From the visionary NYT bestselling author of NEW YORK 2140 comes a near-future novel that is a gripping exploration of climate change, technology, politics and the human behaviours that drive these forces.
There are parts of this book that are incredible, but overall it's probably the most lib thing KSR has published in years. Here's the review I wrote when I first read it:
Robinson knows better than most how dire things are for human society and the Earth's environment, and this is the book where he finally lays out a possibility for how it could be dealt with. This is the endpoint of the liberal/"democratic socialist" worldview, where he, charitably, doesn't believe a revolution to overthrow capitalism is possible but a legal, legislated shift towards social democracy (though spurred on by targeted political violence that isn't really discussed at length) IS possible. In the book, this shift relies on the world's central banks underwriting a new blockchain currency based on carbon sequestration and on the capitalist/imperialist powers in the world not actively sabotaging any efforts at redistribution and equity. Which is, of course, quite an assumption.
This book also continues to show Robinson's bad/unclear stance towards China that "Red Moon" was all about. He doesn't know quite what to make of them and will acknowledge their state-run enterprises and non-capitalist development strategies and then call the Belt and Road Initiative a form of imperialism and give a chapter to a completely incoherent take on Hong Kong independence that is written from and for the NPR-listening set. He ignores the things that complicate the narrative of China as "authoritarian capitalist despotism" or whatever.
I will say, though, that I appreciate the book's fundamental optimism. Robinson always feels that for all our faults, humans have the ability to find a way to adapt and overcome our faults and our mistakes, even if it's difficult and comes with a high cost. The book ends with celebration even as it acknowledges the work that still has to be done. Struggle forever. That's important to strive towards.
Right. But look, Dr. G, even if we could get this to work, the glacier would still move downstream, so eventually this whole pumping system would get swept out to sea. It would have to be rebuilt up here again.
Of course! I said. It’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. All kinds of things have to be done like that. Maintenance stuff.
Besides, what’s the alternative? someone pointed out.
It’ll cost a ton!
What’s cost? I said. Postdocs can be so stovepiped, it would be funny if it weren’t so alarming. I clarified reality for them: Look, if you have to do something, you have to do it. Don’t keep talking about cost as if that’s a real thing. Money isn’t real. Work is real.
There are parts of this book that are incredible, but overall it's probably the most lib thing KSR has published in years. Here's the review I wrote when I first read it:
Robinson knows better than most how dire things are for human society and the Earth's environment, and this is the book where he finally lays out a possibility for how it could be dealt with. This is the endpoint of the liberal/"democratic socialist" worldview, where he, charitably, doesn't believe a revolution to overthrow capitalism is possible but a legal, legislated shift towards social democracy (though spurred on by targeted political violence that isn't really discussed at length) IS possible. In the book, this shift relies on the world's central banks underwriting a new blockchain currency based on carbon sequestration and on the capitalist/imperialist powers in the world not actively sabotaging any efforts at redistribution and equity. Which is, of course, quite an assumption. This book also continues to show Robinson's bad/unclear stance towards China that "Red Moon" was all about. He doesn't know quite what to make of them and will acknowledge their state-run enterprises and non-capitalist development strategies and then call the Belt and Road Initiative a form of imperialism and give a chapter to a completely incoherent take on Hong Kong independence that is written from and for the NPR-listening set. He ignores the things that complicate the narrative of China as "authoritarian capitalist despotism" or whatever. I will say, though, that I appreciate the book's fundamental optimism. Robinson always feels that for all our faults, humans have the ability to find a way to adapt and overcome our faults and our mistakes, even if it's difficult and comes with a high cost. The book ends with celebration even as it acknowledges the work that still has to be done. Struggle forever. That's important to strive towards.
I really loved the part with the ice researcher: