Moving Mars

Queen of Angels #3

by Greg Bear

Moving Mars is a story of human courage and love set within the greater saga of a planetary liberation movement. Mars is a colonial world, governed by corporate interests on Earth. The citizens of Mars are hardworking, but held back by their lack of access to the best education, and the desire of the Earthly powers to keep the best new inventions for themselves. The young Martians -- the second and third generations born on Mars -- have little loyalty to Earth, and a strong belief that their planet can be independent. The revolution begins slowly, but will grow in power over decades of political struggle until it becomes irresistible.

Told through the eyes of an extraordinary character, Casseia Majumdar, a daughter of one of Mars' oldest, most conservative Binding Multiples, Moving Mars is Greg Bear's brilliant conception of the human colonization of the red planet, with lovingly painted details and a grand historical sweep, embellishing an audacious scientific speculation.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Ebooks, Hard Science Fiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Greg Bear was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict (Forge of God books), parallel universes (The Way series), consciousness and cultural practices (Queen of Angels), and accelerated evolution (Blood Music, Darwin’s Radio, and Darwin’s Children). His last work was the 2021 novel The Unfinished Land. Greg Bear wrote over 50 books in total.

(For a more complete biography, see Wikipedia.)

Reviews

[Megan Baxter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kind of can't believe this book was nominated for a Hugo. I mean, Greg Bear is often a very good writer, and I've enjoyed previous books of his. Not this one, though. This one was just plain bad and there were several points where I thought about putting it down and walking away. When I was scrolling through my Hugo spreadsheet and realized that it had been nominated, I was flabbergasted.

Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.

In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 to 5.0 stars. This is a fantastic novel. Greg Bear gives the reader a very well rounded view of a future Mars (and Earth) and provides fascinating ideas about a variety of topics, including future politics (both Earth and Mars), artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and genetic engineering. I enjoyed the way Bear addressed each of these topics and made them both accessible and very interesting. All of the above is enough to highly recommend this book. However, when you add in the "major scientific breakthrough" which is at the heart of the story (and the reason of the title) and the way it is incorporated into the plot, the book becomes a standout novel.

Winner: Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Nominee: John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly great book. The idea of having a pacific Mars versus a more aggressive Earth made for a nice twist on the traditional martial Mars versus Earth trope. The idea of having multiple variables coded into subatomic particles was also novel. I liked the characters and the narrative really keeps the reader engaged. It has a nice blend of story, character arcs, and hard sci-fi that is not always a really easy equilibrium to maintain. I can see where Cixin Liu got some of his inspiration for ideas in his epic trilogy and supporting novels not only in the female protagonist's story but also in the final conclusion. There was, I think, a little tongue-in-cheek reference to one of the other sci-fi masters where "vernoring" is said to mean two-edged words. Not sure what in Vinge's work that is referring to exactly, but interesting nonetheless.

"It's a game. Two rules - nobody knows what you're doing and you do nothing illegal."
"Doesn't that take the fun out of doing crypto?" I asked.
"Wow-crypto! Hide in the tomb. Sorry, I shy away from two-edged words. We call it Vernoring."
"Doesn't it?" I persisted.
"No," Orianna said thoughtfully. "Illegal is harm. Harm is stupid. Stupid is its own game, and none of my friends play it." (p. 100?)

The integration of digital into daily lives and the way people interacted felt realistic and fun. Truly a great book. I sort of wanted another book to see what happened to Mars after the conclusion of the book. On to Darwin's Radio.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving Mars is probably my favorite hard Sci-fi book I've read! Although the first half is mind boggling and full of politics and science that I didn't understand whatsoever, the 2nd half more than makes up for it with the breathtaking action. Again, as in the first six or ten times I've read this, as I flipped the last page, I let out the breath I've apparently been holding for hours! (Yes, I know I didn't really hold my breath for hours, but it sure feels like it!)

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now this is one of those books that was handed to me by a colleague and has sat unread on my bookshelf for possibly more than a year. But once I started reading, I was transported forward into Mars in the 22nd century. More of a political thriller with plenty of scientific information placed in to help the world building, humans don't appear to have evolved very much. Still lots of plotting and backstabbing and heartache. But it sure was a good story!


