Every time I read a story about some billionaire getting angry about their private jets being tracked I recall a part of the Kim Stanley Robinson novel Ministry for the Future, a (very) near-future tale about how a few global climate catastrophes wreak such havoc that regular people start taking extreme measures – for example randomly shooting down passenger aircraft for months, causing the collapse of the air travel industry. I have to imagine that the 1%ers are thinking about that too now.
In the book, I noticed upon re-reading – it was always the biggest polluters (usually, the richest of the rich) that had unfortunate drone-strikes while flying.
Not the electric planes. No commuter planes. Straight up 1%-er targets.
B admits to it later on in the book, when they hint B might be Mother.
It was kind of a difficult read for me - things just hit a little too close to home for me, and the resolution was too perfect. I’d still recommend it though - at the end of the day it’s still Kim Stanley Robinson, and he is an absolute master of hard social-scifi.
I would say it is an okay book. It’s a little too optimistic on the human side which his books all tend to be. It’s worth a read though of only to give some idea of possibilities.
Everyone has a different definition of optimism. 🙂
More I meant the final outcome. I don’t think the eco terrorism would be as effective or as coordinated. ELF certainly did not end up changing much in a positive way.
Every time I read a story about some billionaire getting angry about their private jets being tracked I recall a part of the Kim Stanley Robinson novel Ministry for the Future, a (very) near-future tale about how a few global climate catastrophes wreak such havoc that regular people start taking extreme measures – for example randomly shooting down passenger aircraft for months, causing the collapse of the air travel industry. I have to imagine that the 1%ers are thinking about that too now.
“If those kids could read, they’d be very upset.”
That book is a not-so-covert manifesto, I swear.
In the book, I noticed upon re-reading – it was always the biggest polluters (usually, the richest of the rich) that had unfortunate drone-strikes while flying.
Not the electric planes. No commuter planes. Straight up 1%-er targets.
B admits to it later on in the book, when they hint B might be Mother.
Would you say it’s a good book? I’m always down for a riveting read :)
It was kind of a difficult read for me - things just hit a little too close to home for me, and the resolution was too perfect. I’d still recommend it though - at the end of the day it’s still Kim Stanley Robinson, and he is an absolute master of hard social-scifi.
Kim Stanley Robinson is likely one of the best sci fi authors alive. You generally can’t go wrong with his stuff.
I would say it is an okay book. It’s a little too optimistic on the human side which his books all tend to be. It’s worth a read though of only to give some idea of possibilities.
“optimistic” just above was talking about how terrorists were shooting planes out of the sky killing people
Everyone has a different definition of optimism. 🙂
More I meant the final outcome. I don’t think the eco terrorism would be as effective or as coordinated. ELF certainly did not end up changing much in a positive way.
Eco warriors you mean!
That’s what I said
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I loved it!