by Geoff Ryman
First published 2004
Chung Mae stands as the sole bridge between her isolated farming village and the world beyond their fields and modest homes. A revolutionary communications technology called Air spreads across the globe, promising to link every person without need for power lines, computers, or machinery. When Air undergoes its first test, the results prove catastrophic. People die from the shock of the connection. Despite this disaster, Air continues its global rollout. Mae's village will face this technology whether they welcome it or not. Mae alone understands how to control Air and guide her community through its arrival. She races against time to convince her neighbors to listen and prepare. The question becomes whether they will trust her warnings before Air reaches them and brings its potentially fatal consequences to their doorstep.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, 21st-century, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, race-against-time
Setting: Farming Village
Period: Present Day
402 pages · Kindle Edition · St. Martin's Griffin