The Windup Girl

mtravellerh · 09-20-2009, 02:53 PM

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Quote:

Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko...
Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; she is an engineered being, crèche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run rampant across the globe.

Without any doubt the best book I have read this year! (and it's available from Baen (Nightshade) which means multiformat without DRM)

FizzyWater · 09-20-2009, 09:13 PM

Have you read the other two books/stories in this "world"?

mtravellerh · 09-21-2009, 01:08 AM

Not yet! Looking forward to that, of course!

Three short stories available online here:

http://windupstories.com/pumpsix/the-fluted-girl/
http://windupstories.com/pumpsix/the...sand-and-slag/
http://windupstories.com/pumpsix/the-tamarisk-hunter/

They're free, of course!

ardeegee · 09-21-2009, 01:36 AM

Also here:

http://www.nightshadebooks.com/downloads

(Just download the three stories from Pump Six file, don't bother with the two Windup Stories file, which is two of the three same stories from the Pump Six one.)

Blue Tyson · 09-21-2009, 11:31 PM

Started this (very late) last night. Only read a couple of chapters, but great so far.

Blue Tyson · 09-21-2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Have you read the other two books/stories in this "world"?

Yes. The Calorie Man is outstanding, and Yellow Card Man is very good.

Peadar Ó Guilín · 09-22-2009, 09:19 AM

I really enjoyed this book. The short-stories are pretty cool too. Best of all in my opinion is The Fluted Girl. Weird and really wonderful.

NormHart · 09-22-2009, 11:38 AM

From the pitch for The Windup Girl:

Quote:

What happens when calories become currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits, when said bio-terrorism's genetic drift forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution?

My, that does sound tasty.

Blue Tyson · 09-23-2009, 01:37 AM

About 2/3 done. Opinion still stands.

mores · 09-24-2009, 05:29 PM

Thank you for this recommendation. Sounds real interesting.
Is it readable without knowing anything about his "world"? Will I be confused when I read the other stuff later? Or should I go chronologically?

Blue Tyson · 09-25-2009, 12:43 AM

Not necessary at all to read anything else, so no need. Although you will find Calorie Man and Yellow Card Man online. Just be slightly more illuminating if you do.

mores · 09-25-2009, 04:07 AM

Yep, just started with Calorie Man last night and I must say it's .... different

Springs? Hehe

igorsk · 09-25-2009, 07:57 AM

Scalzi likes it a lot.

Try before you buy.

NormHart · 09-25-2009, 06:28 PM

From wikipedia,

There are conceptually two types of GURT: (Genetic Use Restriction Technology)
V-GURT: This type of GURT produces sterile seeds meaning that a farmer that had purchased seeds containing v-GURT technology could not save the seed from this crop for future planting. This would not have an immediate impact on the large number of primarily western farmers who use hybrid seeds, as they do not produce their own planting seeds, and instead buy specialized hybrid seeds from seed production companies. However, currently around 80 percent of farmers in both Brazil and Pakistan grow crops based on saved seeds from previous harvests.[2] Consequentially, resistance to the introduction of GURT technology into developing countries is strong.[2] The technology is restricted at the plant variety level - hence the term V-GURT. Manufacturers of genetically enhanced crops would use this technology to protect their products from unauthorised use.
T-GURT: A second type of GURT modifies a crop in such a way that the genetic enhancement engineered into the crop does not function until the crop plant is treated with a chemical that is sold by the biotechnology company. Farmers can save seeds for use each year. However, they do not get to use the enhanced trait in the crop unless they purchase the activator compound. The technology is restricted at the trait level - hence the term T-GURT."

The author makes mention of this (using the term "Terminator gene") in relation to his book.

I love it, DRM for food.

09-21-2009, 01:08 AM	#3
mtravellerh book creator Posts: 9,635 Karma: 3856660 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Luxembourg Device: PB360°	Not yet! Looking forward to that, of course! Three short stories available online here: http://windupstories.com/pumpsix/the-fluted-girl/ http://windupstories.com/pumpsix/the...sand-and-slag/ http://windupstories.com/pumpsix/the-tamarisk-hunter/ They're free, of course! Last edited by mtravellerh; 09-21-2009 at 01:14 AM.

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09-20-2009, 09:13 PM	#2
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Have you read the other two books/stories in this "world"?

09-21-2009, 01:36 AM	#4
ardeegee Maratus speciosus butt Posts: 3,292 Karma: 1162698 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-350	Also here: http://www.nightshadebooks.com/downloads (Just download the three stories from Pump Six file, don't bother with the two Windup Stories file, which is two of the three same stories from the Pump Six one.)

09-21-2009, 11:31 PM	#5
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	Started this (very late) last night. Only read a couple of chapters, but great so far.

09-22-2009, 09:19 AM	#7
Peadar Ó Guilín Author of The Inferior Posts: 121 Karma: 200001 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ireland Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3 (soon...)	I really enjoyed this book. The short-stories are pretty cool too. Best of all in my opinion is The Fluted Girl. Weird and really wonderful.

09-23-2009, 01:37 AM	#9
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	About 2/3 done. Opinion still stands.

09-24-2009, 05:29 PM	#10
mores Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 102419 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: iPhone	Thank you for this recommendation. Sounds real interesting. Is it readable without knowing anything about his "world"? Will I be confused when I read the other stuff later? Or should I go chronologically?

09-25-2009, 12:43 AM	#11
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	Not necessary at all to read anything else, so no need. Although you will find Calorie Man and Yellow Card Man online. Just be slightly more illuminating if you do.

09-25-2009, 04:07 AM	#12
mores Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 102419 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: iPhone	Yep, just started with Calorie Man last night and I must say it's .... different Springs? Hehe

09-25-2009, 07:57 AM	#13
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Scalzi likes it a lot. Try before you buy.

09-25-2009, 06:28 PM	#14
NormHart Semper Carpe Bufo Posts: 537 Karma: 21676 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Napa Valley, California Device: Kindle2 & Kindle3	From wikipedia, There are conceptually two types of GURT: (Genetic Use Restriction Technology) V-GURT: This type of GURT produces sterile seeds meaning that a farmer that had purchased seeds containing v-GURT technology could not save the seed from this crop for future planting. This would not have an immediate impact on the large number of primarily western farmers who use hybrid seeds, as they do not produce their own planting seeds, and instead buy specialized hybrid seeds from seed production companies. However, currently around 80 percent of farmers in both Brazil and Pakistan grow crops based on saved seeds from previous harvests.[2] Consequentially, resistance to the introduction of GURT technology into developing countries is strong.[2] The technology is restricted at the plant variety level - hence the term V-GURT. Manufacturers of genetically enhanced crops would use this technology to protect their products from unauthorised use. T-GURT: A second type of GURT modifies a crop in such a way that the genetic enhancement engineered into the crop does not function until the crop plant is treated with a chemical that is sold by the biotechnology company. Farmers can save seeds for use each year. However, they do not get to use the enhanced trait in the crop unless they purchase the activator compound. The technology is restricted at the trait level - hence the term T-GURT." The author makes mention of this (using the term "Terminator gene") in relation to his book. I love it, DRM for food.

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