The Wind Up Girl
Paolo Bacigalupi

Global warming, mega corporations bent on world domination, genetically modified food, floods, plagues, mechanical sex slaves. The future in the Wind-Up Girl isn’t very uplifting, but the way Bacigalupi tells this story of a future Thailand beset by environmental disasters, and voracious mutlti-national corporations is incredible. No surprise, I guess. When Bacigalupi isn’t writing science fiction, he’s working on environmental issues. It shows. The nuance with which he walks us through what the world could look like in a 100 years is specific, jarring and compelling. I couldn’t put this one down and it remains one of my favorite science fiction novels of the past decade. Well written and excellently plotted, with carefully constructed characters inhabiting all levels of this future dystopia, it’s a must read if science fiction is your thing.

Recommended.