Goodreads review published 28/03/20

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the slowest burns, but with a very bright ending. You could say the majority of the book (400 pages) is all backstory and character development, if not the entire thing. All so the last 100 hundred pages can stitch up the story nicely with emotion, action and all--even a little nostalgia (it's a long book). The main character was nicely set up over time. Very epic. She made a few leaps in skill level that could be a little unbelievable but the author kept her humble enough. Same could be said for the suspension of belief regarding some of the more scientific applications within the story. Yet the book was very well-researched in all aspects. Another reviewer called Bear a master of extrapolation. Which is dead on in this story. Loved the mars vs. earth political storyline. Prevalent in lots of sci-fi but woven together nicely into a doomsday nuclear stalemate type of war scenario, but with a wonderfully new and simple solution: if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, move the kitchen. If you get stuck or bogged down in the first half of this story, try to read on. I think your struggles will pay dividends in the end.

[prcardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5

Using some rough measure of quality, one could make a convincing argument for Moving Mars being categorized alongside Queen of Angels and Heads, the first two volumes in this loosely connected series. None of them rank among the greats of science fiction but all are clearly above the average-quality works that so populate the genre’s shelves. Lumping in Moving Mars in such a category, however, obscures just how much inferior of a book it is, particularly when compared to the first in the series. Still, it deserves recognition of its own merits. There were several good pieces within this book. There’s what stands out as its own short story at the beginning. The writing and characterization never got better than it did in here. It was from an author looking back with the wisdom brought about by years but still remembering the impressionableness of youth. Bear weaved the two together in a short tale that carried through it a wonderful aura of foreboding. There is a stark shift when this lead segment reaches its climax and the story turns to developing the bigger world. For readers having read the first two in the series, this was somewhat scenic and plodding, many of the background political developments explained in Heads. What is here is new, but it is a refresher, the reader waiting for the big new developments. And while we wait Bear drops in neat technological tidbits that fill the world. I loved the mostly unexplained embellishments such as “sheets of artificial sun” and edifying viruses. I enjoyed the tour across Mars. His descriptions of Earth, from the viewpoint of humans born on Mars, were some of the most beautiful and affecting passages of the book. Bear has exciting things he wants to reveal, and he will get to them, but they never find the right entry point. Bear also wanted to make this a political thriller, but it too never quite found the right placement and development. So many of these pieces were good: the perspective, the tone, the picture, the tension, the idea, but the reader can tell that they are never pulled together into an overarching vision.

Widely read science readers also cannot get through this without comparing Moving Mars to what has become a classic, if not epochal science fiction staple, released only the year before Red Mars . When compared, Bear’s treatment of the political comes off as embarrassingly amateurish, him seeming to have some introductory comparative politics textbook at hand for reference but without any real understanding of the variety and significance of differences and choices. Bear gets some points for making his work less didactic and generally more readable and enjoyable, but for the most part one is not convinced that they are under the direction of an expert or even an enthusiast. That changes for the portions that lean more into hard science fiction. This is where Bear is most comfortable, and this is where he can put his ideas into action. This is also where this becomes a remarkable, fun book. None of the other positive elements of the story find their way into the hard science fiction; Bear just seems incapable of working on more than one good thing at a time. The highlights are high, however, and there are rewards throughout the 448 pages.

There was no book I was looking forward to this year more than Moving Mars, and I am ultimately disappointed with it. I had reason to think that this one might be great, and my evaluation is that it just was not so. It was, however, a highly enjoyable read, even if it does not turn out to be memorable. I still think very positively of the series and expect good things of the fourth, Slant.

[Ira (SF Words of Wonder) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my full, spoiler free, video review HERE.

This is a novel that has some grand ideas and concepts with vivid scenes that I probably won’t forget for a long time, but it takes a long time to get there in this 500 page book. The whole novel is told from the first person POV of the main character, Casseia. She goes through her ‘coming of age’ and gets involved with the politics of Mars, as she matures, she gets a chance to travel to Earth to try and work on political issues between Mars and Earth. At the same time, experiments with advanced AI’s using quantum logic linked with modified humans are coming up with some very interesting results. Mars seems to be ahead of Earth in this AI race. Most of the novel goes through these political and technological power grabs between the two worlds.

The biggest problem for me in this one is the long slow set up, while this does provide some good, natural world building, the pacing through the first 2/3’s of the novel was very slow. Then the last 1/3 of the story went by at a breakneck pace. Also, the major plot conflict seemed a bit unrealistic, the stakes were very high, but they seemed unnaturally high. Bear is a great writer, and he really shines in writing scenes that are vivid and uniquely unnatural.

[Lisabet Sarai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the author's vision of the Mars landscape and his back story about the planet's former life forms really grabbed me. On the other hand, the characters seemed like robots, and the (long) narrative felt plodding, without a sense of rising crisis (even though the actual events are cataclysmic).

