The Windup Girl, By Paolo Bacigalupi
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Paolo Bacigalupi's debut novel, the winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction, is set in a dystopian Bangkok after the world has suffered an environmental catastrophe: sea levels are rising, fossil fuels are all but exhausted, and genetic manipulation offers the only hope for a sustainable food supply. Against this bleak backdrop, Thailand stands on the brink of civil war, riven by competing political and commercial interests.
Bacigalupi's descriptions of the teeming streets are vigorous and compelling: "A seethe of traffic... morning commuters clogging Thanon Rama IX like the Mekong in flood. Bicycles and cycle rickshaws, blue-black water buffaloes and great shambling megodonts." And the book reads like a rollicking historical novel: there's a cast of deliciously corrupt characters, from dissipated expatriate financiers to avaricious generals, the author skilfully building momentum while interweaving their stories.
There are flaws: the dialogue is occasionally clumsy, and the central character – "a windup", or artificial being, who yearns to be human – is a sci-fi cliché. But the action scenes, related in taut, breathless prose, can be stunning. Tremendous entertainment.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments