New York 2140 - Kim Stanley Robinson
For this post, I must first admit my bias: Kim Stanley Robinson is, by far, my favorite living sci-fi author (rest in peace, Ursula K. Le Guin). So, I was excited to discover his new book New York 2140 at a random used bookstore in Sydney - I hadn't had the chance to delve into the author's beautiful future of our solar system in quite some time. Of course, this book doesn't actually explore the solar system (check out the Mars Trilogy and 2312 for that), but it retains many of the same vibes that make Robinson so appealing.
New York 2140 takes place primarily in and around the MetLife building in Manhattan, and ends up thoroughly exploring the history of the building and its surroundings. A cast of characters, all of whom live in (or mooch off of) the building, end up caught up in (or creating) global-scale schemes to restructure finance and the economy. As with most of Robinson's books, there's a delicious interplay between the utility of capitalism to encourage technological development, and the dangers of cutthroat economics to value tomorrow's profits over next year's impending catastrophe. Indeed, my favorite aspect of this book was how economies at various scales -- from cooperative life in the MetLife building to virtual financial indices estimating coastal catastrophe -- force people to interact with love or extreme dismissal. The book explains how financial structures of power are created, and then prescribes a terrifyingly satisfying recipe for breaking them down.
Of course, it is still sci-fi. The characters zip around a flooded world on speedboats, or careen from pole to pole in airships. They go treasure hunting in murky depths, narrowly avoid collapsing buildings, and visit supertall skyscrapers linked by aerial tubes.
Yet, the sci-fi is not really what makes this book so compelling. For me, the delight is that Robinson weaves the same calm, evenly-paced plot that makes the Mars Trilogy enthralling. His steady tone equates global catastrophe with interpersonal conflict, whether it's kids weathering a hurricane or a trader on a bad date. This plodding near-monotony subtly encourages the reader to ponder not just the drastic events that are conveyed, but the foundations of human folly that make them possible.
If you like economics, are wary of capitalism, and refuse to learn about either without them both being nestled in science fiction, please do read this book.
New York 2140 takes place primarily in and around the MetLife building in Manhattan, and ends up thoroughly exploring the history of the building and its surroundings. A cast of characters, all of whom live in (or mooch off of) the building, end up caught up in (or creating) global-scale schemes to restructure finance and the economy. As with most of Robinson's books, there's a delicious interplay between the utility of capitalism to encourage technological development, and the dangers of cutthroat economics to value tomorrow's profits over next year's impending catastrophe. Indeed, my favorite aspect of this book was how economies at various scales -- from cooperative life in the MetLife building to virtual financial indices estimating coastal catastrophe -- force people to interact with love or extreme dismissal. The book explains how financial structures of power are created, and then prescribes a terrifyingly satisfying recipe for breaking them down.
Of course, it is still sci-fi. The characters zip around a flooded world on speedboats, or careen from pole to pole in airships. They go treasure hunting in murky depths, narrowly avoid collapsing buildings, and visit supertall skyscrapers linked by aerial tubes.
Yet, the sci-fi is not really what makes this book so compelling. For me, the delight is that Robinson weaves the same calm, evenly-paced plot that makes the Mars Trilogy enthralling. His steady tone equates global catastrophe with interpersonal conflict, whether it's kids weathering a hurricane or a trader on a bad date. This plodding near-monotony subtly encourages the reader to ponder not just the drastic events that are conveyed, but the foundations of human folly that make them possible.
If you like economics, are wary of capitalism, and refuse to learn about either without them both being nestled in science fiction, please do read this book.
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