2312 [Hardcover]

Swan Er Hong, a notable performance artist native to Mercury, has her life abruptly changed by the death of her grandmother, Alex. As Swan is asked to investigate the project her grandmother was working on, her home city is subjected to a brutal terrorist attack. This sparks a series of journeys back and forth across the Solar system, from Mercury to terraformed Venus to drowned Earth and out as far as Io and Titan, as Swan and her allies attempt to discover the threat nature of the threat to humanity.

2312 is Kim Stanley Robinson's first widescreen, big-budget, blockbuster SF novel in some considerable time. His recent novels (such as the recent Galileo's Dream or his near-future Science in the Capital trilogy) have been modest in their ambitions, but 2312 trots out the same Robinson who charted the colonisation of Mars in such fascinating, exacting and sometimes-frustrating detail over the course of three books in the 1990s.

The novel works on several levels. On one, it paints a portrait of life in the early 24th Century where the bulk of humanity lives on Earth (and, increasingly, Mars) but the 'spacers' who have settled the rest of the Solar system hold increasing amounts of power, despite their small numbers. This portrait is vivid, rich and compelling. It shows Robinson's imagination at its most fertile, as he depicts Terminator, a city which rolls over Mercury's surface, permanently trying to stay on the nightside of the planet out of the fierce rays of the nearby Sun. Elsewhere he shows the terraforming of Venus as its thick atmosphere is stripped away and politicians debate on slamming giant asteroids into it to increase its rotation. Another section takes us to Greenland, where a huge damming project is underway stop one of the Earth's last few glaciers from melting into the sea. On Io people have to live in settlements which act as gigantic Faraday cages (to hold the immense radiation of Jupiter at bay), whilst in orbit around Saturn people go surfing on plumes of ice pulled out of the rings by the passage of the shepherding moonlets. As a grand tour of the Solar system, 2312 is constantly inventive and fascinating.

On the second level, the book is striving for literary credibility. Robinson has always been one of the finest writers of prose in hard SF (not, it has to be said, a densely-populated field), and that continues here. He may be fascinated by science, by technology and by visions of the future, but he's much more fascinated by people, as individuals and as collective societies, and how they operate. As such the characters are richly-defined and textured, showing surprising depths as the novel develops. The prose is also finely-weaved but Robinson's long-standing tendency to interrupt it with infodumps remains an issue, although much less so than in his Mars Trilogy. Most notably, Robinson's writing keeps two potentially dull sections (one featuring characters having to hike along a thousand mile-long tunnel, the other featuring a character adrift in space) from flatlining and in fact elevates them to two of the strongest sections in the book.

The third level, the actual plot, is where the novel hits the most bumps. In the Mars Trilogy Robinson portrayed a vision of the future where the characters had to deal with scientific hazards and the simple realities of day-to-day life in a hostile environment. Whilst there were antagonists, these were shown to be part of the naturally-arising problems of colonisation and the eventual need for independence. In 2312, however, Robinson has a much more overt and traditional thriller storyline in which mysteries need to be investigated and explored and a resolution reached. To put it mildly, this plot feels half-arsed at best and the novel improves dramatically when Robinson completely drops it for much of its middle third, instead focusing on his grand vision of humanity's possible future.

2312 (****½) is a credible and somewhat optimistic vision of our future, highly detailed and constantly inventive. Coupled with some rich characters and enjoyable prose, this makes for his finest novel in many years. However, some contrived plot twists and a dull thriller element weaken the narrative a little. The novel will be published in the UK and USA on 24 May.

NOTE: The first half or so of the novel strongly indicates that 2312 is set in the same continuity as the Mars Trilogy. However, a detailed timeline given later in the book reveals this is not the case and the two works are separate, although 2312 does borrow a few names and terms from the older work.

