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Earth
Earth (2011 October)
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BotM: "Earth" by David Brin
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I'm about 80% through the book. It seemed to me to be fragmented for quite a while into the book. The plot threads seemed unrelated - like a number of short stories (some unfinished) that took place at about the same year. The plot threads have mostly joined together now, so it doesn't have that scattered feeling now.There are lots of ideas from different areas. There's certainly "data dumping", but not in the most intimidating form some hard SF has.
Perhaps an appropriate BOTM as the human population is estimated to reach 7 billion this month.
Hmm, interesting factoid. Yup, the UN's statisticians say October 31, 2011, although apparently the U.S. Census Bureau disagrees, putting the threshold sometime next March.All sorts of neat counters here.
I have mixed feelings. The book provides speculation about the future with climate change, population / natural resource issues, etc. It speculates about extraterrestrials, harmful and helpful. It has ideas about singularities (point-like masses) and gravity. It has ideas about government spying, plutocratic conspiracy, computer hacking, etc. It has an afterword in which Brin tries to clarify what was established science, what was speculative science and what was pure fiction.On the other hand: For quite a while at the beginning the plot threads seem jumbled. Some of the plot threads never really join the central plot, although they provide dialog & such to present ideas. The central plot turns into something approaching military SF. The book is on the long side. And, although I don't assume all aliens must be friendly, aliens attacking Earth is too common a theme and plays too much on a dangerous side of human psychology - so I generally don't find such themes that satisfying.
Beacuse:As you can see, the totals are small, so every vote counts!