The red planet is red no longer, as Mars has become a perfectly inhabitable world. But while Mars flourishes, Earth is threatened by overpopulation and ecological disaster. Soon people look to Mars as a refuge, initiating a possible interplanetary conflict, as well as political strife between the Reds, who wish to preserve the planet in its desert state, and the Green "terraformers". The ultimate fate of Earth, as well as the possibility of new explorations into the solar system, stand in the balance.
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The red planet is red no longer, as Mars has become a perfectly inhabitable world. But while Mars flourishes, Earth is threatened by overpopulation and ecological disaster. Soon people look to Mars as a refuge, initiating a possible interplanetary conflict, as well as political strife between the Reds, who wish to preserve the planet in its desert state, and the Green "terraformers". The ultimate fate of Earth, as well as the possibility of new explorations into the solar system, stand in the balance.
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Add this copy of Blue Mars to cart. $13.66, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2021 by Del Rey Books.
Blue Mars is a big book in many ways. It is on the long side for a novel. It covers a huge span of years. It has a very large cast of characters. It deals with some pretty big issues: politics, human over-population, space colonization and life extension among them. Perhaps because of this vastness on so many levels it took me a long time to get through this novel. The conclusion was satisfying not only because it neatly wrapped up the trilogy, but also because I was somewhat relieved to be done.
I don't mean this as a criticism of Robinson who I think is a terrific writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Mars books, but I just couldn't get into Blue Mars for some reason. Despite the huge cast of characters, the interaction between them was somewhat minimal. Characters spent a lot of time wandering around on the partially terraformed planet by themselves observing the geology, the flora and the fauna. Very lengthy descriptions worthy of a travelogue perhaps, did not make for a real page-turning read.
The huge span of time that the novel covers seems to take away from the drama of big events. The long view of history is always so much less interesting than the real-time nitty gritty stuff.
RPG54
Sep 11, 2008
Excellent conclusion to the series
Blue Mars needs to be read in the context of the first two books of the series, Red Mars and Green Mars. The three books are woven together so well that they are difficult to separate. You'll miss the rich character development without the first two books. If you read the first two, there is someone there for everyone to identify with and cheer on. Robinson's ability to bring Mars alive from a geological and geographical standpoint are again present and strong. The conclusion satisfyingly integrates the characters varying perspectives and challenges, yet leaves enough unsaid for your imagination to project forward.
