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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This long, rambling, fairly realistic, 'hard sci-fi" novel chronicles the first several decades of colonization of Mars: the lives of the first 100 settlers, the spread of humans across the planet, the terraforming, and the political machinations of the settlers and the investors back on Earth. It touches on many ideologies related to culture, politics, philosophy, and religion.
Sometimes I enjoyed it, other times I found it dry. Unfortunately, I often found it sexist. I wish the male protagonist doesn't resort to telling women to shut up, or calling them a bitch when they go against his expectations. Beyond that, the women in the novel are fairly stiff cardboard cutouts of "lovers" or mother figures. They seem to have their own agency but their motives and internal worlds are completely left out of the narrative.
Sometimes I enjoyed it, other times I found it dry. Unfortunately, I often found it sexist. I wish the male protagonist doesn't resort to telling women to shut up, or calling them a bitch when they go against his expectations. Beyond that, the women in the novel are fairly stiff cardboard cutouts of "lovers" or mother figures. They seem to have their own agency but their motives and internal worlds are completely left out of the narrative.
The story had a few interesting things happen every now and again, but overall it was entirely too boring. The same story could have been told in half the pages but the author really likes to talk about Marian geography and give tidbits about dull characters. It does get really exciting about 100 pages before the end, but then it gets boring again. Based on this book, I won't be finishing the trilogy.
Parts of this book, particularly the parts from the perspective of Frank, were expertly done. Some parts were a slog, particularly when it went on and on about the Martian landscape. I could have done with a little less of that. The overall vision of this work was interesting and the characters were well thought out and led to an interesting plot, but I had some frustrations. The prose (except when following Frank), was often a little awkward and over-explanatory. I found the dialogue to often be particularly bad. Characters were able to talk for way too long without getting interrupted, and had really weird ways of saying things. Also everyone who wasn't American didn't come off as quite foreign enough. Nevertheless I enjoyed this book to a degree, which is why I give it three stars.
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
stressful and maddening read. Lots of frustrations with the characters we follow throughout but at least it's honest about how likely humans are to bring along all the same old problems to a new planet
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First half was way better than the second. What should have been the end of the book based on the opening chapter barely registered and then completely uninteresting politics ensued. The top women chosen were also frustratingly juvenile. All that makes it sound like I didn't enjoy it, but I did. Just too many niggles to be a home run.
Robinson's Red Mars certainly deserves a place in the pantheon of sci-fi greats. It's an intensely detailed vision of planetary colonization, politics, religion, and human nature. A must read for sci-fi fans.