actually work. He fails to craft a compelling narrative or generate much tension in the reader. Consequently, the novel reads more like "this happened, then this happened, then this other thing happened" than a journey with a compelling challenge and satisfying story arc.
Still, I think my friends in the hard science fiction community may love 'Red Mars.' Unfortunately, it didn't happen to be for me.
Alas, it isn't a very good novel.
The author shows us the results of his no-doubt exhaustive research. He really makes us think about the nuts and bolts of how Martian colonization could actually work. He fails to craft a compelling narrative or generate much tension in the reader. Consequently, the novel reads more like "this happened, then this happened, then this other thing happened" than a journey with a compelling challenge and satisfying story arc.
Still, I think my friends in the hard science fiction community may love 'Red Mars.' Unfortunately, it didn't happen to be for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
More of a 3.5, but for 1993 it set a story with some things in motion that are still relevant today. This has been in my to-be-read for over 20 years, but I’m glad I didn’t read it earlier, I probably would have been more disappointed.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Loved the first 200 pages, disliked everything after it became about society.
Between reading the Martian Chronicles, Childhood’s End, and Stranger in a Strange Land, this book is incredibly slow and derivative, and the first in a trilogy. I got out before I got in too deep.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
An amazing amount of research went into this book. There are some truly awesome (in that they inspire awe) moments of literary detail that make you think that as part of his research Kim Robinson traveled to a future mars, or actually rode on a space elevator at least.
And the last 150 pages are fantastic.
On the minus side, it is a long book and there is a lot of nature writing about the martian environment that I would have liked better in smaller doses. But its probably that Kim Stanely Robinson tried to write like a Martian Edward Abbey that made the great parts of the book so great, so I happily forgive the large number of pages devoted to describing Martian geology and the like.
And the last 150 pages are fantastic.
On the minus side, it is a long book and there is a lot of nature writing about the martian environment that I would have liked better in smaller doses. But its probably that Kim Stanely Robinson tried to write like a Martian Edward Abbey that made the great parts of the book so great, so I happily forgive the large number of pages devoted to describing Martian geology and the like.