Angharad reviews...‘Waste Tide’ by Chen Qiufan

 

Here's library staff member Angharad with a review of ‘Waste Tide’ by Chen Qiufan.

Dyma Angharad gyda'i barn am ‘Waste Tide’ by Chen Qiufan.

 

Waste Tide is a tech-heavy eco-thriller with thoughtful prose and plenty of classic cyberpunk elements woven into original scenarios. Set on fictional Silicon Isle, the global capital for electronic waste recycling located off China’s south-eastern coast, Waste Tide paints a realistically bleak vision of our world drowning in the waste and pollution of our own making, and the unfortunate sectors of society whose lives are limited and consumed by it.

Told from four perspectives, we experience what life is like for the various castes inhabiting Silicon Isle; the divisions, inequity and personal struggles that dictate their existence. We follow waste girl Mimi through the e-trash to a surprising discovery; American Scott Brandle of Terragreen Recycling and his Chinese-American interpreter Chen Kaizong as they attempt to reach a deal for the company; and Luo Jincheng, head of one of Silicon Isle’s clans, as he ruthlessly clings to power. As workers, corporations and clans collide, a dark, futuristic virus is unleashed on the island. War erupts between rich and poor; tradition and ambition, and humanity’s future ultimately hangs in the balance.

Lots of issues are explored in Waste Tide, from environmental destruction and the evils of elitism to toxic traditions and social injustices, but these heavier messages are served with equal helpings of entertaining and imaginative descriptions of future tech and cultural quirks. Both the plot and setting of Waste Tide sail close enough to reality for us to imagine it’s the story of our dystopian future, but although the premise is depressingly plausible, the narrative isn’t completely devoid of joy. Despite the tragic nature of the tale, it has the right balance of calamity and miracle, despair and hope. There’s some escapism to be had, brighter horizons to be found and even some humorous moments. I loved that prominent figures from history played interesting and unexpected roles, and found the few classic sci-fi pop-culture references endearing. Fans of the likes of Ghost in the Shell and other East-Asian sci-fi offerings will find plenty to interest them here.

David Mitchell's quote on the cover says it best- '...an accomplished eco-techno-thriller with heart and soul as well as brain.'