This week’s book is of the Sci-Fi genre. The Windup Girl
(ISBN 978-0-356-50053-9, Orbit Publishing 2010) by Paulo Bacigalupi came to
my attention in the Big C Extra Bookazine, in the section for young adults.
Thinking that this might be an interesting exercise to see what is available
for teenagers I made the selection. “Children 13-15 years” indicated the
Bookazine shelf, but the back cover admits that the book contains “sordid
sex”, which is not what I want my 13-15 year old children reading! (Having
pointed this out, I am sure Bookazine has changed their records!)
This is a tale set in Bangkok, 100 years from now,
following the reign of King Rama XII, and after the world ran out of oil.
The transport system is back to bicycles, power generation is done by
genetically resurrected mastodons and air circulation in buildings is
carried out by re-inventing the skills of Indian Punkah Wallahs. Even radios
are powered by handle winders. Not much to look forward to.
DNA mutations rule the times, with genetically modified
fruits and genetically modified ‘humans’ called “Windups” the lowest caste
in the societal ladder. Built by the Japanese to be servants and slaves.
Some parts of Thai society remains the same. The bribes
for all in authority, patronage and face and the xenophobia. But there are
changes, the soi dog problem has morphed into a Cheshire cat epidemic, with
detailed patrols to bring them to somewhat manageable numbers.
At one stage in the book, the “White Shirts” wreak havoc
on the city of Bangkok, because they have lost their leader, who was ousted
and then killed. This might in some ways be history repeating itself, but
the color of the shirt has changed, and the leader is still very much alive.
Woven into the story is a Chinese refugee from Malaya,
driven out by green headband Malay extremists and just tolerated by the
Thais, though he must carry a yellow card everywhere, to show his refugee
status, only slightly above that of the Windups.
The pace picks up as two agencies begin to attack each
other, leading to an attempted coup, and finally a bloody battle with the
army on one side. Embroiled in all this is the sanctity of the Thai
monarchy, reputedly in danger and attempting to give both sides some
credibility, even though much is merely propaganda.
The final pages reveal a Bangkok at the mercy of the
elements, as well as the ideologies. An excellent read, even if not a Sci-Fi
fan.
At B. 430 it is more than a weekend’s read, and those who
like Sci-Fi thrillers will enjoy Bacigalupi’s Windup Girl. Perhaps it was
exerting some influence upon me as well, because at the weekend I went to
see the latest Spider Man film, another Sci-Fi thriller.
Finally, does nobody proof-read any more? Orbit
publishers should have picked up upon the name of the splatter artist. It is
Jackson Pollock, not Pollack. If it were a surname like the author’s
Bacigalupi I could understand, but Jackson Pollock is well known.
Inexcusable. Though perhaps they were just being extra cautious?
