The Windup Girl

I just finished The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Definitely earned its Hugo.

I wasn't enticed by this book when I first heard about it; it looked like steampunkish eco-calamity and there is too much room there to be trite and predictable. I was wrong. Not steampunkish at all, except for the rare dirigible. And it is not at all "oh noes, mankind has ruined the Earth!" I can't think of another book that is as effective at integrating character, plot, setting (Thailand), and time (post eco-collapse). This plot could only occur with this set of characters under these circumstances in this place at this time. (When I read Brasyl, it felt like the plot was an afterthought. Yiddish Policemen's Union could be moved from Alaska to Zimbabwe with an hour of rewriting.)

Bacigalupi writes as if he is an expert on genetic engineering, biodiversity, international business, east Asian culture (Thai, Japanese, Chinese...), east Asian geopolitics, and on and on. On top of this, the point of view bounces between about 6 characters who are completely developed as main characters. I have to call it a stunning achievement.

Bacigalupi is one of the few authors whose book I have bought after mainly hearing about the author through podcasts. Despite endless hours listening to Escape Pod and Starship Sofa, I still mainly end up buying books from authors recommended by friends or because I found their books in the library.