Paolo Bacigalupi’s “The Windup Girl”

After how much I loved Bacigalupi’s Pump Six and Other Stories* (last mentioned here) it is only right that I have finally started reading his novel, The Windup Girl*. And even though I am only 50-pages into the book I can say that it’s a very enjoyable read, an extension of some of the concepts and a setting found in that fantastic short story collection of his.

Fans of dystopian and cyberpunk fiction who have not yet read Bacigalupi’s work need to give this guy’s stories a try. Over dinner last night with Christopher Shy (Studio Ronin) we discussed The Windup Girl; it turned out we were both just starting the book. I am getting a lot more enjoyment out of it than he is, and I think it’s for one simple reason: I read the short story collection first.

You see, some of Bacigalupi’s pacing and setting ideas take some getting used to, and by reading the short stories first I think I’m having a much easier time with the full novel than Christopher is. So if you’ve any interest in these at all I strongly suggest starting with Pump Six and Other Stories* first.