- Why do you suppose the novel is split between five major narrators—Frank, Maya, Nadia, John, and Ann? Why do you think Robinson chose the narrators he did while skipping over other candidates such as Sax and Simon? Does having multiple narrators provide advantages to the story? Disadvantages? Why do you think the story has Arkady and Peter narrate two small passages? How do they relate to their respective parts?
- We spend a lot of time on the Ares, but once on Mars, the First Hundred strip the ship for parts. So what purpose do you think the setting of the Ares serves? Consider characters, themes, and, yes, even setting when thinking up your answer.
- Red Mars is all about the future… But how does the past affect this future? Do you see the past as having a kind of hold on the society, culture, and characters on Mars? If yes, identity how and explain why it's important to the novel. If not, then explain how the future escaped the past's grasp and consider why this is important to the novel.
- The novel often points out that people's true selves are hidden behind masks, like actors on stage or other similar metaphors. What character do you think hides their true self the most? What character do you think is the most open to their true self? Compare these two characters. What do they tell you about the nature of the individual in regards to the home, society, or other individuals? (Swing over to the "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory" section to read about masks in the novel. Just a little something to get the discussion started…)
- John tries to gather everyone together through diplomacy. Frank tries to use the political machine. Arkady is a fan of revolutions. Nadia builds things. Of all the characters, their tactics, and their motives, which one do you think could have created the perfect Mars had the others simply stepped out of their way? Why?
- Does Red Mars have a true antagonist? If so, who? If not, then why not? If you're up for it, you can answer the same question but with a twist: does Red Mars have a true protagonist?
- The First Hundred were a fifty-fifty split of men and women. How do you imagine the story might have been different had the Firsts been all male or female? Provide evidence from the text for your answer.
- Imagine you've purchased the rights to Red Mars and other companies are chomping at the bit to get a piece of the action. Choose a medium you'd like to see the novel adapted to: movie, comic, video game, HBO series (Game of Thrones in space, anyone?)—your pick, so get creative. Now, how would you adapt it? Don't forget to consider the specific themes, characters, and plot points you'll want to focus on and how they would be develop within your medium of choice. Also, you'll probably need to make some cuts to the final product. What would you leave on the editing room floor? Now, explain why you made the choices you did.