samvara

Biopunk dystopic science fiction. Brutal, ugly and atmospheric depiction of a rising civil war in post-global warming Bangkok. Thai isolationist policies have buffered them and their precious genebank from ecological disaster but pressures are mounting. Anderson from the Western 'calorie companies' is seeking access and Jaidee from the local Environmental Ministry is the last line of defence.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I'm not sure why the book is named after Emiko the Windup girl, she's the character with the least agency. She exists more as a symbol through which other stories are told then as a person in her own right which is normal when men tell stories but makes reading man-stories rather alienating. I'm afraid the ugliness overwhelmed me.

 ETA: I also think there is a fine line that writers walk when writing about evil / ugliness / suffering and that if it isn't balanced in some way with redemption / insight / growth then the former is not justified. For me, the brutality, sexual assault and sheer ugliness was not redeemed.