Sylvia, NSF representative, welcomes newcomers in McMurdo. Ta Shu's log, broadcasting to Chinese TV: first impressions in Antarctica. Wade travels to Antarctica via New Zealand. X's bio: reader of Marxist theory, manual labor. X's daily routine as a Good For Anything worker/proletarian in Mac Town (McMurdo) and surroundings for the beakers (scientists). Wade's bio, from radical environmentalist to Senator aide. Wade Norton gets assigned to go to Antarctica by Senator Phil Chase to break gridlock on the upcoming Antarctica Treaty renegotiation gridlock risks to leave legal status in limbo, allowing for the exploitation of Antarctica by private interests, and environmental degradation. In Antarctica, X, a General Field Assistant, is driving a SPOT train when he is hijacked by 'ice pirates' on the way to McMurdo, a vehicle is taken.Val, tour guide, is touring a group of clients at Cape Crozier, recreating Cherry-Garrard's Worst Journey in the World with George's film crew. The character of Ta Shu was also reused in Red Moon. It also shares some characters with the Science In The Capital trilogy, such as Wade Norton and US Senator Phil Chase. It follows several characters from their own point of view, and is rich with passages on Antarctic history.Īntarctica shares many themes with the Mars trilogy, such as environmental awareness, the exploitation of natural resources, feral living style and descriptions of landscapes with conditions as extreme as those in the Mars novels - because of the similarity in the themes of both works, Antarctica has been called ' White Mars' by some. Set in the close future at the time of writing (start of 21st century), it describes the adventures of a US Senator envoyé in Antarctica, who investigates happenings related to the upcoming renegotiation of the Antarctic Treaty and discovers local Antarctic cultures, either ferals living off the land or ecoteurs (ecological saboteurs) fighting against environmental degradation. It was written as a result of Robinson's experience in the continent itself during a visit organized by the 'Artists & Writers' program of the National Science Foundation in 1995.

Antarctica is Robinson's first novel published after the success of the Mars trilogy, published in 1997.

Aurora stanley robinson