dennis%cod@nosc.ARPA (10/06/85)
From: Dennis Cottel <dennis%cod@nosc.ARPA> HOTHOUSE by Brian Aldiss, Baen Books, 1984 According to the introduction, HOTHOUSE first appeared as a serial in 1961 in F&SF, then was published in 1962 in an abridged American edition as THE LONG AFTERNOON OF EARTH. The setting is Earth in the far future. Tidal forces have stopped the planet's spin so that the same face is always towards the sun, and the sun is getting hotter as it evolves toward a red giant. The increased ultraviolet and thermal radiation have combined to create an environment in which the plant kingdom has run amuck, both genetically and physically. The few remaining members of the animal kingdom (including humans) are distant mutations of present-day versions, and are gradually being forced from their last ecological niches. The story follows members of a small group of "human" tree dwellers through a series of misadventures, and in the process, allows Aldiss to describe various strange adaptations of plants as they fill all the ecological positions formerly held by animals, birds, insects, and so on. Although the characters develop as the story progresses, for the most part they are simply carried along by events. The plot never really caught my interest. One problem with this story is that it presents itself as science fiction with attempts at scientific explanations for most of what is described. But I was never able to believe in the flying plants and other amazing plant adaptations. The environment is so hostile to the humans, that I felt it unlikely they could have survived beyond a few generations. There is also a particularly hard-to-swallow item having to do with the Moon. If imaginative descriptions of an essentially alien plant-infested world attract you, you may find HOTHOUSE interesting, or even fascinating. But I don't recommend it as a "good read." (Maybe it's Art! ;-) What have *you* read lately? Dennis Cottel Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, CA 92152 (619) 225-2406 dennis@nosc.ARPA sdcsvax!noscvax!dennis