Flood

Frightening. Plausible. Sad. I couldn't stop reading, until the Kindle battery ran down and I had to let it charge for a while. Like no flood story ever. I liked the characters, well, the likable ones. But even the unlikable ones resonated. No question I'll be moving on to Ark. And many more of Baxter's works.

Stephen Baxter has written an excellent "end of civilisation" book. Unlike a movie, this takes place over a long period of many years, which makes it that much more realistic and frightening. It reminded me, in many ways, of John Barne's "Mother of Storms". It had that grandeosity about it.

Imagine a future world where rising waters are outpacing expectations and immersing civilization, and where a few fore-sighted individuals have devised temporary stop gates to extinction. Now imagine even these resources become overwhelmed. FLOOD offers a realistic, frightening survey of a future world consumed and provides a bold saga reinforced with strong characterizations throughout. Any science fiction reader and library will find it a riveting acquisition.

Once again, Steven Baxter gives us one of those creative time-progression stories that he is so famous for. I could not put it down ! Unlike other Al Gore based global-warming hysteria novels and movies (Inconvenient Truth/The Coming Global Superstorm/The Day After Tomorrow), Baxter concedes that climate change is well beyond our control and really has nothing at all to do with mankind's stewardship of the planet. Rather than some collective 'Humans Suck' attitude, Baxter focuses on the individual bravery of those facing an ever-shrinking land mass over the course of decades. Like all of his novels, humans adapts through forced evolution, whether on the ocean or in space. I can't wait for the sequel !

I won't discuss the plot, you've seen it elsewhere. I read this book several weeks ago and it's still resonates. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's how things keep getting worse..and worse. I can't speak to the science, though I have my doubts. Character and plot is the usual... But still I keep thinking about it. I guess you can't ask for more from a book.