I tend to prefer minimalist scifi, where everything flows from a few premises about future technology or society. MOVING MARS, on the other hand, is of the kitchen-sink school, with nanotech that can construct buildings or alter the brain, "warm sleep" that allows virtual immortality, geo-engineering of the climate, and "Therapy" that can root out aggression and other anti-social impulses in order to ensure a harmonious society. This is all on top of the key technology that drives the plot, a new understanding of the universe that allows matter to be converted to anti-matter and masses the size of the Moon or Mars to be moved instantaneously across billions of miles.

When there's so much futuristic technology available, anything becomes possible - science becomes the magic Deus Ex Machina that will save the day. For me, this reduces the appeal of the genre.

All this being said. there are enough interesting ideas and descriptions in this book to make it well worth reading. I only wish the author had been a bit more selective in choosing which products of his remarkably fruitful imagination to include in the novel. The result would have been a stronger work, in my opinion.

[Rui Carmo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This thing about settling Mars always devolving into political strife has to stop...

[Ricky Ginsburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my introduction to one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. Greg Bear takes universe-creation to a new level. While there have been many books about the eventual colonization of the red planet, this one goes one step beyond to when independence lights the fire under people who no longer see Earth as home.

The plot is not only believable, but frightening when one considers just how close we are to beginning this process on another world. Read as much of Greg Bear's works as you can, but start here if you're undecided.

[Whitney (SecretSauceofStorycraft) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hugo nominee apparently…. Can be standalone.

Casseia, a native human born on Mars, begins the story as a rebellious teenager being pursued in love by young Charles, a brilliant physicist. Problem is Casseia doesnt know what she wants for careers or love or her future— so they go their seperate ways. Charles to research his physics and Casseia to apprentice to a Martian politican achieving a visit to Earth and wventually climbing the ranks just as tensions between Earth and Mars hit a peak.

I didnt love the way Earth’s politics were portrayed they felt overly aggressive and the title itself felt a bit of a spoiler but overall it was enjoyable. 3 star. ⭐️

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The first third of this book is near unreadable. If you can struggle through that it opens up into a fast paced political thriller with some rather insane physics assumptions baked in. The main conflict of the book revolves around the concepts of mutually assured destruction, colonialism, and game theory. The problem is that it's just about bonkers. For a hard sci-fi book it had some problematic assumptions. It didn't help that I hated one of the main characters.

If you want to read a good Mars colonization/political thriller go read Red Mars. You'll have more fun and learn more.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable hard science fiction novel about the coming of age of the Mars colony both politically and scientifically and how Mother Earth reacts to the changes. Thought the main plot was very interesting and loved all the political machinations but did get a bit bogged down during the scientific explanations. Listened to the audio version read by Sharon Williams.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book marries a number of complex topics: politics, sci-if technology, racial identities and, hyper-philosophical candor… very well I might add, making for a competent and insightful read.

[Charl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not into drama and character development, or long, elaborate social development stories. I'm much more interested in the new tech, the scientific breakthrough, or just a good action tale in a sci-fi setting that couldn't possibly be told in any other setting.

Unfortunately for me, Mr. Bear takes a long time setting up and developing his characters and the socio-political background for his Mars colony. If that's your cuppa, you'll probably love it.

If, like me, that just doesn't interest you, read the first section to get the characters and the background, then skip to the middle of the book like I did. That's about where the science of the story starts to develop, and there's nothing in the part I skipped that I couldn't figure out on the fly.

Even then, though, it was still a little slow and plodding, until the very end when all of sudden everything's happening now, and it's "Go, go, GO!" The ending was well-explained and set up, but Bear spent a long time telling why they had to do thing A, and then suddenly, admittedly forced by their opponents, they had to do thing B. It worked, I think, but it still felt forced, so it didn't work well.

I like Greg Bear's writing, but this one just didn't do much for me. A shame, though, because I loved the scientific breakthrough.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read. You begin with a story, a psychology, an idiology and think, this book does a good job of understanding the human condition(s). Then the (red) rabbit hole deepens and you are taken into a science of scale that is wonderous and frightening. The results of which create the mess and subsequent liberation of Mars.

I was truly enthralled the whole time. This book in itself could have been broken up into a few volumes and a number of tributaries to let you know more of the people, politic, science, or any such other things but it wasn't. It's not a weakness of the book but just an annotation. What is delivered is broad; like a sinewave deep in some places, shallow in others but understood nearly completely.

