New York 2140

By: Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren, Robin Miles, Peter Ganim, Jay Snyder, Caitlin Kelly, Michael Crouch, Ryan Vincent Anderson

Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

A new vision of the future from Kim Stanley Robinson, the New York Times best-selling author of science-fiction masterworks such as the Mars trilogy, 2312, and Aurora.

The waters rose, submerging New York City.

But the residents adapted, and it remained the bustling, vibrant metropolis it had always been. Though changed forever.

Every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island.

Through the eyes of the varied inhabitants of one building, Kim Stanley Robinson shows us how one of our great cities will change with the rising tides.

And how we, too, will change.

The complete list of narrators includes Suzanne Toren, Robin Miles, Peter Ganim, Jay Snyder, Caitlin Kelly, Michael Crouch, Ryan Vincent Anderson, Christopher Ryan Grant, and Robert Blumenfeld.

©2017 Kim Stanley Robinson (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Complex, believable, nuanced, riveting

I totally disagree with the couple of negative reviews I'm seeing. If by "science fiction" you require aliens, supernatural powers, technologies made of unobtanium, or epic space battles, I guess you'd be disappointed. There's no "The One" character on a mission to save the Earth or the Universe here. But if you think of it as a mature genre, capable of creating a solid, 3-dimensional world set a century-plus hence, with characters whose lives revolve around real-world concerns and who speak and act the way real people do, then you'll really appreciate this book. The depiction of a semi-drowned New York is drilled into a bedrock of historical fact producing a solidly convincing sense of place that is the setting for a complex web of characters, motivations and completely plausible plot threads.

The performances are also among the best I've heard, and I'm not normally a huge fan of the multi-narrator approach but it works here. I was slightly amused to find, well into the book, that the character played by a reader who sounds African American, at least to my ear, turns out to be blond-haired, but to me the casting made him more interesting so I decided the author was wrong and continued to imagine him that way.

Just a first-rate read all around. Highest recommendation.

67 of 69 people found this review helpful

Everything but the kitchen sink…

…is in here—climate change, extinction of animals, the economic divide between people, finance (pretty sure Robinson read The Big Short), fictional and non-fictional history of New York… Same goes with the wide variety of characters.

This was my first Robinson novel and will probably be my last. Half I listened to carefully, half with half an ear. There was just too much of everything in this novel—except character development. It took a looooong time for me to have any feeling for any of the characters—except Amelia. She was really the star of the show, and I probably liked her so much because her parts were funny and were a nice break from a lot of exposition, pontification, etc. etc. So while the topics of the book are right up my alley, the execution was somewhat lacking.

In the end, I’d say it was just ok. The audio narrators, for the most part, were great!

61 of 68 people found this review helpful

Not for me

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this book that much. I felt it was one of those cases where the idea of the story is better than the story itself.

It wasn’t all bad, some storyline (or parts of storylines) were ok, but it all felt cluttered and jumpy. In addition, I never really cared about anyone and therefore it was hard to get into their stories. As a result, I was not emotionally invested and didn’t care about the outcome.

I’m just glad I’m finally done, it was a long book.

30 of 35 people found this review helpful

What a Ride!!!!

This is my first time with the author, I’m now a fan for life. The overall story is strong, the sub-plots are wonderful and the characters are even better. I love his words choices, and all the maid of language. This is one of the longest listens in my hundred plus book Audible account, with the multi actor performances, this is one of the top books I’ve listened to. I highly recommend it, go for the ride.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Not very good

I got this thinking it was going to be about the way environmental changes affect the future. And, it is, kind of. But really it’s just a pretty boring story about a flooded New York City and the people who live in a New York high rise, most of whom are not very like able. Not recommended.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Audacious modern masterpiece, great narration

Breathtaking must-read novel for sci-fi and general literature fans. Razor-sharp prose and social commentary, a rich cast of plausible characters, and an audacious Melvillean scope that, incredibly, Stanley Robinson delivers on rather than embarrassing himself with his repeated allusions. Excellent performance in this audio version. Highest recommendation.

Also, be aware that, while this is an unapologetically, proudly far-left novel celebrating the economic as opposed to the social left (not as common in contemporary sci-fi as the converse), if that aligns with your politics this is an affirming read for challenging times that brought me to inspired tears by the end.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Waiting and waiting for something to happen

20 hrs invested in this that I will never get back. The first half of the experience was painfully boring. I waited and waited and was sure something...anything...interesting would develop. It didn't. This is hardly science fiction. More like a really boring documentary and a macroeconomics class combined together. However, I think that makes it sound better than it was. Ugh. I'm actually mad I finished it.

14 of 18 people found this review helpful

Wonderfully Imaginative

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The characters are endearing and interesting, and the narrators do a really great job of helping the story take shape. Even though KSR seems to lose his way about 2/3's of the way through the novel and he drops several characters with little explanation by the end, those he concludes with are strongly drawn and the setting is so well crafted that it didn't matter to me. It's a novel that begs to be made into a film which might refine the plot and help bring a more satisfying conclusion.

What was one of the most memorable moments of New York 2140?

Amelia's trip with the polar bears on her blimp, the Assisted Migration.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Hard to choose. I loved them all...but probably Amelia. There was also a 'commentator' at points in the work who delves into the financial and political exigencies of capitalism. He was narrated so pointedly. Great!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The huge storm that nearly destroys the city. Wow!

Any additional comments?

I'm now hooked on KSR despite his narrative weaknesses. He's brilliant at constructing possible futures and then creating the characters who live in them. His prose can be beautiful and compelling, at times even transcendent. Yes, he's pretty philosophical and political. But these draw me to his work and keep me coming back. It's work to appreciate without the need for resolution, necessarily.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Wonderful. Again.

Nobody can take me to a place of technological wonders and worlds past and future in a way that makes it feel so real, human, and freighted with meaning as Kim Stanley Robinson.

If loved his other worlds, you'll love this one even closer to home.

9 of 12 people found this review helpful

Already looking for the next one...

What did you love best about New York 2140?

In spite of all the odds being against it these very disparate characters come together and prove the adage that you are stronger together than you ever would be separate.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think Charlotte was my favorite character. She set out to make her world a better place.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

I think Franklin was my favorite character as performed. Part of you wants to hate him but by the end you can't help loving him just a little bit.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were definitely parts of this story that made me teary. Mostly due to the interactions and situations

Any additional comments?

If by the end of a book you're looking for the next there should be more. I will say this is a very politically charged novel. Be prepared to be challenged if you don't agree.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful