Ice Ice Baby...
Written: Jun 06 '09 (Updated Jun 06 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quite engaging story, and a human element.
Cons: Runs away with itself during some of the tale.
The Bottom Line: Reasonable Sci Fi and a plausable happening. Maggie Gee's Ice People is a good read.
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| cr01's Full Review: Maggie Gee - The Ice People |
In the traditions of Huxley and Orwell, Maggie Gee's The Ice People (1998) considers the natural conclusions of current social and environmental trends, and places them in the near future. While the result is a little hysterical and unrealistic in places, the book is a good Sci Fi read.
The Ice People
The story focuses upon Saul, a man in his early 60's but towards the end of his life in a harsh world. Saul has quite a life story to tell, as he was born in the early 21st century, and lived through the early global warming and subsequent rapid descent to ice age. Likewise, Saul remembers the traditional family unit, and the challenges of becoming a parent in the subsequent polluted and gender segregated world. The lack of children broke up traditional values.
Saul worked at the cutting edge of technology, and was particularly fond of the Doves (Do everything), a cute, child substitute-cum-domestic cleaner. Of course, in the subsequent ruined world, the Doves are more hindrance than help.
The book follows Saul as he charts his life with his wife, Sarah in London, and their long attempts to have a child. While Saul engages with his life, he hardly notices that society around him changes, and the temperatures, rather than continuing to rise, start to fall.
Inspirations
Maggie Gee's inspiration for the Ice People comes from the historical patterns of the ice ages. For the past 5 million years or so, the earth has experienced around 100,000 years of ice age, followed by 15,000 years of warm. Some scientists have determined earth is due another period of ice age, and their studies of pollen in ice has identified the transition to ice age could happen over a period of just 20 years. Deep joy - another thing to keep me awake at night.
Developments in technology also obviously influence Gee, along with the changes in society, and dislike and distrust of government and taxes. Saul describes a world where men and women socialise separately in exclusive clubs, and same sex relations are as common as heterosexual ones are today. While it would be no bad thing, I'm not convinced the world will turn gay within a generation. Married Saul has the occasional fling down the club, but is seen as unusual.
The Ice People has a distinct socialist bent, as Gee describes the increasing irrelevance of Government, as people refuse to pay taxes for services. The government is consequently largely impotent against the changes in temperature, and the residents of the world are on their own. I was also pleased with the irony of the situation at the beginning of the book where migrants from Africa try to enter Britain, whereas it reverses. It beings home the cruel fate of birth.
I was less delighted with the ending of the Ice People. It has almost as fatal a flaw as a typical essay from a seven year old, which ends with the words... and then I died. Unfortunately, the manuscript that Saul has written could not exist given the events Gee describes. Heh, they don't call it fiction for nothing.
To sum up, The Ice People is a fairly engaging and readable book, with some interesting observations about society, technology, and the weather. However, don't expect the book to change your life.
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cr01 asserts his right to be associated as the author of this review -2009-
Recommended:
Yes
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cr01
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Member: Chris
Location: Yorkshire, England
Reviews written: 432
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About Me:
Away in Whitby for the weekend - the SAP catch up continues on Sunday...
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