Page "Mars trilogy" Paragraph 26

An American geologist, Clayborne is one of the first areologists and maintains a stalwart desire to see Mars preserved in the state it holds when humans arrive.

Clayborne early on debates Saxifrage Russell over the proper role of humanity on Mars and though initially apolitical, this stance marks her as the original " Red ," while Russell's hands-on terraforming reflects the antithesis of these views.

Clayborne is shown to prefer solitude during much of the series, and even her relationship with fellow First Hundred settler Simon ( with whom she has a child ) is subject to introspective silence in most cases.

Simon's death and the estrangement she finds from their son Peter when the latter emerges as a leading moderate " green " drive her to further isolation.

Clayborne's relationship with Russell is shown to be complex, the two of them taking early opposite views but the situation slowly changing as Russell comes to appreciate what has been unleashed and what has indeed been lost as science gives way to commercial exploitation that he cannot control.

During the events of Blue Mars, Russell intervenes to save Clayborne's life ; later, the two are revealed to have once shared an attraction that went astray because of a casual misinterpretation between them.