Mother of Storms

John Barnes

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

The Planet... World history thirty years hence. Population has doubled, the rich are richer, technological dreams have cone true - and Earth's eco-health teeters...

The People... Jesse Callare is an engineering student, full of unrequited love and possessing few qualifications for global hero. Synthi Venture has plugs in her head that record everything she experiences - porn star and entertainment broadcaster, she's close to burn out. John Krieg, entrepreneur, wanted to push technology along, but discovered the profit in throttling it back. And President Hardshaw, the woman who runs America, is locked in external struggles which mean the first warning signs are not a priority...

And the Hurricanes... All their energy comes from the surface of the ocean. The warmer the water, the bigger the storm. And if percentage area of warm water grows it becomes a 'racetrack' breeding hurricanes that can wipe out whole countries and millions of lives.

So what happens when the Mother of Storms hits?

Vivid backdrops, compelling characters, gripping science and engrossing storytelling - it might be said that John Barnes' new epic has everything.

Mother of Storms is a global disaster novel worthy of a powerful tradition, and a hugely enjoyable SF saga.

Review by Nigel (300800) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
The story is set in the not too distant future when mans abuse of the planet has caused the worlds weather to go a little haywire. John Barnes explains in great detail the cause and effects of hurricanes and a scenario where the normal warming and cooling of the oceans fails to work and a single storm reeks global havoc.

Basically this is a disaster novel with the traditional 'I told you so' hero fighting against the odds to save all and sundry.

A good read and if the facts are at all accurate a possibility for the future... you have been warned (or is that warmed:).
Nigel (30th August 2000)