Book Review: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

This is my second time reading this series. It’s been some years, but it’s amazing how these characters stick in your head. As soon as I picked it back up, it was like returning to familiar – not friends because some of these characters are not the nicest humans, or I guess Martians in this case – more like intimate acquaintances.

Each character is vibrant with their prejudices and flaws, but they also have redeeming qualities. One of the book’s main strengths is why they act the way they do and how that action affects the other characters.

One thing that blew my mind was the detailed geographic descriptions of Mars. There are a few points in the book where characters take extended trips out through the martian landscape. Each time felt like I was really there. Some day I’ll have to break out the Martian map and plot each of the courses described in the book.

Overall I’d definitely recommend reading it. It’s a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it.