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thisotherbookaccount 's review for:
Red Mars
by Kim Stanley Robinson
There are science fiction writers, and then there are science writers. Robert A. Heinlein is known for stories that are deeply rooted in real science, and Kim Stanley Robinson is no different. Red Mars is perhaps the most well-researched, explored and studied piece of writing that I have ever found on a science fiction bookshelf -- and maybe that's the problem with it.
I love science fiction because it is unafraid to ask the big questions. What if we have perfected the technology to terraform Mars? Do we turn Mars into an Earth-like planet? How much of Mars do we keep intact? How'd the colonisation of Mars change humanity as a whole? Robinson's Red Mars is not short on these big questions. Its characters are constantly debating the validity of terraforming Mars, all while dealing with the effects of being isolated from the rest of humanity and dealing with the elements. Camps form based on beliefs; some believe that we should leave Mars as is because of what it can reveal to humanity about the universe. Others prefer to terraform Mars and change its constitution because, well, that's what they were there for in the first place. Besides, humanity has hit on a rough patch, so being able to colonise and terraform Mars becomes extremely important.
The problem arises, however, when Robinson dives into the deep end with the hard science. In a way, he tries to balance the science and science fiction aspects of the story by constantly referring back to the characters and their intellectual experiences. However, he cannot help but stray back to the hard science, as if it is a comfort zone of his. Whenever that happens, the plot grinds down to a halt, focusing instead (for pages on end sometimes) on how bioengineering will be able to terraform Mars concurrently with other methods. In the literary world, as much as I hate to say it, this is called "info dump", or a way for writers to get certain technical information out of the way before moving forward with the actual plot.
But what's the plot here anyway? Red Mars is not a plot-driven book at all. It is a book about colonisation and what happens when humans are involved. So the process of colonisation is the "plot" here, and everything else is secondary. If you are going into Red Mars, know that this will read less like a novel and more like a beginner's guide to colonisation. Parts of this book does read more like a textbook, and it even comes with graphs for you to understand certain complicated scientific concepts. Without having some fundamental knowledge in various fields, including psychology, the reader will be left out in the cold at times. Robinson doesn't slow down in terms of his explanations, and jargons and thrown around because, well, the characters are mostly experts in their respective fields. If certain theories or terminologies confuse you, then you'd have to look them up yourself. Red Mars waits for no one.
So, if it isn't plot-driven, perhaps it is character-driven, yes? Well, not quite. Even though the book starts out with the main protagonists on an already terraformed Mars, they are mere supporting characters to the scientific ideas. These characters could have been way more interesting if given to a master of the genre. Yet, over here, they are drowned out by the scientific ideas that are always battling for attention. Instead of spending time with the characters and finding out about how isolated they feel from their loved ones, they would instead try to dissect the situation and explain it with scientific theories. It made the book feel less like a story and more like a collection of case studies. If this is how doctors and scientists date in real life, it would be wise to steer clear of their conversations.
Even when we do get a glimpse of these characters' humanity, Robinson never seems to have the writing chops to pull the emotional punches. They are usually paper thin, with vague motivations and undefined characteristics. Even though a handful of the protagonists are female -- a rarity in and of itself -- Maya, the leader of the Russian team, is reduced to your typical female character with emotional problems and attachment issues. The love triangle felt shoehorned and, again, was there to tell a bigger story of how having multiple relationships in an isolated place (like Mars) can mess with our emotional stability. It is never about the characters, but about the effects of colonisation. Big concepts and ideas can only carry a book so far. It should never be the basis of a book, however, or an exciting one at that.
Admittedly, I did not finish Red Mars, which is unfortunate, because there were so many interesting concepts being introduced throughout the book. But they are few and far in between, and they tend to take up previous real estate in the book. Expect grand ideas about the future of humanity, but don't expect to find humanity within the characters. This is a textbook for future colonists.
I love science fiction because it is unafraid to ask the big questions. What if we have perfected the technology to terraform Mars? Do we turn Mars into an Earth-like planet? How much of Mars do we keep intact? How'd the colonisation of Mars change humanity as a whole? Robinson's Red Mars is not short on these big questions. Its characters are constantly debating the validity of terraforming Mars, all while dealing with the effects of being isolated from the rest of humanity and dealing with the elements. Camps form based on beliefs; some believe that we should leave Mars as is because of what it can reveal to humanity about the universe. Others prefer to terraform Mars and change its constitution because, well, that's what they were there for in the first place. Besides, humanity has hit on a rough patch, so being able to colonise and terraform Mars becomes extremely important.
The problem arises, however, when Robinson dives into the deep end with the hard science. In a way, he tries to balance the science and science fiction aspects of the story by constantly referring back to the characters and their intellectual experiences. However, he cannot help but stray back to the hard science, as if it is a comfort zone of his. Whenever that happens, the plot grinds down to a halt, focusing instead (for pages on end sometimes) on how bioengineering will be able to terraform Mars concurrently with other methods. In the literary world, as much as I hate to say it, this is called "info dump", or a way for writers to get certain technical information out of the way before moving forward with the actual plot.
But what's the plot here anyway? Red Mars is not a plot-driven book at all. It is a book about colonisation and what happens when humans are involved. So the process of colonisation is the "plot" here, and everything else is secondary. If you are going into Red Mars, know that this will read less like a novel and more like a beginner's guide to colonisation. Parts of this book does read more like a textbook, and it even comes with graphs for you to understand certain complicated scientific concepts. Without having some fundamental knowledge in various fields, including psychology, the reader will be left out in the cold at times. Robinson doesn't slow down in terms of his explanations, and jargons and thrown around because, well, the characters are mostly experts in their respective fields. If certain theories or terminologies confuse you, then you'd have to look them up yourself. Red Mars waits for no one.
So, if it isn't plot-driven, perhaps it is character-driven, yes? Well, not quite. Even though the book starts out with the main protagonists on an already terraformed Mars, they are mere supporting characters to the scientific ideas. These characters could have been way more interesting if given to a master of the genre. Yet, over here, they are drowned out by the scientific ideas that are always battling for attention. Instead of spending time with the characters and finding out about how isolated they feel from their loved ones, they would instead try to dissect the situation and explain it with scientific theories. It made the book feel less like a story and more like a collection of case studies. If this is how doctors and scientists date in real life, it would be wise to steer clear of their conversations.
Even when we do get a glimpse of these characters' humanity, Robinson never seems to have the writing chops to pull the emotional punches. They are usually paper thin, with vague motivations and undefined characteristics. Even though a handful of the protagonists are female -- a rarity in and of itself -- Maya, the leader of the Russian team, is reduced to your typical female character with emotional problems and attachment issues. The love triangle felt shoehorned and, again, was there to tell a bigger story of how having multiple relationships in an isolated place (like Mars) can mess with our emotional stability. It is never about the characters, but about the effects of colonisation. Big concepts and ideas can only carry a book so far. It should never be the basis of a book, however, or an exciting one at that.
Admittedly, I did not finish Red Mars, which is unfortunate, because there were so many interesting concepts being introduced throughout the book. But they are few and far in between, and they tend to take up previous real estate in the book. Expect grand ideas about the future of humanity, but don't expect to find humanity within the characters. This is a textbook for future colonists.