Friday 26 October 2012

Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi

Bacigalupi  is a seriously talented writer and this collection of short stories shows off his skill. Most of these stories share the common theme of a future ecological catastrophes but they are about more than that. Really they are about how humans respond to these circumstances. For the most part the answer is depressing with haves and have nots, oppressors and oppressed. There are some very dark stories here such as the tale of future world where science has given the gift of immortality to all but the price of this boon is that new children are  tracked down and ruthlessly executed.

Also of note is that there are two stories set in the  gmo enthralled world of Bacigalupi's excellent novel: "The Windup Girl".