Termination Shock
A Novel
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4.1 • 438 Ratings
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller
From Neal Stephenson—who coined the term “metaverse” in his 1992 novel Snow Crash—comes a sweeping, prescient new thriller that transports readers to a near-future world in which the greenhouse effect has inexorably resulted in a whirling-dervish troposphere of superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, merciless heat waves, and virulent, deadly pandemics.
“Stephenson is one of speculative fiction’s most meticulous architects. . . . Termination Shock manages to pull off a rare trick, at once wildly imaginative and grounded.” — New York Times Book Review
One man—visionary billionaire restaurant chain magnate T. R. Schmidt, Ph.D.—has a Big Idea for reversing global warming, a master plan perhaps best described as “elemental.” But will it work? And just as important, what are the consequences for the planet and all of humanity should it be applied?
Ranging from the Texas heartland to the Dutch royal palace in the Hague, from the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas to the sunbaked Chihuahuan Desert, Termination Shock brings together a disparate group of characters from different cultures and continents who grapple with the real-life repercussions of global warming. Ultimately, it asks the question: Might the cure be worse than the disease?
Epic in scope while heartbreakingly human in perspective, Termination Shock sounds a clarion alarm, ponders potential solutions and dire risks, and wraps it all together in an exhilarating, witty, mind-expanding speculative adventure.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
“Neal Stephenson is a landmark author in your life,” George Stroumboulopoulos says. “Once you read him, you are in. He has the ability to create a world that you recognize, are excited by, fear, yet can’t quite make out. In an era of hyper-connective disconnect, Neal’s writing is even more impactful.” With such high praise, it’s easy to see why Strombo chose Termination Shock as his first book club pick. This mind-bending thriller will have you contemplating how far we should go to offset climate disaster. Stephenson begins the tale in a weather-wrecked near future, where Texas billionaire T.R. Schmidt is planning to shoot sulfur into the atmosphere to cool the planet—and he’s not asking permission. A myriad of characters coalesces to either aid or hinder his plan, including a hog-hunting veteran, a Canadian Sikh with identity problems, and even the queen of the Netherlands. With his devotion to scientific details and extensive backstories, Stephenson keeps the story humming along. The story is dense, but in a wildly entertaining way that’s never in danger of collapsing under its own weight. There could be a drinking game based on the number of times you’ll wonder, “Wait, could that really happen?” That plausibility is what makes Termination Shock so brilliant.
Customer Reviews
Medium for Neal standards
Fun and topical but not epic
Too much exposition
Depending on how you want to count pages, the denouement was really only about 1/30th of the book. The story meandered through the person histories of every participant… which made them “real” but also drug things along much more than necessary. As a story, then, it got boring.
Much to learn about……
Climate,drones,eagles,martial arts,physics and of course the Dutch monarchy and government. There is no quiz at the end,though. Interesting, fun but a bit heavy on details.