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georgiaswad 's review for:
Blue Mars
by Kim Stanley Robinson
i have … questions. parts of this i enjoyed a lot more than the second novel, parts of this were everything i disliked about the series as a whole.
parts of this were unbelievably dense, KSR uses tons and tons of scientific jargon to explain in detail highly technical elements. i doubt many people could always be completely sure of what was going on in these bits; as someone without a degree level understanding of biochemistry or neuroscience there were multiple parts that were completely inexplicable. which is especially annoying considering this is sci fi and the vast majority of it is made up.
the political situation is much the same, he’s spent three huge novels building a fantasy political landscape and then details it gratuitously over and over again. this started to get both old and confusing after a certain point.
the whole deal w the little red people is irrelevant, doesn’t fit the style of the entire rest of the fabric of reality he’s building, and is under-explored. if you’re not gonna bother actually using or building something, just leave it out kim!
finally, wtf is this:
“Now she was engaged in a ferocious tickle fight with Boone, the two of them groping each other hard and giggling unabashedly. Something else to add to the day’s store of erotic knowledge: that there could be such a sensuous encounter between a five-year-old boy and a two-hundred-and-thirty-year-old woman, the play of two humans both very experienced in the pleasures of the body.”
i’m not even going to go into the weirdness of that - read it yourself and be grossed out with me.
all that said, it was, at points, really enjoyable. character progression was interesting and the concept as a whole worked and was satisfying. i think the drawbacks have tanked this series for me though, i award the 3 stars mostly based on temerity. KSR seems to think he’s the tolkien of sci fi and has clearly spent a ridiculous amount of time on his project. i wish i’d enjoyed it more.
parts of this were unbelievably dense, KSR uses tons and tons of scientific jargon to explain in detail highly technical elements. i doubt many people could always be completely sure of what was going on in these bits; as someone without a degree level understanding of biochemistry or neuroscience there were multiple parts that were completely inexplicable. which is especially annoying considering this is sci fi and the vast majority of it is made up.
the political situation is much the same, he’s spent three huge novels building a fantasy political landscape and then details it gratuitously over and over again. this started to get both old and confusing after a certain point.
the whole deal w the little red people is irrelevant, doesn’t fit the style of the entire rest of the fabric of reality he’s building, and is under-explored. if you’re not gonna bother actually using or building something, just leave it out kim!
finally, wtf is this:
“Now she was engaged in a ferocious tickle fight with Boone, the two of them groping each other hard and giggling unabashedly. Something else to add to the day’s store of erotic knowledge: that there could be such a sensuous encounter between a five-year-old boy and a two-hundred-and-thirty-year-old woman, the play of two humans both very experienced in the pleasures of the body.”
i’m not even going to go into the weirdness of that - read it yourself and be grossed out with me.
all that said, it was, at points, really enjoyable. character progression was interesting and the concept as a whole worked and was satisfying. i think the drawbacks have tanked this series for me though, i award the 3 stars mostly based on temerity. KSR seems to think he’s the tolkien of sci fi and has clearly spent a ridiculous amount of time on his project. i wish i’d enjoyed it more.