4 out of 4 stars
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The PlanetDeath Chronicles by James R. Womack is a book in the science fiction genre. It is an anthology of four short stories.
Governments across the world failed to take any action against climate change because profit minded industries and uncaring citizens did not push them enough to take any substantial action. The result was the slow and painful death of the only planet in the solar system where there was life. These stories spanning across decades, from 2033 to 2082 narrate the tale of the planet’s destruction and how eventually human life was erased from the face of the earth due to irreversible effects of human action.
Each of the four stories is preceded by a prologue to give a background to the story. The narrators of two of the stories are young girls which gives an interesting perspective to the stories. The first tale begins with how a ten-year old girl accidentally finds a method of communication to talk to whales. The book then launches into how whales have always tried to communicate with humans to tell them about the havoc the human race is wreaking on all other living beings. It is pitiful to read about the slow massacre of the whale population, and other forms of aquatic life due to pollution of their natural habitat, from a whale’s perspective.
The author has not only commented on environmental degradation through this book, but also on the deteriorating way of life due to lack of resources brought on by the economic impact of environmental degradation. Throughout the book, the author compares the dark, brown earth created in these stories with lush green and blue that used to exist. Since, this book is based in the near future; it made me think if indeed we are looking at a stark, barren Earth some decades down the line, as visualized by the author in his stories. The author visualizes an Earth where rain is a myth and human beings never get to see sunlight because it will burn them. The author's stories create a moving tale of desperation to save the human race, a desperation which came too late. The last story narrates the extinguishing of hope that the human race will survive the calamity it brought upon itself.
There a few illustrations accompanying the stories, though they are not well done and the book would have been better served if the author has gone for black and white sketches instead. Also, some of the scenarios created by the author are a tad bit exaggerated. However, these flaws don’t take away from this book which transforms the fears of many environmentalists into a plausible and horrifying picture of how the planet’s death will unfold. This book is categorized in the science fiction category but I think it holds appeal for everyone since it relays the oft-repeated message of saving the planet in a very convincing manner, though it might be too late even now. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
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The PlanetDeath Chronicles
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