Loosened Upon the World is a short story collection based on the concept of climate change. Multiple authors are found in this collection and edited by John Joseph Adams.
Truth and Consequences by Kim Stanley Robinson (pg. 240-268)
At first, just flipping through the pages to see what I'm up against, it appeared to be three different short stories inside this one other short story. And, while reading, I came to the conclusion as the character introduced in the first part of this didn't roll over to the next.
Let me explain.
The story starts out with our main character, Charlie, somewhere in DC getting lunch in the first start of a bad hurricane/tropical storm. Over the course of the first part, the storm gets so bad that most of Washington D.C. is now underwater. There wasn't much information in this to indicate any climate issues as it's normal for a place to be flooded to a disastrous level after a devastating hurricane.
The next two parts of this section are where the reasons behind the flooding and how these parts correlate with the first actually come together. While Charlie is never mentioned again, we see two new people coming into play in the climate crisis. However, we see that the efforts that are taken are not taken to heart or big powers such as the USA, Russia, or China are threatening to burn carbon to heat up the atmosphere if they don't get what they want.
Like most of the other short stories, it fits 'okay' with the theme of the book and also clearly states and shows the problems that we face with governments not realizing the issue as well as the 'fixes' not helping as much as we hoped at the start or they did but turned into something bad. As this short story appears to be from a bigger plot/book or a different source, I can see the main source being a hit among avid readers who are interested in climate fiction. However, this portion itself is just everywhere and not very developed to fit perfectly in the theme.
Outer Rims by Toiya Kristen Finley (pg. 39-51)
Reading this story honestly broke my heart. The events that happen honestly shouldn't be they can, and I fear it does. There is a bigger story to this but while it is from different points of view, the picture isn't as clear. While I see the climate change issue, it's not at the forefront of this story but the madness of a sickness potentially caused by it is.
The outer rims in the story are the new shorelines from the waters raising and storms. Each year, there are new rims and countries get smaller. While a small family headed by a single mother was leaving the outer rims, the mother decided to help a man who was stuck on the side of the road. In good faith, she was going to take him to the auto parts store, not knowing the man was sick.
The doctor is seen trying to help the mother and decided what to do when their supervisor told them that the doctors and other personnel were evacuating. The doctor decided to tell the mother what was happening and the plans - to eventually wipe out the disease in the storm, killing the infected.
The man's point of view was small, but it was more worry for the family he infected.
Finally, the child's point of view in showing what his mother and doctors were talking about (to tell the other patients what is going on) and how it felt like to get the disease. Unfortunately, he appeared to accept his fate for a small child as well as sadly enduring the violence that unfolded later.
I'm not familiar with other stories that have a similar issue, so it was almost refreshing to read and 'witness' the events unfolding. Again, I can see it happening, leaving people to die, and I believe that it does happen given the state of our current world.
Eight Wonder by Chris Bachelder (pg. 341-361)
I didn't understand the connection to the story and the title. As the others, the title means something, but I didn't quiet catch what was happening here.
From the start, it appears as if the story began years ago and this Dome and the outside world was flooded, much like the aftermath of a hurricane. It was mostly everywhere and no where at the same time.
The climate change aspect of this story was seen as the flood waters staying for years as couples started having families and small children running around the facility without a care in the world. This was the only aspect.
Outside of the climate issue, the world seemed dystopian; cut off from the outside world in both senses - literally and figuratively. The people were cut off as well as they could no longer find work to do till they found someone to help - the electrician who tried to fix the Dome to make it more homey.
The Rainy Season by Tobias S. Buckell (pg. 111-128)
Someone found a way to get high off of rain.
What a weird sentence but the small science that was introduced in this short was not a dull moment. It was one of the most exciting stories in this collection. While there is more to it than simply getting high off of rain, the heart-wrenching story at the forefront made it even more interesting. I believed every word as if it was happening at every moment.
The 'climate change' aspect of this didn't really seem there at first glance. It was family issues - dealing with a death in the family. Everyone can have an idea of the amount of grief, anger, and hardship that comes with relatives living under one roof. However, everyone needed to wear a mask outside due to the chemicals in the rain and atmosphere. It was interesting to see all the twists in the story turn together. The climate change issue in this story was assumed micro-organisms that eat plastic sent into the ocean for their intended purposes but found a way to release other chemicals that make people high through the cycle of water.
Interesting and scary concept. It left me nearly begging for more information about both the characters and how they live with it as well as if anyone found solid evidence for these chemical rain problems.
Finally
I can't help but look at these stories and wonder what will happen towards the end as well as what the conversation was between the editor and writers of this collection. It's a huge book, which is why I have it in sections as well as my other work but what else could the rest of these stories hold?
I enjoy the mystery behind these story but I do get dummed out when the story doesn't make sense or strays from the climate concept in my eyes. I still have much to read so I hope you enjoyed this update.
For You
As always, if you have a book recommendation, read this blog and leave your suggestion!
Comments