| Red Mars | |
 |
|
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Don Dixon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Mars Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
| Publisher | Spectra |
| Publication date | January 1, 1993 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 519 pp (Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-553-09204-9 |
| Preceded by | none |
| Followed by | Green Mars |
| Green Mars | |
 |
|
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Don Dixon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Mars Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
| Publisher | Spectra |
| Publication date | March 1, 1994 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 535 pp (Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-553-09640-0 |
| Preceded by | Red Mars |
| Followed by | Blue Mars |
| Blue Mars | |
 |
|
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Don Dixon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Mars Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
| Publisher | Spectra |
| Publication date | June 1, 1996 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 609 pp (Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-553-10144-7 |
| Preceded by | Green Mars |
| Followed by | none |
| The Martians | |
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Don Dixon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Mars Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
| Publisher | Spectra |
| Publication date | September 1, 1999 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp (Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-553-80117-1 |
The Mars trilogy is a series of award-winning science fiction novels by Kim Stanley Robinson, chronicling the settlement and terraforming of the planet Mars through the intensely personal and detailed viewpoints of a wide variety of characters spanning several centuries. Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23 1952) is an American Science fiction Writer, probably best known for his award-winning Don Dixon is the name of Don Dixon (musician (born 1950 record producer songwriter musician bassist Don Dixon (artist (born 1951 space The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Bantam Spectra is the science-fiction division of Bantam Books, which is owned by Random House. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23 1952) is an American Science fiction Writer, probably best known for his award-winning Don Dixon is the name of Don Dixon (musician (born 1950 record producer songwriter musician bassist Don Dixon (artist (born 1951 space The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Bantam Spectra is the science-fiction division of Bantam Books, which is owned by Random House. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23 1952) is an American Science fiction Writer, probably best known for his award-winning Don Dixon is the name of Don Dixon (musician (born 1950 record producer songwriter musician bassist Don Dixon (artist (born 1951 space The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Bantam Spectra is the science-fiction division of Bantam Books, which is owned by Random House. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23 1952) is an American Science fiction Writer, probably best known for his award-winning Don Dixon is the name of Don Dixon (musician (born 1950 record producer songwriter musician bassist Don Dixon (artist (born 1951 space The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23 1952) is an American Science fiction Writer, probably best known for his award-winning The terraforming of Mars is the hypothetical process by which the climate, surface and known properties of Mars would be deliberately changed with the goal of making Ultimately more utopian than dystopian, the story focuses on egalitarian, sociological, and scientific advances made on Mars, while Earth suffered from overpopulation and ecological disaster. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals and have EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. An environmental disaster is a Disaster that is due to human activity and should not be confused with Natural disasters In this case the impact of humans' alteration
The three novels are Red Mars (1992), Green Mars (1993) and Blue Mars (1996). An additional collection of short stories and background information was published as The Martians (1999). The main trilogy won a number of prestigious awards.
Contents |
Plot
Red Mars - Colonisation
Red Mars starts in 2026 with the first colonial voyage to Mars, a crew of the "First Hundred" colonists, composed for the most part of Russians and Americans. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The book details the construction of the first settlement on Mars, called "Underhill". A debate among the colonists breaks out about the advisability of terraforming the planet, focusing on the two extreme views personified by Saxifrage "Sax" Russell who believes their very presence on the planet means some level of terraforming has already begun and it should be continued, a viewpoint held by "the Greens", and Ann Clayborne who represents "the Reds" viewpoint that mankind does not have the right to change entire planets at their will and Mars should be left in its original state. The terraforming (literally "Earth-shaping" of a Planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its Hiroko Ai represents a middle ground, believing that a new way of living could evolve on Mars, a philosophy referred to as "Areophany".
The Greens eventually win out, through direct intervention in some cases, and the first steps to terraforming Mars start during the book. At the same time, new towns are developed across the planet, increasingly "open" as new technologies and materials allow pressure to be contained in new ways. However, due to the greed of the transnational corporations which come to dominate and control the nation states of Earth, the new Martian towns become overcrowded and undermaintained. Multinational corporation ( MNC) or transnational corporation ( TNC) is a Corporation or enterprise that manages Production or delivers For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Several cases of sabotage of terraformation infrastructure occur, blamed on anti-terraforming forces. Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction The situation results in a violent revolution in 2061, in which many of the First Hundred are killed, and much of Mars' infrastructure, notably the space elevator, and Phobos, are destroyed. A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround" is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively A space elevator is a proposed structure designed to transport Material from a celestial body 's Surface into space. Most of the surviving members of the First Hundred are forced into hiding in the "underground", in this case a literal underground shelter created by Hiroko Ai under the Martian south pole.
