Author Kim Stanley Robinson has written some great books, including the Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) and 2312, but Red Moon is a bust.

An analyst unwittingly takes part in the murder of a Chinese official in a Chinese colony on the moon. He eventually escapes to Earth-bound China with a tough, sassy, and pregnant Chinese woman whose father is politically powerful. Meanwhile, an unrelated kindly old man, famous for his podcasts, helps the pair avoid capture. They go back and forth to the moon several times amidst massive political upheaval on Earth and the moon.

Robinson does an amazing job describing the various colonies on the moon and a near-future China. He’s done his research. However, I never connected emotionally with any of the characters. I felt like I was watching them give long lectures to each other instead of being a part of their lives. I lost interest in the story partway through and was totally ticked off at the ending, which happened right before something really interesting was about to go down.

Recommendation: Nope. Check out some of Robinson’s other books, but give this one a pass.