DNF, barely started. The author is american and doesn't it show: on roughly page 3 we are EXPECTED to know what a 'midwestern' dialect is. We the readers are EXPECTED to be american bevause the whole world is american. Extraordinary arrogance. This is even hinted at around the same section. I have no idea what a midwestern dialect sounds like. Bruce Willis? Oliver Hardy? Will Smith? Buster Keaton? But since america is the whole world I am EXPECTED to understand intuitively, as I am EXPECTED to know of some minor american geographical feature. Grow up, Mr Robinson.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Absolutely love this book. This was a great value used copy.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
A lot of technical jargon which I found difficult to grasp.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Epic, classic work of 'hard' sci-fi (lots of plausible scientific detail). A little dated, but sci-fi always tells you a lot about the time when it was written. A large and varied cast of characters to get quite attached to. I read it a long time ago – I've bought it now as a gift for a friend to share the story with her.
I haven't finished this book yet, but here are a few thoughts. From the first moment, character development is off and running. KSR's political mapping of Mars reflects a mainstream, educated Western understanding of Earth c.1990, with all the limitations that implies, e.g. the Politics 101-type presentation of "cultural imperialism" - but we're still talking leagues better than the Tom Clancy cut-and-paste bad guys approach. The bad guys in Red Mars are not two-dimensional. They are motivated by thought, and are often quirky of character. The writing style is populist, low-brow, but that makes for a speedy pacing that often SF authors like Kevin J. Anderson lack. Overall, I'm looking forward to the rest.
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books