Green Mars - Terraforming
Green Mars takes its title from the stage of terraforming that has taken place allowing plants to grow. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. It picks up the story from Red Mars, following the lives of the remaining First Hundred (and their children and grandchildren). Hiroko Ai's base under the south pole is attacked by UN forces and the survivors are forced to escape into a less literal underground known as the "demimonde". Among the expanded group are the First Hundred's children, the nisei, a number of whom live in Ai's second secret base, Zygote. Nisei ( 二世, second generation is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify
As unrest in the multinational control over Mars' affairs grow, various groups start to form with different aims and methods. Watching these groups evolve from Earth, the CEO of Praxis Corporation sends his representative, Arthur Randolph, to organize the resistance movements. This culminates into the Dorsa Brevia agreement, in which nearly all the underground factions take part. Preparations are made for a second revolution beginning in the 2120s.
The book follows the characters across the martian landscape, which is explained in detail. As Sax Russell's character infiltrates the transnat terraforming project, the newly evolving martian biosphere is described at great length. A mainstay of the novel is a detailed analysis of philosophical, political, economical, and geological experiences of the characters. The story weaves back and forth from character to character, providing a picture of Mars as seen by them.
Blue Mars - Long-Term results
Blue Mars takes its title from the stage of terraforming that has taken place allowing atmospheric pressure and temperature to increase so that liquid water can exist on the planet's surface, forming rivers and seas. Liquid is one of the principal States of matter. A liquid is a Fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. It follows on from the end of Green Mars and has a much wider scope than the previous two books, covering an entire century after the second revolution and showing the spread of human settlements across the solar system — a process Robinson terms the Accelerando. The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. One major event is a sudden, catastrophic rise in Earth's global sea levels, caused not by any greenhouse effect, but by the eruption of a chain of volcanoes underneath the ice of west Antarctica, disintegrating the ice sheet and displacing the fragments into the ocean. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface The Greenhouse effect refers to the change in the Thermal equilibrium temperature of a planet or moon by the presence of an Atmosphere containing gas that absorbs Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the
The Martians - Short stories
The Martians is a collection of short stories that takes place over the timespan of the original trilogy of novels, as well as some stories that take place in an alternate version of the novels where the First Hundred's mission was one of exploration rather than colonization. The short story is a literary genre of Fictional Prose Narrative that tends to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction such Buried in the stories are several hints about the eventual fate of the Martian terraforming program.
Writing style
The author, Kim Stanley Robinson, uses a third person perspective throughout the entire series. We follow a multitude of characters who see the plot from different angles. This gives the reader a broad picture of the developments in the novels. The chapters are separated by "Arch" chapters which mark off the character the reader follows.
Another interesting aspect to his writing style is the protagonist/antagonist relationships. Because the series spans a period of 200 years, there are multiple characters that hold the title of protagonist. In contrast the antagonist position is only filled by one or two characters (depending on the readers perspective). More so, Robinson introduces a unique perspective on the protagonist/antagonist relationship. The transnational corporations which play an integral role in the series also match each other in this bond. Unlike the individual characters, this relationship lasts through all three books.
Robinson also does not just use the standard plot graph of build up, climax, and conclusion. The books delve into much more than one plot, each with its own time line and conclusion. But all of these fall under the great umbrella that defines the Mars Trilogy - the colonization of Mars. Such an example of this is relationships between characters in which end abruptly, only to be touched upon again much later in the story as a 'side note', but sufficiently reminds the reader that it did play a part in the development of the character.
Story elements
Corporations
Transnational corporations, nicknamed "transnats", are extremely powerful transnational corporations that first emerge in the mid-21st century. These multinational corporations have grown so large as a result of globalisation that they have sufficient economic power to take over or strongly manipulate national governments, initially only relatively small Third World governments, but later larger developed governments too. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically In Robinson's future history, the transnational corporations hence becomes the inheritor to the nation-state, continually to attempting to take over competitors in order to become the sole controller of the interplanetary market. This article focuses on future histories in general For Robert A For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information As the Mars trilogy draws to a close, in the mid 22nd century, the transnational corporations are forced by a global catastrophe to concede more democratic powers to their workforces.
