Solarpunk discussion

This has been on my mental TBR since it came out. Now that it has won a Hugo it is a Must Read.

Just picked up a physical copy of this in a sale - the time might be right!

Sweet!

Part One: The Tyranny of Sunk Costs
Looks like this story begins in New York well after a major flooding event - a new strained normal.

A: Mutt & Jeff: two coders living in tents decide to try to change the world. Hey, it’s not like they had much farther to fall if they were caught.

B: Inspector Gen: I don’t have a good read in her other than tired. She lives in the same building where Mutt & Jeff staked their tent. She decides to investigate their disappearance after Charlotte Armstrong, co-op chairman, points out their disappearance.

C: Franklin: That chapter was hard to get through due to the frenetic POV of a daytrader. The point of the chapter seems to be to point out a glitch in the Chicago commodity marketplace.

Just started this one too... about 70ish pages in... and my favourite element so far is the world building - skybridges! Roof farm levels! Hydrofoils!

Have any of you read any other KSR books - his Frank/Franklin character all have a similar vibe >.>

I like the skybridges too, we should all walk more. I’ve only read Aurora, thanks for the Frank/Franklin insight!

Sorry - I mean his Frank/Franklin characters all have the same vibe! I am finding the Franklin in 2140 is reminding me of the Frank in the 40/50/60 trilogy who reminded of the Frank in the Mars trilogy! Lol... not related to solarpunk... just wondering whether it was just me... tried to google it but have yet to see anyone making a similar comment xD

Lena wrote: "I like the skybridges too, we should all walk more. I’ve only read Aurora, thanks for the Frank/Franklin insight!"

Ah I have too! Can’t recall a Frank/Franklin character there though hmmm... anyway... back to 2140...

I need to read more KSR. Bad SciFi girl, bad! Lol.

D: Vlad: You know Manhattan has had a hell of a time with flooding when it’s casually referred to as ‘the drink.’ Vlad comes off as a nice guy.

E: A Citizen: That was a long funny rant on the state of New York and the stubbornness of its people; of the irrepressible dream of New York.

F: Amelia: Loved it! Amelia Black is a "YouTube" star with an airship that assists animals in migrating to new locations where they stand a chance.

Lena wrote: "I need to read more KSR. Bad SciFi girl, bad! Lol."

Haha no rush! I still a lot of his books on my TBR!

I want to find out what happened to the coders, Gen I like, Frank I found “familiar” plus I have a small circle of people I know who deal in Finances so the text was also “familiar”, Vlad I need to read more of and I loved the Amelia chapter too! I am now a little farther on than this and I am most interested in whether anyone has fan-arts or the NY2140 world! I appreciate the Citizen chapters - It’s like a highlight reel of the writers world building notebook, but I have to admit that I was grasping a weee bit having no familiarity with NY (but doesn’t significantly detract from the reading experience tbh). Would probably be a vastly different experience reading it as a NY native.

I’m sure it is a head trip as a native. I’ve been a few times but it only adds for me in that I know KSR is right, that they’d hang on. They’d reinvest and build better skyscrapers.

Lena wrote: "I’m sure it is a head trip as a native. I’ve been a few times but it only adds for me in that I know KSR is right, that they’d hang on. They’d reinvest and build better skyscrapers."

Ah yes - indeed it was a head trip (a highlight reel in head trip form) - my brain just processed it weirdly I guess 🤣.

G: Charlotte: I enjoyed Charlotte's perspective and empathy. Mayor Galina Estaban was a piece of work! Still, I enjoy the breadth of female characters.

The offer to buy the building has me suspicious!

H: Stephan & Roberto: Kids will always find trouble! Metal detectors that specific are an exciting future invention.

Anyone else remember the dive bell scene in Waterworld?

Part Two: Expert Overconfidence

A: Franklin: Franklin's date with Jojo goes very well. She mentions the commodities blip again.

