Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Kim Stanley Robinson's "Venice Drowned" (short story, climate change, free)

This is the story of Venice after mysterious heavy rains, presumably global warming induced, & resulting floods: overnight, global sea levels rose. This story doesn't cover those events, however; it's about the life of people still living in the city in "roof houses" - structures built over roofs since most buildings are now underwater.

Main episode is about a couple of Japanese archeologists who intend to take a mosaic from a now-underwater church "brick by brick" & erect it again in Japan. Plus some adventure in sea during storm. Story is told from the point of view of a Venetian boat owner hired by Japanese.

Fact sheet.

First published: Terry Carr (ed)'s "Universe 11" (anthology, 1981).
Download full text from Webscription.
Rating: B. 
Nominated for Nebula Award 1982 in short story category.
Related: Stories of Kim Stanley Robinson.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

All good on the Tinkoo /health front? I get concerned nowadays when you don't post regularly ...

Tinkoo said...

Thank you.

No, it's not all good - though not very bad either. For about a fortnight now, I've been getting mild fever in the evenings - up to 101F, but usually below 100. Not everyday, but perhaps every other day. Doc says don't get concerned, but I am - so I avoid exertion when this happens.

Anonymous said...

sounds uncormfortable and concerning. Hope the doc is right this time!