Topic: Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars, Pink Mars, Mauve Mars ... Mars all the way!

[GMLovlie]

For about 20 years I've GMed, for about 18 I've been reading Star Wars books. To me sci-fi was Star Wars, B5 and later other tv-series of various quality (Farscape, Space: Above and Beyond [yes, I have watched that show a few times, laugh it up fuzzball!], Stargate [the film and the shows], BSG, various Star Trek shows in all their mediocrity, and others). I never really got into the "hard sci-fi" bits like Asimov, Clarke and others. Until now, when my brother got me the Mars-trilogy by K. S. Robinson for Christmas.

I'm certain some on these boards must have read the series. I know little about it except that Mars is colonised and some terra-forming is about to take place (I just started reading Red Mars last night before I went to sleep - had to read the first Dresden book that the lady bought me for Christmas). And the series seems to focus on the social, political and cultural issues of colonisation (interesting issues I find), rather than gun-toting space marines and evil aliens (exciting topics, but not so interesting in my opinion).

Now, I haven't looked at HARP SF for a while, since shortly after I got the hard copies (shortly after I got the pdf). Many reasons for this, not really interesting (suffice to say it has to do with studying sociology, moving a lot, new partner and so on). Although from what I remember (the books are in boxes now due to moving and stuff) HARPSF works for high-tech sci-fi, space travelling sci-fi (i.e. FTL or similar capabilities). Being a sociologist now (yeah, art was boring) I find the Mars-trilogy interesting, and I was wondering about how HARPSF could work with such a setting. I haven't finished the series (as I stated above I just started it), but it seems to me to be a little less high-sci-fi, and more hard-sci-fi - whatever that means.

I'm not sure the Mars-trilogy lends itself well to RPGs or would be a fruitful base for a setting, but I'm wondering if someone here has read it and could advise me on this issue - please, no spoilers. If it's something I should just forget, or would it be a worthy endeavour to embark upon?

[markc]

 I have not read the series but I think that social issues can be a great factor in a game, even if they are hidden from view or right out in the open.
MDC

[providence13]

The Kim Stanley Robinson Mars books are excellent. If you can, get a hold of Robert Zubrin's Mission to Mars. This is the more tech aspect of the (start) of the story. Robinson obviously took many ideas from Zubrin. Zubrin was the JPL/NASA guy that has been pushing for Mars missions for over 20 years. "We don't need any new tech to do the job, but we will have new tech because of it."

I've always wanted to adapt these ideas to RM's Cyberspace game; the timeline fits great.

[DavidKlecker]

Robinson's Mars trilogy are great books. Red Mars is the best where Green and Blue Mars tend to really slow down and it often gets a bit tiring to read. This is a social/political thriller, not some Michael Bay everything blows up kind of book. Under a movie environment, think of Christopher Nolan directing this. It's intriguing and has very realistic science behind it. KSR really did his homework with this book.  I heard that Cameron is eyeballing these books or at least is rumored to be interested in making a movie out of them. Given his interest in Avatar now and that it takes him 10 years to make a movie, I doubt Cameron will ever get to them.

For those looking for another book that's kinda like this, look at Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C Clark. Excellent book. Almost made into a movie directed by David Fincher and starring Morgan Freeman. Morgan Freeman bought the rights to the book a long time ago so it still might get made.

[GMLovlie]

The Kim Stanley Robinson Mars books are excellent. If you can, get a hold of Robert Zubrin's Mission to Mars. This is the more tech aspect of the (start) of the story. Robinson obviously took many ideas from Zubrin. Zubrin was the JPL/NASA guy that has been pushing for Mars missions for over 20 years. "We don't need any new tech to do the job, but we will have new tech because of it."

From what I can gather Zubrin has not published a book before 1996 (there are some essays though, but these are non-fiction from what I can gather) - Red Mars was first published in 1992. Unless there's another Zubrin out there also writing on Mars stuff... Not to say that Robinson hasn't been inspired by his work and early advocacy for Mars colonisation - its a well researched book, particularly on the sociological challenges of such an endeavour, on the tech side I can only guess.

I'm still thinking of ways for tweaking HARPSF for a similar style of game - but with some dangerous aliens and craziness at some point. Perhaps basing it off early Tintamar chronology, before FTL and such. The tech part is fun, but my focus is rather angst, paranoia and that stuff. It'll probably be sometime next year before I have anything fleshed out as I'm in the middle of my postgraduate work now, still collecting data - social science ftw - and I'm running a FFG star wars rpg group that needs tending.

I just feel the need for some d100 rolling, and I think its HARPSF rather than fantasy that is the way forward.