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Red Mars

By: Kim Stanley Robinson
Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
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Publisher's summary

Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, Red Mars is the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson's best-selling trilogy. Red Mars is praised by scientists for its detailed visions of future technology. It is also hailed by authors and critics for its vivid characters and dramatic conflicts.

For centuries, the red planet has enticed the people of Earth. Now an international group of scientists has colonized Mars. Leaving Earth forever, these 100 people have traveled nine months to reach their new home. This is the remarkable story of the world they create - and the hidden power struggles of those who want to control it.

Although it is fiction, Red Mars is based on years of research. As living spaces and greenhouses multiply, an astonishing panorama of our galactic future rises from the red dust. Through Richard Ferrone's narration, each scene is energized with the designs and dreams of the extraordinary pioneers.

©1993 Kim Stanley Robinson (P)2000 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

  • Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1993

"Generously blending hard science with canny insight into human strengths and weaknesses, this suspenseful sf saga should appeal to a wide range of readers." (Library Journal)
"The ultimate in future history." (Daily Mail)

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What listeners say about Red Mars

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Brilliant & Prophetic

What an epic! A heady mix of hard SciFi and global politics, with the exception of African people who don't get their do. A dose of Afrofuturism (look it up) would have made it perfect. Still, compelling characters and a great read.

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Epic Story

Red Mars is an impressive work that ages well. Now nearly 30 years since its first publication, only a rollback of the starting date would put it back in sync. Robinson does an excellent job of world building and the characters are compelling and believable. The narration by Richard Ferrone is outstanding. I listened to a sample of Red Mars a few years ago and thought “meh”, but his “ghost story around the campfire” tone kept me interested.

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Red Miles

A detailed geotopographical description of Mars . Historical references are sometimes dated and science inconsistent.

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Fresh

Refreshingly non-oversentualized, with a well managed pacing between characters, story, and inner monolgue. The ecological and societal analysis on par with Frank Herbert's Dune

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Wasn’t my cup of tea

It’s a good book and I appreciate the effort that was put into it but it seems like it’s all politics. Even the fight scenes get politics drug into them and I just had a hard time finishing the book

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Then and now, a reader's listening journey.

I first read these books years ago. They were on display at the Seattle museum of popular culture. Being an avid reader and fascinated by the science of terraforming and humans going to our cousins in this traveling disc around a common Sun, I decided I had to find and own my own set. I was halfway through the third book before I realized I was reading them out of order. I had simply assumed there was a time jump between the books. Even still, the tale was fascinating.

I find this narrator to be pleasant. However, there are some pronunciations I disagree with. That is often the case when you've only ever read a word and never heard it before. I know I've run into that predicament a time or two.

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You won’t be disappointed

A well written and narrated book. Telling the different parts of the story from the perspective of the main characters was well done. An overall great read!

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Absolute Classic

Never finished the series, so I’m revisiting them in order. It’s interesting to see how much modern science fiction has leaned on this classic.

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Great Start

I loved this book but the second one was disappointing. Love the narrator and performance.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Very realistic portrayal of Mars colonization

I really liked this. Be warned that this is not a fast paced gun blazing type of story. It's a well researched and believable portrayal of what Mars colonization could look like. I really appreciated the realism. But, if you'd like more action on Mars, there are other books.

The narration is great, and I really grew to like the many characters.

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