Re: (Worst) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

On 19/03/25 02:03, James Nicoll wrote:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
 
In a future powered by springs, a corrupt and short-sighted
businessman plots to make the world even worse than it is.
 
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/some-get-by

A great synopsis, perhaps too thorough for someone who has yet to read
the book, and your following thoughtful comments and opinions were also
interesting, thank you.
I loved the book. More so on the second reading. For the development of
the evil characters and the conflicts between the parties with different
vested interests whose behaviours followed their motivations. So well
explained by Bacigalupi.
I have no argument to justify the physics and biology of the "springs"
nor to support the possibility of worldwide seed ownership, etc but I
also enjoy FTL and the worlds of Alastair Reynolds, China Melville and
others who invent pseudo sciences.
I enjoy Bacigalupi's writing style and the book was structured swapping
between different characters' activities so was a real page turner.
His "The Water Knife" was even more shocking with its future dystopia.
The Asian review you referenced complained about stereotyped racism
against Asians with the examples of the character of a Chinese Malayan?
obsessed with self preservation due to mistreatment in Myanmar, Thailand
being a cheap choice because of its sex tourism history and Japan for
its technology and sexism as the source of VAT girls. I think it more
probable that the majority of the characters we met were of a similar
self interested predisposition irrespective of country of origin. Your
review begins with an accurate derogatory description of the corrupt
American.