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| Lucifer |
 Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:24 am Post subject: Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson |
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Forum Junior
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 241
Location: Close to 290125001
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Well, I just have finished reading Red Mars and I'm not sure wether I want to read the rest of the trilogy.
Red Mars has become a boring disappointment to me, and I wonder, has anyone read the whole trilogy? Are the other two books (who earned Hugo prize) better?
What I haven't liked of Red Mars has been:
- time/history setting has grown helplessly outdated. Yet I can be transigent with that.
- There are too many descriptions of places which I neiher know, nor inspire any awe no matter how much I read the description. I guess that with a Mars globe by your side it may make some more sense, yet landscapes are boringly big, dead and rocky. And are followed by more big dead rocky landscapes.
- The book is so... damn... serious! If you know what I mean. Not a single bit of humoristic relief. I don't mean jokes, just something ludicrous, silly or humanly joyful for a change. Every character and situation is bloody serious, and provided the amount of disasters in the book it turns out depressing. Parties included, which is a feat of a rare genius... 
- It's me the only one thinking the gene rebuild treatment is a piss poor deus ex machina to trigger the disasters afterwards? (And that's a serious flaw as two thirds of the book develop due to the treatment)
- All in all, it's too long, too prolix. Looks like the sort of book from which 200 pages of stuff could be missing and then the story would plainly rock.
Well, that's it. What you think? Are the other books appliable the aforementioned troubles?
(Just to clarify things... I'm not a light reader. Despite being busy and my increasing disappointment, I've read Red Mars in 6 days...  )
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| william |
| Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:32 am Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 23 Jun 2006
Posts: 905
Location: USA
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I started the book, but never finished it. Not because I lost interest - I can't quite remember why... but for some reason I just didn't finish it.
I think Ophiolite read all three. Let's wait and see what he says.
I did like Ben Bova's "Mars." And I also liked "Mars Crossing" by Geoffrey Landis.
Cheers
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| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:30 am Post subject: Re: Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson |
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Forum Radioactive Isotope
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 4016
Location: Scotland
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| Lucifer wrote: |
Well, I just have finished reading Red Mars and I'm not sure wether I want to read the rest of the trilogy.
) |
Don't read it. I think the work is excellent, but the the second and third books are similar in character to the first. If you did not like it, I doubt you will like them.
| Lucifer wrote: |
| - time/history setting has grown helplessly outdated. Yet I can be transigent with that. |
I can't find this a serious objection - which also seems to be your position. [If all else fails just assume the Many Worlds Interpretation of QM.]
| Lucifer wrote: |
| There are too many descriptions of places which I neiher know, nor inspire any awe no matter how much I read the description. |
As a Mars afficionada and former geologist I found these intriguing, enlightning, convincing and inspiring.
| Lucifer wrote: |
| - The book is so... damn... serious! If you know what I mean. Not a single bit of humoristic relief. I don't mean jokes, just something ludicrous, silly or humanly joyful for a change |
I almost feel we have been reading different books. The characterisation is outstanding. The periodic switch of POV character is effective. And, most importantly, all the human emotions are explored in detail.
| Lucifer wrote: |
| - It's me the only one thinking the gene rebuild treatment is a piss poor deus ex machina to trigger the disasters afterwards? (And that's a serious flaw as two thirds of the book develop due to the treatment) |
You've slightly lost me here.
| Lucifer wrote: |
| - All in all, it's too long, too prolix. Looks like the sort of book from which 200 pages of stuff could be missing and then the story would plainly rock. |
One of the main characters in the story is Mars itself. The book would be merely another space opera without the sense of place that are provided by the 200 pages you have found boring. |
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| Lucifer |
| Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:26 am Post subject: |
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Forum Junior
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 241
Location: Close to 290125001
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Well, maybe I will give another read to the book, although certainly it is not my piece of cake and I was disappointed...
I spent the whole book expecting for something else. Apparently I'm not too lucky with modern SF, or maybe my tastes are different of that of the average reader of SF... 
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“If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.” -Charles Darwin |
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| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:09 am Post subject: |
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Forum Radioactive Isotope
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 4016
Location: Scotland
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| Try Alastair Reynolds. His work and that of Stephen Baxter, have brought me back to reading SF after a long break. |
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| Caliban |
| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 28
Location: Australia
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| I never liked those books either |
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