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Forty Signs of Rain
 
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Forty Signs of Rain (Hardcover)
by Kim Stanley Robinson (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars 6 customer reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product details

Product Description
Book Description
It's hot in Washington. No sign of rain. The world's climates are changing, catastrophe beckons, but no one in power is noticing. Yet. Tom Wolfe meets Michael Crichton in this highly topical, taut, witty and entertaining science thriller.

Synopsis
The first of three linked novels set in the strife-torn world of big science, operating out of the corrupt political heart of the developed world In the interface between big science and big business lies the potential for the absolute destruction or salvation of our world, as new discoveries open ever more remarkable doorways into the future. And while good intentions may underlie the science that leads to these discoveries, human greed, on an individual, political or corporate basis, will always seek a way to exploit each and every new development. Combining superb narrative and beautiful writing, these will not only be highly entertaining thrillers but will also offer the reader a privileged insight into and greater understanding of the bigger picture and how the jigsaw pieces of science, politics and business operate in the modern world.

The events of the books will focus on: a science-industrial spy, based in part on the amazing multiple-lives of FBI spy Ronald Hansen; a US patent office lawyer; a venture capitalist; a Washington lobbyist; a Congressional aide; a Buddhist scientist, recently arrived in the West; a Senator and several scientists at a biotech lab outside Washington: and the storylines will include births, deaths, marriages and murder, as well as all the political, scientific and espionage elements: life on the micro, as well as the macro, level.

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Customer Reviews
6 Reviews
5 star: 16%  (1)
4 star: 50%  (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star: 16%  (1)
1 star: 16%  (1)
 
 
 
 
 
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars West Wing meets The Day After Tomorrow?, 25 May 2004
When you buy Robinson you expect beautiful description, genuine motivation and left wing ideology. Forty Signs of Rain does not disappoint - a story of big science and big politics in the face of ecological disaster; spiced up with cleverly observed moments of individual lives: dinner parties, childcare, meetings, coffee breaks. Robinson can really create those "yes, that's what it's like!" moments and then move on to surrealistic images of tigers roaming the backgardens of Washington.

Robinson continues to mature as a writer - he is more free with his brand of gentle humour, more relaxed and realistic with the romantic scenes. Above all, he disciplines his descriptions of nature and landscape - focusing on the telling detail rather than the pages and pages of description which occaisionally marred the Mars trilogy.

It's not packed with action. There are no laser guns, spaceships or aliens. It is thoughtful, intellectual, witty, moving, vivid, defiantly high brow and engagingly 'new age'.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Seems like the first third of a larger volume., 13 May 2005
This review is from: Forty Signs of Rain (Paperback)
I have read most of Kim Stanley Robinson's books since coming upon the Orange County books and enjoyed them greatly. I'm sorry to say that this was a disappointment. The quality of writing remains excellent, but as the characters and plot develop, you realise that you are 200 odd pages into the book, with ~100 remaining, and little has happened. I presume that this is the first in a series of books and the story will develop in "50 Degrees Below" out later this year. However, this would be like publishing the masterpiece "Red Mars" in thirds rather than one volume. Has this been a Publisher's decision rather than author?

A good first book in a series but standing alone is a little disappointing.

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3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing after the 'Mars' trilogy, 1 Jun 2004
By A Customer
No, this is not as billed - most of the story is lost in the minutia of venture capital funding and the mechanics of scientific research. The most important event in the book (the stopping of the Gulf stream) is disposed of in a short telephone intercept with absolutely no reaction from the main characters or governments (contrast this with the film The Day After Tomorrow..) After the mars trilogy I expected great things but the main them of the book seemed to be an after thought - I could not recommend this book at all
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An ambitious work and a convincing vision of climate change
"Forty Signs of Rain" is the first novel in Kim Stanley Robinson's 'Science in the Capital' trilogy, exploring the potential impact of global warming as well as science's role in... Read more
Published 19 days ago by J. Aitcheson

1.0 out of 5 stars Slow Slow Slow
I'm quite ticked off with this book. I've read the Mars trilogy and one of the reviews lead me to believe that this book would not be so heavy on description. Read more
Published 2 months ago by A. Hallett

4.0 out of 5 stars important storytelling
i enjoyed this book. ksr's trademark descriptions of nature and the landscape serve to root this novel into our greater world. Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Egan

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