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Gros temps
Why hack computers when you can hack nature? Sterling's Storm Troupe lives in a post-greenhouse world ravaged by monster storms and finds itself hacking the ultimate storm: the F-6 tornado. No one in the Troupe, not even it's brilliant, driven leader, guesses the real nature of the F-6 or the shadowy forces unleashed in its twisting fury. Not until it is too late...
Mass Market Paperback, 392 pages
Published
May 1st 2001
by Gallimard
(first published January 1st 1994)
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I read Heavy Weather back when it came out in the 90's about Category 5 tornados,
long long dust bowel like extreme weather droughts in the SW part of the
US caused by Climate Change. Sterling is from that part of the country.
I don't know the severity of the May 2013 tornado in Oklahoma...maybe a
F4-5 and 2 miles wide somewhat like the unbelievable size of hurricane Sandy
but much more destructive.
Bruce Sterling's book was my fictional intro to the future of AGW.
His descriptions of coming extreme...more
long long dust bowel like extreme weather droughts in the SW part of the
US caused by Climate Change. Sterling is from that part of the country.
I don't know the severity of the May 2013 tornado in Oklahoma...maybe a
F4-5 and 2 miles wide somewhat like the unbelievable size of hurricane Sandy
but much more destructive.
Bruce Sterling's book was my fictional intro to the future of AGW.
His descriptions of coming extreme...more
Ero molto curioso di conoscere Sterling, colui che con Gibson, ha definito il cyberpunk. Dovrò proseguire la mia ricerca visto che in questo romanzo si parla di tutt'altro argomento: l'apocalisse ecologica.
Nonostante la delusione per non aver trovato tecnologia avanzata, cibernetica ed innesti artificiali ho cercato di sgombrare la mente da ogni ombra per avventurarmi nel futuro prossimo di un mondo preda di cataclismi atmosferici e mutazioni genetiche.
Beh, mi pare di aver trovato un buon scritt...more
Nonostante la delusione per non aver trovato tecnologia avanzata, cibernetica ed innesti artificiali ho cercato di sgombrare la mente da ogni ombra per avventurarmi nel futuro prossimo di un mondo preda di cataclismi atmosferici e mutazioni genetiche.
Beh, mi pare di aver trovato un buon scritt...more
Heavy Weather is Twister in book form - pure and simple.
In some ways the parallels are amazing. The book and the movie came out within two years of each other (can't remember which came first. Both works depict a storm chasing group in the midwest whose lead protagonist is trying to prove a theory. Both even depict...flying cows!
Sterling is one of the best known "cyberpunk" authors, but its important to realize that this book is not cyberpunk in any real sense. It is more "post-apocalyptic" in...more
In some ways the parallels are amazing. The book and the movie came out within two years of each other (can't remember which came first. Both works depict a storm chasing group in the midwest whose lead protagonist is trying to prove a theory. Both even depict...flying cows!
Sterling is one of the best known "cyberpunk" authors, but its important to realize that this book is not cyberpunk in any real sense. It is more "post-apocalyptic" in...more
A slightly futuristic (2030-ish) book about storm chasing. It has a bit of a cyber-punk feel that doesn't overwhelm you with technology, and is set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by climate change and out of control weather. While the storm chases are fast and engaging, the balance of the story is mostly character driven. There is a new generation and class of people who are learning to live in an America whose government has collapsed, vast areas of the country are abandoned, many are home...more
J'ai détesté. Bon, la traduction y est certainement pour beaucoup ! le traducteur d'Asimov avait visiblement besoin de bouffer et ne s'est pas embarrassé des principes de traduction élémentaires. Résultat, j'ai passé la moitié de ma lecture à corriger la traduction plutôt qu'à apprécier l'histoire.
Mais Bonnefoy n'est pas le seul responsable. Les personnages sont plats et caricaturaux, l'histoire part dans tous les sens sans le moindre semblant de logique, et même les scènes d'action, comme celle...more
Mais Bonnefoy n'est pas le seul responsable. Les personnages sont plats et caricaturaux, l'histoire part dans tous les sens sans le moindre semblant de logique, et même les scènes d'action, comme celle...more
More character-oriented than my taste. Not sure if character-oriented readers will feel character development is deep enough.
