This book is the first in a trilogy (The Mars Trilogy) detailing a future in which humanity colonizes Mars. It is an epic, sprawling saga that covers over 200 years of human history of we spread to a 2nd planet for the first time, but all told from the very personal viewpoints of the extremely well-fleshed-out characters that inhabit its pages. I love this book not only for the really amazing writing, which made me both laugh and cry multiple times, not only for the characters so alive I feel like I know them - but for the SCIENCE. The author really does his research. This is what they call "hard" science fiction, in which every technology and bit of science in the book is based on actual, real-workl possibilities. In fact, even though this book was only written in 1993 - it has already successfully predicted the future a couple times This is probably due to the fact that Kim Stanley Robinson frequently lunches with a group of NASA scientists, and has been picking their brains for years. It's a hefty read, I won't lie. But it's one of those books that gets inside you and stays with you and you later come back to - I've read it multiple times. It's available on audio as well, a really good version too, I've listened to that also. And even though it is the first of a trilogy, it can be read by itself. The other thing I loved about this book, was getting surprised at every turn. There are so many twists, they'll leave ya spinning If you liked The Martian, I'd say give this one a try.
