"Blue Mars" as the title suggests is set on a fully terraformed Mars. The atmosphere has thickened and heated up and the ice seas have melted and created a hydrosphere similar to Earth. The masks and walkers have now been disposed of. The scientific substance of the book now concentrates on developing the longevity treatment, ecopoesis and the psychological difficulties of coping with living for 200 years plus.

I didn't find "Blue Mars" to be as fascinating and exciting as the first two books of the trilogy and was a bit overlong. Perhaps that was due to over familiarity with the setting and characters and it was only when Nirgal and Zo featured heavily that "Blue Mars" had a character of its own and came to life , but unfortunately most of the book concentrated on the First Hundred whose lifes work was more or less complete by the end of "Green Mars". I would have liked to have read more about "The Accelerando" instead. I also didn't like the prolonged ending to "Blue Mars"; I thought it was lacking in impact somewhat and didn't bring the Trilogy to the spectacular end it deserved.

However "Blue Mars" is still a wonderful book, full of impressive and credible scientific detail, and if Mars is to be colonised then this trilogy is a perfect guidebook for its terraformation. However the timeframe for the colonisation set out by Robinson is slightly over-optimistic I think ; maybe by a hundred years or so. I cant see antelope roaming the forests of Mars until the 23rd Century at least ! Although technology is advancing all the time.

As I read through the Mars Trilogy, I couldnt help but think that science, in its entirety, the geology,biology,physics,chemistry and all its subdivisions , is nothing more than Man progressively trying to get into the mind of God, to be God. They are a very humanist and rationalist series of novels, however they promote a form of intellectual elitism. Science is worshipped,science can provide the answers to everything and highly intelligent elitists know best. There is no room for religion or the supernatural in this vision.

"Blue Mars" is a must read for those who have read the first two books, it would be incomprehensible if you haven't. It is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable series of novels. It is also easy to read ; I raced through its 800 pages in 9 days, so theres no excuse for not reading the whole series now !

Granted, slowing down an already fairly ponderous narrative to a contemplative near-halt is a counterintuitive move, but consider the following:

1) Anyone not ready for a big, slow, character driven journey where literary style is as important as driving plot should have given up halfway through 'RED'. Why continue catering for them?

2) How much more disappointing would it have been if, having shown us the struggle to build a living world, the author fails to describe how people actually live in it?

I think this is what the final trilogy does - which is why the actual plot points sometimes feel a little forced - certainly the mild political wrangling that goes on doesn't deserve the same sort of treatment as the revolutionary fervour of the first two books. Presumably there was more than a little editorial pressure to add at least a little bit of direction - personally I could have done without it, and would have been just as happy with a series of incidents - vignettes showing the fascinating characters in the series enjoying (or otherwise) the fruits of their sacrifices while a new generation expands upon their work.

As to the sudden expansion of human colonisation - the 'Accelerando' - well, Stan's been so good about keeping everything within our own scientific horizons. Why not allow him a few flights of fancy? Remember, also, that this is two hundred years into our future - think back to the early 1800s. In any case, it allows him to have a happy ending on the cosmic as well as the personal scale. While the most tragic character - Ann, who saw so much of what she loved destroyed - finally achieves a rapprochement with the new Mars, we watch humanity overcoming its limitations, learning to grow without destroying everything around it and finding a thousand ways to live and work together. At its best, Science Fiction can express a profound, humanist vision that counteracts the pettiness of everyday life in a truly mind-expanding way - and this trilogy is Science Fiction at its very, very best.

While the "Mars" books are technically a trilogy, Robinson's "Antarctica" is a very good prequel (like "The Hobbit" is to the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy), and his "The Martians" is a good follow-up, albeit somewhat melancholy.

Why do I like these books?

1. The writing itself is excellent. You find few, if any, editing mistakes or contradictions. The viewpoint shifts between main characters to give you a fuller picture (also done brilliantly in George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series).

2. The characters are believable, engaging, and very three-dimensional. You come away feeling that you know these people, and that these would be the types of people who would be sent to colonize Mars and come out of a new Martian civilization, as set up in the two previous books.

3. Hard issues are dealt with in realistic ways. Do they reshape Mars to fit humans (and lose the harsh beauty of Mars and its geological record), or do they reshape themselves to fit Mars (which is much harder and limits the inhabitability of Mars)? Do they do government and economy and society according to one or more existing models, do they follow the dictates of Earth, or do they (and can they?) create something new? What happens when (some, chosen) people stop dying?

4. There is a healthy dose of adventure in this book, although there is a slightly melancholy tone to it as well.

5. The technology involved in the story contiues its believable, albeit rapid, progression from the previous books in the series.

If you're new to science fiction, start either with the "Mars" series or Clarke's "Rama" series. Either one will make you a lifelong fan.

Matt