The Windup Girl

By: Paolo Bacigalupi

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories.

There, he encounters Emiko...Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run rampant across the globe.

What happens when calories become currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits, when said bio-terrorism's genetic drift forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution? In The Windup Girl, award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi returns to the world of The Calorie Man (Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award-winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2006) and Yellow Card Man (Hugo Award nominee, 2007) in order to address these poignant questions.

BONUS AUDIO: In an exclusive introduction, author Paolo Bacigalupi explains how a horrible trip to Thailand led to the idea for The Windup Girl.

©2009 Paolo Bacigalupi (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2010
• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 2009
• Best Books of 2009, Publishers Weekly
• 10 Best Fiction Books of 2009, Time magazine
• Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy 2009, Library Journal

"Paolo Bacigalupi's debut sci-fi novel is a stunner, especially as interpreted under the careful ministrations of narrator Jonathan Davis. The novel postulates a corrupt near-future society in Southeast Asia, where powerful corporations vie for control over rice yields by wielding bioengineered viruses as tools for profit." ( AudioFile)

" The Windup Girl will almost certainly be the most important SF novel of the year for its willingness to confront the most cherished notions of the genre, namely that our future is bright and we will overcome our selfish, cruel nature." ( Book Page)

"A classic dystopian novel likely to be short listed for the Nebula and Hugo Awards" ( SF Signal)

Plenty to like in this story of a dystopian future

Is there anything you would change about this book?

There is a sense of unremitting hopelessness permeating the book. While I believe this is a deliberate plot device by the author, it could put off some listeners

Any additional comments?

There is plenty to like in this story of a dystopian future ravaged by climate change and a host of genetically manufactured creatures and diseases. The characters are well drawn and allowed to develop at their own pace, while the plot is anything but predictable. There is a bewildering array of characters; once I realised that Lake and Anderson are in fact one character named Anderson Lake I had to go back to the start for a re-read.
I found the in-your-face sexual violence perpetrated on the title character to be quite impactful, but I can see why the plot development required it, so I must respect the author's decision to include it.
While I wouldn't recommend this book to my Mother, I think those who enjoy reading sombre reflections on where our planet may ultimately end up will, at the very least, read it through to its conclusion.
While I didn't adore this book, and it doesn't make me want to read more of this author's work, I think 3.5 would have been a fairer rating.

A Scary Fluid Line Between Natural & Unnatural

Very good hard core sci fi in the world it is set, with a message that is not preachy, but a very slow moving story. If you like story over action then this a good book for you


Jonathan Davis did a very good job on the narration


I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Great Book!

A bleak future set in Thailand. This book has a lot of great twist and turns that will keep you wanting more!

Beautiful Story in a Harsh World

This was one of the most creative and imaginative books that I have read. Bacigalupi created a magnificent world that is harsh and brutal. His imaginings as to what could happen with our world in the future (maybe not too distal) are horrifying. This story was beautifully written. I did have a hard time following the audiobook and kept getting the characters confused. That's something that might have been rectified if I had a physical book. I think it's because the names are all different and difficult. I wanted more Emiko and was a little disappointed that the book wasn't all about her. I'd like to see more in this world and with these characters.

Waste of my time

It was a neat premise, but the book was incredibly boring and hard for me to finish.

Excellent, Enthralling, Unique

At times dark and bizarre, this was a profoundly interesting and entertaining audiobook. Fantastic characters, great plot, intriguing ideas. The setting in Thailand made it all the more exotic.

Not during a pandemic

well written and the narrator does a good job. I started this in the beginning of March 2020 and it REALLY isnt something I would recommend until covid 19 is a fading memory.
The burning of cities where the plague breaks out was just too hard to listen to.
I guess kudos to the author for his vision of the future

great great 👍

anything Jonathan Davis reads is amazing 👏 😍 🙌 I would recommend to anyone!

Great worldbuilding

Detailed and logical worldbuilding, interesting story and setting, compelling characters and motivations.

Warning, this book contains sexual abuse that can be hard to listen to, though those scenes serve a storytelling purpose.

Exceptional in every way

I thought I was prepared to read a great sci-fi story... I was not. This story/narration was beyond anything I could have been prepared for, truly exceptional.
The Windup Girl is mind boggling and eye opening. Everyone needs to read this book.