Termination Shock

Termination Shock had a different kind of flavor than the other stories I’ve read from Stephenson, but it still had his characteristic wit and charm. He can make the most ordinary observations a pleasure to read about. A lot of the story was following the characters most involved in trying to pump the brakes on the climate crisis, and while this could be political or abstract at times he also finds a way to feature drone warfare and super soldiers. With that said I quite enjoyed the abstract geopolitics and the diverse characters that are sprinkled throughout.

I think this story was the perfect length. I would certainly enjoy seeing more of the global consequences, how things exactly pan out over the decades, but maybe that will come in a later book. It seems like the story was focused more on the development of the characters and their interactions rather than the efficacy of climate alteration, which makes sense. As part of that climatic alteration is that it develops differently for different regions. In the end I felt it was very poetic, and it had me contemplating Balance, Nature, and Man.