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Red Mars -
Kim Stanley Robinson.
New York : Bantam Books, 1993.
519 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm.
Best Books:
- Senior High Core Collection, Seventeenth Edition, 2007 ; The H. W. Wilson Co.; United States
Reviews:
- Sister Avila Lamb (KLIATT Review, March 1993 (Vol. 27, No. 2))
I have just returned from a long stay on Mars--about 60 years from the landing of the first group of 100 to the inevitably catastrophic ending of this first volume of a planned trilogy. I really felt like I was there. Robinson must have spent years accumulating his knowledge from geology to robotics and genetic engineering plus psychology and the complexities of human nature to be able to produce this remarkable novel. In the year 2026, 100 women and men from Earth are sent to Mars as an advance crew to prepare the planet for future colonization. The group consists of 50 women and 50 men (marriage and/or mating is permitted as this is a life-long venture). There are 35 Americans and 35 Russians (the major groups) and 30 miscellaneous affiliates. These people have been chosen for their brilliance as well as their ability to get along together. There is one psychiatrist to help them in that area. Material needed have been sent up ahead of them by robotic vehicles including robots to do most of the construction. Much hard work is needed to make Mars barely livable. It has lower gravity, instant freeze temperatures, poisonous atmosphere, and dust, dust, dust. The author describes all the construction down to the last nut and bolt, and all the stuff works! Also working efficiently is what we always have to contend with--human nature. The personal relationships developing are as fascinating as the technology--competition and rivalry for leadership, power, control, and mates, of course. The Outer Space Treaty by which Mars is ruled protects the planet from exploitation by governments or industrial corporations. But it soon breaks down as human nature nibbles away at it. Transnational enterprises with profit on their minds move in and governments covet control of the space. Revolution develops--all in 519 pages of exciting reading for any mature, educated reader. A bonus are the vivid descriptions of the landscape and the gorgeous sunsets. KLIATT Codes: A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. 1993, Bantam/Spectra, $11.95. Ages 17 to adult. Subjects:
- Mars (Planet)--Fiction.
Science fiction.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PS3568.O2893 R44 1993 |
92021607 |
813/.54 |
0553092049 : $22.95 ($27.95 Can.) 0553371347 (pbk.) 9780553092042 9780553371345 |