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tome15's review against another edition
3.0
Swanwick, Michael. In the Drift. Ace, 1985.
It seems that every other novel I pick up in these pandemic times is some sort of apocalyptic or postapocalyptic dystopia. Where are the optimistic technologists of the early nuclear age, gone every one, not so long time passing? At any rate, what we have here is a rewrite of the Three-Mile Island nuclear disaster. This time, the meltdown is complete, and it destroys the U. S. economy and turns a good hunk of Pennsylvania into a fallout zone with hotspots and central-casting mutants. A century later, folks in the mean streets of Philadelphia think they are safe, but nope. The first half of the story focusing on a street kid dealing with the Philly crime lords hooked me, but then we jump into the future, the kid is a crime lord himself and we are now with a rebel army of mutants. Sigh. Total Recall anyone?
It seems that every other novel I pick up in these pandemic times is some sort of apocalyptic or postapocalyptic dystopia. Where are the optimistic technologists of the early nuclear age, gone every one, not so long time passing? At any rate, what we have here is a rewrite of the Three-Mile Island nuclear disaster. This time, the meltdown is complete, and it destroys the U. S. economy and turns a good hunk of Pennsylvania into a fallout zone with hotspots and central-casting mutants. A century later, folks in the mean streets of Philadelphia think they are safe, but nope. The first half of the story focusing on a street kid dealing with the Philly crime lords hooked me, but then we jump into the future, the kid is a crime lord himself and we are now with a rebel army of mutants. Sigh. Total Recall anyone?
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