Kim Stanley Robinson, Blue Mars

The history started in Red Mars and Green Mars is rounded off in this novel, this time focusing mainly on the continuing problems of an Earth in the grips of Malthus and a Mars as deeply split by the different philosophies of the 'Green' terraformers, the 'Red' conservationist and the 'Mars First' isolationists as ever.

As in the earlier books, Robinson is able to keep the different problems and viewpoints believable and understandable though the same mix of technical detail and personal interaction that made the two first books so enjoyable.

As a result of this, it show itself as an excellent example of the subgenre of science fiction that isn't concerned only with telling an excellent story, though it does that as well, but also has the effect of drawing parallels to the contemporary world problems and concerns.

Cliché mode on

Again it is through the eyes of Sax Russell, Maya Toitovna, Nadia Cherneshevsky, Ann Clayborne and the rest of the surviving issei that we see the struggle as they attempt to guide both worlds though the multiple crisis of overpopulation, a failing rejuvenation technique, memory loss and a society that while rapidly evolving, is also too solidly rooted in the mistakes of the past.