The second novel in Kim Stanley Robinson’s massively successful and lavishly praised Mars trilogy. ‘The ultimate in future history’ Daily Mail Mars can be plundered – for the benefit of a ravaged Earth. It can be terraformed to suit Man’s needs – frozen lakes form, lichen grows, the atmosphere slowly becomes breathable.

But most importantly, Mars can be owned. On Earth, countries are bought and sold by the transnationals. Why not Mars too? Man’s dream is underway, but so is his greatest test.

The survivors of the First Hundred – Hiroko, Nadia, Maya and Simon among them – know that technology alone is not enough. Trust and co-operation are need to create a new world – but these qualities are as thin on the ground as the air they breathe.