First published 2008
In these eleven tales, Bacigalupi crafts futures where environmental destruction reshapes civilization. "The Calorie Man" follows survivors in a world where genetically modified crops determine who lives and dies. "Yellow Card Man" presents a refugee navigating a society that treats him as disposable. "The People of Sand and Slag" shows augmented humans who have lost connection to natural life. Each story places characters against systems that have prioritized efficiency over humanity. A pump technician struggles with decaying infrastructure while his society crumbles around him. Refugees flee climate disasters only to face new forms of exploitation. Corporate entities manipulate food supplies while populations starve. Bacigalupi examines how political and economic forces shape individual lives in futures marked by scarcity. These stories function as both warnings about current trends and explorations of human resilience. The collection reveals how people adapt, resist, and sometimes surrender when their world transforms beyond recognition. Through concrete scenarios of environmental and social breakdown, Bacigalupi captures both the tragedy and stubborn hope that define human experience under pressure.
Genres: short-stories, science-fiction, dystopia, 21st-century, environmental-science, climate-change
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: dystopian, environmental-themes, social-commentary
239 pages · Hardcover · Night Shade Books
Content warnings: death, violence