A near-future tale with climate change (and resulting social changes) give a background for a group of tornado chasers / data collectors - and the seriously ill brother of a member of the group. The increased "heavy weather" seems scientifically founded, but I'm not so sure about the basis for the super-storm the tornado chasers are anticipating. When that focus of the boo...more
A near-future tale with climate change (and resulting social changes) give a background for a group of tornado chasers / data collectors - and the seriously ill brother of a member of the group. The increased "heavy weather" seems scientifically founded, but I'm not so sure about the basis for the super-storm the tornado chasers are anticipating. When that focus of the boo...more
Soft apocalypse novel. Written in 1994, before the AGW debate really got heated.
A team of feisty late-21st century researchers live off the grid in the American heartland studying the plethora of tornadoes that have plagued the country for several decades, and preparing for the possibility of a theoretical F6 tornado.
An odd book. Doesn't really follow the traditional 3-act structure. It just kind of wanders toward the climax while exploring a world changed forever by global warming. I quite enjo...more
A team of feisty late-21st century researchers live off the grid in the American heartland studying the plethora of tornadoes that have plagued the country for several decades, and preparing for the possibility of a theoretical F6 tornado.
An odd book. Doesn't really follow the traditional 3-act structure. It just kind of wanders toward the climax while exploring a world changed forever by global warming. I quite enjo...more
Sep 10, 2008
Ananta
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
science fiction, apocalyptic
This is a cautionary near-future sci-fi story of the impact of global warming on weather patterns. We are already seeing the beginning of increased storms, tornados, hurricanes, and tsunamis (or Heavy Weather).
In 2030, the time period of the story, the majority of the U.S. government's budget goes toward disaster relief. Thousands are homeless, the U.S. economy has collapsed, entire geographic areas are abandoned, and some wildlife species die off while others grow out of control.
The story fol...more
In 2030, the time period of the story, the majority of the U.S. government's budget goes toward disaster relief. Thousands are homeless, the U.S. economy has collapsed, entire geographic areas are abandoned, and some wildlife species die off while others grow out of control.
The story fol...more
J’ai dû avoir un été extra-lucide. Parce qu’après avoir lu Titan, qui est une vision très anticipée des souçis de la NASA, j’ai lu Gros temps de Bruce Sterling, celui-là même de Schismatrice (fabuleux) et des mailles du réseau (formidable). Bref, un auteur dont on pourrait dire avec peu de mauvaise foi que j’en suis fan. Mais là n’est pas l’objet de cet avis.
Gros temps est un roman qu’on pourrait décrire comme un “Twister” (le film sur les tornades) remis à une sauce cyberpunk. Dans ce roman, o...more
Gros temps est un roman qu’on pourrait décrire comme un “Twister” (le film sur les tornades) remis à une sauce cyberpunk. Dans ce roman, o...more
I'm somewhat torn over Bruce Sterling. Most of his books that I have read are from the late Eighties/early Nineties. The reader is usually introduced to a group of characters with an occupation that is out of the norm, in this case storm chasers/"weather hackers". I always find this aspect of the story very intriguing, with the technical details of the occupation being brought to the forefront to show the ways that these folks might view life differently than the rest of us. It's the endings tha...more
I read this quite a while ago when it was first published (huh, almost twenty years ago), and didn't like it much. Found a copy for cheap and read it again now, and it's aged really well. An interesting future that seems more plausible now than then, some neat little stylistic tics, a very large storm. I'm still not a fan of the denouement, though. Sterling's strength is not his novels, and Holy Fire or Distraction are certainly better books, but this one's worth the read.
This is by far my favorite Sterling book. Unlike his earlier Mechist-Shaper story cycle, this book still seems all-too-possible. Plus, I want that Jumping Jeep with the Smart Wheels. How awesome was THAT thing?! Daaaamn.
At times the clunky prose intrudes, as do some of the obvious "As you know Bob" moments, but overall this is solid stuff, and still feels like it could happen.
At times the clunky prose intrudes, as do some of the obvious "As you know Bob" moments, but overall this is solid stuff, and still feels like it could happen.
