Red Mars / Green Mars

Undoubtedly one of Kim Stanley Robinson's best works, Red Mars is a masterpiece in every respect. Sweeping changes are occurring on Mars throughout the story, but underneath it all, Robinson is careful not to lose sight of the human condition.

One thing that Robinson does so well in his novels is to tell gripping, fully-realized character-based stories. Though many of his works fail to climax in a tense, page-turning fashion, readers still find themselves flipping page after page, and falling deeper and deeper into the characters.

Red Mars uses these characters in excellent fashion, as we get into the minds of Maya Toitovna, and John Boone, the first man on Mars. We also see the seedier lives, in the personas of Frank Chalmers and even a bit of Ann Clayborne, Mars' first Red. All of these characters have interesting, intriguing stories that live through their personalities. Kim Stanley Robinson fleshes out the characters so well in fact, it's hard to believe they're not real people. Red Mars feels like more of an historical recounting than a tale about the future colonization of Mars.

I remember reading the Mars trilogy several years ago, when most of the attention had moved away from it to other novels. They were the first books by Robinson I had read, and I simply devoured them. Since that time, I have read many of his other books, including The Years of Rice and Salt, which was no less ambitious.

So it was that as I get on this “Robinson kick” that I found myself craving the original works that I enjoyed so much. Indeed, while re-reading Red Mars, I found myself remembering events I had forgotten all about, while eagerly awaiting the events I knew were coming. The fall of the elevator, for instance, and the floods that claimed the life of Chalmers. And yet I had forgotten things like the revolution, and the fall of Phobos.

I believe I enjoyed Red Mars more this second time around. Perhaps it's because I'm older, perhaps not. I do know that it took me less time to read than the first time around. Which nowadays is an accomplishment.

So the question is, would I recommend this book? Not to just anyone. Robinson is one of those authors the reader has to appreciate. If not a dedicated bibliophile, the reader may not enjoy Robinson's work, as often, they are not terribly exciting books, but rather, intricate studies of the human mind and spirit, and about our connection to the world we live in. They're nearly philosophical in context, and a thoughtful reader will find themselves reexamining their views and opinions about a great many things when reading Robinson's work. It makes for great reading, but not average excitement.

So if you enjoy a fantastic book, and like to be challenged into thinking new thoughts, and most especially, have never read Red Mars you must do so immediately. Borrow my copy, if need be. Do not limit yourself any longer.