_cover.jpg) | |
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | HarperVoyager (formerly Voyager) |
Publication date | 1997 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print ( Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 414 |
| ISBN | 0-002-25359-3 |
| OCLC | 37828247 |
Antarctica (1997) is a science fiction novel by American writer Kim Stanley Robinson. It deals with a variety of characters living at or visiting an Antarctic research station. It incorporates many of Robinson's common themes, including scientific process and the importance of environmental protection. [1]
Overview
Most of the story is centered on McMurdo Station, the largest settlement in Antarctica, which is run as a scientific research station by the United States. Robinson's characteristic multiple-protagonist style is employed here to show many aspects of polar life; among the viewpoints presented are those of X, an idealistic young man working as a General Field Assistant at McMurdo; Val, an increasingly embittered trek guide; and Wade Norton, who works for the California Senator Phil Chase (Wade and Phil also appear in the " Science in the Capital" trilogy). As well as McMurdo, the story involves the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, the Shackleton Glacier, the McMurdo Dry Valleys and a South American drilling platform near Roberts Massif.
Themes
Antarctica involves many of the ideas Robinson uses elsewhere; as in the Mars trilogy, much emphasis is placed on the importance of living sustainably and the issues of existing in a hostile environment. The significance of Antarctica as a "continent for science" is contrasted with the need to provide a decent environment also for the support staff essential in a place so marginal. Other recurring themes include rock-climbing, physical athleticism, the process and ideology of science, exploitation of natural resources, and the formation of cooperative and anarchic social systems. [2]
The novel was heavily influenced by Robinson's 1995 stay in Antarctica as part of the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, and was nominated for a Locus Award in 1998. [3] While researched in great detail, and generally accurate, some reviews noted that the book was in parts slowed down by heavy amounts of technical and historic detail. [4]
References
- ^ Internet Book List. "Book Information: Antarctica". Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ^ NetMassimo. "Happy birthday Kim Stanley Robinson!". Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ^ "1998 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- ^ "Antarctica. Kim Stanley Robinson. 1997. London: Harper Collins Publishers. 414 p, hard cover. ISBN 0-00-225359-3. £16.99". Polar Record. 34 (188): 73. 2009. doi: 10.1017/S0032247400015151.
External links
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| |
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | HarperVoyager (formerly Voyager) |
Publication date | 1997 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print ( Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 414 |
| ISBN | 0-002-25359-3 |
| OCLC | 37828247 |
Antarctica (1997) is a science fiction novel by American writer Kim Stanley Robinson. It deals with a variety of characters living at or visiting an Antarctic research station. It incorporates many of Robinson's common themes, including scientific process and the importance of environmental protection. [1]
Overview
Most of the story is centered on McMurdo Station, the largest settlement in Antarctica, which is run as a scientific research station by the United States. Robinson's characteristic multiple-protagonist style is employed here to show many aspects of polar life; among the viewpoints presented are those of X, an idealistic young man working as a General Field Assistant at McMurdo; Val, an increasingly embittered trek guide; and Wade Norton, who works for the California Senator Phil Chase (Wade and Phil also appear in the " Science in the Capital" trilogy). As well as McMurdo, the story involves the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, the Shackleton Glacier, the McMurdo Dry Valleys and a South American drilling platform near Roberts Massif.
Themes
Antarctica involves many of the ideas Robinson uses elsewhere; as in the Mars trilogy, much emphasis is placed on the importance of living sustainably and the issues of existing in a hostile environment. The significance of Antarctica as a "continent for science" is contrasted with the need to provide a decent environment also for the support staff essential in a place so marginal. Other recurring themes include rock-climbing, physical athleticism, the process and ideology of science, exploitation of natural resources, and the formation of cooperative and anarchic social systems. [2]
The novel was heavily influenced by Robinson's 1995 stay in Antarctica as part of the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, and was nominated for a Locus Award in 1998. [3] While researched in great detail, and generally accurate, some reviews noted that the book was in parts slowed down by heavy amounts of technical and historic detail. [4]
References
- ^ Internet Book List. "Book Information: Antarctica". Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ^ NetMassimo. "Happy birthday Kim Stanley Robinson!". Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ^ "1998 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- ^ "Antarctica. Kim Stanley Robinson. 1997. London: Harper Collins Publishers. 414 p, hard cover. ISBN 0-00-225359-3. £16.99". Polar Record. 34 (188): 73. 2009. doi: 10.1017/S0032247400015151.