About the Author

Kim Stanley Robinson is the author of the Nebula and Hugo Award-winning Mars trilogy--Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars--as well as Antarctica, The Wild Shore, The Gold Coast, Pacific Edge, A Short, Sharp Shock, and other novels. He lives in Davis, California.

Reviews

“A uniquely rewarding experience of state-of-the-art science fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review

“No one familiar with Robinson’s trilogy can read through these final, valedictory stories without feeling moved.”—The Washington Post

“The stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author’s passion for ecology manifests itself on every page.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

With a Nebula and two Hugos to its credit, Robinson's monumental Mars trilogy (Red Mars, etc.) is one of the most honored series in the history of science fiction. Having finished the trilogy, however, and gone on to write yet another major novel, Antarctica, Robinson realized that he simply wasn't done with the red planet. There were important episodes in the lives of his major characters that hadn't made it into the novels. There were alternate possibilities that he still yearned to explore. There were pages of essays, vignettes, fables, poems, and fictional science and history, all demanding to be written. This collection represents Robinson's further thoughts on Mars. It encompasses a number of new short stories, including at least two set in alternate universes where events have taken place quite differently than in the novels. Among the best entries are "Coyote Makes Trouble," which concerns a plot to capture one of the planet's leading revolutionaries; "Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars," about the effect of Martian gravity on America's favorite pastime; and "Sexual Dimorphism," which involves a Martian scientist whose work strangely echoes his personal life. Also included is "Green Mars," a previously published novella about climbing Olympus Mons, the highest mountain in the solar systemÄa wonderful story that, curiously, has no direct connection to Robinson's later novel of the same name. Some of the pieces here will be of interest only to those who have already read the trilogy, but the finest of the short fiction stands firmly on its own. As is the norm with Robinson's work, the stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author's passion for ecology manifests on every page. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

YA-The description on the dust jacket of this collection of short stories and one novella might lead readers to think these stories simply expand on Robinson's "Mars Trilogy" (Bantam). Actually, with each story, the author presents a fresh perspective, further expanding the possibilities beyond the story in the trilogy-and subverts any tendency to view it as the "Mars Canon." In fact, the first story tells how the decision was made not to colonize Mars. Subsequent stories explore the red planet and life there-human and otherwise-with great imagination, variety, and humor. For those who have read the trilogy, these stories can be enjoyed as alternate histories or as return visits to familiar places and characters-often with a twist. For those who have not tackled it, they stand on their own as beautifully crafted and accessible examples of science-fiction writing at its best. Whether exploring the planet's badlands with a group of extreme eco-tourists, considering the Constitution of Mars (and how and why it works), or examining the nature of life from a very entertaining variety of perspectives, this collection will be a treat for any thoughtful reader.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

"A uniquely rewarding experience of state-of-the-art science fiction."-The New York Times Book Review

"No one familiar with Robinson's trilogy can read through these final, valedictory stories without feeling moved."-The Washington Post

"The stories are beautifully written, the characters are well developed and the author's passion for ecology manifests itself on every page."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)