"There were three Empresses of Mars. The first one was a bar at the Settlement. The second was the lady who ran the bar; though her title was stric...
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Jan 16, 2012
steven
rated it: 
Probably a more realistic portrayal of Martian colonization than most people would like to admit.
The corporation that started the colonization process has become corrupt, exploiting the people who live on Mars because they're the "wrong sort" - that is, they're ideal colonists (because they're expendable), but they're not being good little workers and dying when they're not needed.
That's not to say Mars isn't downright dangerous; people die in almost every chapter. More...
The corporation that started the colonization process has become corrupt, exploiting the people who live on Mars because they're the "wrong sort" - that is, they're ideal colonists (because they're expendable), but they're not being good little workers and dying when they're not needed.
That's not to say Mars isn't downright dangerous; people die in almost every chapter. More...
Jun 25, 2010
Lady
rated it: 
While a good Sci-Fi effort, this was definitely not Kage Baker's best. The setting was well developped as were the characters, but I felt the plot was lacking. Over half the novel is spent lining up characters and introducing situations, after that the plot seems to machine gun through the action. Felt very fast after such a slow lead-up.
Although set in the same universe as her Company novels, I didn't see much evidence to support that claim. Jovian insdustries (or is it enterprises More...
Although set in the same universe as her Company novels, I didn't see much evidence to support that claim. Jovian insdustries (or is it enterprises More...
Jan 19, 2010
Alexandra
rated it:
This weekend I cracked open the spine on one of my Christmas presents, the hardback edition of "The Empress Of Mars" by the delightful Kage Baker. And read it, voraciously, all through Saturday, even missing half the NFL playoff games in the process, which, as my DB can attest, is most unlike me. So wrapped up was I in this wonderfully written, wryly intelligent, quirky-character driven study of life on Mars—as seen through the eyes of Mother Mary Griffith and her unlikely clan of left
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Sep 09, 2011
Jamie
rated it:
This is a fun book, set in the universe of "The Company", but it works well as a standalone novel. It's an expansion of Baker's novella of the same name.
The story takes place on Mars, obviously, in the 23rd century. There's a small group of bright, eccentric pioneers who more or less got stuck there when the corporation that sponsored the original settlement decided that Mars was an unprofitable venture. The remnants are scraping by, making the best of things, passing time, More...
The story takes place on Mars, obviously, in the 23rd century. There's a small group of bright, eccentric pioneers who more or less got stuck there when the corporation that sponsored the original settlement decided that Mars was an unprofitable venture. The remnants are scraping by, making the best of things, passing time, More...
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Oct 28, 2011
Jacqie
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I really enjoy Kage Baker and was delighted to find something of hers that I hadn't read yet! I believe this book is a novella fleshed out on the tail end to become a novel.
I liked Empress, but it didn't quite catch fire enough for me to rate it 5 stars. You can see a bit of the Company wreaking havoc behind the scenes, but sadly, it's been long enough since I read those books that I can't remember exactly who was who. I did like Mary, Perrick, the Brick and the rest of the gang, b More...
I liked Empress, but it didn't quite catch fire enough for me to rate it 5 stars. You can see a bit of the Company wreaking havoc behind the scenes, but sadly, it's been long enough since I read those books that I can't remember exactly who was who. I did like Mary, Perrick, the Brick and the rest of the gang, b More...
Apr 20, 2010
Sara
rated it: 
This is really a fun sci-fi book. It has excellent characters and a cool premise--a British company went up to terraform Mars, changed their minds before they got very far, fired their experts, and left a lot of people stranded on Mars with no way to afford a ship back to Earth. The people stuck on Mars are left to make their own way on an extremely inhospitable planet, using whatever resources they can come up with.
The main character is Mary Griffith, the owner of Mars's only ba More...
The main character is Mary Griffith, the owner of Mars's only ba More...
Nov 27, 2011
Tom
rated it:
This book was a little hard to follow at first. I am not a fan of authors who introduce complicated ideas without explaining them and this book had plenty of that. But as it developed I was able to grasp the main points and it turned out to be a pretty good story.
It centers around The Empress, which is a tavern on a settlement on Mars. There were some ideas here that I never quite grasped, vizio must represent the structures that covered the settlements and provided a breathable h More...
It centers around The Empress, which is a tavern on a settlement on Mars. There were some ideas here that I never quite grasped, vizio must represent the structures that covered the settlements and provided a breathable h More...
May 08, 2009
Stefan
rated it:
This is a great novel-length adaptation of the original The Empress of Mars novella.
