River Of Gods

The future is here, William Gibson once said, it's just not evenly distributed. That unevenness of distribution is especially apparent in what we still call the Third World, those countries still scrambling to keep up with the effects of Western technological change while holding on to their distinctive character and traditions. It is that conflict that lies at the heart of Ian McDonald's monumental and brilliant novel.It is set in India on the 100th anniversary of independence, but India is no longer a unified state, it has been balkanised into a number of competing states. Here AIs that might pass the Turing Test are banned, but some states are not above working with them covertly. Meanwhile severe water shortages threaten the stability of the various Indian states. Both basic needs and modern technological developments, therefore, play their part in the chaos that is starting to overwhelm the subcontinent.Telling the story through a variety of different viewpoint characters ranging from a genderless "neut" who works on a popular soap opera, to a would-be stand up comedian who suddenly inherits control of a major energy company, McDonald provides a panoramic account of the many different cultural, social, political, technological and religious differences that all play a part in the brewing conflict.In a collection of stories, CyberabadDays, that acts as a pendant to this novel, McDonald provides further perspectives, both before and after the events of River of Gods, that help to make this comprehensive portrait of near-future India even more convincing. River of Gods won the BSFA Award, and "The Djinn's Wife" from Cyberabad Days won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette. Together the books provide a rich and vivid portrait which makes it clear that the future is not just limited to one portion of the globe. Hugo Award for Best Novelette. Together the books provide a rich and vivid portrait which makes it clear that the future is not just limited to one portion of the globe.