Red Mars

Red Mars, written in 1992 by Kim Stanley Robinson, is a science-fiction novel about the settlement and terraformation of Mars by the human race. It is the first volume of a trilogy - the other two novels are Green Mars (1993) and Blue Mars (1996).

Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers.

Characters

• John Boone, an astronaut from Minnesota and the first man on Mars. Has natural leadership skills, which allows him to have an informal leadership role.
• Frank Chalmers, friend and contrast in character to John. Uses more diplomatic channels of gaining power. Head of the US group.
• Maya Toitovona, an emotional woman who is at the centre of a love triangle between Boone and Chalmers. Head of the Russians.
• Nadia Cheryshevski, another Russian. A very good engineer.
• Arkady Bogdanov, Russian with red hair. A social architect, with anarchist leanings.
• Sax Russell, American physicist, who want Mars terraformed as quickly as possable.
• Ann Clayborne, American geologist, wants Mars preserved in it current state.
• Hiroko Ai, Japanese expert on biological systems.
• Michel Duval, French psychologist.
• Desmond "the Coyote", the stowaway.

Plot

The story itself starts in 2027 with the voyage to Mars. "The first hundred" of mostly Russians and Americans set up the first town on Mars and lay the groundwork for more scientists. However, the due to greed of the transnational corporations, who now rule Earth, the new Martian towns become overcrowded and undermaintained. Several cases of sabotage of terraformation infrastructure occur, blamed on anti-terraforming forces. The situation results in a revolution in 2061, in which many of first hundred are killed and much of Mars's buildings, notably the space elevator are destroyed. The surviving first hundred are forced into hiding.

The paperback has ISBN 0553560735.