Review: Solid Writing, Interesting Premise
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 6, 2014
I've always been a sucker for science fiction, and while some of it is a bit too over the top for me, I found that the connection to Mars and somewhat realistic or "nearly there" technology made this book like a futuristic prophecy of what's to come for us. That was what initially drew me to it, but what kept me slugging through this massive tome was the writing itself. I found the plot interesting, the characters moderately well-written, and the pace acceptable, but the skill of writing (which is what I most admire in an author) is what made me truly enjoy the read. I had to shake my head at certain factual errors, showing a distinct lack of background research in some relatively well-known concepts, but I shrugged them off. Authors want to write, not research, which I certainly understand. His ability to paint pictures and scenes is exceptional, and the creation of any world, futuristic, realistic, fictional, or otherwise can be very difficult, but Marshall does it with style and flair. The fact that he gets a bit long-winded at times is a small problem, as it might chase away some readers looking for a quick sci-fi injection, but overall, there aren't a whole lot of wasted words. I wish that he fleshed out certain characters a bit more and made them....fuller, but the key players were believable enough. I think readers will dig this book if they have any sort of interest in space, colonization of Mars, etc., but this is not an "easy" read by any means. It can be daunting, and to fully appreciate this book, you need to really dig into the writing itself and the author's natural way with words. The plot was hardly revolutionary, but Marshall's obvious skills make it a very good read.