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A review by mediaevalmuse
Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling
3.0
I read this book for a graduate seminar on ecocriticism in later American fiction, and it was probably the only post-19th century lit class I enjoyed in my college career because we read a bunch of science fiction. This book is mainly centered (unsurprisingly) on weather, so if you're a fan of sci fi that deals with environmental collapse, you'll have a good time reading Heavy Weather. My main issues with the novel, however, deal mainly with narrative.
Things I Liked
1. Cyberpunk Genre: I have to give credit where credit is due. Bruce Sterling’s work has been invaluable in defining the genre of “cyberpunk” in the 1990s, and this book is an incredible illustration of a story working within the genre’s defining markers. I especially enjoyed his description of the technologies and how they worked, and many of them seem to be original creations or significantly different from other types of machines used within cyberpunk fiction.
2. Characterization Janey and Alex are quite the characters. Despite the emphasis on chasing tornadoes, a lot of attention is given to the desires of these two, which are separate from the main events of the plot. Alex has a lot of medical problems, which causes him to seek out relief in any way possible - even if those means are illegal. Janey, his sister, cares dearly for him and also has a strong sense of loyalty to her family and to her lover, Jerry (the leader of the Troupe chasing storms).
3. Genre: I like the way Sterling weaves cyberpunk elements within a world that contains elements of apocalyptic fiction. Doing so doesn’t restrict his novel to a particular genre, even though it leans heavily on cyberpunk elements. Combining the two makes for a refreshing change of pace if you are accustomed to reading books set either in one genre or the other.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Pace: The middle of the novel tends to lag. There’s a lot of descriptions about life within the Troupe that seem important, but are not necessary to the plot. In my opinion, if an author is going to write a lot of description, it's best placed alongside an event or major plot point, not as a sort of info-dump.
2. Objective: Maybe I missed it, but I couldn’t quite see the “point” of the novel. Yes, the story is about chasing tornadoes… but why is that so important? I felt like that meaning, if it existed, was too buried in the text and should have been brought out to make for a stronger, cohesive plot.
3. Themes: Sterling could have brought out some of the more subtler elements in his novel to make a more interesting storyline. At times, the reader sees references to corruption, societal collapse, diseases and biology, etc. but none of these things are explored to a grand extent. As a result, the novel feels like it tries to incorporate too many things in one story, and thus, it's spread too thin.
Recommendations: If you're a sci fi fan (especially sci fi about environmental collapse) and enjoy books about technology, hacking, and scientific pursuit, you may enjoy this novel. Readers who like stories about storm chasers or genetics might also find this book enjoyable.
Things I Liked
1. Cyberpunk Genre: I have to give credit where credit is due. Bruce Sterling’s work has been invaluable in defining the genre of “cyberpunk” in the 1990s, and this book is an incredible illustration of a story working within the genre’s defining markers. I especially enjoyed his description of the technologies and how they worked, and many of them seem to be original creations or significantly different from other types of machines used within cyberpunk fiction.
2. Characterization Janey and Alex are quite the characters. Despite the emphasis on chasing tornadoes, a lot of attention is given to the desires of these two, which are separate from the main events of the plot. Alex has a lot of medical problems, which causes him to seek out relief in any way possible - even if those means are illegal. Janey, his sister, cares dearly for him and also has a strong sense of loyalty to her family and to her lover, Jerry (the leader of the Troupe chasing storms).
3. Genre: I like the way Sterling weaves cyberpunk elements within a world that contains elements of apocalyptic fiction. Doing so doesn’t restrict his novel to a particular genre, even though it leans heavily on cyberpunk elements. Combining the two makes for a refreshing change of pace if you are accustomed to reading books set either in one genre or the other.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Pace: The middle of the novel tends to lag. There’s a lot of descriptions about life within the Troupe that seem important, but are not necessary to the plot. In my opinion, if an author is going to write a lot of description, it's best placed alongside an event or major plot point, not as a sort of info-dump.
2. Objective: Maybe I missed it, but I couldn’t quite see the “point” of the novel. Yes, the story is about chasing tornadoes… but why is that so important? I felt like that meaning, if it existed, was too buried in the text and should have been brought out to make for a stronger, cohesive plot.
3. Themes: Sterling could have brought out some of the more subtler elements in his novel to make a more interesting storyline. At times, the reader sees references to corruption, societal collapse, diseases and biology, etc. but none of these things are explored to a grand extent. As a result, the novel feels like it tries to incorporate too many things in one story, and thus, it's spread too thin.
Recommendations: If you're a sci fi fan (especially sci fi about environmental collapse) and enjoy books about technology, hacking, and scientific pursuit, you may enjoy this novel. Readers who like stories about storm chasers or genetics might also find this book enjoyable.