Some books
04/29/2017
It seems a lot of science fiction now is not really that unbelievable. Kim Stanley Robinson writes in New York 2140 of a decidedly dampish city.
"It’s spring in New York City. At Twenty-sixth and Park, the waves shine in the sunlight, and the breeze is briny with seaweed. Morning commuters are boarding a crosstown vaporetto. Out on the canal, finance guys in speedboats weave between the bigger ships. Workers in an inflatable raft are repairing the Flatiron dock; a superintendent, in diving gear, is checking his buildings for leaks. The super-rich live uptown, in a forest of skyscrapers near the Cloisters. The poor live downtown, in Chelsea, which is half-submerged."
If you want something closer to now, you might try Infomocracy by Malka Older.
"Infomocracy is a intellectually stimulating thriller that follows a handful of characters who work for various political parties and election systems. The story hinges on how a voting public receives and interprets information — and how parties manipulate that perception. It’s a book that’s all too relevant in 2016." - the Verge
Or you could always ignore reality and lose yourself in a Lovecraftian murder mystery/satire, I Am Providence, by Nick Mamatas.
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