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Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson
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Forty Signs of Rain (original 2004; edition 2005)

by Kim Stanley Robinson

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1,4214712,909 (3.45)90
Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:The bestselling author of the classic Mars trilogy and The Years of Rice and Salt presents a riveting new trilogy of cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of global warming as they are played out in our nationâ??s capitalâ??and in the daily lives of those at the center of the action. Hauntingly yet humorously realistic, here is a novel of the near future that is inspired by scientific facts already making headlines.
 When the Arctic ice pack was first measured in the 1950s, it averaged thirty feet thick in midwinter. By the end of the century it was down to fifteen. One August the ice broke.
The next year the breakup started in July. The third year it began in May.
That was last year.
Itâ??s a muggy summer in Washington, D.C., as Senate environmental staffer Charlie Quibler and his scientist wife, Anna, work to call attention to the growing crisis of global warming. But as these everyday heroes fight to align the awesome forces of nature with the extraordinary march of technology, fate puts an unusual twist on their effortsâ??one that will place them at the heart of an unavoi
… (more)
Member:doctorsquale
Title:Forty Signs of Rain
Authors:Kim Stanley Robinson
Info:Spectra (2005), Edition: 4th THUS, Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:***
Tags:2008, sf

Work Information

Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson (2004)

  1. 01
    State of Fear by Michael Crichton (PghDragonMan)
    PghDragonMan: We know the climate is changing, but which way? These books take opposite viewpoints.
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English (45)  French (2)  All languages (47)
Showing 1-5 of 45 (next | show all)
(K) (2004)Robinson explores how scientists and politicians react when global warning finally unleashes its fury with the climax a dramatic flooding of Washington, DC (seems only fitting since Congress has for years been the leading deniers of global warming). Pretty good but Robinson can get pretty bogged down in scientific jargon.(PW)In this cerebral near-future novel, the first in a trilogy, Robinson (The Years of Rice and Salt) explores the events leading up to a worldwide catastrophe brought on by global warming. Each of his various viewpoint characters holds a small piece of the puzzle and can see calamity coming, but is helpless before the indifference of the politicians and capitalists who run America. Anna Quibler, a National Science Foundation official in Washington, D.C., sifts through dozens of funding proposals each day, while her husband, Charlie, handles life as a stay-at-home dad and telecommutes to his job as an environmental adviser to a liberal senator. Another scientist, Frank Vanderwal, finds his sterile worldview turned upside down after attending a lecture on Buddhist attitudes toward science given by the ambassador from Khembalung, a nation virtually inundated by the rising Indian Ocean. Robinson's tale lacks the drama and excitement of such other novels dealing with global climate change as Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather and John Barnes's Mother of Storms, but his portrayal of how actual scientists would deal with this disaster-in-the-making is utterly convincing. Robinson clearly cares deeply about our planet's future, and he makes the reader care as well. FYI:Robinson's Mars trilogy (Red Mars, etc.) received one Nebula and two Hugo awards.Copyright ? Reed Business Information
  derailer | Jan 25, 2024 |
I like Robinson’s books but they are decidedly light on plot. He likes to describe things, but 300 pages of describing things is not that compelling. If it weren’t for it shared interests and concerns, ie climate change, and scientifically accurate world-building-the details are really interesting— I’m not sure I would read any more of his books. DNF
  BookyMaven | Dec 6, 2023 |
This is a well-written, straight-ahead novel about a possible near future of global environmental catastrophe. There are times when it feels like the author is hitting you over the head with a two-by-four of science facts. But these can be excused because they are relevant and interesting.

The characters are well-drawn, charming, and down-to-earth. The author even manages to draw the Bush-like President in a likable, if not flattering way. The settings are mundane, yet evocative. The reader is always present in the places and the weather becomes another character.

The ending of this book is really the set-up for the next book, which makes it a bit unsatisfying. But I will definitely read the next two volumes to see where the story takes me. ( )
  zot79 | Aug 20, 2023 |
Forty Signs of Rain is possibly the weakest novel I've read from Kim Stanley Robinson. It's particularly frustrating because I don't understand why this needed to be a novel at all.

It's clear that the story here is just an excuse for Mr. Robinson to explore issues of climate change, the role of politics in science, and public vs. private science. These are important concerns and Mr. Robinson is a crusader for related causes.

Forty Signs of Rain is frustrating because the story gets in the way of what he has to say about these matters. I would much rather read a long-form essay or a series of op-ed pieces from Mr. Robinson on these topics. I think his criticisms, insights, experience, and hopes would all come across more clearly and powerfully.

He didn't need to write a novel to talk about these things.

If he had to write a novel to explore these issues, this one needed a lot more time in development. The plot is a flimsy veneer, with no real momentum or through-line. The characters are rough sketches, at best, with no depth and little actual personality. Mr. Robinson uses them to function mostly as mouthpieces for his ideas. Given the non-existence of a cohesive plot, these characters have little of substance to do to show their personalities.

Perhaps I should read the other two novels in the Science in the Capital series before judging the narrative too harshly. But Forty Signs of Rain is the one that kicks off the trilogy and it reads like a rough draft. It simply shouldn't be a complete and published novel in this state.

As voice in our cultural conversations about the environment, science, and politics, Mr. Robinson is important. He deserves a far stronger platform than he gave himself with this book. ( )
  johnthelibrarian | Aug 11, 2020 |
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Kim Stanley Robinsonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Forbes, DominicCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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The earth is bathed in a flood of sunlight. A fierce inundation of photons - on average 342 joules per second per square metre.
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Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:The bestselling author of the classic Mars trilogy and The Years of Rice and Salt presents a riveting new trilogy of cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of global warming as they are played out in our nationâ??s capitalâ??and in the daily lives of those at the center of the action. Hauntingly yet humorously realistic, here is a novel of the near future that is inspired by scientific facts already making headlines.
 When the Arctic ice pack was first measured in the 1950s, it averaged thirty feet thick in midwinter. By the end of the century it was down to fifteen. One August the ice broke.
The next year the breakup started in July. The third year it began in May.
That was last year.
Itâ??s a muggy summer in Washington, D.C., as Senate environmental staffer Charlie Quibler and his scientist wife, Anna, work to call attention to the growing crisis of global warming. But as these everyday heroes fight to align the awesome forces of nature with the extraordinary march of technology, fate puts an unusual twist on their effortsâ??one that will place them at the heart of an unavoi

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Climate is warming
Governments ignore warnings
Here comes the deluge
(pickupsticks)

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