Reddit Reddit reviews The Windup Girl

We found 43 Reddit comments about The Windup Girl. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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43 Reddit comments about The Windup Girl:

u/gabwyn · 47 pointsr/scifi

Here are the recently published novels we've covered in the /r/SF_Book_Club (you can check out the survey results for these books from the sidebar over there):

u/punninglinguist · 11 pointsr/printSF

The most prominent one recently has probably been The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. It's more "post-ecological cataclysm," though, and civilization has more or less survived.

u/patrusk · 10 pointsr/scifi

Check out The Windup Girl, it's the closest thing I can think of that reminds me of The Diamond Age. Aside from Snow Crash, of course.

u/motku · 8 pointsr/Denver

Ethical Concern: The GMO corn is trademarked by <insert well known chemical company here> and the seed is sold to farmers who invest in it. Corn propagates by wind, neighbor farmer did not buy in but now his seed stock is infiltrated and the trademark owners sue him for stealing seed stock or some other violation of copyright. Local farmer caves to relentless legal pressure, soon all food stock is owned by corporations. This could get really wild (The Windup Girl), but so far that's still sci-fi, right?

Environmental Concern: Most GMO crops are created by chemical companies who in turn make products effective on plants that were not created by them. Rather than taking time to work with the environment these companies amass petrochemical sprays (a further economical cost to the farmer as well) and bombard regions so their plant survives. This chemical mixture goes into the soil and water where it in turn effects us; you do know that ALL drinking water is recycled I hope.


So you might be right, there might not be concerns on the healthy diet level (though we all know how wonderful the American diet is for us all). But there are larger socioeconomic issues here as well. To lock this only on a healthy for diet issue is absurd. I highly recommend Botany of Desire (book or PBS) as the potato chapter is enlightening on this measure (from an economic standpoint). Basically; organic food is far more economic in terms of space, maintenance, and profit per square foot.

u/raziphel · 7 pointsr/HFY

Use whatever makes the most dramatic and compelling story, and whatever reinforces the narrative itself. I'd probably start with throwing the reader into the middle and fill in the background as the main story progresses. For example, how Paolo Bacigalupi builds the setting in The Windup Girl or John Scalzi allows the setting to unfold in the background of Old Man's War.

You can always go back and write prequels, first contact stories, and the like afterward. Remember, Tolkien didn't start with the Simarillion either- he just threw the reader into the setting.

The question however is this: who's your target audience? Adults or young adults? If you can get an illustrator like Drachen to work with you (cause damn he's good), That would be something to consider in and of itself.

u/omaca · 7 pointsr/scifi

Iain M Banks most recent Culture novel is called Surface Detail. His Culture novels are great.

China Mieville consistently wins awards for his "new weird" books; most notably the Bas Lag novels. His The City and the City is a kinda mind-bending crime novel, but his most recent is Kraken.

The Wind Up Girl has garnered quite a few positive reviews.

u/killdefenses · 7 pointsr/postapocalyptic
u/docwilson · 5 pointsr/printSF

That pretty much describes The Windup Girl, a recent joint hugo/nebula winner.

u/bokowolf · 5 pointsr/books

I ain't so good at book descriptions but here's some stuff I really enjoyed -

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi: http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585

The author would argue with me about this being SF - Atwood prefers the term "speculative history" I believe - but the entire Oryx and Crake trilogy is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Oryx-Crake-Margaret-Atwood/dp/0385721676/ref=la_B000AQTHI0_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397411558&sr=1-2 the first book in Oryx and Crake, followed by Year of the Flood and Madaddam

u/RunningDoyle · 4 pointsr/pics

I thought it was great and one of the main characters you would doubtless sympathize with. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1597801585

u/TheCyborganizer · 4 pointsr/SRSBusiness

Most of the characters in The Windup Girl are Thai or Chinese.

The Left Hand of Darkness messes around with gender in interesting ways. (Also, Ursula K. Leguin is an all-around fantastic author.)

Robert Heinlein can be a controversial author, but many of his works had non-white protagonists. Manuel Garcia O'Kelly-Davis from The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is multiracial, and Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers is Filipino, if I recall correctly.

