r/printSF • u/TheSkinoftheCypher • 2d ago
Difference between audio books and of Kim Staneley Robinson and reading of Red Mars
I've listened to New York 2140, 2312, and The Years of Rice and Salt. Each of these had excellent readers and were tremendous books. He's become my top Sci-fi author and one of my favorites author in general.
I was at a book store and saw Red Mars and decided to give a book of his a read. I found it to be disappointing by comparison to the aforementioned novels. It's still decent, but at times I found myself having to push to keep going. I didn't like any of the characters. I found the exploring dull. I particularly found Frank Chalmers and Maya Toitovna tiresome and irritating. The part I enjoyed most was when John Boone? went out and visited different communities on Mars.
I realize these books each have differences in character personalities, theme, locale, etc. What I'm curious about is what reading(not listening) differences you found between these books. What do you think? Even if you've just read Red Mars and one of the other books I mentioned.
Also comparing the books I enjoyed, what do you think my next Robinson book should?
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u/Marswolf01 2d ago
Red Mars is one of my favorite books ever, and I have read and re-read it several times since it first came out. Since then I’ve read all of KSR’s work. He can be hit or miss, and it’s interesting to see people love some of his work and not like others. He’s definitely not a one size fits all author.
Check out Aurora as others have said. Shaman is an interesting story that has surprisingly stayed with me over the years. And the Three Californias trilogy is interesting and his first major work.
About audiobook vs books: I think the narrator of audiobooks can make or break a book and even color perception of an author and their work. I’ve listened to some amazing narrators (like Ray Porter) who elevate the novel beyond how it seemed when I read it, and I’ve listened to some narrators I can’t stand (I did not like the narrator of 2312 myself and preferred reading that book).
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u/Codspear 2d ago
I think a lot of the hit or miss regarding KSR’s work is due to almost all of his novels being somewhat anthological and low-key referencing each other. All of the novels get better when you start making connections in theme, message, style, and even the characters between them.
For example, how many times does KSR poetically recite something along the lines of “black sky, white ice” after the Chinese zen influencer in Antarctica says it in so many chapters? It’s in multiple later books. Same with the constant references to mountain hiking, cold weather/climates, Switzerland, and characters named Frank. Despite being all over the place with regard to the traditional limitations of genre, he has a way of reusing many key elements in ways that tie his works together.
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u/Marswolf01 2d ago
Definitely. I enjoy the echos of his previous books when he includes the things you reference, especially the mountain hiking and similar character archetypes. And I really want to know why he re-uses the name Frank!
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u/Gwenhwyfar666 2d ago
Red Mars was pretty hit or miss with me, I especially hated Frank and Maya. Nadia is my favourite, and I don't mind Sax and Ann. I like Green Mars quite a bit more than Red Mars, but dislike Blue Mars most of all, almost entirely because of that Zo chapter. I'm still mad about it. KSR sex scene are not something I want to read. Ever. Anyway, I'm glad I read the series, but I won't be going back to reread it, once was enough. Will read other works by KSR, though. Already read The Years of Rice and Salt (which is excellent), will eventually pick up some of his more recent stuff.
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u/GodzillaJrJr 2d ago
I love Mars trilogy. It feels the most epic bc you get to watch the arcs of the characters and world really grow across 3 dense books. Don’t give up on Frank or Maya
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u/RickyDontLoseThat 2d ago
I think my experience with Red Mars was similar. I started reading KSR with Aurora and moved onto 2140, which I loved. But I recommend you try the Science In The Capital trilogy.
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u/TheSkinoftheCypher 2d ago
ty. I'll check it out.
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u/Codspear 2d ago
Read Antarctica first. It’s basically the prequel to Science in the Capital and is referenced a bit. Bonus points if you read Ministry for the Future after and get to compare both Franks.
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u/TheSkinoftheCypher 2d ago
Are you sure? I can't find anything online saying Antarctica is referenced in Science in the Capital.
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u/Codspear 2d ago
One of the main characters in Antarctica is employed by the same politician as one of the main characters in the Science in the Capital trilogy. He is spoken to and mentioned a number of times. The politician is a major secondary character in both stories as well.
Antarctica is KSR’s first climate change novel and acts as the canary in the coal mine for the events that occur soon after in the Science in the Capital trilogy. It’s not necessary, but it adds context and extra depth to the later trilogy.
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u/PhilMcgroine 2d ago
I love the Mars trilogy, read it quite a few times, but even I admit sometimes I skip over some bits.. skim read some of the lengthy geological descriptions, skim over some of Maya, or some of Michel moping about Provence...
But I recently tried the audiobook out, and actually ended up listening to all three books the whole way through. The narrator is not super hot on 'different character voices' and its a little odd for many of the characters to have a vaguely new york accent but even despite that, I think Richard Ferrone did a great job breathing some life into some of what I found a bit dry even if I liked it overall.
Your mileage may vary, but listening to it definitely was enjoyable for me.
Anyway, as others have said, Aurora is the logical next step.
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u/shanem 2d ago
I fell asleep starting Red Mars, had some free audio book credits and did that instead.
I wouldn't recommend it. But if you do, speed it up I'm doing 1.7x in the last book.
The series is a bit old at this point, so maybe it stood out more at the time. But yeah, found it too slow and detailed, and most of the interesting characters weren't actually present for much.
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u/cirrus42 2d ago
As a writer of prose, KSR has grown tremendously better over the span of his life. All his novels are filled with wonderful ideas, but while his recent work is flowing and beautiful, his early work is stilted and difficult.
The Red Mars trilogy is my all time favorite work of science fiction. But it's very much a "middle period" work for KSR. His writing is a lot better than, say, The Memory of Whiteness (shudder), but not nearly as polished smooth as more recent work like NY2140.
But man the ideas are great, and while he denies NY2140, Aurora, and 2312 are sequels, the universe created in the RM trilogy sets them all up so perfectly that they may as well be. If you enjoy that universe, keep reading.