Red Mars opens with a tragic murder, an event that becomes the focal point for the surviving
characters and the turning point in a long intrigue that pits idealistic Mars colonists against
a desperately overpopulated Earth, radical political groups of all stripes against each other,
and the interests of transnational corporations against the dreams of the pioneers.
This is a vast book: a chronicle of the exploration of Mars with some of the most engaging,
vivid, and human characters in recent science fiction. Robinson fantasizes brilliantly about
the science of terraforming a hostile world, analyzes the socio-economic forces that propel
and attempt to control real interplanetary colonization, and imagines the diverse reactions
that humanity would have to the dead, red planet.
Green Mars, the sequel to Red Mars details an early 22nd-century Mars controlled by Earth's
metanationals, gigantic corporations intent on exploiting Mars. Debate among the settlers--some
native-born, some the surviving members of the First Hundred--is divided between the minimalist
areoformists, who have come to love Mars in all its harshness, and the terraformists, who want
to replicate Earth. As the surface of Mars warms and is seeded with genetically altered plants,
the settlers await Earth's self-destruction, which they hope will give them a chance to claim
their independence. They travel endlessly over every inch of Mars--no mean feat, since most of
the First Hundred are criminals wanted for their roles in the failed revolt of 2061--with each
kilometer and each group of settlers they meet described in laborious detail. When they're not
traveling, these colonists contemplate the history of which they have been a part and which
they can only partially recall as a result of their longevity treatments. With the collapse of
Earth society and internecine battles among the metanationals, the Martian settlers liberate
their cities and declare their planet free.
Blue Mars, this third book in Robinson's hard-science Mars trilogy follows 1992 Nebula winner
Red Mars (LJ 11/15/92) and 1994 Hugo winner Green Mars (LJ 3/15/94). In the 21st century,
colonists almost succeed in terraforming Mars. While they fight for independence from Earth and
attempt to avert a civil war, they find their new civilization threatened by an ice age. A well-
written, thoughtful conclusion to the trilogy. Highly recommended for sf collections.
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