1992-1996 (1999) Mars trilogy

Discuss the Mars trilogy (1992-1996) and the companion volume The Martians (1999)

Not sure if you're familiar with NASA's World Wind; it's similar to Google Earth. One of the users created an add-on that shows many of the features discussed in the Trilogy:

http://worldwindcentral.com/wiki/Add-on:Mars_landmarks_%28fictional%29

Yes, the space elevator concept was not invented by Robinson and has been around for some time!

It was first used in fiction by Arthur C Clarke, in "The Fountains of Paradise"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountains_of_Paradise[/url]

Check out this annual conference:
[url]http://spaceelevatorconference.org/default.aspx[/url]

And yes, it's extremely cool -- and the obvious way forward!

Knowing Jackie's character, it seems natural for her to single out *female* body mutilation, most likely forced upon them by men, rather than bodily mutilation in general -- I don't think a character's words have to be taken as KSR's opinions always.

On religious freedom being enshrined in the Dorsa Brevia document, I'm guessing there must be an article or clause stating that self-determination over one self takes precedence over all else, including religious freedom. I would have to check the Dorsa Brevia and the Mars Constitution to make sure.

I remember a lot of power going to women in Blue Mars, mainly due to the Dorsa Brevia Group and Jackie. I don't remember that necessarily "most" decisions went to women, however I would have to check.

KSR has mentioned woman empowerment (and widespread access to contraception) as perhaps the best way towards social justice and battling climate change, so this is something he talks about often. But apart from the Mars trilogy I don't remember him writing about how it would come about in other works -- it's just there, naturally! There's a lot about gender in 2312, and in the short story "Sexual Dimorphism" (The Martians); there's some of it from the evolutionary psychology point of view in the "Science in the Capital" troligy too.

There are a few. There's the Mars Initiative: http://themarsinitiative.org/
The Planetary Society: http://www.planetary.org/
New Mars: http://www.newmars.com/
The Mars Society: http://www.marssociety.org/
And check out Space X's Elon Musk too: http://www.academicearth.org/lectures/opportunities-in-space-mars-oasis/

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