kim stanley robinson new york 2140 review

I didn’t like the tone of the ‘narrator’ that appeared from time to time and I found Franklin frustrating.

Charlotte was too perfect for words and Amelia was purposefully aloof in a way that was annoying. They seemed a bit too contrived a lot of the time. It’s hard to really comment on these characters. There’s no reason it was a 22 hour audiobook. I would have slashed more than half of this book if I was editing it. Despite an easy sell, there was very little warning about climate change outright (besides Amelia). It became clear that the city was the main character, but we spent so much time with the actors that that was murky until I was nearly finished with the book. I was lost about the main plot of the book the entire time I was reading it and having finished, I’m still not sure I understand. There were way too many characters and they didn’t interact in ways I felt were meaningful and added to the story. I’ve tried to think of a better word for it, but that seems to capture how I feel best. Lastly there are the coders, temporary residents on the roof, whose disappearance triggers a sequence of events that threatens the existence of all - and even the long-hidden foundations on which the city rests. Then there are two boys who don’t live there, but have no other home - and who are more important to its future than anyone might imagine. There is the internet star, beloved by millions for her airship adventures, and the building’s manager, quietly respected for his attention to detail. There is the detective, whose work will never disappear - along with the lawyers, of course.

There is the market trader, who finds opportunities where others find trouble. For the residents of one apartment building in Madison Square, however, New York in the year 2140 is far from a drowned city. As the sea levels rose, every street became a canal.

Kim stanley robinson new york 2140 review