Having read and thoroughly enjoyed A.G.
Riddle’s Pandemic series, I couldn’t
wait to read his latest, Winter World.
Not only do I love the visceral thrill of eschatological narratives and
their exploration of geo-political machinations as well as emotional and
psychological trauma and challenges of facing the end of the world as we know
it and how people react, but the notion of the earth becoming a winter
wasteland (and the reasons behind this) were fascinating to me – very Day After Tomorrow-esque.
This tale of the earth’s rapid change from varied climate and where power is
concentrated in familiar regions to one where mass immigration from First World
centres to formerly third world countries is told from two points of view. The
first is that of an astronaut/scientist and commander, Emma, and a brilliant
doctor and roboticist (among other things) James, who commences the book in a
federal prison. The way Riddle tells the story of earth’s epic struggle to
survive an attack that will destroy all life is at once personalized through
these two characters and the relationships they form with their families,
colleagues and each other, but also far-reaching. He cleverly keeps the pace
moving by leaping the story forward and avoiding what some sci-fi narratives do
(albeit some do it very well), bogging the reader down in extraneous scientific
detail that show the author’s grasp of technical complexities as opposed to
serving the story. We are given some of the science and for this Luddite, it
appears to work. But it is the story that captures you – as well as demands you
suspend your disbelief – as James and Emma and the brilliant people they work
with fight to battle an alien enemy no-one predicted and who is ruthless in the
extreme.
My only mild reservations are that James and Emma are so damn courageous and
amazing. James is like the nerd’s James Bond personified but with the ability
to grow and change – for the better (even when he’s practically perfect in
every way). Emma, through great tragedy and personal hardship is also a geek
Mary Poppins – intelligent, focused, self-sacrificing and lovely. I just wish there
were more people Iike Emma and James in real life. As it is, I’ll have to wait
for the sequel to find out where their battle and the dangerous adventures that
ensue lead. Looking forward to it!