A review by ioang
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

4.0

A brilliant hard sci-fi; it's basically a completely scientifically plausible account of a possibly colonisation of Mars. Robinson has a knack for colouring his characters the bare minimum amount to keep the story ticking over while he explores his bigger themes. In 'The Years of Rice and Salt' this was the rise of civilisation but here it's scientific progress and the social implications of the breaking of a new frontier in an era of globalisation and big business. It's better in the beginning as the colony takes shape, but the pace of change raises nearer the end as the narrative slows down, and the long descriptions of (no doubt accurate) Martian geography grow tiring. For anyone interested in space travel this is great, but can't really be recommended for its story alone.