J. G. Ballard: The Drowned World (Ecology Non Fiction)

Best of all Ballard books. An early one, and out of print currently. Strange fever dreams, like Thomas Manns Death in Venice, but, unlike Mann, Ballard never ignores science. This is about a reptilian fever dream in a post-warming world, where all of humanity has retreated to some small islands north of greenland, and send out reconnaissance patrols of military scientists to reclaim and save what they can of human history and knowledge. RIGHT! Meanwhile, brains retreat into the neadrathalic core from which we all grew (except for those who just showed up one day because God spread some seeds, meal crumbs stuck in his flowing white beard off a velvet painting in gold glint hanging on the wall of a small church in Las Vegas), and.. but I cannot say more. Natures plan has sworn me to silence. Awesome book.

- global warning [Oct 5 2006 11:17 AM]