Most of the book is set in "The Empress of Mars", the only bar on the young Mars colony. Mary Griffith barely manages to keep the bar solvent, helped by her three daughters and a number of outcasts (some of whom you'll be familiar with if you've read Baker's short story in The New Space Opera).
Kage Baker really shows off her trademark wit and easy-flowing style in this funny and at times More...
Most of the book is set in "The Empress of Mars", the only bar on the young Mars colony. Mary Griffith barely manages to keep the bar solvent, helped by her three daughters and a number of outcasts (some of whom you'll be familiar with if you've read Baker's short story in The New Space Opera).
Kage Baker really shows off her trademark wit and easy-flowing style in this funny and at times More...
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Sep 10, 2011
David
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I would give this novel four stars, if I hadn't read so many five star novels by recently deceased Kage Baker.
Baker's more recent novels, set in the same universe as her Company series, are not nearly as satisfying. That is too bad, because she was an excellent author. The innovative overarching plot of Baker's eight-book Company series was a wry twist on the science fiction time travel genre which provided elements of danger and uncertainty that made the motivations of her characters More...
Baker's more recent novels, set in the same universe as her Company series, are not nearly as satisfying. That is too bad, because she was an excellent author. The innovative overarching plot of Baker's eight-book Company series was a wry twist on the science fiction time travel genre which provided elements of danger and uncertainty that made the motivations of her characters More...
Sep 06, 2010
Lightreads
rated it:
A beerily maniacal skiffy romp. A bunch of social misfits do what people do when they’re shipped off to colonize Mars: run a bar, have babies, and give the bureaucrats a serious fucking headache.
The sort of cheerfully madcap book that has sentences like, “And that was the end of Marsha the cow,” and “’I’ll just go off and see an oppressive corporate monolithic evil entity about a dog, shall I?’” That really gives you all the flavor you need. There’s some other stuff about church powe More...
The sort of cheerfully madcap book that has sentences like, “And that was the end of Marsha the cow,” and “’I’ll just go off and see an oppressive corporate monolithic evil entity about a dog, shall I?’” That really gives you all the flavor you need. There’s some other stuff about church powe More...
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Jan 17, 2011
Jeannine
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Kate Baker's Company series is generally on my all-time-best series list. This book, which provides in-depth background of a rather peripheral event from the main series, doesn't really make that cut. The characters are not as rich, the writing not as perceptive (and sometimes hysterical) as the main series. The best book of the series is The Graveyard Game. Even though it's the fourth book in the series, it makes enough sense on its own to hook you. And then, of course, you have to go back and
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Jun 10, 2010
Susan
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Mary Griffith, owner of the eponymous tavern on Mars, is a strong woman, but while she's been able to triumph over poverty, unexpected wealth (she finds a valuable diamond in the muck of her claim) almost kills her. The British who run the Mars colony want to get rid of Mary, and also of the Celtic colonists who are her friends, and sometimes rivals. Mary's difficult oldest daughter Alice doesn't help matters along, either. But the family that Mary has built around her tavern is able to help
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Oct 16, 2010
Phoenixfalls
rated it:
This is a glorious book, Baker at the top of her form. It is indeed a "rollicking" adventure, full of high-jinx and one-upmanship, but more than that it is an ode to the pioneering spirit in general and the Old West in particular. It is what Joss Whedon's Firefly was at its best, full of broadly-drawn but charismatic characters scrapping together the sort of life no longer allowed in more "civilized" parts of the galaxy. There is a gold rush of sorts, and a cattle stampede, a
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Aug 15, 2011
Graham
rated it:
This is really fun. It doesn't set out to do the big picture stuff- Its mainly social and family relationships, but the big picture is there in the background, and maybe more resolved than other writers because of the everyday details. I think this is why I prefer women writing science fiction.
I have never thought of the implications of baking a cake in Martian gravity!
The style is easy, bordering on Celtic Mist but there is enough humour and real quirky characters to get me passed the More...
I have never thought of the implications of baking a cake in Martian gravity!
The style is easy, bordering on Celtic Mist but there is enough humour and real quirky characters to get me passed the More...
Jun 25, 2010
Doug Piero
rated it:
I just love it when an SF book has individualists who triumph over the corrupt bastards running society. Oh wait that's all of them. No wonder I read a lot of SF.
This is set on Mars, full of Shakespearean coincidence and bawdy humor, and is loaded with non-stop action. It has one of those satisfyingly transcendent climaxes that are a hallmark of really good books.
Like many great SF novels, it's a paste up of satisfying shorter works.