Although there are many transnational corporations mentioned, two play a active role in the development of the plotline. Praxis, a largely benevolent and relatively democratic firm, and Subarashii, which plays a large role in the maltreatment of the citizens of Mars.
Other themes
The books also speculate on the colonization of other planets and moons in the solar system, and include descriptions of cities on Callisto, Mercury, Titania, Miranda and Venus. The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. TemplateInfobox Planet.--> Callisto (kəˈlɪstoʊ, or as Greek Titania (, also) is the largest moon of Uranus and the eighth largest moon in the Solar System. TemplateInfobox Planet.--> Miranda (mɨˈrændə) is the smallest The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University Towards the end of the last book, humans are taking sub-light colony ships to other stars, taking advantage of the longevity treatments to survive to their destinations.
A great portion of Blue Mars is concerned with the effects of extreme longevity on its protagonists, most of whom have lived over two hundred years as a result of repeated longevity treatments. The word longevity is sometimes used as a synonym for " Life expectancy " in Demography. In particular, Robinson speculates on the psychological effects of ultra-longevity including memory loss, personality change, mental instability and boredom. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and In Psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store retain and subsequently retrieve information Boredom is an Emotional state experienced during periods of lack of activities or when individuals are uninterested in the activities surrounding them
Characters
The First Hundred
The initial colonists from the Ares who established a permanent colony. Many of them later become leaders or exemplary figures in the transformation of Mars or its new society.
John Boone
| Mars trilogy character | |
| John Boone | |
|---|---|
| Position | First man on Mars |
| Hometown | Minnesota, USA |
| Birth | 1982 |
| Death | 2053 |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred |
An American astronaut, and the first man on Mars. An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained He returns from Mars a public hero, and uses his considerable influence to lobby for a second mission, this time one of colonization. Lobbying includes all attempts to influence Legislators and officials whether by other legislators constituents or organized groups Colonisation (also known as Colonization) occurs whenever any one or more species populates a new area Boone received too much radiation on his first trip to make the second one, according to medical regulations; however, his celebrity status allows him to skirt this. Radiation, as in Physics, is Energy in the form of waves or moving Subatomic particles emitted by an atom or other body as it changes from a higher energy On the second voyage, Boone is one of the 'First Hundred' colonists sent to permanently colonize Mars. His accomplishments and natural charm yield him an informal leadership role. In the first chapter of Red Mars, John Boone is assassinated by fundamentalists acting under the aegis of Frank Chalmers. The narrative then steps back to the First Hundred's voyage to Mars aboard the spaceship Ares. His ideas continue as a point of reference for the remainder of the trilogy. Boone's character is complex. In one light, Boone is a stereotypically simple, heroic figure, an everyman hero: his first words on his first trip to Mars are "Well, here we are". He is almost uniformly cheerful and good-natured, and approaches everything he undertakes with hale bonhomie. But later in Red Mars, Robinson switches to Boone's point of view, rather than showing him through others' eyes. This section reveals that late in life, Boone is addicted to omegendorph, a fictional drug that is based on endorphins in the human brain. Endorphins are Endogenous Opioid Polypeptide compounds They are produced by the Pituitary gland and the Hypothalamus in Vertebrates The human brain controls the Central nervous system (CNS by way of the Cranial nerves and Spinal cord, the Peripheral nervous system (PNS In addition, it reveals that at least some of his seeming simplicity might simply be an act designed to further his political goals. Overall, Boone is presented as larger-than-life.
Frank Chalmers
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Frank Chalmers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of the American Contingent |
| Hometown | Savannah, Georgia/Jacksonville Beach Florida, USA |
| Birth | 1976 |
| Death | 2061 |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred |
Head of the American contingent. He is Machiavellian in his use of power. Machiavellianism is the term that some social and personality psychologists use to describe a person's tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain However, his cynicism is later shown to be a form of self-defense; Chalmers is at least partly driven by a hidden idealistic side. Early in the voyage to Mars he became romantically involved with Maya Toitovna, the leader of the Russian contingent of the mission. During the second-half of the voyage, Maya became involved with John Boone. Already bitter that John was allowed to join the colonization mission despite his manipulations, Frank further despised John because of Maya's affection. His dislike culminates in his involvement in a plot to assassinate John, which ultimately succeeds. Frank later flees with Maya and other members of the Hundred to join the hidden colonists at the polar ice cap. He dies trying to save them when they get trapped in a flood unleashed from underground aquifers.
