Green Mars

[kangeiko]

OMG Saaaaaaax!!!!!!!!!! Why oh why oh why?!

No, I can't be more coherent, aphasia, that's horrible, I was just getting into his head and now it's all gone and PHYLLIS WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE FIRST HUNDRED I ALWAYS DISLIKED! Snooty, greedy cow. *scowl*

Yes, I am mid-Tariqat. Grrr.



Also, 'Red Mars' - in general - rocks. Very, very engaging, albeit requiring a degree in astrophysics and a second one in biochemistry to undoubtedly get the most out of it. Lacking both, I feel that there was quite a bit about the 'science bit' that I missed, but that I was able to appreciate the book and the effort that went into it nonetheless. Oddly enough, the evidence of this effort is perhaps the one downpoint of the novel: at times, it feels somewhat laboreous, in that you have to wade through several scientists' observations of gases, combustions, refraction of light etc to arrive at a sunset. On the one hand, it makes you appreciate what you take for granted here; on the other hand, it is undoubtedly a lot of work for something that should be enjoyable.

But, 'Red mars' still rocks. Why? Because all these scientists are also humans and, as such, are a bunch of back-stabbing, self-centred egotists that are convinced that their way is the Right Way with respect to Mars, relations with Earth, the colour of the buildings, for pity's sake - all immensely engaging, loveable, and incredibly annoying characters. A bit like Londo Mollari in this respect!

We have Maya, who I immediately identified with (everyone be afraid, be very afraid!) what with her matriarchal childhood and everything. Then again, I think that at a certain point Maya and I part ways because I ultimately chose the less-man-eating-inclined Nadia path (without the engineering bits, obviously). Others may disagree with this assessment. Then there's Frank, who's everyone's idea of a mentor and a power-fuck all rolled into one (I had a frisson of excitement roll down my spine everytime he got angry); John, who isn't nearly as wholesome as he appears; Arkady, the crazy, crazy Arkady I want to be when I grow up, and Nadia - immensely practical about her role in the universe and her lack of need. You can sit and argue with me about how need I am / come across as, but, reading Nadia, I immediately identified with her.

Why is any of this relevant? The 'hook' of 'Red Mars' is not simply the storyline - scientists colonise Mars. Others join in. They have sex frequently. Some of them die eventually. - or the politics - some want to terraform Mars. Others don't. They all have Good Reasons. - but the people. The readers does not merely engage with the characters but, through a POV skip in each segment, we go through different people's heads and learn to engage with them. A petty disagreement viewed from the outside suddenly gains significance when viewd through the eyes of one of those involved; a character trait admired when inside the head of a character is identified as an annoying quirk when seen through another's eyes. Robinson fucks with your head, there is no doubt about it. I fell for it, time and again, investing a great deal in the continued emotional well-being of a certain character because we see things through his / her eyes, and then having that swiped away, ending up questioning why I was sympathetic to their position in the first place. It's certainly a more comprehensive view of events, but it got me thinking along the lines of 'Rashomon' - is Robinson clarifying matters or simply muddying the waters further by forever changing character viewpoints? We are not given the chance to go back to a character and reflect; once you're out of somebody's head, you don't get back in. (This is the case for 'Red Mars' and for the first half of 'Green Mars' that I have read.) It might be nice to see if people's opinions change over time (this is a very long term view being taken here!), but I suppose that this is where speculation steps in.

Also interesting to note was the undercurrent of Islamophobia in the POV of some of the characters. I'm not sure how strong the current is as, due to my uni course, I am particularly sensitive to it at the moment, but it struck me as mild but ever-present. Cultural insensitivity, in general, seemed prevalent among the First Hundred, and I wonder how much that stemmed from the characters and how much the characters put on for the cameras. Oh yes - the cameras. I had nearly forgotten that. When your every move is being dogged by recording devices recoding and transmitting your thoughts and ieas back to Earth, wouldn't you exaggerate, just a little? I can catch myself doing this on the train or bus, if I see someone obviously interested in a conversation I am conducting with somebody else. It's an unconscious desire to preen, to show off - to assist in eaves-dropping, in other words. A bad habit; I'm trying to stop it. The First Hundred don't. It's interesting to watch.

I think I'm going to stop here, because I am wary of spoilers. I have thrust my copy at athena25 with strict instructions to read it, though.



In other news, the chocolate coins scattered about our living room appear to be American cents and half-dollars. This is shocking imperialism, as the chocolate coins came from that British stalwart, Woolworths. I have rectified this blatant bit of colonisation by eating all coins who come across my path. I shall soon reclaim the entirety of the living room as British territory once more.