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The Martians -
Kim Stanley Robinson.
Contributor biographical information
Publisher description
Sample text
New York : Bantam Books, 1999.
336 p. : 1 map ; 25 cm.
Best Books:
- Best Books for Junior High and High School Readers, 2000 ; Science Books & Films; United States
Reviews:
- Allan R. Crowe (Science Books and Films (Vol. 36, No. 3))
The title leads you to expect aliens are landing, and you would be correct. But "they are us," as Pogo said, and we are going to Mars--to stay. Kim Robinson's book begins with several hundred candidates, each hoping to be selected as one of the first hundred colonists. Under the watchful eyes of psychologists, they live at the South Pole, learning to deal with the climate and each other, all hoping to pass the evaluation. If James Michener had written about Mars, his book may have looked like this one. Each chapter can stand alone. The story comprises a series of episodes spanning several centuries. Chapters center on a few characters and their relation to the planet and each other. Robinson's greatest strength is his ability to describe the Martian planet and weather so well that you believe that he has been there to experience it. The highlight of the book is the description of a group of people on a mountain-climbing tour of Olympus Mons. When the rest of the book has faded into a distant memory, I will still be catching my breath from the climb. It would not have been so bad, except for that unexpected storm, high up, in that thin atmosphere . . . . The plot, which carries loosely through many, but not all, of the episodes, centers on the struggle between the original colonists, who want Mars left as it was when they came upon it, and those who came after and brought "terraforming," warming up the planet and producing an atmosphere that brings rain and rivers to barren Mars. Genetic engineering provides flora and fauna that are well suited to the planet, and if it isn't just like home (Earth), it sure isn't Mars either. A civil war occurs--between episodes. The causes are dealt with and the aftermath is presented, but the novel is a study of a changing planet and its people, not a blood-and-guts book. The science that is presented is superb--primarily factual and not fictional. When science fiction is used, it seems to be proper, fitting, and about two months "down the road" from our current knowledge. It does not look like NASA will get us to Mars anytime soon, but until then, if you want to go, Kim Robinson can take you there. Highly Recommended, Grades 9-12, General Audience. 1999, Bantam, 336pp., $24.95. Ages 14 to 18. Series:
- A Bantam spectra book
Subjects:
- Science fiction, American.
Mars (Planet) Fiction.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PS3568.O2893 M37 1999 |
99013115 |
813/.54 |
0553801171 9780553801170 |