Kim Stanley Robinson

[Catatonik]

Author, scientist and genius.

The first books I read from this amazing author, was the Mars Trilogy.

Starting with Red Mars, the series takes on the idea of colonization of Mars, and is intensely well written, with excellent depth of character and a powerful grasp of drama, balanced with genuine theories on the theory of colonizing the red planet. The following two books, while as good, become a little more far-fetched, but remain as deeply fascinating and character driven.

But I think the pinnacle piece of work is:

the Years of Rice and Salt.

An alternative eath, one in which the Europeans are obliterated almost 100% by the Black Plague and a following disease. In this world, the Arabic Nations and China rise to be the greatest powers, and it follows a multitude of people through countless rebirths in the Dharmic cycle, allowing you a glimpse at a world that could have been. Very dark, yet surprisingly hopeful and thoughtful.

I highly recommend taking some time out to explore these fabulous novels and find yourself taken to worlds that could be...and might have been.

[Kunoichi no Kiri]

I very much enjoyed the Mars trilogy when I first read them. I bought Red Mars when I was about 7 or 8 because I loved the cover art, but I was unable to complete the book because I hadn't the reading comprehension to maintain interest at the time.

Dusted it off 5 or so years after that, finished it extremely fast, immediately set off to get the other two.

I've not read Years of Rice and Salt, and I'm intrigued now - alternate history facinates me (Harry Turtledove is a favorite of mine) and something in the genre by Robinson sounds awesome.

[mow]

I adore The Years of Rain and Salt . The manner in which the characteres transformed and reincarnated throught the time line in vastly different setting was masterful. Book Six : Widow Kang and Book Nine : Nsara are probabily my fav. I'm still at awe at the fact he managed to combine and highlight so many elements from philosphy , poltitcs, religion in such a fluid manner. Amazing.

Reincarnation is a story which we tell and then in the end it is the story itself that is the reincarnation.

But I don't want it to end, she proclaimed.

No; yet it does. This is the reality we were born into. We can't change it by desire. The Buddha says we should give up our desires. But that too is a desire! So we never really give it up; what the Buddha was suggesting is impossible. Desire is life trying to continue to be life. All living things desire, even bacteria feels desire. Life revolves around wanting.

Brilliant.

I still need to check out The Mars Trilogy though.

[Catatonik]

I found that in The Years and Salt, the focus was religion and politics, where as the Mars trilogy the focus was theories and philosophies. Both styles though are extremely well supplemented by his extremely in depth, yet easy to absorb, writing style.

Very much character driven stories.

I think I read Red Mars in....grade...8 or 9.