First Hundred
From The Kim Stanley Robinson Encyclopedia
The First Hundred refers to the hundred members of the first permanent Martian colony, sent to Mars in 2026 by a partnership between the American and Russian space programs. Though it was later revealed that there had been a stowaway on the Ares, he was kept hidden and was not part of the colony, so that while 101 people actually arrived in Mars in 2027, the "first hundred" refers only to legitimate members of the colony, despite later unofficial references to the "first hundred and one".
Selection and training
The first hundred were selected from among the world's elite in professions that would be required for travelling to, and the initial settlement of, Mars. Expertise required included spaceflight, medical skills, computer skills, robotics, systems design, architecture, geology, biosphere design, genetic engineering, biology, as well as engineering and construction skills of several kinds.
After a lengthy selection process, one hundred and fifty finalists were sent to Antarctica, assembling at McMurdo Station before moving into their habitats in Antarctica's Dry Valleys, where they would undergo a year-long period of training and assessment. They ran a biosphere farm and simulated many of the tasks they would expect be performing on the journey to Mars aboard the Ares and on the planet itself. Many candidates studied secondary and tertiary professions that could complement their existing skills.
All of this took place under the constant observation and evaluation of the selection committee, namely psychologist Michel Duval who was stationed in Antarctica with the candidates. Michel was concerned with the overwhelming collection of double-binds involved in the selection procedure, such as requiring the candidates to be:
- brilliant and accomplished enough to stand out, but normal enough to get along.
- old enough to have an enormous wealth of knowledge, yet young enough to endure physical labor.
- driven enough to excel, but relaxed enough to socialize.
Michel also was concerned that the intense scrutiny of selection drove a reticence and distrust that prevented the emergence of the compatibility that they were seeking. This, combined with the fact that they all had to be prepared to leave everyone they had known behind on Earth forever, led Michel to exclaim: "Since they're all going to go crazy anyway, why not just send insane people in the first place, and save them the trouble?"
Eventually, after this tumultous process, in which many relationships were forged and some broken (three couples were married), one hundred colonists - including Michel Duval himself - were selected for the inaugural settlment of Mars: fifty men and fifty woman; thirty-five Russians, thirty-five Americans, and thirty miscellaneous international affiliates.
Known Members of the First Hundred
| This table shows all the known members of the first hundred, with their relevant occupations and ages at the time of the Ares departure from Earth orbit on December 21, 2026. | |||
| Name | Country | Occupation | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Zhalin | Russia | ||
| Andrea | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Ann Clayborne | Geologist | ||
| Arkady Bogdanov | Russia | Training specialist | |
| Bob | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Boris | |||
| Dmitri | Russia | ||
| Edvard Perrin | Geologist | ||
| Elena | |||
| Ellen | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Evgenia | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Frank Chalmers | USA | Captain of American contingent | 50 |
| Gene | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| George Berkovic | Geologist | ||
| Hiroko Ai | International (Japan) | Biosphere/farm team leader | 33 |
| Igor | |||
| Ivana | |||
| Iwao | |||
| Janet Blyleven | USA | Reporter | |
| John Boone | USA | ||
| Marina Tokareva | |||
| Mary Dunkel | |||
| Maya Toitovna | Russia | Co-ordinator of Russian contigent | 40 |
| Michel Duval | International (France) | Psychiatrist | |
| Nadia Cherneshevsky | Russia | Engineer | |
| Phyllis Boyle | USA | Geologist | |
| Raul | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Roger Calkins | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Rya Jimenez | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Samantha Hoyle | |||
| Sasha Yefremov | |||
| Sax Russell | USA | Physicist | |
| Simon Frazier | Geologist | ||
| Spencer Jackson | |||
| Tasha | Biosphere/farm team | ||
| Tatiana Durova | Russia | ||
| Ursula Kohl | Medical biologist | ||
| Vasili | Russia | ||
| Vlad Taneev | Russia | Medical biologist | 58 |
| Yeli Zudov | Russia | ||
| Yuri | Russia | ||
| The Mars Trilogy | |
| People |
Hiroko Ai • Arkady Bogdanov • Jackie Boone • John Boone • Phyllis Boyle • Frank Chalmers • Nadia Cherneshevsky • Ann Clayborne • Peter Clayborne • Michel Duval • Nirgal • Desmond Hawkins • Art Randolph • Sax Russell • Maya Toitovna • Zo Boone |
|---|---|
| Groups & Organizations |
First Hundred • Greens • Reds • Free Mars • Praxis • UNOMA • UNTA |
| History |
Timeline • 1st Martian Revolution • 2nd Martian Revolution • Second Renaissance |
| Culture |
Areophany • Viriditas • Gift Economy • Ecopoesis • Little Red People |
| Settlements |
Acheron • Bogdanov Vishniac • Burroughs • Cairo • Da Vinci • Dorsa Brevia • Echus Overlook • Nicosia • Odessa • Sabishii • Senzeni Na • Sheffield • Underhill • Zygote/Gamete |
| Areography |
Mars • Tharsis • Valles Marineris • Hellas • Argyre • Olympus Mons • Pavonis Mons |
| Satellites & Spacecraft |
The Ares • Clarke/Space Elevator • Deimos • Phobos • Novy Mir • |
| Kim Stanley Robinson | The Mars Trilogy | Other Works | |
