> a lot of the initial crew of colonists actually wanted to preserve the planet in its pristine state A key theme in the trilogy was the independence (or not)

> a lot of the initial crew of colonists actually wanted to preserve the planet in its pristine state A key theme in the trilogy was the independence (or not) of Mars from Earth. This really kicks in when the Arkady character argues that as the actual inhabitants of Mars, the colonists themselves should decide how they make their future rather than Mission Control on Earth. Kim Stanley Robinson then explores this tension from several viewpoints (including terraforming, as you say) that are held by his major characters. This also defuses the possible criticism of the plot that such an expensive mission would have been conducted while leaving the massive issue of terraforming unresolved. > I thought this was completely crazy. So did a lot of the characters, especially the ones who go about the terraforming anyway.