Blue Mars

Rating:
Summary: Slow Starter - May be better to read prior novels in series
Review: Somewhat a slow starter. Reading the prior novels in the series might be preferable. I may be somewhat jaded by 40 years of great science fiction. Still, should start fast enough to keep interest level in spite of a pestering 2 year old. Should also last more than a couple pages when picked up late at night. Improves after 115 pages. Sufficient interest to seek out prior titles in the second hand book stores

Rating:
Summary: 2020's technology & 1960's political vision
Review:

I felt like reading a book written in the late 60's, when multinational corporativism was a hot topic...But man, we are in the 90's !!! Haven't you read the news ?

While the look on future's technology is brilliant, as a result of an excellent research, Robinson didn't spend much time in reading what is the current debate in Political Science, specifically after the Berlin Wall was torn down. May be, a look into Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations" could give a clue on how international politics could evolve.And that would give a better starting point for the trilogy.

All in all, it's just Robinson's view and it's just a novel. But how can so much passion and hard work and talent be spoiled in wrong premises...

Rating:
Summary: Blue Mars resonates with real life
Review: I agree with those who think that many have missed the point. Blue Mars has tremendous emotional impact. As the characters died off, I was struck by the emotional attachment I had to each and every one. In the end, even the vaunted science of the next millenium can't prevent death, we must still struggle with it's tremendous hold over our lives. This is one of the most 'real' books I have ever read. Plot isn't everything. By the way, I also liked 'Dune Messiah' by Frank Herbert for many of the same reasons..

Rating:
Summary: still a good read, but rather disappointing
Review: Robinson sets out to create a new vision of a terraformed Mars still rife with the spirit that drove RED MARS and GREEN MARS, but it jars around far too much, jumping straight into a garden planet from the dusty, desolately beuatiful planet at the end of GREEN MARS. The second constitution's designing is merely a carbon-copy of the first. Nirgal's exploits on Earth are a waste of space, as are Zoe's in the Outer Solar System. Sax, though, is a much more interesting character, and the Elvisization of Hiroko is a nice touch. But the plot (what plot?) moves slowly, not picking up until the last long chapter, with Sax, and ends with an anticlimax. Ann and Sax finally deciding they were perfect for each other was a bit of a cliche, but still interesting, which is really more than I can say for Art and Nadia's romance. The book also commits a few acts that go against the grain of the rest of the trilogy. The travellers leave Earth. Mars is suddenly gardenized. Et al. However, Robinson is still Robinson, a bioecology visionary, master at creating a world, a people, an era. The colonized Solar System and the essays before each chapter may not be as strong as RED or GREEN MARS, but are still interesting. You gain insight into the dreadfully shallow natives. All in all, it was okay, but not as strong as the others. You may as well read it

Rating:
Summary: Hard SF that is genuinely moving
Review: It's wonderful to see Robinson's skill as a writer improve over the course of the trilogy (starting from a high standard indeed). What he chronicles is a magnificent story of human achievement. While it ends with nothing more dramatic than a day at the seashore --a seashore on Mars!-- this graceful understatement is all the more fitting to the tale

Rating:
Summary: Successful Completion of a Remarkable Terraforming Vision!
Review: Some disappointed readers seem to have missed the point of Blue Mars. This conclusion to the trilogy, rather than trying to outdo the earlier installments' brilliant technical vision, builds on them triumphantly! Of course, Mars is perceived differently by its inhabitants and earthlings alike when terraforming matures! The sheer struggle for survival evolves into much more sophisticated social interactions, between people (Robinson's cast of characters) and worlds. Who could fail to believe that terraforming of our close neighbor in the solar system would not lead to the expansion of the technique throughout the solar system as envisioned in Blue Mars. In the same way, as one reviewer noted, the character Ann matures in her ability to understand the ultimate impacts of terraforming. Not only the physical dimension evolves; the social dimension evolves just as fundamentally. Robinson's attention to the social aspects of his terraforming vision is really the strength of Blue Mars. His vision is powerful and detailed, just as were his earlier technical visions in Red and Green Mars. Interestingly, themes common to many recent cyberpunk works appear in this work as well. There seems to be a common vision of where our world humanity is destined to go, if not in physical space, then certainly in our inner spaces. Blue Mars was truly fulfilling as the culmination of this outstanding science fiction opus.

Rating:
Summary: Technically superb; but plot is unfocussed & anticlimactic
Review: I bought and read Blue Mars because I was astonished at the results of what was obviously an incredible amount of technical research done for its predecessors, "Red Mars" & "Green Mars" - and, from a layman's point of view, the seamless integration of same with speculative science fiction, and a gripping storyline. However, while Blue Mars did not disappoint with attention to detail, the fundamental issues of focused plot and reader entertainment appeared to have been forgotten, with soap-like chronology and milling sub-plots that threaten to confuse and alienate the reader. Expecting a thrilling conclusion to an otherwise-marvellous trilogy I was disappointed with one that had instead an air of wistful melancholy. On the other hand, some fascinating insights into the future of society, especially with respect to sexual politics and the culture shock of an ever widening generation gap provide challenging food for thought

Rating:
Summary: Mars trilogy ends with a whimper
Review: Red Mars was absolutely riveting, one of the best SF books ever: Green Mars was not quite as good as Red Mars, but it kept up a good pace and interesting story. Blue Mars runs out of gas. I got tired of reading about people just wandering around Mars

Rating:
Summary: The disappointed are wrong, or poor readers.
Review: Of course I loved Mars Red and Green, as did every sf reader. Clearly the last instalment does not have the virtue of sheer momentum, and necessarily is two books past novelty, despite its equally adroit and fascinating futurology. What it does provide is that rarest of of recent sf commodities ­ a true completion of a trilogy cycle. It becomes a single complete piece ­ the life and times of one particular place and moment, not to be messed with again. In that it is both modest and proud. For it finally it gives us that payoff, so long in coming and so hard earned, therefore entirely convincing: at the end the Reds do come to terms with the Greens ­ the symbols of their drawing together thickening toward the end till we come upon the book's last, simple and triumphant realisation ­ I believed with Ann, that original Green, when she came to be able to think: I'm on Mars, on Mars, on Mars, on Mars, on Mars, on Mars. As a rose is a rose is a rose, Blue Mars is true Mars, multi-hued Mars, forever new Mars.

Rating:
Summary: Anxiously awaited "Blue" but now I'm disappointed...
Review: Loved "Red" and "Green"! So much that I looked up other books and read several by the same author. Didn't like any of his others as well as the Mars books. In fact, the writing style seemed quite different. Still, I was so impressed with Red and green, I was really looking forward to "Blue". Unfortunately, I did not like it as much as the previous two books. As I found in my experience with his others, the writing style seems different. In short - less lucid. I am impressed with his technical discussions on a variety of issues: biology, psychology, politics to name a few, but pursuit of technical discussion has far overshadowed the interesting character interaction present in the first two books. I rarely "skim-read" and was most depressed to find myself doing it during Blue. It felt as though I was saying "yeah, yeah, yeah" during what should have been a much more satisfying read. Even so, I still give Blue a 6. The subject is so interesting and Robinson puts much detail and thought into it. Take out about 20% of the technobabble and you've got a 10!