Maya Toitovna
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Maya Toitovna | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of Russian Contingent |
| Hometown | Moscow, Russia |
| Birth | August 5, 1984 |
| Death | UNKNOWN |
| Gender | female |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred |
An emotional woman who is at the centre of a love triangle between Boone and Chalmers. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) She begins as head of the Russian contingent. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The novels hint she used both wit and seduction to rise through the ranks of the Russian space agency to become the leader of the first colonization mission. After the first revolution she flees with other members of the Hundred to the hidden colony in the pole. She becomes a school teacher for the children of the hidden colonists, but later becomes a powerful political force. After the deaths of Chalmers and Boone, she falls in love with Michel Duval. She suffers heavily from amnesia and a bipolar disorder with growing age.
Nadia Chernyshevski
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Nadia Chernyshevski | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head Engineer |
| Hometown | Siberia |
| Birth | |
| Death | |
| Gender | female |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; Martian Republic |
A Russian engineer who started out building nuclear reactors in Siberia. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving During the voyage and initial exploration of Mars, she does her best to avoid the squabbles of the other members of the Hundred. Instead, she busies herself by building the first permanent habitation of Mars, Underhill, using programmed automated robots. She also helps to construct a new and larger habitat and research facility in a nearby canyon. In the later books she becomes a reluctant politician. Nadia is in love with Arkady Bogdanov and is devastated when he is murdered during the first Martian revolution by anti-revolutionary forces associated with UNOMA, the transnationals, and Phyllis Boyle. In retaliation for Arkady's murder, she activates his last weapon system, built into Phobos, which causes the entire moon (a UNOMA/transnational military base) to decelerate in orbit and destructively aerobrake in Mars' atmosphere, utterly destroying it. Aerobraking is a Spaceflight maneuver that reduces the high point of an Elliptical orbit ( Apoapsis) by flying the vehicle through the Atmosphere In Green Mars she falls in love with Art Randolph, with whom she eventually starts a family. After Martian independence, she grudgingly becomes the first "President" of Mars.
Arkady Bogdanov
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Arkady Bogdanov | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of Phobos Detail |
| Hometown | Russia |
| Birth | |
| Death | 2061 |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred |
An engineer with anarchist leanings, possibly based on Russian futurists Alexander Bogdanov (the character's ancestor) and Arkady Strugatsky. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Futurists, or futurologists, are those who speculate about the future Alexander Aleksandrovich Bogdanov Александр Александрович Богданов (born Alyaksandr Malinouski, Аляксандар Маліноўскі( The two brothers Arkady (Арка́дий; August 28, 1925 &ndash October 12, 1991) and Boris (Бори́с; born He is seen by many other members of the First Hundred, particularly Boyle, as a troublemaker. He leads the team which establishes an outpost on the moon Phobos and leads an uprising against the transnational corporation towards the end of first book. Like Boone's, his political ideas (known as "Bogdanovism") weigh heavily on characters later in the book. In love with Nadia Chernyshevski, he is killed during the first revolution of 2061.
Saxifrage "Sax" Russell
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Sax Russell | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of the Greens |
| Hometown | Boulder, Colorado |
| Birth | ~1980 |
| Death | |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; Green |
American physicist. A physicist is a Scientist who studies or practices Physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning He is a brilliant and creative scientist and is greatly respected for his intellectual gifts. However, he is lacking in social skills and often finds it difficult to understand and relate to other people. Russell is a leader of the Green movement (a movement whose goal is to terraform Mars). The terraforming (literally "Earth-shaping" of a Planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its During Green Mars, Sax suffers aphasia (likely Broca's aphasia) after suffering a stroke while being brutally tortured by government security forces. Expressive aphasia, known as Broca's aphasia in Clinical neuropsychology and agrammatic aphasia in Cognitive neuropsychology, is an Aphasia Originally apolitical, this event and a growing attachment to Mars itself leads Russell to become the physical architect of the second revolution. Secretly in love with Ann Clayborne. Saxifrage means "Stonebreaker" (Russell is a terraformer) and is the name for a plant that grows between stones. See HMS Saxifrage for ship names For the fictional character see Sax Russell.