This was the Harry book
This is set on Mars, full of Shakespearean coincidence and bawdy humor, and is loaded with non-stop action. It has one of those satisfyingly transcendent climaxes that are a hallmark of really good books.
Like many great SF novels, it's a paste up of satisfying shorter works.
This was the Harry book
Mar 29, 2010
Gentlemanvillain
rated it: 
In a work of fiction, to use the phrase "Mary said something unprintable" means you're a bad writer. You've just broken the 4th wall in order to avoid swearing and there are much better options.
That's just the example; the rest of the book is predictable, creates what I found to be unrealistic societies and weak characters. Was glad to turn it back to the library and get another book.
That's just the example; the rest of the book is predictable, creates what I found to be unrealistic societies and weak characters. Was glad to turn it back to the library and get another book.
Sep 18, 2009
Elaine
rated it:
I just love Kage Baker. Vivid, clear, inventive, with Dickensian characters and a twisty-turny plot. Could not put it down. There's a tiny hint of the world that most of her books have been set it, but it doesn't feel overwhelmed by those plots and themes; it stands entirely on its own without any need to know that stuff. Big thumbs up.
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Jun 30, 2010
Erica
rated it:
A large corporation decides to terra-form Mars, but when it turns out to be unprofitable, strands its employees. One of these employees decides to open a bar. Although none of the characters are really well developed, this is still a fun read, especially if you like the whole space as a Wild West frontier thing.
Aug 12, 2011
Pop
rated it:
Substantially expands and improves the novella. The characters are strong enough for this story of the founding of Mars Two to be a stand alone. Those who have read The Company series will know the colony's fate, which gives the novel a sad weight that I imagine it lacks for newcomers.
Jun 06, 2009
Susan
rated it:
This is half of a re-read, as this is the expanded version of a novella published about five years ago. It is "set in the world of the Company," but you can read it without having any knowledge of the other books. Baker is always imaginative and erudite; this is certainly no exception.
Jun 29, 2010
John
rated it:
Having read all of Kage Baker's Company series,I was interested to see this book with the "set on the world of the Company" tag on the cover. Although Baker's relaxed humor and descriptive powers are in evidence here, I wasn't as bowled over by this book as by the best of her previous work. However if you like Kage Baker's style this is still very much worth reading. If there were half stars I'd probably give this a 3 1/2 .
Jul 05, 2010
Eva
rated it:
No depth or character development to speak of, just a good, old-fashioned science fiction romp. Salt of the Earth vs. the Corporation, with a backdrop of the austere and harsh Red Planet. Most satisfying.
Feb 22, 2011
RUSA
rated it:
This was a Reading List Short List honor title in the Science Fiction category for 2010. For the complete list, go to http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/award...
Sep 27, 2011
Linda
rated it:
Finished reading this book for a book discussion group for SF-it's a genre I really like so for me to say it's an ok book may not be doing it justice. It reminds me of a realistic fiction book that just happens to take place in the future on Mars.
May 27, 2010
Maya
rated it:
I haven't read straight sci-fi in a while, and what an entertaining re-introduction this story was. Great star-wars kind of feel in the sense of rooting for the scrappy, resourceful underdogs struggling not to be crushed by the evil, soulless, bureaucratic overlords in the form of a British colonizing company, with the big and welcome difference to the testosterone heavy Star Wars being that the central 'hero' is a woman. Unique and colorful characters, many humorous moments. Loved it.
Feb 17, 2011
Rexton
rated it:
My favourite by Kage Baker so far. The clever dialogue, good history, quirky humour and characters, and just plain fun is refreshing.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Dec 07, 2011
Kent
rated it: 
This was an o.k. book just not what I was looking for. I was looking for actual sci-fi and it was basically the little guy against big corporations.
Sep 28, 2011
Bayneeta
rated it:
Expansion of a novella she published earlier. Read for a genre study group. Liked the characters. Mary runs the local bar and, in addition to three daughters, she's "adopted" a number of stray oddballs.
Mar 12, 2010
Wealhtheow
rated it:
Mary Griffith came to Mars to be a fancy-pants scientist, but when her research looked less than lucrative, the British Arean Company fired her, leaving her stranded on the desolate rock. Luckily, Mary had an indomitable spirit, three beautiful daughters, and knew how to make beer. These assets in hand, she rapidly became the proprietess of the most successful (and only) bar on Mars. But the rulers of Mars are less than pleased with her success, and she'll need every bit of her wit to survive
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Nov 26, 2010
Tasula
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Kage Baker (now deceased, sorry to say), created wonderful heroines. This is an example of a very likeable heroine and story.
