# Quote — Kim Stanley Robinson, Green Mars

> It was a real science; it had discovered there among the contingency and disorder, some valid general principles of evolution—development, adaptation, complexification, and many more specific principles as well, confirmed by the various subdisciplines.
>
> What he needed were similar principles influencing human history. The little reading he did in historiography was not encouraging; it was either a sad imitation of the scientific method, or art pure and simple. About every decade a new historical explanation revised all that had come before, but clearly revisionism held pleasures that had nothing to do with the actual justice of the case being made.

- Author: [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://www.leafyquotes.com/kim-stanley-robinson.md)
- Book: [Green Mars](https://www.leafyquotes.com/kim-stanley-robinson/green-mars.md)
- Page: 221
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kim_Stanley_Robinson#Green_Mars_(1993)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/kim-stanley-robinson/green-mars/it-was-a-real

## More from this book

> “It’s the same old story,” he said bitterly. “The resistance begins fighting itself, because that’s the only thing it can beat. Happens every time. You can’t get any movement larger than five people without including at least one fucking idiot.”

p. 315 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/kim-stanley-robinson/green-mars/its-the-same.md)

> If enough data points trouble the theory, the theory may be wrong. If the theory is basic, the paradigm may have to change.

p. 410 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/kim-stanley-robinson/green-mars/if-enough-data.md)

> “We could have a contest. Who does Jackie listen to least?”
>
> Maya laughed out loud. “Everyone would win.”

p. 488 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/kim-stanley-robinson/green-mars/we-could-have.md)