Ann Clayborne
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Ann Clayborne | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of the Reds |
| Hometown | |
| Birth | 1980 |
| Death | |
| Gender | female |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; Reds |
American geologist, who wants Mars preserved in its pristine state. A geologist is a contributor to the Science of Geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth and planets of the solar system She becomes a leader of the Red movement which is dedicated to this goal. She is frequently seen as bitter and preferably lives in solitude on extensive trips all over Mars. She has a hate-love relationship with Saxifrage Russell, an American physicist and leader of the Green Mars movement that wants to terraform Mars. After she shows signs of aging and her death seems imminent, Russell has the longevity cure administered to her (she being in a coma). She develops a more complex personality afterwards - sometimes remaining close to her isolationist position, sometimes appreciating the cure and the "blue" Mars.
Hiroko Ai
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Hiroko Ai | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of the Farm Team |
| Hometown | Hokkaidō, Japan |
| Birth | ~1990 |
| Death | unknown |
| Gender | female |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; Green |
A Japanese expert on biology, agriculture, and ecological systems. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan 's For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of It was Hiroko who smuggled Desmond 'Coyote' Hawkins onto the Ares (the two were friends and lovers as students in London). She is the charismatic leader of the "farm team", one of the important work groups and cliques among the first hundred. She thus becomes the focus of many of the trilogy's central themes. Most importantly, she teaches the importance of maintaining a respectful relation to one's planet. On Mars, this is called the Areophany. In the secret colony, Zygote, which Hiroko established, the first generation of children, the 'ectogenes', are all the product of artificial insemination outside of any human body; Hiroko uses her own ova as the female genetic material, and uses (often unaware) male members of the first hundred to fertilize these eggs. Although Hiroko is seldom at the center of the narrative, her influence is pervasive. Her profound absences are on the scale of John Galt in Atlas Shrugged or Harry Lime in The Third Man. John Galt is one of the main characters in Ayn Rand 's novel Atlas Shrugged. Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States The Third Man ( is an award-winning British Film noir directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, She disappears again in Green Mars. Her ultimate fate is left unresolved. In Japanese, Ai means 'love'
Michel Duval
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Michel Duval | |
|---|---|
| Position | First Hundred Psycologist |
| Hometown | Provence, France |
| Birth | |
| Death | 2206 |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; Green |
A French psychologist, assigned to monitor the psychological welfare of the First Hundred first in their training in Antarctica and then was later sent to Mars. Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Mental health professional A psychologist is a practitioner of Psychology, the systematic investigation of the mind including Behavior, Cognition, He is often treated more as an observer than as a member of the group. His aloof personality enforces this ostracism and also subverts his relationships with others. Two girlfriends leave him because "he was not there. " He subsequently is invited by Hiroko to flee with the botany group to become the first hidden colonists. He desperately wants to go back to Provence as he knew it, although after visiting as a part of the Diplomatic Mission to Earth he became even more homesick. Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Falls in love with Maya Toitovna and dies after she displays signs of very heavy amnesia.
Vlad Taneev
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Vlad Taneev | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of Medical Team |
| Hometown | Russia |
| Birth | 1968 |
| Death | |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred |
Russian biological scientist; nearly sixty when arriving on Mars, he is the oldest of the First Hundred. Taneev is the head of all medical treatment and research projects on Mars. He became famous as the creator of a gerontological treatment to stave off old age, and for consistently bringing out improvements to the Treatments. He lived in Acheron in the North of Mars before fleeing to the Underground after the First (failed) Revolution. He lived in a ménage à trois with Ursula and Marina, the exact nature of which is never resolved. Ménage à trois is the French term describing a relationship or domestic arrangement in which three people share a sexual relationship
Phyllis Boyle
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Phyllis Boyle | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of UNOMA/UNTA |
| Hometown | USA |
| Birth | |
| Death | |
| Gender | female |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; UN |
American Christian geologist, who favors corporate control of Mars. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Her harsh personality does not win her many friends among the First Hundred. She eventually sides against most of the First Hundred with the increasingly-authoritarian United Nations Office of Mars Affairs (UNOMA), and its successor, the corporatist/quasi-fascist United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTA), as well as the transnational corporations who were their puppet-masters. Historically corporatism (corporativismo refers to a political or Economic system in which power is held by civic assemblies that represent Economic Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology She was in charge of Clark Space Elevator until the first, failed revolution sent it spinning off into the outer Solar System. A space elevator is a proposed structure designed to transport Material from a celestial body 's Surface into space. She survived and was able to bring the station back to the inner systems. She engaged in a brief sexual relationship with Saxifrage Russell, who despised her, while he was working under an alias. Boyle is killed by Maya Toitovna (who thought she was torturing Sax) during the rescue of Saxifrage Russell from Kasei Vallis. Later it is revealed by Saxifrage Russell that, immediately prior to her death, she had been opposed to his torture and demanded that he be released.
