The Martians (Mars Trilogy) - Softcover

Robinson, Kim Stanley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553574019 ISBN 13: 9780553574012

Publisher: Random House USA Inc, 2000

Synopsis

Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy is one of science fiction's most honored stories, with Red Mars winning the distinguished Nebula Award, and both Green Mars and Blue Mars honored with the Hugo. Now Robinson returns to the realm he has made his own--the planet Mars--in a brilliantly imagined drama with a searing poetic vision.

From a training mission in Antarctica to blistering sandstorms sweeping through labyrinths of barren canyons, the interwoven stories of The Martians set in motion a sprawling cast of characters upon the surface of Mars. As the planet is transformed from an unexplored and forbidding terrain to a troubled image of a re-created Earth, we meet the First Hundred explorers--men and women who are bound together by Earth's tenuous toehold on Mars. Presenting unforgettable stories of hope and disappointment, of fierce physical and psychological struggles, The Martians is an epic chronicle of a planet that represents one of humanity's most glorious possibilities.

Praise for The Martians

"A uniquely rewarding experience of state-of-the-art science fiction."--The New York Times Book Review

"No one familiar with Robinson's trilogy can read through these final, valedictory stories without feeling moved."--The Washington Post

"The stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author's passion for ecology manifests itself on every page."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About this title

Review:

The Martians is a collection of stories, alternate histories, poems and even the complete text of a planetary constitution based on Kim Stanley Robinson's award-winning Mars trilogy (composed of Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars). For those unfamiliar with the series, The Martians from the title are the humans who have colonised and terraformed the Red Planet over the course of several generations. While Robinson told their story at considerable length in his novels, The Martians fleshes out some of his more interesting characters and also adds depth to their world.

When it's at its best, this collection presents stand-alone stories of life, love and work on our celestial neighbour, ranging from the tale of an expedition seeking to conquer Olympus Monsin in "Green Mars" to a folksy story of friendship and baseball in "Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars". Unfortunately, some of the material here can be tough going for those unfamiliar with Robinson's Mars milieu. For instance, the ending piece, "Purple Mars", is apparently an autobiographical snippet about the day Robinson finished writing the final novel. That's great stuff for someone who has been following the entire Mars saga from beginning to end, but newcomers will probably not know what to make of it.

Still, there is enough material here to interest anyone on the lookout for some good Mars stories. Although Robinson has made his name by writing fat novels that span dozens of generations and characters, in The Martians he proves that he is also adept at shorter pieces. It's a fine if somewhat uneven collection that serves to round off the Mars universe while providing some excellent reading. --Craig E. Engler

Review:

"A uniquely rewarding experience of state-of-the-art science fiction."--The New York Times Book Review

"No one familiar with Robinson's trilogy can read through these final, valedictory stories without feeling moved."--The Washington Post

"The stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author's passion for ecology manifests itself on every page."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0553574019
• ISBN 13: 9780553574012
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448