RED MARS by KIM STANLEY ROBINSON (1993)

Red Mars is hard science fiction, containing much detailed actual scientific information. At least I assume that the scientific commentary is accurate or even a foreseeable extension of present science. As far as I know, it may just as well be gobbledygook, and there is a lot of it. The novel also contains pages and pages of detailed descriptions of the topographic features of Mars, some of which is necessarily fictitious, since the author could not have had this much actual knowledge of the Martian landscape. All of this detracted from the plot elements and often made for scan-reading, at least for me.

The story concerns the first 100 colonizers on Mars and is structured with limited third-person omniscient narration from several members of the group. From the beginning, the stage is set for conflict, with the settlers having radically different ideas about the approach to be used in relation to the Mars landscape. Some want to leave it as undisturbed as possible to preserve its character and beauty, and some want to completely terraform it to duplicate Earth. Personal animosities also flourish, including a love triangle between the three principal characters. When an increasingly war-torn and overpopulated Earth sends s massive numbers of new settlers, a great many to mine Mars' mineral deposits, the ecological conflict already present erupts into armed revolution against the corporate interests seeking to rape the planet.

This novel has obvious parallels in today's culture, particularly as sharp differences appear between those who believe in climate change and preserving the environment and those who reject climate change as nonsense. Other parallels would be the ascendancy of corporate control over world events and the inherent human tendency toward conflict even under "starting over" circumstances. Maybe it is just not possible for us to "just get along."

I found the core story of this novel interesting, except for the love affair sub-plot, which had mature scientists behaving like love-struck 15-year-olds. The scientific accomplishments might or might not be possible, even in the future, but I found it unbelievable that it could happen so quickly. The lengthy descriptions of the Martian planet became boring past belief.

Red Mars won the British Science Fiction Award and the Nebula Award. It is the first of a highly popular trilogy of novels about Mars. But this is just not the kind of science fiction I like. I am sure many would enjoy it, though. It is well done for what it is.