Red Mars - Book Review

I'm a big fan of science fiction and am always looking for new books/authors in the genre to read.  I recently came across The Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson.  The books are titled Red Mars, Blue Mars, and Green Mars.  The first book in the series is Red Mars.  I haven't finished the series yet, but I LOVED Red Mars.  It's considered a hard science fiction book, meaning that it focuses on many of the technical aspects of science fiction.

Without giving the story away, Red Mars begins with a team of people from Earth traveling to Mars to establish a permanent colony.  The book focuses on the travel to Mars and the setting up of the base.  It discusses the construction of the base and exploration of Mars.  What makes it very interesting is the back and forth between the characters.  The author does a wonder job bringing forth the conflicts that arise when people are in small, closed environments for a long period of time.  The book also focuses on the differences in opinion on how to terraform Mars.

On top of all of this the book goes into great detail how personal relationships, both platonic and romantic, affect the working relationship of the whole colony community.  

I'll sum this book up in two words:  Absolutely Fantastic!!!