Scylla actually has an allergy to ships, you see, and Charybdis is definitely super-scary but needs to wash its hair when the protagonists come by so we’re all good. The problem is that KSR doesn’t actually have a very good idea for how we get there, so he cheats. And sure, a bit of a cliche, but it could be a great declaration of intent, a signpost that this novel won’t just indulge in apocalyptic visions (which he summons to terrifying and moving effect in the opening chapter) but try to chart a course between Scylla and Charybdis towards a better future. I think KSR gets a good 5% of the way in before he paraphrases it here. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a sci-fi writer in possession of a utopian plotline must be in want of that quote about the end of the world being easier to imagine than the end of capitalism. But I find KSR’s answers to the challenge of global warming vague and unconvincing, so much so that this attempt at a hopeful, needle-threading future has left me more worried about the next century than when I started reading it. I hope it finds its target in spite of considerable cynicism. But despite the cautionary mention that humans usually believe they will be alright all the way to the end, KSR ultimately commits to optimism.Ĥ. Not utopian either there's no starry eyed insistence on the ensured triumph of rationality and enlightenment (and if such is possible, it will be hard-earned). It starts out sobering, then proceeds with a grim determination that turns into determined hopefulness. Whatever its ultimate realism, the book fosters an understanding that solutions (plural) to climate change and global inequity are possible, that they can be imagined, that-look-this could be one way it plays out, however unlikely, that, yes, there are unknowns, but we can't really afford to let that paralyze us.ģ. Personally I err on the hopeful side, plus they're fun to read. Some might even work - while others would be picked apart by a domain expert.

KSR is an amazingly informed and engaged author and there are a number of intriguing and well-researched ideas in this book, touching on geoengineering, policy work, economics and more. Do not expect a scientifically rigid proposal for solving the climate crisis. If it is an aquired taste, it's a taste well worth aquiring.Ģ. While some chapters do go on at length about personal trauma, others are literally meeting minutes. The book features individuals, it even drives home a powerful point about individual engagement, but it is not focused on personal stories. Be aware that it occupies a peculiar spot between fiction and non-fiction. A short guide on how to enjoy reading The Ministry for the Future:ġ.

New york 2140 by kim stanley robinson