I’ve just finished reading #RedMars . A lot can be said about this book. These notes will be about just 3 topics, because I spent extra energy on them. 2 of these topics are actually topics discussed by the characters, so many times, in so many forms. It was a bit confusing for me, until I realized all those discussions were actually related. The 3rd topic is an attempt to create a #timeline .

Society, decision making:

• Like Earth? Capitalism? Democracy? Communism?
• Something new?
• Leaderless?
• Controlled from Earth?
• Independent?

Terraforming:

• Yes/no.
• Fast/slow.
• How exactly?

Timeline:

Time	Plot
Summer of 2020	Boone becomes the first man on Mars.
2022?	The selection process for the 1st 100 begins, lasting years before the move to Antarctica.
2024?	Construction of the ship to take the 1st 100 to Mars begins, lasting less than 2 years.
2025?	The 1st 100 and others live in Antarctica for 1 year.
July 20th, 2026	The 9 month voyage from Earth to Mars begins.
	The colonists use a new calendar. Ls goes from 0 to 360, and then starts over. A martian year is 668.6 local days long. This is split into Ls 0-90 (northern spring), 90-180 (northern summer), 180-270 (northern fall) and 270-360 (northern winter).
April, 2027	The 1st 100 land on Ls = 7.
2029	The dirigible Arrowhead is sent from Earth, like a lot of other provisions keep coming.
2031?	Children, all about 3 years old. The hidden colony is founded.
2033?	Chalmers becomes US Secretary.
2037?	Russell is named scientific head of the terraforming effort. Boone starts working for him.
2043?	Arabs arrives on Mars 10 years before Nicosia dedication ceremony.
2044?	UNOMA headquarters is established in Burroughs.
2047 / m-year 10	Boone tries to figure out who’s responsible for actions of sabotage. Chalmers has been US Secretary for 3 administrations. There are 10,000 colonists.
2048 / m-year 11	Rejuvenation technique begins use. The great storm begins.
2050?	The great storm ends after 3 years, 2 m-years. Construction on the space elevator begins.
2053?	Nicosia dedication ceremony. The first town of any size to be built free-standing on the martian surface. 5000 people. 25 years of friendship (beginning 2026).
February 6th, 2057 / Ls = 144, m-16	The walk on the bridge, an important bit of the negotiation of the new Mars treaty.
June 2057	The treaty is signed.
July 2057	Chalmers begins a 2 year “vacation”.
2059	Chalmers returns to work, frustrated that the treaty isn’t followed. 1,000,000 people on Mars. Less than 1% of the surface habitable.
	Revolution.

There’s an intriguing timeline elsewhere.