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Lemmy World Rules

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Favorite Kim Stanley Robinson book? (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 days ago by Zombiepirate@lemmy.world to c/sciencefiction@lemmy.world
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Kim Stanley Robinson is probably my favorite living author; I don't think anyone does setting and worldbuilding better than he does, yet his stories are largely character-driven.

Here's my favorites of his that I've read:

  • Aurora, where a generation ship is on it's way to Tau Ceti
  • The Years of Rice and Salt, an alt-history where most of Europe perishes in a great plague in the 14th century
  • Shaman, a fictional narrative about the people who painted Chauvet Cave

I love how his stories are about being optimistic in times where that's a hard thing to be. I like the focus on environmentalism and the sublime (Ministry for the Future is basically a solarpunk novel). He mostly writes hard sci-fi, which is my favorite genre, but also spins off into history and philosophy like in Galileo's Dream.

I think most people know his writing from his Red/Green/Blue Mars series, which I love, but he's done so much more than that.

So what's your favorite of his books?

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[–] jake@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I love everything of his that I've read. I think my favourites are Green Mars, Aurora, and 2312. I also really loved The High Sierra as a very different example of his work.

I've still not read The Years of Rice and Salt or Shaman – definitely need to get around to them. I tend to pace myself with my very favourite authors.

[–] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Absolutely. I've not read 2312, because it's another of his books that I won't be able to look forward to.