Green Mars, Part One: "Areoformation," Viriditas, and The Great Unexplainable

Matt and Hilary start the second volume of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, *Green Mars*! Told from the perspective of Nirgal, a true Martian, we're re-introduced to the world of Mars, the first hundred, and a sense of wonder. We get to see Dr. Robot, the Good Witch, and the Bad Witch as teachers to a new generation of humans born on Mars, with a whole different relationship to and idea of family, planetariness, love, sex, embodiment, and everything else. We're also introduced to Hiroko's concept of viriditas and Sax's idea of The Great Unexplainable, which Nirgal imagines as "the green and the white." Matt and Hilary talk about the defamiliarizing qualities of this chapter, including the thick descriptions of the town of Zygote, hidden under the southern ice cap. We get a lot more about Coyote (including his real name) and his efforts to create a new Martian economy--all seen through the eyes of a child. Follow us on Twitter @podcastonmars Email us at maroonedonmarspodcast@gma