Fairly well written atmospheric space mystery that almost bends towards dreaded "space opera". This maybe could have been three books and the result is an uneven pace and lost character depth in places. There are episodes on Earth where so much time is skipped in what are essentially important plot hubs that the reader is left a bit cheated. Still the ideas in the book are awesome and apart from the odd frankly ridiculous concept that would not transpire in 3000 years let alone 300, the author does deliver a new take on near-future sci-fi. So although its a "bitty" novel it really does deliver something new and mostly refreshing so for me a solid 3ish out of 5 and I am glad I spend the time on it.
One aspect of this book that does not help pull it all together is that almost mutually exclusive scenarios whereby 95% of Earth has progressed almost not at all in 300 years whereas "spacers" seem to have created technologies far far in advance of what we have today. It just does not add up, the early part of this 300 year development would have required huge man-power and the development of terrarias almost unimaginable energy and work so for 12 generations to leave 95% of Earth dwellers stuch behind just seem disconnected and illogical. I can see why it was written this way, it was to emphasise the idea of the expansion into space being a selective adventure for some only but I just think the author did not do the basic energy equations for that and its a little strange seeing how clearly academic he is.....
Finally the main relationship that develops during the novel is just not convincing. The detail and narrative is there and the ideas conveyed mean that it has to be taken in a futuristic and more unemotional context but for me this just did not win me over....
I would recommend this book, its not a bad book, I just am not sure what sort of avid sci-fi reader will enjoy it more than I did....

In 2312 we have a solar system in the process of being terraformed. Some planets and moons, such as Mars, have advanced far along this path, with breathable atmospheres. Others, like Venus and Mercury, have adapted to the extreme hostility of an overhot sun with heatshields or cities that move along tracks to keep themselves in the shade and safe. Travel between the planets and moons takes place on asteroids, the insides of which have been terraformed into as many different environments as one can imagine - seas, African plains, jungles, sex liners, urbane French kingdoms, blackness, paradises. All of which contrasts with a largely drowned earth which noone has the power - or will - to terraform. But it isn't all gloom for earth. New York City has become a new glorious Venice, the lower floors of its skyscrapers lie beneath the water level while the inhabitants travel between the glass towers by boat or bridge, and spend time on plazas in the sky.

Swan Er Hong is our guide. Once a builder of these worlds, she is now a performance artist and one of Mercury's sunwalkers. The sunwalkers risk death to follow the sun on its path across the planet. Always keeping just in its shadow, they marvel at the shapes that the sun carves into the surface of Mercury and leave their own works of art. Mercury is full of art - it has galleries containing masterpieces from sodden earth, its craters and peaks are named after artists and great musical events take place outside the safety of Terminator, the city on tracks.

When Terminator, her home, is destroyed, Swan finds herself caught up in a conspiracy, following in the steps of her recently deceased grandmother Alex, chasing the clues that Alex has left across the solar system.

2312 is a novel that intrigues on so many levels. It is, on the surface, a mystery or thriller but this is quite possibly the least important element of the novel. What makes 2312 such an enjoyable read is its world-building. This is astonishing. The physical environments that Swan finds herself in are full of surprises and delights. These are refined further with little touches of music, poetry, debate and art. The character of Swan and that of Wahram and Inspector Genette are equally rounded and fascinating. Animal imagery surrounds them and gives them character and during different trials each comes into his or her own.

This is a universe in which old age and natural death are in the process of being defeated. Gender is becoming blurred. People experiment with biological additions or symbiosis and human intelligence is heightened by qubes, artificially intelligent implants. In this universe, each person has evolved themselves into something very different from anyone else. Therefore, the love story between Swan and Wahram is all the richer and more moving.

The narrative is interrupted throughout with `lists' and `extracts' which might distract from the thriller element of the novel but they enrich the world-building and, as 2312 continues, their relevance becomes clearer (or, more accurately, more susceptible to interpretation). In fact, the strengths of the novel increasingly overshadow the `plot', which moves too slowly and confusingly.

Kim Stanley Robinson lightens his `heavy' science fiction with a deft touch. The Mars here is not the same Mars from his famous trilogy. This solar system is a new creation and it is in places enchanting and always fascinating. There are scenes and ideas here which are unforgettable. Overlook the mystery and immerse yourself instead in the world and worlds of Swan and Wahram.