Desmond "the Coyote" Hawkins
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Coyote | |
|---|---|
| Position | Stowaway |
| Hometown | Trinidad |
| Birth | |
| Death | |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred |
The Trinidadian stowaway. Trinidad ( Spanish: " Trinity " is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and Trinidad ( Spanish: " Trinity " is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and He is a friend and supporter of Hiroko, and a fervent anarchist. Present in Red Mars only as a shadowy figure who blends effortlessly into the Martian background, he isn't even identified as anything more than "the Coyote" until the beginning of Green Mars. He becomes a leading figure in the "underground," and an unofficial coordinator of a developing gift economy. A gift economy is a Social theory in which goods and services are given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future Quid pro quo.
Their descendants
Since the trilogy covers over 200 years of human history, later immigrants and the children and grandchildren of the first hundred eventually become important characters in their own rights.
Kasei
Kasei is the son of Hiroko and John Boone, father of Jackie Boone. Kasei is the leader of Kakaze, a radical Red faction. His name is Japanese for the planet Mars.
Nirgal
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Nirgal | |
|---|---|
| Position | Nisei |
| Hometown | Zygote, Mars |
| Birth | 2075 |
| Death | |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; MarsFirst; Green; Nissei, ectogene |
The son of Hiroko and the Coyote is raised communally by Hiroko and her followers in Zygote. He is a good-natured wanderer who eventually becomes a political leader advocating ties with Earth. He is one of the founders of the Free Mars movement and is famous for his running technique that allows him to run all day for days on end. Nirgal was part of a mission that was sent to Earth where he almost died from an infection. He was named after a Babylonian wargod who also lent his name to the Nirgal Vallis canyon. The name Nergal (or Nirgal, Nirgali) refers to a Deity in Babylonia with the main seat
Jackie Boone
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Jackie Boone | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head of the Free Mars Party |
| Hometown | Zygote, Mars |
| Birth | 2075 |
| Death | |
| Gender | female |
| Political Affiliation | Free Mars, ectogene |
The granddaughter of Hiroko and John Boone (raised with Nirgal), emerges as an isolationist leader, presented as manipulative. After an influential political career she steps down from Free Mars and joins an expedition to an extrasolar planet near Aldeberan. An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a Planet beyond the Solar System, orbiting around other Stars As of September 2008 312 Aldebaran ( α Tau α Tauri Alpha Tauri is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky
Peter Clayborne
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Peter Clayborn | |
|---|---|
| Position | Nissei |
| Hometown | |
| Birth | 2040s |
| Death | |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; Green |
Peter Clayborne is the son of Ann Clayborne and Simon Frazier. Being one of the first children born on Mars, Peter holds a position of older brother to all the following first generation. Many revolutionary and later political decisions of the MarsFirst movement are influenced by his opinions and judgement. Part time he works as an engineer and a "green. "
Zoya "Zo" Boone
She is daughter of Jackie. Via the gerontological longevity treatment, she has feline traits (purring) inserted into her genome. In Blue Mars, she travels the solar system running political errands for Jackie, although the two do not get along particularly well. Her character is portrayed as hedonistic, making sexual satisfaction a priority and seemingly having little regard for the feelings of others. On the other hand, she apparently has a conscience, risking her life to rescue a man on Mercury and later dying in an attempt to save a distressed flier.
Nikki
She is the daughter of Nadia and Art.
Other characters
| Mars trilogy character | |
| Art Randolph | |
|---|---|
| Position | Praxis Liaison to Martian Underground |
| Hometown | California |
| Birth | 2049 |
| Death | |
| Gender | male |
| Political Affiliation | First Hundred; MarsFirst |
Arthur "Art" Randolph
A representative of the Praxis corporation sent to contact the Martian underground movement on a quasi-diplomatic mission. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states The Praxis Corporation is an attempt to create a system of "ecological capitalism" based on democratic corporations; like the other "metanationals," it takes on intensive economic and political ties with governments, but Praxis aims for partnerships rather than exploitive relationships.
