The Years of Rice and Salt

Inbunden, 658 sidor

På English

Publicerades mars 2002 av Bantam.

ISBN:: 978-0-553-10920-7
OCLC-nummer:: 47894803
ISFDB-ID:: 22722

With the incomparable vision and breathtaking detail that brought his now-classic Mars trilogy to vivid life, bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson boldly imagines an alternate history of the last seven hundred years. In his grandest work yet, the acclaimed storyteller constructs u world vastly different from the one we know…

It is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur — the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if? What if the plague killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been — a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. These are the years of …

With the incomparable vision and breathtaking detail that brought his now-classic Mars trilogy to vivid life, bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson boldly imagines an alternate history of the last seven hundred years. In his grandest work yet, the acclaimed storyteller constructs u world vastly different from the one we know…

It is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur — the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if? What if the plague killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been — a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. These are the years of rice and salt.

This is a universe where the first ship to reach the New World travels across the Pacific Ocean from China and colonization spreads from west to cast. This is a universe where the Industrial Revolution is triggered by the world's greatest scientific minds in India. This is a universe where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions and Christianity is merely a historical footnote.

Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson renders an immensely rich tapestry. Rewriting history and probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power, and even love on such an Earth. From the steppes of Asia to the shores of the Western hemisphere, from the age of Akbar to the present and beyond, here is the stunning story of the creation of a new world.

5 utgåvor

Björn recenserade The Years of Rice and Salt av Kim Stanley Robinson

None

3 stjärnor

Torn about this, much like other KSRs I've read. Yes, his vision is incredible. Yes, his ideas are sometimes brilliant. Yes, when he digs into one aspect of this world, it's endlessly fascinating. Yet so often I find myself feeling like I don't get enough of either the macro nor the micro. He's so busy doing philosphy and theory of history that we don't get to sit in the actual storytelling often enough - especially when the history, as far as we can tell, doesn't really change beyond recognition. There's always a Columbus, always a Leonardo, always an Einstein, and KSR's utopianism feels like a teacher's edition a little too often.

And yet, when it is good, it's really good. This is one I imagine will stick in my head. I'll probably recommend it to people. Just with caveats.

Robin Shipton 📚 recenserade The Years of Rice and Salt av Kim Stanley Robinson

Review of 'The Years of Rice and Salt' on 'LibraryThing'

5 stjärnor

A book about our place in the world and the eternal question of how to live well, disguised as a novel. It's a long read, best savoured slowly over a stretch of time. It's too easy to become impatient and rush through to the "good bits" of action and excitement, and miss the thought-provoking substance.

It is less a fantasy or science fiction work than a tribute to our potential as a species, seen through an Eastern lens that is not often considered in Robinson's English-speaking target audience.

A book about our place in the world and the eternal question of how to live well, disguised as a novel. It's a long read, best savoured slowly over a stretch of time. It's too easy to become impatient and rush through to the "good bits" of action and excitement, and miss the thought-provoking substance.

It is less a fantasy or science fiction work than a tribute to our potential as a species, seen through an Eastern lens that is not often considered in Robinson's English-speaking target audience.