Pump Six and Other Stories

by Paolo Bacigalupi

Overview

Paolo Bacigalupi's debut collection demonstrates the power and reach of the science fiction short story. Social criticism, political parable, and environmental advocacy lie at the center of Paolo's work. Each of the stories herein is at once a warning, and a celebration of the tragic comedy of the human experience.
The eleven stories in Pump Six represent the best Paolo's work, including the Hugo nominee "Yellow Card Man," the nebula and Hugo nominated story "The People of Sand and Slag," and the Sturgeon Award-winning story "The Calorie Man."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597802376
Publisher:	Start Publishing Llc
Publication date:	02/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	305,279
File size:	389 KB

About the Author

Paolo Bacigalupi’s short stories have appeared in many leading magazines and journals and he has written both science fiction and young adult novels. His work has won numerous awards, including The Hugo Award, The Nebula Award, and The Michael L. Printz Award. His essays have been syndicated in numerous western newspapers including the Idaho Statesman, the Albuquerque Journal, and the Salt Lake Tribune. He lives in Western Colorado with his wife and son.

Editorial Reviews

Bacigalupi's stellar first collection of 10 stories displays the astute social commentary and consciousness-altering power of the very best short form science fiction. The Hugo-nominated "The Calorie Man" explores a post-fossil fuel future where genetically modified crops both feed and power the world, and greedy megacorporations hold the fates of millions in their hands. "The People of Sand and Slag" envisions a future Earth as a contaminated wasteland inhabited by virtually indestructible post-humans who consume stone and swim in petroleum oceans. "The Tamarisk Hunter" deals with the effects of global warming on water rights in the Southwest, while the title story, original to this volume, follows a New York sewage treatment worker who struggles to repair his antiquated equipment as the city's inhabitants succumb to the brain-damaging effects of industrial pollutants. Deeply thought provoking, Bacigalupi's collected visions of the future are equal parts cautionary tale, social and political commentary and poignantly poetic, revelatory prose. (Apr.)

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Publishers Weekly

Author Paolo Bacigalupi serves up almost a dozen tales set in dystopian futures in which life is cheap and humans have surrendered to their most base instincts. Be warned, these are disturbing stories, such as “The Fluted Girl,” about a slave society in which women are deformed by science for the amusement of the rich. Even more disturbing is “The Pop Squad,” about a future in which children and motherhood are illegal and they are killed on sight. Brrr. Three narrators perform the works individually, bringing the stories starkly to life. James Chen adds a special touch with his Chinese accent in the performance of “Pocketful of Dharma,” an odd melding of science and religion. The readers craft their performances to wring every ounce of drama from Bacigalupi's words. M.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

MAY 2011 - AudioFile