on ode to engineering and world-building - the literal kind
Aeryn Send a noteboard - 23/04/2010 02:34:56 PM
Keeps showing up in lists. I don't feel like googling. Tell me why it's great and what it's aboot
It's about the project of colonizing and terraforming Mars. The book follows the first Hundred - the first group of colonists (extremely bright and accomplished scientists & engineers) who land on the planet and proceed to build a world with their hands from scratch. A goodly third of the book is dedicated to landscape description of Mars, you feel like you actually learn geography (and bits of other science). It's done in a very realistic way. Honestly, I'd skim the landscape descriptions.
The speed picks up - more people travel to Mars, establish settlements and towns and their own cultures, and politics gets involved - the question of self-government, relations to Earth & multi-national corporations, how extreme the terraforming process should be, and on. The books walk through every sociopolitical and physical aspect of colonization and all the problems that arise.
So far it sounds dull as hell, I know. However, the story follows individuals with their fiery temperaments, mad scientist plans (they do some cool scifi stuff, like invent immortality - with its consequences), love & betrayals. You become completely wrapped up in that world, and when characters die, it's heartbreaking. At the big climax at the end of book 1, I actually shed a tear.
What's appealing about the book is the essense of the appeal of sf/f in general - the fantasy of political agency (in the words of Lois McMaster Bujold). You get a sense of power, like anything is possible. The juicy parts are when we see how a handful of individuals (not kings or prophets, but just really smart scientists) can determine the fate of the world, one step at a time. And then you can see the world transforming. The series follows Mars' physical terraforming process.
I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and actually switched colleges so I could study engineering under the influence of this book.
This message last edited by Aeryn on 23/04/2010 at 02:35:42 PM
Top 10 favorite books ever.
22/04/2010 04:12:31 AM
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It was actually easier to list my top ten favorite books of all time than I thought it would be.
22/04/2010 04:29:46 AM
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Re: It was actually easier to list my top ten favorite books of all time than I thought it would be.
22/04/2010 02:15:05 PM
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The Rum Diary was disappointing. The Curse of Lono was much better.
22/04/2010 02:42:18 PM
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This was hard to do
22/04/2010 06:05:53 AM
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1-6 was easy....7-10 not so much
22/04/2010 07:36:25 AM
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Whoa.
23/04/2010 02:39:05 AM
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I didn't really expect to see it on anyone else's list...
23/04/2010 03:38:10 AM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
22/04/2010 01:54:00 PM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
23/04/2010 01:05:39 AM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
25/04/2010 11:35:03 AM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
26/04/2010 10:41:40 PM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
26/04/2010 10:43:55 PM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
26/04/2010 11:27:45 PM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever. (in no particular order)
27/04/2010 09:14:36 AM
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My real list.
22/04/2010 03:36:11 PM
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Crossroads? Really?
22/04/2010 11:16:58 PM
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This is quite difficult.
22/04/2010 03:59:18 PM
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Re: This is quite difficult.
23/04/2010 01:07:10 AM
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It is very impressive.
23/04/2010 01:36:24 AM
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I'll try.
22/04/2010 04:20:53 PM
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This is difficult.
22/04/2010 06:51:00 PM
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Red Mars
23/04/2010 01:03:46 PM
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on ode to engineering and world-building - the literal kind
23/04/2010 02:34:56 PM
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Off the top of my head, I'd say these:
22/04/2010 08:20:07 PM
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I thought I would see a little more Malazan, more SoIaF......... *NM*
23/04/2010 01:11:46 AM
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Wow, Red Mars?
23/04/2010 02:35:09 AM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever.
23/04/2010 12:55:20 PM
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Re: Top 10 favorite books ever.
25/04/2010 11:33:04 AM
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I can't do 10 so I will do 15...that's right, deal with it.
23/04/2010 02:43:10 PM
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It's going to be hard for me
23/04/2010 10:36:02 PM
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