Friday, March 31, 2017

Seven top sci-fi books that bet on a specific year

At the B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog Jeff Somers tagged seven science fiction books that bet on a specific year, including:
2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Robinson, as fearless as they come, likes to double-down on his double-downing. In 2312, he doesn’t skimp on the future-framing, declaring that by that far-off year, humanity will have spread throughout the solar system, leveraging incredible feats of scientific and engineering achievement to live in every possible environment—including a city on Mercury that moves continuously to avoid the deadly, unfiltered rays of the sun. Robinson balances his epic universe-building with a tightly-plotted mystery, kicked off when artist and asteroid designer Swan Er Hong’s grandmother dies under suspicious circumstances. Worth noting that the circa-2300 New York Swan visits is likewise more of a New Venice; we won’t be here to see how close Robinson’s imagination is to reality, but it’s nice to see an author so committed to his timeline.
Read about another entry on the list.

2312 is among Emma Newman's top five books about asteroids and their uses.

--Marshal Zeringue