It makes me grin in hindsight at the other books to this point. You could read these backwards and be easily as forward. Mars -> Moon -> Earth or Earth -> Moon -> Mars, it really doesn't matter. Funny that way.

Good read all around!

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is a unique experience, as it varies from VERY BORING to AMAZING every couple hundred pages.

Maybe it's two books in an awkward dance, with author Greg Bear unable to tweak the pacing enough to bring more balance to the novel.

Don't get me wrong - when this book is good, it is VERY VERY GOOD! One of the finest books you'll read.

But when it's boring, it's several hundred pages of boredom. And unfortunately, the dull parts occur fairly early. I wonder how many people gave up on this book and missed out on the treasure it really is.

I won't give it five stars, but it's close...

[Ushan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is supposed to be a hard science fiction novel, but its characters move Mars 10,000 light-years just by the force of thinking about quantum logic. Quantum logic is an actual field of study in physics; unlike classical logic, it allows one to reason about such propositions as "The electron is less than 1nm from the proton" and "The speed of the electron is less than 1km/s"; the truth of both propositions cannot be determined at the same time. Thinking hard about it (or about anything else) won't allow one to alter reality. What is the point of writing a hard science fiction novel if you are allowed to invent your own laws of nature?

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

If it takes more than a 100 pages to pick up the story, it's time to drop the book. I would not suggest this book to anyone.

[Paul Short · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of my project to read a bunch of the Hugo and Nebula award winners. Fun book, but not spectacular.

[Kendra Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Challenge Prompt: A book set in a different planet

Again, I grabbed this book off of the library shelf. This is not my go to genre. The story was ok, but I struggled with the "technical" terms used. I have no idea how much of it, if any is based on actual science. It was not an easy read, but I was invested in the characters and storyline enough to finish the book.

[Eliatan · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Hugo/ Nebula Awards Reading Challenge - 90 of 109 **

What an absolute delight! A proper science fiction tech marvel with weird physics, a cracking political intrigue drama and complex, flawed characters to fall for. It took me a while to catch on to what the title was hinting at, and boy did it pack a punch! I was moved

[Betsy Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! An amazing tale of politics, personalities, passions and patriotism. A great lesson in developing new technologies that upset the balance of society. Great heroine, really challenging science. A whopping good read!

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10
Some parts of this book are wonderful and others, not so wonderful. The narrator, Casseia, can be incredibly immature and socially awkward, as well as politically naive, yet her path ultimately leads to both political and scientific power. While some of the science was a bit dense, most of the story was enjoyable. I did think there were too many tangents or side stories that really didn’t go anywhere or add much to the plot — almost as if Bear wanted to take the story in a different direction and then changed his mind. I was reminded how enduring and frustrating political conflict can be.

[Jean Corbel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Verbose, political acumen poor, characters stupid beyond ridiculous. Bear at his worse.

[Warren Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fairly regular reader of science-fiction, I had seen many of Greg Bear’s novels on the shelves at my local library. I can be rather narrow-minded when it comes to exploring new authors. I vaguely recall having read at least one other Greg Bear novel; so long ago I don’t even remember the title. My local library has a very limited selection of science fiction available and I had pretty much exhausted all the novels by authors I regularly read. I’m glad I did choose the book; it was an enjoyable and thought provoking read.

The novel centers around the life of Casseia Majumdar, at a point in future history when colonies have long been established on the Moon, and the colonies established on Mars are at a crucial turning point in their development. It is the mid 22nd century, and the Martian colonies are just beginning to flex their muscles. All of the existing technology on Mars is of Earth origin, but Mars has begun to develop it’s own new technologies; technologies that go beyond what humankind thought possible. Into this world Casseia is born.

Written as if it were her memoir, the novel takes the reader through Casseia’s life, chronicling her life as she grows from timid college student to confident world leader. As her life story unfolds, the reader is exposed to Casseia’s world, a world where the Earth’s economy dominates both the Moon and Mars’ economies. Casseia finds herself at the focal point of the Martian colonies’ desire for unification and independence, devoting her entire life to what seems to many as an unobtainable dream.

The plot moved slowly at first, the author taking at least the first half of the book’s 400 plus pages to fully outline and develop the solar system’s political system as well as a completely credible Martian archeological history. The solar system’s political system and economy has the earth at its center, interacting with the economies of Mars (a loosely affiliated group of fiercely independent colonies) and the Moon (whose economy the Earth almost completely controls).
Mars’s archeological history is detailed and complete, a rich fossil history of plant and animal life that many scientists suspect may not be dead but simply dormant.

