The University of Illinois Press’ series Modern Masters of Science Fiction continues to provide the gold standard for recent science fiction criticism. I have previously written about Gerry Canavan’s book on Octavia Butler and Gwyneth Jones’ book on Joanna Russ; I have just read another excellent volume, Robert Markley’s book on Kim Stanley Robinson. Markley gives a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of Robinson’s voluminous output (even though KSR is one of my favorite currently active science fiction writers, there are still a lot of his books that I haven’t read; Markley covers all the novels — except for the latest one, RED MOON, which was published after Markley’s volume was already written — and several important short stories as well). Markley traces the intertwined themes running through Robinson’s work: his socialist politics, his largely positive view of science and working scientists, his historical imagination (which leads him to write revisionary histories of the past as well as speculative histories of the future), his concerns about the environmental crisis and visionary efforts to imagine ways of dealing with it, his broader vision (both scientific and spiritual) of ecological interdependence, and his accounts of dreams of interplanetary exploration, travel, and settlement, together with his counterbalancing sense of our necessary groundedness in the Earth. Above all, Markely charts how Robinson seeks to nurture possibilities for hope amidst all the dystopian dangers that we face, and his sense of utopia as a process, rather than a destination. Perfection is impossible, and limits are inevitable; but this doesn’t mean that we need to settle for things being as bad as they currently are. Markley both gives us insightful readings of Robinson’s fiction, and sends us back to that fiction, asking us to read or re-read it, and to ponder it more deeply.

Kim Stanley Robinson never comes to mind as one of my favorite authors, which is strange, since I've loved everything of his that I've read. The Three Californias, set in my home town, opened my eyes in college to the idea that California (and by extension the world and by extension me) could be something other that it was. the Mars trilogy is a masterpiece and the Years of Rice and Salt is the most ambitious and thought provoking alternate history that I've read. This book goes a step further in showing the through-lines in all of KSR's books, particularly the struggle for a sustainable utopia and how humanity might be able to "scuttle sideways" towards something better.

This is a very readable literary analysis, combining close readings, thematic analyses, and cross-textual connections to create a greater appreciation of the impact and importance of KSR's body of work. While I wouldn't go so far as the author and call KSR "probably the preeminent writer of our era," I would say that KSR (and more importantly his books and ideas) deserves more prominence in our society.

Kim Stanley Robinson (Modern Masters of Science Fiction) by Robert Markley 10/30/2019 (University of Illinois Press)

Any discussion of what science fiction is will eventually wind up with someone using Kim Stanley Robinson as the gold standard for real science fiction, or at least the hard sf variant. His Rainbow Mars trilogy alone set the standard for terraforming and his solar system novels encompass a bit of Le Guin and a bit of Star Trek.

Robart Markley’s book makes it clear that there’s much, much, more to Kim Stanley Robinson than the conquest of the high frontier. That, in fact, conquest is the last thing the author preaches, leaning towards eco-economics and developing partnerships between humans and everything around them.

I don't think it will be a shock to say that this has a pretty limited audience. But if you're interested in Robinson's work and/or him, this is an excellent resource. It's well researched, intelligently presented, and mostly interesting (again specific audience). Readers may be tempted to skim sections, particularly if you're a fan a specific novels. After all, it's fairly academic. Well done overall. Recommended.