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The Mars Trilogy is a series of hard science fiction novels written by Kim Stanley Robinson. The books follow the exploits of a group of colonists who are deployed to Mars and charged with transforming the planet into a second home for humanity.
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Order of Mars Trilogy Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Mars | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Green Mars | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Blue Mars | 1996 | Description / Buy |
The Mars Trilogy story starts with the so-called First Hundred. Introduced in Red Mars, the first hundred are the colonists who were first sent to Mars to create a permanent colony.
The endeavor began with John Boone, an incredible astronaut from America who became the first man in the world to walk on Mars. It was John Boone’s charm and intelligence that gave the Mars colonization campaign the steam it required, with Boone gaining a leadership role on the journey to colonize Mars, with his philosophies and ideas continuing to encourage and inspire even after he died.
While John Boone kick-started the journey to Mars, the Mars Trilogy follows the exploits of those men and women that actually made the concept a reality. It explores the ideas that made the journey possible, the obstacles the colonists encountered on their way to Mars, and the actual terraforming of Mars into a habitable planet.
Jim Stanley Robinson delves into the psyches of the first astronauts to colonize Mars. He shows that while the entire group shared a common vision to create a permanent settlement on Mars, the minute purposes of the individual colonists and groups of colonists differed wildly.
While some sought to mine the planet of all its riches, others wished to use Mars’ unexplored potential to discover biological miracles. There is also a multitude of rivalries at play, with friendships breaking and forming, political structures rising and falling, and new philosophies arising to challenge the perception man has of the universe.
The Mars Trilogy is epic in scope and the stories it tells traverse multiple generations, allowing readers to glimpse the surface of Mars as it undergoes unprecedented change.
The Mars Trilogy books have been commended for their experimental scientific concepts and daring philosophies. They have also been criticized for being slow paced and providing too many details about scientific processes and the day to day lives of the protagonists, information that is largely irrelevant to the progress of the story.
Mars Trilogy Awards
The first Mars Trilogy novel won the BSFA whilst also receiving Locus Award, Clarke Award, and Hugo Award nominations.
The second Mars Trilogy novel got a Lucas Award and a Hugo award whilst also receiving Nebula Award and BSFA nominations. The third book also landed a Hugo and Locus Award, not to mention snagging Clarke and Campbell Award nominations.
Best Mars Trilogy Books
The Mars Trilogy books have been compared to the works of authors like Asimov and Clarke, with some of the best titles in the series including:
Green Mars: A long time ago, mankind sent a team of astronauts to colonize Mars. A generation has passed since those early days. And great strides have been made to make Mars an earth-like planet.
However, there are those who oppose the plan. They believe that Mars should be allowed to maintain its hostile environment. Most of these rebels are the first children to be born on Mars, young minds with strange ideas about the true nature of humanity and their relationship with their new home.
Blue Mars: Mars is habitable now. The dreams of the first colonists have come true. The red planet is no more. Unfortunately, while life on Mars has begun to flourish, events on earth have taken a dire turn.
Overpopulation has brought the planet to the brink of chaos and a disturbing number of its occupants want to find refuge on Mars. But Mars might not be nearly as welcoming as everyone would like, not when the planet is also beset by conflict between one faction that wishes to preserve Mars’ desert conditions and another that will stop at nothing to terraform the planet.
Other Book Series You May Like
An awesome series to check out is the “Takeshi Kovacs” Series by Richard K. Morgan. In the future, mankind has colonized space. People can travel across the stars by uploading and then downloading their minds into bodies. Takeshi Kovacs is an elite warrior who has been downloaded into an addict’s body and charged with solving a billionaire’s murder.
Be sure to read the “The Cinder Spires” Series by Jim Butcher as well. In a world where humanity lives in giant spires and the skies are traversed by great ships powered by manmade crystals, Grimm is a sailor that commands a great merchant ship who is caught up in the conflict between rival spires.
What Is The Next Book in The Mars Trilogy Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Mars Trilogy Series. The newest book is Blue Mars and was released on January, 1st 1996.