Someone else in this thread recommended The Brief But Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, and it's not exactly SFF (more in the vein of magical realism) but it is easily one of the best books I've ever read.

u/Groumph09 · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions
u/scifideome · 3 pointsr/scifi

The Windup Girl? Takes place in Thailand, the big bad corporations are GM food corporations, main character is a young woman who is the product of genetic engineering.

u/furgenhurgen · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

This is not in the horror realm, but I really enjoyed it. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupe.

u/phongbong · 3 pointsr/Cyberpunk

This could probably fit in a category called geneticpunk. It's a good read. Also where's your source to the link? Always source other peoples work. That chick is beautiful and I'd like to see more of her.

u/skroggitz · 3 pointsr/Thailand

There's not a lot of history in The Windup Girl but it is set in Bangkok, and it is a good read..

u/Mykl · 3 pointsr/printSF

Have you read The Windup Girl or Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi? Really good stuff, he's very dark and some might say depressing but his writing is top notch. Pump Six is his collection of short stories, I suggest you start there.

u/analogorithm · 3 pointsr/printSF

You haven't mentioned yet if you got a book to read or not, so here is my suggestion:http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585.

u/Dart_the_Red · 3 pointsr/Fantasy

This is a book I don't see often, but I think it fits really well with your tastes.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

It's got a dystopian future where the world is run by corporations, and has an interesting cast of characters with their own goals. It's a standalone novel, but I will highly recommend it.

u/pyratemime · 3 pointsr/TheExpanse

For an epic series consider Dune by Frank Herbert especially as we approach the new Dune movie in 2020.

For well written political-military sci-fi with a good grounding in realistic physics try the Honorverse by David Weber. First book is On Basilisk Station

For exceptional military sci-fi Hammer's Slammers by David Drake. They are a series of short stories that can stand on their own but when read together form a cohesive story arc.

For a one-off story that deals with some major issues of technology and how it can affect our near future try the bio-punk story The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Be warned however there are some really... uncomfortable parts that are NSFW to put it mildly. Easy to skip but wanted to be up front about that.

As a personal guilty pleasure I will also recommend the military sci-fi series the Legacy of the Aldanata by John Ringo. It is not "hard sci-fi" but I really like Ringo and the core quadrilogy is so much fun. Start with A Hymn Before Battle

u/1point618 · 3 pointsr/SF_Book_Club

back to the beginning

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Current Selection#####


u/Lardalish · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Ok, you like a lot of the authors I do so Imma try and throw a couple out there.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Set in future Thailand where global warming has run rampant, the oceans have risen, and gene companies produce food seed continuously to keep ahead of genetic plagues that destroy anything edible. It's some solid hard scifi and if you like Gibson and Dick it should do ya well.

Red Thunder by John Varley Set in the near future the Chinese are clearly going to win the spacerace to Mars and a small group decides to build a ship to beat em. This is the first in a three part series (which I just learned had a third part lookin up that link) and I enjoyed it.

As for fantasy...

The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher In the world of The Dresden Files, magic is real, along with ghouls, vampires, demons, spirits, faeries, werewolves, zombies and other mythical monsters. Harry Dresden works to protect the general public, who are ignorant of magic and the dark forces conspiring against them. This makes it difficult for Harry to get by as a working wizard and private eye. The Chicago PD's Special Investigation unit, when led by Karrin Murphy, regularly employs Dresden as a consultant to help solve cases of a supernatural nature. I love this series, whenever a new book comes out (and hes up to 14 not counting a few short story collections and such) I read it almost nonstop.

u/SSMonkeybusiness · 2 pointsr/books

More of a hard sci-fi than GRRM's stuff: The Windup Girl

u/donutfarm · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

u/BrainInAJar · 2 pointsr/printSF

The Windup Girl ( or anything by Paolo Bacigalupi ) is pretty fantastic.

u/OsoFeo · 2 pointsr/conspiracy

> When you really think about GMOS it's putting a company in charge of food. And if one entity gains all the food we could have a real situation going on.

