] Because now I've finally read Red Mars, and I am agog at
] what may be the finest sf novel I've ever read. Red Mars
] has all the hard-sf window-dressing that many of us
] imagine when we think of sf: great and accessible tours
] through speculative cog sci, geology, astronomy,
] rocketry, physics, biology, genetics, and so on, until
] the head swims with the sheer scope of the research task
] Robinson set himself in this book.
]
] But the hard science is just the skin, and the meat of
] this book -- as with Pacific Edge -- is the "soft"
] science: the complex play of the community of his vast
] cast of characters as they set out to advance their
] competing agendas, writing the future of Mars.

Doctorow mentioned this on boingboing the other day, and I just got through the System of the World, so I decided to check em out. On his recommendation I bought Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars. I'm 150 pages into Red Mars, and its just great. One of those books that you're drawn to, that you hate to put down even though you MUST GET SOME SLEEP. The science is good, he has a good grasp of it. But what really holds it are the group dynamics, shifting narrators, and excellent character development.

I haven't read any sci-fi that wasn't Gibson, Sterling or Stephenson in years. I'm very glad I decided to on these.

Boing Boing: Red Mars: a very belated appreciation