B: Mutt & Jeff: Uh oh. Looks like they've been kidnapped!

C: that citizen: I love this guy; history with attitude.

D: Inspector Gen: Gen and Charlotte talk out the disappearance of Mutt and Jeff. There are some tenuous threads to Charlotte's ex-husband Larry Jackman.

Neither Gen nor Charlotte wants to sell the building and move.

The new greatest generation is considered the one that dealt with the floods - Gen and Charlotte's parent's generation.

E: Vlade: Someone is sabotaging the building!

F: Amelia: Wow. I don't believe Amelia is qualified to fly six polar bears through a hurricane. I'm not sure anyone is but... damn Amelia!

G: Stefan & Roberto: The boys go down to Chelsea to report possibly finding the HMS Hussar to Mr. Hexter.

Unfortunately, they learn why Vlade refers to that intertidal area as the Death Zone.

H: Franklin: Franklin explains how the floods were actually good for the market, for the rich, because it gave people who had a lot of money something new, made up derivatives, to bet on. Sexy, risky, investing.

He has another date with Jojo but it does not go as planned.
It's hard to pretend to be a nice guy.

Part Three: Liquidity Trap

A: the citizen: My favorite character explaining the two Pulses, great floods, that changed the world.

B: Mutt & Jeff: The guys are still in holding somewhere. Jeff confesses to Mutt that his tweaks to the system were less than subtle.

C: Charlotte: Mostly Mr. Hexter’s story of his childhood witnessing the Second Pulse: when Bjarke’s Wall, the twelve mile berm protecting lower Manhattan, gave.

D: Amelia: Amelia cleverly deals with her polar bear issue. I can see why she's popular, I would definitely watch that show.

E. Inspector Gen: We get to hear some if Gen’s backstory as she visits her old friend Ellie underwater.

Bacino Irregulars - loved the Sherlock Holmes reference

F: Mutt and Jeff: Mutt is sick 😢

G: Stefan and Roberto: Get into trouble and have to call Vlade.

H: Vlade: Vlade and Franklin to the rescue of little fools.

I: that citizen: my favorite, and wisely bitter, historian.

Part Four: Expensive or Priceless?

A: Franklin: Jojo turns out to be a good person (maybe) and Franklin has to figure out his end.

B: Charlotte: Charlotte meets with her ex-husband, Larry Jackman, chair of the Federal Reserve. She brings up Henry Vinson from their time at Adirondack, nothing interesting comes out.

C: Vlade: Vlade introduces the kids to his ex-wife Idelba who will help them with their Hussar project.

D: Amelia: “It’s a mongrel world, and whatever moment they want to hold on to, that was just one moment. It is fucking crazy to hold on to one moment and say that’s the moment that was pure and sacred, and it can only be like that, and I’ll kill you if you try to change anything.”

Loved Amelia’s rant. I felt for her.

E: a citizen: a quick piece on New York fashion having nothing to do with New York weather.

F: Inspector Gen: We get to meet the Baccino Irregulars. Hang together or hang separately.

G: Franklin: Franklin proposes using his money for good, for complicated financial reasons, but mostly to rekindle Jojo’s affection.

H: Mutt and Jeff: Still alive and imprisoned.

Part Five: Escalation of Commitment

A: Stefan and Roberto: (view spoiler)[ They found the treasure and possibly, with out realizing it, Mutt and Jeff.

The Hussar Six are former. (hide spoiler)]

B: Vlade: Vlade and his diving friends (view spoiler)[rescue Mutt and Jeff! (hide spoiler)]

C: that citizen: “Life! Life! Life! Life is going to kick your ass.”
Animals, nature, is returning.

D: Inspector Gen: Mutt and Jeff tell Inspector Gen everything they remember.

E: Charlotte: What is the best use of 4 Billion dollars?

F: Franklin: Ok, Franklin is inspired! I want Odious Debt Default Day to be a real thing!

G: Amelia: Skyvillages! Count me in.