Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide

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In the novel, Earth now has one side constantly facing the sun (which is larger and hotter than it is at present) so it has become a veritable hothouse, where plants have filled almost all ecological niches. According to Aldiss' account, the US publisher insisted on the name change so the book would not be placed in the horticulture section in bookshops. timeline, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) Galaxy reviewer Floyd C. Gale praised the novel as "a tour-de-force guaranteed to startle the most blasé SF buff." [3] Magazine stories [ edit ] Gradual or incremental change, with a focus on economic efficiency is not adequate” write the Hothouse Earth authors. The necessary changes require a “fundamental reorientation of human values.” In the end, getting through Hothouse was a labour. I am rounding the rating up because the world and characters were inventive, even if they did not make sense, but it was just not a book I could say I enjoyed reading.

Hothouse (novel) - Wikipedia Hothouse (novel) - Wikipedia

Although I can’t say this one is a favorite of mine, like Helliconia Trilogy, it sure left a strong impression on me. The opening sequence and subsequent introduction to this world comes in the form of the most basic unit of humanity at the time - a matriarchal family unit of several adults and their offspring. Their forays brought to mind scenes from "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" with the climbing of giant stalks and nightmarish giant insects - but with, more often than not, less forgiving and more lethal repercussions - one wrong move equals death (and there are deaths aplenty). McGuire praises Greta Thunberg, Fridays for Future and climate activist organisations like Extinction Rebellion for helping put the climate crisis on the agenda. According to Hothouse Earth, some things we need to achieve include:

We’re moving so slowly,” says financial analyst and former Royal Dutch Shell economist Jeremy Grantham, “that by the time we’ve fully decarbonized our economy, the world will have heated up by 2.5ºC to 3ºC, and a great deal of damage will have been done … capitalism and mainstream economics simply cannot deal with these problems.” In this respect, the volcanologist, who was also a member of the UK government’s Natural Hazard Working Group, takes an extreme position. Most other climate experts still maintain we have time left, although not very much, to bring about meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. A rapid drive to net zero and the halting of global warming is still within our grasp, they say. Sorry, I couldn’t pass up a chance at a Rowdy Roddy Piper reference. How often does that present itself?

Hothouse Earth Inhabitant S Guide - AbeBooks Hothouse Earth Inhabitant S Guide - AbeBooks

In later years, Aldiss would go on to write “Trillion Year Spree” , a celebrated history of genre. “Hothouse”, for all its poor scientific grounding and even less accomplished plotting and characterization, is worthy of inclusion in this history, for the way it marks the transition from planetary adventure and romantic paeans to science (Burroughs, Verne, Wells) to the more rigorous works of Asimov and Clarke, and to the more ambitious attempts to define our human nature within grander spatial and philosophical frames of reference. It is also an early recipient of the Hugo awards for the short story version, in recognition of its daring concept and evocative prose. J. Garrett on economic growth and carbon emissions: “Coupled evolution of economy and atmosphere,” Earth System Dynamics, 2012; “Are there basic physical constraints on future anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide?,” Climate Change, 2011. Springer and pdf; “Long-run evolution of the global economy,” Earth System Dynamics. My early impression reading this 1960 science fiction novel set on Earth in a far future, when our plant's rotation has stalled and weird, dynamic forms of vegetable life are dominant, leaving the rest - tiny humans, wasps, termites and a few others to battle on as best they can was to feel the similarities with J G Ballard's The Drowned World. Both imagine a future world that in some ways is more similar to the prehistoric past, the (Jungian?) notion of an inherited species memory is important in both, and the importance of the time that both authors spent in the Far East - Ballard as a boy, Aldiss - if I remember correctly - as part of his military service, is not something that you have to lift stones to see. Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide by Bill McGuire, was published as climate breakdown became impossible to ignore. The book arrived during the summer that the UK experienced its hottest day on record. Europe, the US and the Middle East have roasted in relentless heatwaves. Drought and wildfires reigned supreme, and this is just a taste of the future. Despite the endless repetitions of the given theme, the journey is full of adventure, albeit with a very thin scientific support. The descriptions of plant and animal life (mostly insects and fish) in their frenetic adaptation to the environment are exuberant and truly grandiose. The poorly sketched characters are not a shortcoming but a deliberate feature of the story, a way to underline their insignificance in the grand scheme.The plot itself is mostly an excuse to travel the planet and observe and comment on the strange new world the Earth has become. The main character, Gren, is part of a human tribe that decides to seek a better, safer place to live far from their current home. While plants have grown bigger, stronger, smarter and more aggressive, humans are now only one-fifth of their original size and live on the edge of extinction.