Robinson's "Red Mars." was SSPS for Hydrogen Economy

I haven't read them, and after this I don't think that I want to. I
enjoy hard science fiction, and I enjoy fantasy of the "wizards &
dragons" type, and I even enjoy science fantasy (seems a good term),
such as Star Wars. What I don't like is science fantasy masquerading
as hard science fiction, and it looks like that is what we have here.

Actually, if you want science fantasy set on Mars, then perhaps it's
best to stick to Edgar Rice Burroughs. If you can swallow space
elevators and lambs out of nowhere, then giant green Tharks
and "eighth ray" anti-gravity flying battleships won't be a problem.
And besides, there is lots of action and (almost) nekkid wimmin. If
the science seems a bit weak, blame it on John Carter, who is "a
fighting man, not a scientist," and therefore just doing the best
that he can to describe these things. Actually, this only works up
to _Swords of Mars_, which is just...

Xenophile (from left to right flew my shimmering welding torch, now
beaming red to weld strontium, now green for titanium, and never
pausing but for the barest instant to anylize the atomic weight of
some savage metal)