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Red Mars

I don’t really write about books here often, but I haven’t had time to play any games lately. I feel like I owe the four of you who visit regularly some content, so I’ll write a bite-sized book review.

Sometimes you find something that’s so good you have to share it. Last week, I saw mention of Red Mars in this Boing Boing article and figured I should check it out.

I’m a little more than halfway through, and I can already say that it’s one of the best science fiction novels I’ve ever read. The book basically chronicles the early years of Mars colonization—beginning with the selection process for the first colonists.

The story is told as a series of third-person narratives, each chronicling the life of one of the original settlers during different phases of the colonization effort. From the nine-month journey to the first tenuous settlement on Mars, to the building of great cities, each section draws an intimate portrait of another world, as seen through each characters eyes. When the first settlers set down on the planet, you feel how alone they are. As more people come to the planet, you feel the xenophobia of the original settlers.

Red Mars is definitely worth a read. I’ll keep you posted on the other two in the series.

I always manage to find a truly spectacular book when I’m in crunch mode and trying to finish a big project.