An ambitious work and a convincing vision of climate change
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"Forty Signs of Rain" is the first novel in Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Science in the Capital' trilogy, exploring the potential impact of global warming as well as science's role in twenty-first century politics. One summer in the near future, an embassy of Buddhists arrives in Washington DC, seeking representation from the National Science Foundation. They are lobbying for assistance from the US government; their nation, an island in the Bay of Bengal, is slowly succumbing to rising sea levels as a result of global warming. However, as Charlie Quibler - advisor to pro-environment Senator Phil Chase - knows well, tackling global warming is low on the government's agenda. But evidence of the impending catastrophe is rapidly mounting: very soon either policy must change, or else the climate will.
The book eschews a conventional plot, instead following the lives of several characters over the course of one summer, all of whom have an interest in the issue of climate change. In some ways it has the feel of a political thriller, as the main characters struggle against the restrictive bureaucracies of the NSF and the US administration, and it is clear that Robinson has researched this aspect of his subject well. Likewise his treatment of the various weather events - impacting as they do on American soil and Western lifestyles - is believable throughout, and the novel's climax is unsettling even as it is compelling.
Unfortunately the novel is let down in places by its pacing, which can feel almost glacial at times. While it begins strongly, it is not until the last 150 pages of the book that Robinson really begins to address the question of what global warming really means for us all. Also, a great deal of space is afforded to the fortunes of one Leo Mulhouse, a scientist working at biotech startup in California - although the technical details of his work are impenetrable to the average reader, and his role in the longer term seems to be largely inconsequential.
"Forty Signs of Rain" is an ambitious work, dealing with what is arguably the biggest issue of modern times but on a largely human rather than a technical-scientific level. More measured and less sensational than, for example, "The Day After Tomorrow", this is a convincing depiction of how climate change could manifest itself, as well as of how it will surely affect our lives. To write a work of fiction on such a topic - the very scale of which lies almost beyond human comprehension - is no mean task, but Robinson has met the challenge well and set firm foundations for this series. I thoroughly look forward to reading the second book in the trilogy, "Fifty Degrees Below".
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Slow Slow Slow
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I'm quite ticked off with this book. I've read the Mars trilogy and one of the reviews lead me to believe that this book would not be so heavy on description. I did not find that to be the case. For example if you are interested in the finest details of the scientific community (at least 5 pages were dedicated to the mechanism by which grants were approved...fascinating stuff let me tell you), or what it's like to be a man looking after a small child whilst your wife works (including warming up bottles of breast milk, I now consider myself an expert breast milk extraction)and of course rock climbing then this book is for you.
I do not mind character development, I consider it important but there is a point where it becomes self indulgent. There is not much plot to talk of in the first 200 pages and very little drama either. NOTHING HAPPENS and when it does there's an absence of drama there too. The cover of the book should classify as miselling. for perspective I've read the last of the orange county books and adored it, not a lot happened there either but there was drama and I felt for the characters. As far as this book is concerned I feel only the slightest of interest in Frank and the others could get killed in the most gruesome fashion and I would struggle to feel moved one iota. It's not a bad book, different people like different things, but it is very slow and takes an interesting theme and makes it tedious.
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important storytelling
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i enjoyed this book. ksr's trademark descriptions of nature and the landscape serve to root this novel into our greater world. in fact that is something very special about him. very few science-fiction authors have faced up to the fact that our science paradigms of progress are currently unsustainable. by giving us fictions of highly technologised futures without addressing how those technologies have been shaped by our current environmental situation we are really being provided with stories that may prove dangerous to our species.
this book squarely takes that on and faces the questions that no one seems to want to admit exist. robinson also provides some of his own ideas about how science itself can take responsibility for the paradigm shift needed to face where we find capitalism has taken us. admittedly some of this can sound a little preachy and there are a few pages which sound like a manifesto but really, it's exhilirating that someone is even thinking of this and has the guts to attempt to share their thoughts on it.
another aspect of the novel is that it doesn't get lost in epic disaster scenes. the effects of the weather changes are very realistic and the focus remains on the individuals within them. this helps prevent the reader falling into "oh disaster flick" mode. the day after tomorrow is a good film but the main emotional involvement falls into standard american adventure movie narratives. in this book we are kept in a world that could be very familiar to us and this helps keep the underlying implications real. this is really helped by a bunch of characters i found i really liked. the portrayal of "momdad" charlie is particularly resonant.
it may sound odd given the subject matter but i actually felt a bit better about climate change after reading this book than before. climate change is such a vast and frightening potential that kim stanley robinson has done us a great service by going into that scenario and providing a clear sighted exploration. he makes it easier to think about and only when we think about it and accept it as a potential can we truly work to do something about it.
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Seems like the first third of a larger volume.
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I have read most of Kim Stanley Robinson's books since coming upon the Orange County books and enjoyed them greatly. I'm sorry to say that this was a disappointment. The quality of writing remains excellent, but as the characters and plot develop, you realise that you are 200 odd pages into the book, with ~100 remaining, and little has happened. I presume that this is the first in a series of books and the story will develop in "50 Degrees Below" out later this year. However, this would be like publishing the masterpiece "Red Mars" in thirds rather than one volume. Has this been a Publisher's decision rather than author? A good first book in a series but standing alone is a little disappointing.
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Very disappointing after the 'Mars' trilogy
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No, this is not as billed - most of the story is lost in the minutia of venture capital funding and the mechanics of scientific research. The most important event in the book (the stopping of the Gulf stream) is disposed of in a short telephone intercept with absolutely no reaction from the main characters or governments (contrast this with the film The Day After Tomorrow..) After the mars trilogy I expected great things but the main them of the book seemed to be an after thought - I could not recommend this book at all
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