Red Mars

Red Mars is a 1992 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson. It is the first book in the Mars trilogy about settling and terraforming the planet Mars. In 1993, Red Mars won the Nebula Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award.

In Red Mars, the first group of 100 settlers to land on the planet include representatives from America, Russia, and the Arab world. Frank Chalmers is the leader of the American group, John Boone, a charismatic astronaut who visited Mars on a prior expedition, emerges as a rival to his leadership. Both men set about consolidating their power on Mars in different ways. John uses his connections to block Arab and Russian expansion, while Frank works behind the scenes to consolidate power in his own hands.

Another important character is Maya Toitovna, the leader of the Russian expedition. Maya is an expert at manipulating people in order to gain power and status. She is involved in sexual relationships with both John and Frank and this helps to fuel the rivalry between them. Maya is also aware of a secondary rivalry, between Sax Russell, an advocate for terraforming Mars for human use, and Ann Clayborn, who opposes terraforming and instead advocates for studying Mars in its native form. Finally, Maya is responsible for Arkady Bogdanov, who early and often advocates a complete break from Earth. He wants the settlers of Mars to make their own decisions without the interference of politicians.



Maya notices early in the mission that many of the people who have been sent to Mars have separated into cliques and spend much of their time gossiping about each other. This is the first sign of the sectarian problems that will affect the settlers later on. One day, while visiting the farm, she spots someone who she does not know hiding among the crops, and suspects that someone has stowed away on the mission. She tells John about her suspicions, but he does not believe her.

Much of the early part of the book is taken up with descriptions of how the crew settles in on Mars. Some of the tasks they have to do involve collecting items from supply drops, turning permafrost into a reliable water supply, and developing a new calendar to track the longer Martian year. For a while, the disparate groups that developed on the trip to Mars cohere again and are able to work together. Nadia, another member of the Russian crew and close friend of Maya, gains a reputation as a problem solver and a leader. However, after an industrial accident permanently injuries her hand, she must step back into a consulting role.

Nadia and Phyllis, a member of the American crew, journey to the ice caps to evaluate them as another source of water. When they return, they find the settler’s base in shambles. The fight between the Greens, who are in favor of terraforming, and the Reds who oppose it, has become very serious. Arkady has also accumulated a large following of people who want to break away from Earth entirely.



The mission psychiatrist, Michael Duvall, is overwhelmed by the fighting. One day, he is approached by a man he has never seen before who leads him to a secret farming colony. The man is Coyote, a stowaway who has come from Earth illegally. He has started a secret community of nature worshippers on Mars. They are led by Coyote and Hiroko Ai, a prominent scientist from the mission. Michael is quick to join them.

To this point, the Arab colonists have kept to themselves and managed to stay out of the sectarianism affecting the Americans and Russians. John is worried about the Arabs gaining power on Mars and tries to keep them from exercising their political will. Frank befriends some of the Arabs and tries to convince them to rise up against John, his political rival.

Meanwhile, acts of sabotage become common at the settler’s base. It is unclear who is responsible, since it could be several factions. However, John soon comes to suspect that Arkady is the main suspect. He is trying to make Mars appear unsafe so that Earth interests will leave the planet alone. John devises a treaty that will preserve Martian independence, but before he can put it into effect he is murdered by one of the Arab colonists who was spurred on by Frank. Though the treaty passes, Earth violates it regularly and without consequence.



Arkady and his faction, along with members of Hiroko’s colony, wage a war over the treaty violations, attacking the main settlements on Mars. The war continues for several weeks, destroying the space elevator that transports people to and from earth. Arkady is killed and Phyllis is presumed dead in the fighting.

Nadia, Frank, Ann and Maya regroup. Nadia destroys the space station orbiting Mars so that it can’t be used as a base for military forces from Earth. Now the group of survivors is marooned on the planet. They set out to search for Hiroko’s colony where they can find shelter. Frank is swept away by a flood and presumed dead, but the rest of the colonists finally find Hiroko and are taken in as refugees.