# Can I read the Mars Trilogy books out of order? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526 "2011-07-27T18:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/1 "2011-07-27T18:32:41Z")
For those who have read Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy, a question. I ordered the Mars Trilogy of books from the library. Blue Mars and Green Mars are there waiting for me, but Red Mars isn’t there yet (natch). Could I read Blue Mars and Green Mars first, then go back and read Red Mars, or should I wait for Red Mars before I start? I really don’t want to read them out of order unless they’re more or less self-contained. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/2 "2011-07-27T18:46:20Z")
It’s been a long time since I read them, but most of the characters are introduced in the first book and continue through the next two. Some of them are very long-lived. You wouldn’t be able to start with book two because you wouldn’t know who all the people were. As I recall it, there’s little or no recap in books two and three. Be patient. They are good books, well worth reading. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/3 "2011-07-27T19:19:51Z")
Another no - you would be almost entirely lost from the start. All the background for the physical, social, political, and cultural development of Mars is set up in the first book. I have some leisure time coming up - I think I will read the trilogy again myself. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/4 "2011-07-27T19:20:01Z")
It’s more or less all one big long story; at least that description is more accurate than saying they’re self-contained. I guess it depends on how much that matters to you. I wouldn’t do it, if it were up to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/5 "2011-07-27T19:31:30Z")
Start with Red Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/6 "2011-07-27T19:37:02Z")
Well, crap. Since I’m #2 of 6 holds on 3 copies of Red Mars I guess I’d better renew the other two. In the meantime they’ll just sit there…taunting me… ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/7 "2011-07-27T19:46:08Z")
You’ll be glad you did. ---
**Author:** ![charmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@charmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charmstr)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/8 "2011-07-27T19:55:13Z")
Very glad. That trilogy is one of the nicest pieces of hard sci-fi writing I’ve ever run across. Difficult science, difficult politics and difficult people… put them together and you get something excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/9 "2011-07-27T20:36:03Z")
Wow it’s been years since I read these. I’ll have to put them on my list, too. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-read-the-mars-trilogy-books-out-of-order/590526/10 "2011-07-27T20:54:14Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > Another no - you would be almost entirely lost from the start. All the background for the physical, social, political, and cultural development of Mars is set up in the first book… This. Don’t try to read them out of order. I tried the same thing with S.M. Stirling’s Nantucket triology; reading **Against the Tide of Years** before **Island in The Sea of Time**. It was very confusing. Somehow I got the impression that _Swindapa_ was an old man and completely missed that the events with Walker in Achaea were taking place over a decade while the Nantucket stuff was happening in real time.