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andrewliptak's review against another edition
4.0
My review: https://andrewliptak.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/welcome-to-the-greenhouse/
alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
In Welcome to the Greenhouse, editor Gordon van Gelder looks to do something original in presenting an anthology of sixteen short stories that address, discuss, involve or at least mention global warming and the possible future of our planet in some way. The beauty of anthologies is that you don’t get to just see one reality or one possible outcome, but many. Some are planetary-scale, big stage events and happenings, other are small moments between a few characters existing in a new and very different world.
Welcome to the Greenhouse features a number of known, bestselling authors, including Jeff Carlson, Gregory Benford, Michael Alexander, Alan Dean Foster, Bruce Sterling, and Paul Di Filippo to name a few, featuring stories about terrorists, godlike terraformers, grim futures, happy futures, and futures that just are. While the likelihood of any of the events in these stories actually taking place are slim to none – at least we all hope so – each of them nevertheless serve to illustrate an invented possible future from a published author, and plants an important “What if?” seed in reader’s minds. Featuring a brief introduction from Elizabeth Kolbert (Field Notes from a Catastrophe), the collection will at the very least stir thoughts on the possible effects of climate change in our world and what we can do about it now.
Originally written on April 10, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter
Welcome to the Greenhouse features a number of known, bestselling authors, including Jeff Carlson, Gregory Benford, Michael Alexander, Alan Dean Foster, Bruce Sterling, and Paul Di Filippo to name a few, featuring stories about terrorists, godlike terraformers, grim futures, happy futures, and futures that just are. While the likelihood of any of the events in these stories actually taking place are slim to none – at least we all hope so – each of them nevertheless serve to illustrate an invented possible future from a published author, and plants an important “What if?” seed in reader’s minds. Featuring a brief introduction from Elizabeth Kolbert (Field Notes from a Catastrophe), the collection will at the very least stir thoughts on the possible effects of climate change in our world and what we can do about it now.
Originally written on April 10, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter
quintusmarcus's review
4.0
The great value of science fiction is the opportunity good stories offer to think about possible futures. Most reasonable people now accept the reality of global warming and climate change, but what does that really mean for the future? Welcome to the Greenhouse, a new collection of short stories from O/R books, helps to answer that question. Stories that range from the merely alarming to the completely apocalyptic lay out possible long- and not so long-term scenarios for life on a climatologically changed Earth. Brian Aldiss' "Benkoelen" establishes the basic picture for many of the stories: "As the oceans of the world began to heave their mighty shoulders...Many another island sank beneath the waves, many a coastline was consumed." Likewise, in Joseph Green's excellent "Turtle Love", coastal Floridians come to grips with mandatory evictions as the government performs triage on the communities reclaimed by the ocean. As residents flee to new communities on higher ground, conservationist's efforts to save sea turtles become a metaphor for saving the human race. Judith Moffet's subtle "Middle of Somewhere" looks at sustainability; other stories ("The California Queen Comes A-Calling", "The Men of Summer") examine the possible social consequences of massive climate change. Most surprising, though, was Alan Dean Foster's "That Creeping Sensation". In his story, an oxygen-rich world drives the massive growth and proliferation of giant insects. Although he handles the story with a light touch, it's really the most shocking of the collection. Hats off to Mr. Foster, for creating a completely plausible and thoroughly disgusting new nightmare scenario! This is a varied and well-assembled collection, of value not just to science fiction enthusiasts, but to anyone trying to understand the consequences of human-driven climate change.
christytidwell's review
4.0
This is a very strong collection. There were a few five star stories and a few three star stories, but none that I really disliked and most were in four star (at least) range. I would particularly recommend George Guthridge's "The Bridge," Judith Moffett's "The Middle of Somewhere," Gregory Benford's "Eagle," and, on the more fun end of the scale, Matthew Hughes' "Not a Problem." Not all the stories in the book approach the issue of climate change in the same way, which is largely a good thing as it keeps the book from becoming repetitive, but some of the stories seemed to get perhaps too far away from this central theme, such as David Prill's "The Men of Summer" and Bruce Sterling's "The Master of the Aviary."
The best feature of this book, however, is perhaps its emphasis on introducing new stories on the topic so that readers don't just find the same familiar authors and stories represented here. Some familiar names appear - Judith Moffett, Bruce Sterling, Gregory Benford, Brian Aldiss, for instance - but others are either younger writers like M. J. Locke, whose "True North" is another strong story to end the collection, or unfamiliar names (at least to me) like George Guthredge and Chris Lawson.
I would highly recommend this collection for SF fans and people (even non-SF fans) interested in the topic of climate change.
The best feature of this book, however, is perhaps its emphasis on introducing new stories on the topic so that readers don't just find the same familiar authors and stories represented here. Some familiar names appear - Judith Moffett, Bruce Sterling, Gregory Benford, Brian Aldiss, for instance - but others are either younger writers like M. J. Locke, whose "True North" is another strong story to end the collection, or unfamiliar names (at least to me) like George Guthredge and Chris Lawson.
I would highly recommend this collection for SF fans and people (even non-SF fans) interested in the topic of climate change.
alexctelander's review
4.0
In Welcome to the Greenhouse, editor Gordon van Gelder looks to do something original in presenting an anthology of sixteen short stories that address, discuss, involve or at least mention global warming and the possible future of our planet in some way. The beauty of anthologies is that you don’t get to just see one reality or one possible outcome, but many. Some are planetary-scale, big stage events and happenings, other are small moments between a few characters existing in a new and very different world.
Welcome to the Greenhouse features a number of known, bestselling authors, including Jeff Carlson, Gregory Benford, Michael Alexander, Alan Dean Foster, Bruce Sterling, and Paul Di Filippo to name a few, featuring stories about terrorists, godlike terraformers, grim futures, happy futures, and futures that just are. While the likelihood of any of the events in these stories actually taking place are slim to none – at least we all hope so – each of them nevertheless serve to illustrate an invented possible future from a published author, and plants an important “What if?” seed in reader’s minds. Featuring a brief introduction from Elizabeth Kolbert (Field Notes from a Catastrophe), the collection will at the very least stir thoughts on the possible effects of climate change in our world and what we can do about it now.
Originally written on April 10, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter
Welcome to the Greenhouse features a number of known, bestselling authors, including Jeff Carlson, Gregory Benford, Michael Alexander, Alan Dean Foster, Bruce Sterling, and Paul Di Filippo to name a few, featuring stories about terrorists, godlike terraformers, grim futures, happy futures, and futures that just are. While the likelihood of any of the events in these stories actually taking place are slim to none – at least we all hope so – each of them nevertheless serve to illustrate an invented possible future from a published author, and plants an important “What if?” seed in reader’s minds. Featuring a brief introduction from Elizabeth Kolbert (Field Notes from a Catastrophe), the collection will at the very least stir thoughts on the possible effects of climate change in our world and what we can do about it now.
Originally written on April 10, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter
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