Already a sci-fi plot point

u/fatalist23 · 2 pointsr/worldnews

Reminds me of The Windup Girl. But that's science-fiction. Maybe we're moving towards a future like it though.

u/newloaf · 2 pointsr/pics

For some insight into the importance of seed repositories, read The Wind-Up Girl.

u/MrBleah · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook
u/cavehobbit · 1 pointr/scifi

For those commenting the lack of women authors, I agree.

I suggest Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente. She has other interesting books as well.

ALso, I did not see Paolo Bacigalupis The Windup Girl mentioned, very good

u/cc4000 · 1 pointr/ifyoulikeblank

Yes' I came here to suggest that' here's a link - http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585

u/mhornberger · 1 pointr/explainlikeimfive

> The real risks for GMO foods is that the plant can be induced to produce its own herbicide which in turn might have health consequences on people who consume it.

We'd have to establish that the herbicide was a peoplecide as well. My main concern about GMOs have nothing to do with health. I think it's crazy and dangerous to allow corporations to patent the food we grow. The SF novel Windup Girl was set in a dystopia where a company had, after patenting certain types of foodstuffs, "accidentally" released a pathogen that wiped out all the other ones, thus making everyone utterly dependent on theirs. I consider that a very potential future. It's the patenting of the food supply that freaks me out, not the health issues of GMOs.

u/eorld · 1 pointr/news

If you liked that book you should read the Wind-Up Girl and his other stuff. It's mostly all from different perspectives in the same future Earth.

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/thelastofus

To each their own. :)

I've had my fill of zombie but love the "something fucking bad happened" to society genre.

There aren't any zombies in it but you might enjoy reading The Windup Girl.

u/AndThisGuyPeedOnIt · 1 pointr/neoliberal
u/GaBeRockKing · 1 pointr/rational

I'd suggest The Windup Girl. Though the psychological horror is pretty explicit. (Admittedly, it panders heavily to my tastes because, hilariously enough, Iowa is a superpower in that setting.)

u/modestmouth · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Riddle the First: Wine
I’ve heard tell that wine can be paired with fruit and cheese. Because I’m a classy lady I would have no trouble substituting traditional cheese for some White Cheddar Cheez-its:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ONPN9K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I2QRJJ8FY0PH3O

Riddle the Second: Broom
Do you know how dusty White Cheddar Cheez-its are? Of course I need a broom to keep my side of the dormitory clean!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006TESANU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I37I11D6JNTLOL

Riddle the Third: Hat
What “classy lady” wouldn’t want a miniature top hat headband fascinator? I just hope its not too distracting to the other students…
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IB052U4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=IPL430LO8ISSR

Riddle the Fourth: Book
I chose a muggle book of fiction I’ve wanted to read for a while now, The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi. I’ll give you a prize if you can say “Bacigalupi” three times fast…
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1597801585/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I3IYSDZAX1N183

Riddle the Fifth: Trunk
Cards Against Humanity would be stowed away in my trunk. What better way to learn about all my new housemates after sorting is complete?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004S8F7QM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I1Z7ZLARVMKSAN

For Bonus Points: Cape
I need variety! Why wear the same boring old cape day after day if I don’t have to? With Dancing Colors Scarves I could have a different colored cape, or a cape of many colors, anytime I pleased!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042SR4F0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I2KTI79YW1128G

u/tandem7 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood are two of my favourites.

The Wind-up Girl is also pretty neat.

The Fionavar Tapestry is one of my all-time favourite fantasy reads.

The Lies of Locke Lamora is usually a good bet if you like GRRM.

u/oldneckbeard · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue

If you liked that book, check out The Windup Girl. It's a book, but about a post-oil economy where people are storing energy in springs, and there is a small group of android-like people who run on that energy.

u/fisolani · 1 pointr/books
u/CoreySnipes · 1 pointr/Cleveland

I'm reading The Windup Girl right now, and the shipping docks and nearby warehouse/industrial area are featured prominently. In the post-apocalyptic landscape (after "the Expansion") moving goods by sailing ship is once again the dominant form of global trade. I like that your idea of using the flats and up the Cuyahoga river a bit. Maybe also that section of abandoned "subway" under the Veterans Memorial bridge.

u/waypeter · 0 pointsr/Portland

Probably in a world where Roundup was a stable of every schoolchild's healthy breakfast.

You might enjoy The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi