A review by daytonm
Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson
5.0
What a thrill! Likable main characters, a suspenseful plot, still plenty of room for the author’s typical scientific and philosophical detours. I would tentatively say it’s my favorite of his non-Mars books – not necessarily the one I would recommend first, as it’s maybe not quite as thematically ambitious or politically relevant as some of his others (although this starts to change toward the end), but delightful to read. His loving descriptions of the icescape partly make me want to visit Antarctica, partly it sounds pretty cold.
Also of note that it’s a novel written in the 1990s that takes place at an unspecified time this century in which climate change is a reality people are dealing with. It’s not a book about climate change, just one in which climate change is a factor and relevant to a couple subplots. Even if some of the environmental politics now feel dated, overall ahead of its time.
Also of note that it’s a novel written in the 1990s that takes place at an unspecified time this century in which climate change is a reality people are dealing with. It’s not a book about climate change, just one in which climate change is a factor and relevant to a couple subplots. Even if some of the environmental politics now feel dated, overall ahead of its time.