This book, and both its sequels, are freaking amazing. A lot of sci-fi that focuses on the science does so to the detriment of character development, but this has both a solid science story and compelling, well fleshed-out characters, set on a world which KSR does a great job explaining the changes which occur over centuries. There's a little hand-waving genetics, but otherwise the technologies, ecology, and political implications are very plausible, and very compelling. This would be at the TOP of my list.
Anonymous | 2015-12-31 01:24:21
The "review" at http://bestsciencefictionbooks.com/best-hard-science-fiction-books.php is about Foundation, not this novel. Did you have anything to say about Red Mars?
Anonymous | 2016-01-17 04:02:58
Kim Stanley Robinson is a man, you said "she".
Anonymity | 2017-06-25 03:09:44
KIM STANLEY ROBINSON IS A HE!!!! NOT A SHE!!! Go back and learn about the authors before attempting to critique their work. For example, even though Philip K. Dick did acknowledge "The Man In The High Castle" as being his most successful work - he personally disliked it for having what he considered to be the worst ending of all his novels. He even said the only reason he believed it ever won an award was because "obviously nobody finished it." "Ubik", is without question a better selection. Even TIME magazine, of all things, lists "Ubik" on it's list of the best 100 English language books of all time (regardless of genre).