I’m reading some of the Nebula/Hugo award-winning SF novels of (mostly) the last few years; so in the last couple of months I read (lightly plot-spoiling, but not too bad):
Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl—a ‘biopunk’ novel, set in 23rd century Bangkok, in a world where a couple of mega-corps (mega-Monsanto’s) have screwed the whole eco-system, and made the world dependent on their bio-engineered calories (where are very hard to come by). The story is interesting, switches between the perspectives of different sides, including the one of a come-alive Japanese love doll. While I liked that, the whole tech/bio background did seem very improbable. Still, liked the book
Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series. There are 4 books—it starts with a bunch of old people that undergo some rejuvenation treatment, and end up in a whole lot of wars with alien races all over the reachable universe. The rest of the books discuss various aspects of the wars, the people involved, colonization, etc. Overall, I Iiked the stories, but I did not like the melodrama Scalzi put in at various places. And there were too many story lines (secondary, but still) that never got resolved. (e.g., the werewolfs). Tech-wise, of course everything is pretty advanced—but then his weird limitations, very convenient for the plot...
Haldeman’s Forever War (1974) is somewhat of a granddaddy to Old Man’s War, following some guy’s interstellar military career; it’s inspired by the writer’s Vietnam experiences. Overall, enjoyable (dated fairly well, although some of the ‘future tech’ is pretty common today...).
Just started with Connie Willis’ Blackout); about a bunch of future historians time-traveling to various episodes in World War II. So far, the hints to the concepts behind time-travel seem a bit...questionable, but let’s see what’s still to come...
It bothered me at first, but I think it’s about greenhouse gas emission. For example, methane is another power source, with legal restrictions depending on the “cleanliness” of the gas when burnt. I don’t remember whether biofuels are still used at the time of the story.
I’m reading some of the Nebula/Hugo award-winning SF novels of (mostly) the last few years; so in the last couple of months I read (lightly plot-spoiling, but not too bad):
Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl—a ‘biopunk’ novel, set in 23rd century Bangkok, in a world where a couple of mega-corps (mega-Monsanto’s) have screwed the whole eco-system, and made the world dependent on their bio-engineered calories (where are very hard to come by). The story is interesting, switches between the perspectives of different sides, including the one of a come-alive Japanese love doll. While I liked that, the whole tech/bio background did seem very improbable. Still, liked the book
Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series. There are 4 books—it starts with a bunch of old people that undergo some rejuvenation treatment, and end up in a whole lot of wars with alien races all over the reachable universe. The rest of the books discuss various aspects of the wars, the people involved, colonization, etc. Overall, I Iiked the stories, but I did not like the melodrama Scalzi put in at various places. And there were too many story lines (secondary, but still) that never got resolved. (e.g., the werewolfs). Tech-wise, of course everything is pretty advanced—but then his weird limitations, very convenient for the plot...
Haldeman’s Forever War (1974) is somewhat of a granddaddy to Old Man’s War, following some guy’s interstellar military career; it’s inspired by the writer’s Vietnam experiences. Overall, enjoyable (dated fairly well, although some of the ‘future tech’ is pretty common today...).
Just started with Connie Willis’ Blackout); about a bunch of future historians time-traveling to various episodes in World War II. So far, the hints to the concepts behind time-travel seem a bit...questionable, but let’s see what’s still to come...
NB on The Windup Girl—it’s an excellent book, but if graphic depictions of sexual abuse aren’t your cup of tea, you may want to pass on it.
I read a story set in that world, and it makes me crazy that they’re using muscle power rather than burning the food.
It bothered me at first, but I think it’s about greenhouse gas emission. For example, methane is another power source, with legal restrictions depending on the “cleanliness” of the gas when burnt. I don’t remember whether biofuels are still used at the time of the story.
That still doesn’t make sense—if the food stocks were created without mining carbon from oil or coal, then they’re carbon-neutral.