A review by manuphoto
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

adventurous challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Before taking on this book, I’d asked for advice. Some people loved it, others hated it, calling it a total slog. Usually these comments applied for the next two books in the series also.

Now that I’ve read Red Mars, I can say that I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, just not right away.

It certainly isn’t light reading and I totally understand why many readers would find it boring and uninteresting. This book is a great study of human society put in a very detailed hard sci-fi novel. It doesn’t make for a quick read, but I for one found it fascinating.

It’s not perfect. For example, the character of Maya was especially inconsistent and flat, especially compared to other more coherent characters, either male or female. I also didn’t care much for Frank, but I connected with the rest of the cast a lot better. I really liked following Nadia, she is a great character. Arkady, Hiroko and John were good too.

Robinson is an excellent writer. It takes one to write such a complex novel without it becoming a huge mess. He clearly did his research on the Red Planet and it’s fascinating just on that level (colonizing Mars, terraforming, etc.) but it’s his analysis of our flaws as human beings and societies that I find spot on. This was written over 30 years ago and is still very, very relevant in many ways.

So yes, this kind of deep dive has to be your thing for you to enjoy and appreciate this work, and it’s totally fine if it’s not for you. I will definitely read Green Mars and Blue Mars, although I will also read some lighter material before doing so. One needs a freshened palate before taking on another one of these. Shikata ga nai