Jan 27, 2009
Melissa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
bill-recommends
It's been a long time since I read some science fiction. The ideas were interesting, and I did enjoy it, especially the Library of Congress references, but I forgot the didactic stretches that can punctuate SF. I finished it this morning and finally watched The Dark Knight this evening, so I will probably have anarchic dreams tonight.
Third reading of Heavy Weather. I love the descriptions of the tornado chases, they give a visceral thrill to a weather-geek like me (just wish there had been more discussion/description of the F6 tornado and just more about the weather full stop). The political fallout of climate change induced "Heavy weather" are well explored, and considering this book was written in 1993, some of the tech and environmental stuff predicted by Sterling for 2030 are looking pretty likely.
The downside of the bo...more
The downside of the bo...more
Hmm... What to say? This book was not a great read. It had some good ideas, but they were hidden under a poor plot, involving some bad dialogue between two main characters I really didn't care about.
It says something about a book like this when the most interesting plot point is used as an aside in the last chapter, finally explaining a very minor character (the brother Leo) and his motivations, before ignoring it all to go back to the rather uninteresting main characters.
I chose this book by ac...more
It says something about a book like this when the most interesting plot point is used as an aside in the last chapter, finally explaining a very minor character (the brother Leo) and his motivations, before ignoring it all to go back to the rather uninteresting main characters.
I chose this book by ac...more
Fun Bruce Sterling novel about post-apocalyptic group of dubious scientists chasing tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma, in search of the ultimate tornado that would be so big that it would be permanent and open a vortex into space. Somewhat of a sci-fi comedy as well.
May 06, 2012
Saul
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
cyberpunk
A must read for all cyberpunk fans of Sterling. I loved all the technology he envisioned in this book. Somehow, someway, every scene in this book will probably take place. If you want to know how our future turns out, read Sterling. It's a must.
May 20, 2013
Patrick
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
we-are-fucked
A science fiction novel from 1994, in which a permanent system of monster tornadoes have made the American midwest uninhabitable. Good thing that could never happen in real life.
It was obvious to me that Bruce Sterling would love to be a stormchaser- possibly, he already is. However, the novel seems fragmented to me, split up in too many directions.
This makes the film Twister seem even more ridiculous. Fun, scary vision of a not to distant world ravaged by weather of our own creation. A must read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like post apocalyptic styles with some real nasty weather, then this is for you.
Nov 13, 2011
Patrick
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction-fantasy
Is it just me or is every Bruce Sterling novel starting to sound alike? Right down to the paranoid conspiracy theories?
Took non sci-fi material and created a great and engaging story. Loved the characters. Well done!
Love the nod to Britton Road in Oklahoma City. This is my personal favorite from Sterling.
Possibly may favorite of Sterling's work after Zeitgeist.
Much like "Holy Fire," this just didn't work for me. I couldn't get a handle on the characters -- or maybe Sterling couldn't get a handle on them, because they just didn't seem real and compelling to me. I actually abandoned this after the first 150 or so pages, and when I did I was astounded that I had read so many pages, because it didn't seem like anything meaningful or interesting had happened yet -- Sterling still seemed to be setting something up.
From now on I think I'll stick to his shor...more
From now on I think I'll stick to his shor...more
One of those ecological scare novels. Good enough.
Mar 18, 2012
Riley Freer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Riley by:
Library
This book is running a little light in terms of metropolis action and focuses more on life in the deserts of America. The story line starts out slowly but progresses into a mind-bending ending. The characters are quite likable and the vehicles used by the storm chases are very well thought up.
Good premise, but the author tries way too hard to be edgy and high tech. His overstretch technical lingo left me feeling annoyed more than impressed more often than not. Beware the story that aims to preach its post-human excess "this is what Global Warming will do to us" message before it attempts to develop solid characters or plot lines. If you want to scare people with this type of material, write non-fiction. Reality is terrifying enough without embellishment.
Maybe a lot closer to a 3, but sex scenes in books are boring enough as it is, and I'm pretty sure adding an anti-condom homily did nothing to improve the situation.
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Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his seminal work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.
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