Cold People: From the multi-million copy bestselling author of Child 44

Product Information

Some of the writing and the unravelling of the plot was wonderfully done, but I struggled with the storyline at times. From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 and creator of the FX series Class of ’09 comes a “cinematic” ( The Washington Post), “captivating…[and] “brilliantly conceived postapocalyptic story” ( Booklist, starred review) about an Antarctic colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilization under the most extreme conditions imaginable. Again I was impressed by the imagination that Smith brings to bear on the conceptualisation of the various hybrids that scientists working in the “capital city” at McMurdo station have engineered. My thanks to the publisher for supplying me with an advance copy of the book for the purpose of review. I felt like character development could be improved but the writing was pleasurable and I appreciated the journey!

History has proven that we humans find it difficult to peacefully co-exist with anything, much less another race or species. When aliens attack and give the human race just 30 days to reach Antarctica, it is the start of a new civilisation for mankind. In August 2023 the inhabitants of planet Earth are stunned when alien ships enter the atmosphere, claiming the planet as their own. The most successful of these humanoid creatures is ready to be “integrated” into the community, but the dilemma remains: will this superior species, created by humans, save or destroy us? Although each chapter was headed with the place and time period, I would have preferred a more linear timeline.Faced with extinction and a rapidly dwindling population, the remaining scientists and world leaders come to the conclusion that humanity cannot rely on natural evolution to save them; and work begins on engineering a new species.

In fact, there is very little detail about who the invaders are, why they have chosen Earth as their target or what they want. Medical student Liza is on holiday with her family in Portugal when she meets-cute local fisherman Atto. I would have liked to know more about the motives of the aliens beyond the theories bounced about by the survivors as well as what was happening outside of Antarctica.This reading group guide for Cold People includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. A brilliantly conceived post-apocalyptic story that tackles a well-worn subject (a desperate race to save humanity) from a new and absolutely captivating angle. Part Frankenstein and part Nineteen Eighty-Four, the latest novel by the author of Child 44 (2008) is nothing if not ambitious. Thus begins the largest and the last human migration, with the seemingly impossible task of making a life on the only continent where human beings can’t survive. The goal was to develop powerful beings that could withstand the cold and perform jobs that humans could not do in extreme climate.

There are silly and impossible things – the aliens lift and deposit various world landmarks to Antarctica for no apparent reason. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. It explores the ingenuity and tenacity of human nature, the sheer WILL to ensure that the species survives against all odds. It was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Prize and won the CWA Steel Dagger Award.I also knew that Tom Rob Smith could spin a terrific yarn - as he did in The Farm - so I rugged up and started reading. Many of them are seriously abhorrent and need to be kept in secure quarters, deep in the ice below the surface.

I turned back, deciding I didn't want to eat badly enough to continue and spent some time thawing out my painful gloved hands in warm water.The premise is great but I was getting so angry at the lack of interest by the author in exploring any of this.