Zeyk Tuqa and his wife Nazik
They are Muslim nomads. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Zeyk's eidetic memory becomes a minor plot point. Eidetic memory, photographic memory, or total recall is the ability to recall Images Sounds, or objects in Memory
William Fort
He is the founder of Praxis, one of the huge multinational corporations. He embraces a fusion of Eastern and Western lifestyles.
Quotes
- Nirgal: "No hierarchy is worth acknowledging but this one: the more we give, the greater we become. "
- Zoya Boone: "It's like a rainbow. Without an observer at a twenty-three-degree angle to the light reflecting off a cloud of spherical droplets, there is no rainbow. The whole universe is like that. Our spirits stand at a twenty-three-degree angle to the universe. There is some new thing created at the contact of photon and retina, some space between rock and mind. "
- Hiroko Ai: "This is home. This is where we start again. "
- Sax Russell: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be a rocket scientist. "
Awards
- Red Mars won the BSFA Award in 1992 and the SFWA's Nebula Award in 1993. The British Science Fiction Association (BSFA annually presents four awards (though numbers have differed in previous years based on a vote of BSFA members and recently also members of Science Fiction Writers of America, or SFWA (ˈsɪfwə or /ˈsɛfwə/ was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight. Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
- Green Mars won the Hugo Award in 1994. Winners of the Hugo Award for best science fiction or fantasy Novel, along with all the nominees are presented here
- Blue Mars won the Hugo Award in 1997. Winners of the Hugo Award for best science fiction or fantasy Novel, along with all the nominees are presented here
Adaptions and uses
Screen adaptions
The Mars trilogy rights were at one point held by James Cameron [1], who planned a five-hour miniseries to be directed by Martha Coolidge [2], but he passed on the option. James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is an Academy Award -winning Canadian - American director Martha Coolidge (born August 17, 1946 in New Haven Connecticut) is an American Film director and former President of the Directors Guild Later Gale Ann Hurd planned a similar mini-series for the Sci-Fi Channel, which has also remained unproduced. Gale Anne Hurd (born October 25, 1955 in Los Angeles California) is a Hollywood film producer [3]
On Phoenix spacecraft
The content of Green Mars is included on the 'Phoenix DVD', carried onboard of Phoenix, a NASA lander which successfully touched down on Mars in May 2008. Phoenix is a Robotic spacecraft on a Space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The 'First Interplanetary Library' is intended to be a sort of time capsule for future Mars explorers and colonists. A time capsule is a historic cache of goods and/or information usually intended as a method of Communication with people in the future [1]
See also
- Planet Mars
- Icehenge
- Terraforming of Mars
- Colonization of Mars
- Mars in fiction
- Kava - The Mars Trilogy contains many references to Kava, and "Kavajava" - kava mixed with coffee. Icehenge ( 1985) is a Science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson. The terraforming of Mars is the hypothetical process by which the climate, surface and known properties of Mars would be deliberately changed with the goal of making Mars is the focus of much speculation and serious study about possible human colonization which might be possible Fictional representations of Mars have been popular for over a century KAVA (1480 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format The book uses kava as the social drink of choice for the human colonizers of Mars.
References
- ^ First Interplanetary Library Will Land on Mars (from the website of the Planetary Society. The Planetary Society is a large publicly supported non-government and not-for-profit organization that has many research projects related to Astronomy. Accessed 2008-05-26. )
External links
- Mars trilogy fan site
- The Kim Stanley Robinson Encyclopedia: A new Wiki project
- Review of the trilogy
- About mars and its exploration and Colonization. Courtesy of newmars, a subset of the mars society.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Doomsday Book by Connie Willis |
(for Red Mars) Nebula Award for Best Novel 1993 |
Succeeded by Moving Mars by Greg Bear |
| Preceded by A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge and Doomsday Book |
(for Green Mars) Hugo Award for Best Novel 1994 |
Succeeded by Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold |
| Preceded by The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson |
(for Blue Mars) Hugo Award for Best Novel 1997 |
Succeeded by Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman |
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