As the plot progresses, the two histories are threaded together to create a very real backdrop on which the story can unfold. Although this extensive background history slows the progression of the plot until well into the novel, it is necessary groundwork for the story’s climax and eventual conclusion.

Moving Mars took me at least half again as long to read as a book of it’s length usually does, primarily because of the sizable portion of the novel devoted to “situation development”. I didn’t find the book an easy read, but the rich deep story development and the beautifully constructed conclusion made the read well worthwhile.

The science of Bear’s future was also seamless and quite plausible. The reader is drawn into a future filled with magnetic levitation trains that crisscross the Martian surface; self-aware “thinker” computers are utilized as super intelligent advisors; implanted intelligence or knowledge “enhancements” are routine. A future science called nanotechnology, utilizing molecule-sized machines to build, inspect or repair, is commonplace. All this science and more are woven into the fabric of the story in such a way that it invisibly strengthens and reinforces the plot.

To me, Moving Mars was an exploration into the “growing pains” a budding planetary colony might face as it grew from mere colony to independent intity. The problems it might experience as it sought to “break the bonds” that bound it to the Earth’s political system and economy.

Characters were there to humanize the drama. I didn’t often empathize with the characters. Took on more of a historical re-enactment sort of flavor. The characters did come alive for me, but I felt as if they were sort of peripheral to the future history being told.


If you prefer a fast paced novel, Moving Mars may not be for you. The book takes a long time to come to its climax. Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. I felt that the time taken to lay out all the material and the rich tapestry it created when woven all together made the read much more enjoyable in the end. If you enjoy a good thought provoking novel, I heartily recommend Moving Mars.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10. Media de los 5 libros leídos del autor : 6/10.
Otro representante de la CF Hard, una de las figuras de los 80. Tiene varios Nébula y Hugo.
Esta es, junto con “Vitales” lo que más me ha gustado suya.

Nebula en el 94, nos cuenta una trama política en la que Marte quiere independizarse de la Tierra y lo mezcla con física, informática y biología. Buenas ideas, personajes flojos.

La galardonada “Reina de los ángeles”, toda vuestra, me pareció un bodrio.

[José Cascales Vázquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy sorprendido. No esperaba lo que he leído, buscaba una novela con intriga política sobre un posible futuro en Marte. Objetivo conseguido añadiendo maravillosas descripciones de la geología de Marte, de la colonia humana, de los establecimientos y explotaciones en su superficie; y como extra nanotecnología, ordenadores pensantes, humanos modificados, robots, biologías marcianas, implantes... todo ello engarzado como un puzzle perfecto. Para rematar un final trepidante y algo épico. Los personajes, principales, están bien trabajados con una evolución palpable y lógica.
Una obra de lectura imprescindible.

[Nicholas Whyte]

http://nhw.livejournal.com/520887.html[return][return]This Nebula winner is the autobiography of Casseia Majumdar, Martian stateswoman, who is at the heart of an independence struggle that ends up with the entire planet escaping not just politically but physically from the rest of the solar system. All kinds of resonances in here from sf's history - the three that came immediately to mind were Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, also his Red Planet and Asimov's very early short story, "The Weapon Too Deadly To Use". Plus the deadly nano-bots coming to life and devastating the human settlements, though a classic and almost cliched image of sf, were done very well here.[return][return]I really enjoyed this book and I'm rather surprised I hadn't heard more about it from others. In particular, the main hard sf element of the plot, the acquisition by a relatively weak political player (the Martian government) of what is effectively a weapon of mass destruction, seemed to me awfully relevant to contemporary politics, if anything rather more so than when the book was first published in 1993. I guess that Bear's vision of a revolutionary human society on Mars is less grandiose (though I think no less ambitious) than Kim Stanley Robinson's massive trilogy which was coming out at around the same time, and perhaps his portrayal of how the political process appears to insiders - which I felt was realistic and well-informed - was insufficiently romanticised to leave a lasting impression in people's memories.[return][return]I raised my eyebrows at first when Casseia was appointed to senior government office before the age of thirty (in earth years); but, of course, great stories are often told about unusual events.[return][return]Moving Mars scores very well on the sensawunda scale, better indeed than most Nebula winners. I felt it also worked well on the human level, with Casseia's decisions and mistakes, both political and personal, convincingly portrayed. I have had my complaints about some past Nebula winners, but this one was a good call.