First published 1999 by Voyager.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s big trilogy of Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars are classics in the field of science fiction. They explore the colonisation of Mars from an initial settlement of 100 scientists and engineers, through revolution and independence. Chronicling terraforming, immigration, vastly extended lives, and various economic and social models, the Mars Trilogy is classic science fiction. The Martians is a book of short stories based on this universe (with at least one, “Michel in Provence” on an alternative version), and should really only be read after the trilogy. But, that trilogy is well worth reading, and if you liked it, The Martians should also tweak your brain. Not all the stories will appeal to everyone, of course. The book includes stories about individual lives, a discussion of the Martian Constitution (also included), veers to stories about rock, and the history of Martian areology, and dips into his created Martian mythology. One story looks at how baseball might be played on Mars, and how an American changes the game, and there are a large number of poems, collected as “If Wang Wei Lived on Mars and other poems” (though none of them are titled that). The final story seems to be autobiographical concerning a day in the life of an author, and as the final words the author writes are “the end”, it seems appropriate.

I own Red Mars, and if I found the other two for a good price, I would definitely buy them. However, The Martians is a different book. It is quite interesting for someone who found the trilogy worth reading, but it is a different kind of book. It fills in gaps in the story, or explores areas that the trilogy did not. I think I would purchase it, if I found it available for a good price, but I would not treasure it as much as the trilogy. Perhaps if the parts I did not enjoy as much were left out, it would be better? But, of course, it would not then be the same book. The included stories do vary in type, and character. I found many of the stories essential additions to the trilogy, while others could easily have been left out.

Neuromancer
By William Gibson, first published 1984 in Great Britain by Victor Gollancz.

This excellent science fiction story is rightfully considered a classic in the field. One of the first “cyberpunk” stories, it tells the story of a washed up computer “cowboy” who is recruited by a rouge AI (via a intermediary, a ex-marine who’s mind was reconstructed from basically scraps) to help remove a hardware block preventing said AI from becoming more intelligent and powerful.

In the book we find many interesting things. These include:

• A woman who has had surgery to give her retractable claws and night-vision (among other things).
• A ROM personality matrix or firmware construct of one of the best cowboys in the business.
• Urban sprawl stretching from Bostan to Atlanta.
• A Rastafarian colony in space.

Though this book wasn’t the first to use the term “cyberspace” (that was an earlier book by Gibson), it did help popularise it. The book was also a huge influence on the movie “The Matrix” (that term having been in use to reference computers for many years previous to “Neuromancer” though).

This book stands the test of time too. It has only two things that date it to a significant degree. The first is a constant reference to megabytes. When the book was written megabytes were big. Even into the early nineties PCs were still sold with megabyte sized hard-drives. The second is the references to a war with the Soviet Union. This war though plays only a minor part in the story, and mainly as background for one particular character (the ex-marine).

So, did I like the story? Yes I did. It is an excellent read, and I would recommend it to almost anybody who enjoys reading. It may have concepts that flow over the top of some people, but I still think that most people would get something out of it. Five out of five. I own a copy. And I will read again (and have read it before).

For more information, Wikipedia provides a great synopsis (including too many spoilers).

(Side-note, it shows how blind one can be. The title, made up of “Neuro” and “mancer” is obviously a play on necromancer. That is, someone who, raises the dead. “Neuro” is used instead of “necro” because while the computer raises the dead, “cowboys” interact with the “matrix” through their nervous system. They “jack in” to a virtual reality. I only just noticed the title when I started writing this review. Even though I’ve read the book many times before.)

First published in 2006 by the University of Queensland Press.

Loop is a book of 14 short stories (not that you can obviously tell this from the cover). They tend towards the mythical and supernatural, but tend to still be set in the “modern” era. The first story “The Garden” features a ghost, and talks about a house in Sydney and how it has passed hands. “Running the Majestic” talks about a teenager who loves movies, and one day does something courageous. “Jigsaw” is about how a young woman finds a great dress in an op-shop, but whenever she wears it, she gets flashes of someone else’s life. “Free” is an interesting look at dogs and wolfs from a dog’s perspective. The title story, “Loop” is another look at the old story of someone playing the same day over and over again.

Loop is a book written for “young adults”, and as such, I did not appreciated as much as perhaps it deserves. However, it is not that complicated, and does not explore the themes in as much depth as they could have. Still it was well written for what it is, and I would recommend it to someone in their mid-teens. I personally would not bother to read most of the stories again, nor buy the book, but, I’m not the target audience by any means. 3 and a half stars.