Red Mars

Red Mars, a 1992 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, is the first book in the Mars trilogy about settling and terraforming the planet Mars. Red Mars follows the first 100 people who land on Mars and begin the complex process of terraforming the planet. In 1993, Red Mars won the Nebula Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award. 

This guide uses the 2009 HarperVoyager edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death and suicidal ideation.

Plot Summary

The first group of 100 settlers to land on Mars includes representatives from the US, Russia, and various cultures from Earth. They become famous as pioneers in the colonization of Mars. Among them are Frank Chalmers, the leader of the US group; John Boone, a charismatic US astronaut known as the first man on Mars; and Maya Katarina Toitovna, the leader of the Russian group. The three become embroiled in a complicated love triangle during their mission. Boone and Chalmers become rivals for power (and for Maya’s attention) as they attempt to consolidate their control over the nascent Martian society. The book opens in the middle of the colonization process as Chalmers plots to kill Boone with the help of Arab community members.

The narrative then flashes back to the first days aboard the ship, the Ares. As the 100 colonists travel to Mars, they get to know one another. Maya is an expert at manipulating people to gain power and status. She’s involved in sexual relationships with both Boone and Chalmers, which adds fuel to the rivalry between them. Maya is also aware of a secondary rivalry: Sax Russell, an advocate for terraforming Mars for human use, is locked into a debate with Ann Clayborn, who opposes terraforming and instead advocates studying Mars in its native form. Their debate is broadcast on television stations back on Earth, where people consider it in the context of overpopulation and food shortages. Additionally, Maya is responsible for Arkady Bogdanov, who continually advocates a complete break from Earth. He wants the settlers of Mars to make their own decisions without the interference of politicians on Earth. Whenever he can, Arkady delivers a grandstanding speech about the need to build a new utopia on Mars, free from the problems of Earth.

Maya notices early in the journey that many colonists have separated into cliques and spend much of their time gossiping about each other. This is the first sign of the sectarian problems that later affect the settlers. One day while visiting the farm, she spots someone she doesn’t know hiding among the crops and suspects that this person stowed away on the mission. She tells Boone about her suspicions but is unsure who else she can tell about her fears. Maya shares her observations about how the crew adjusts to life in space and then, as they approach the planet, prepares to lead the first community on Mars.

The initial period on the planet’s surface unfolds from the perspective of Russian engineer Nadezhda Francine Chernyshevski, or Nadia. The necessary tasks include 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 work together. Nadia, a close friend of Maya’s, gains a reputation as a problem solver and leader. However, after an industrial accident permanently injuries Nadia’s hand, she reflects on the complex relationships that distract her from her work.

Along with geologists Ann Clayborne and Phyllis Boyle (a religious member of the US crew), Nadia journeys to the ice caps to evaluate them as another source of water. The mission allows Nadia to rediscover her sense of wonder at being on another planet. When she returns to the settlement, now named Underhill, fellow Russian settler Arkady Bogdanov visits her. He has been building a base on the Martian moon Phobos. Arkady is pleased to see Nadia, and they volunteer for one of Sax’s terraforming missions, which involves piloting a dirigible around the planet to distribute small windmills. During this mission, Arkady and Nadia become romantically involved. They then discover that the windmills contain genetically modified algae that, they suspect, is an illegal attempt to jumpstart the terraforming project. They return to the base as the UN announces plans to terraform Mars.

The mission psychiatrist, Michel Duval, is overwhelmed by intense homesickness. One day, he’s approached by a man he has never seen before who leads him to a secret farming colony. The man is the Coyote, a stowaway who came from Earth illegally. He’s a member of a secret community of nature worshippers on Mars, led by resident botanist Hiroko Ai. After participating in their ritual, Duval joins them as they disappear into the Martian wilderness.

Later, Boone travels around the new communities springing up on Mars. He investigates sabotage incidents targeting the Martian infrastructure. Meanwhile, the UN and the transnational corporations on Earth compete for power and resources on Mars. At massive cost, they build a space elevator, which will make the many mining operations profitable. As Boone travels around the planet, trying to build an idea of Martian community, investigators from the UN target him. A dust storm consumes the planet, lasting for several years. During this time, an anti-aging treatment is developed that dramatically prolongs human life. Boone continues his efforts and, when the storm finally clears, suggests that they host a festival to celebrate. The festival is popular; even Hiroko and her worshippers attend. Boone reveals that Hiroko’s people are responsible for the acts of sabotage without her knowledge. The young people who surround her, she reveals, were born from genetic samples taken from the 100; a young man named Kasei is Boone’s son. The meeting disperses on a hopeful note, and Boone is certain of success.

The narrative flashes forward to after Boone’s assassination. Chalmers desperately renegotiates the UN treaty for control of Mars. Afterward, while with an Arab caravan, he realizes that the transnational corporations aren’t adhering to the treaty. Arkady and his faction threaten a revolution on Mars. Chalmers works to quell this uprising, though the transnationals treat many of the new immigrants on Mars with contempt. Revolts and protests begin to spring up, and Chalmers urges that the factions find a compromise. He’s unsuccessful, however, and the Martian Revolution begins.

During the ensuing violence, Arkady is killed. The rebels destroy the space elevator, which crashes down to Mars, killing many. The environment is forever changed. Nadia tries to use her engineering knowledge to help people and communities, but the remaining members of the 100 are forced to escape. Ann, stricken with grief at the possible death of her son (Peter), escapes with Duval and Kasei, who invite others to join Hiroko’s community. Ann forces herself to contribute, but Chalmers is killed in an accident, and she blames herself for his death. Eventually, Maya, Nadia, Ann, Sax, and the remaining members of the 100 reach the new community but witness the changing landscape of Mars, as long-buried oceans of water flood the planet’s surface. When they reach the polar regions, they find the secret base built by Hiroko and her followers, including Ann’s son. Hiroko welcomes them to their new home.