Flood  by Stephen Baxter

 

In essence, Flood is an end-of-the-world disaster story presented from the perspective of a group of several individuals.  The Earth is experiencing rainy, stormy weather and rising sea levels - but not in a way that coincides with accepted models of climate change.  The story begins days before a surge from the ocean overwhelms London's flood barriers, covering it in water.

 

This is “science fiction” in the sense it takes place in the near future.  There is also a minor thread in the book involved in trying to understand the cause of the rising waters.  On the other hand, unlike most near future disaster stories, a project to stop the disaster is not a significant part of the story.  Relatively early in the process, there are some projects to keep fairly minor rises in sea level out of London and other strategic locations.  There’s movement of people to locations farther above [today’s] sea level.  There’s a project to build a big ocean liner ship for a few thousand people.  But basically, the story is the rising waters relentlessly bringing life as we know it to an end.

 

The main characters have a wealthy benefactor who helps them avoid the worst consequences of the rising flood during most of the book.  We see the growing disaster from a somewhat protected vantage point.  We follow the personal dramas of the characters with this view of the disaster as the background.

 

From a science fiction point of view, what is Flood?  It’s not a cautionary tale of climate change.  Not only does the book tell us that climate change is not the cause of the flood, but the flood is greater than what climate change could lead to.  It’s not about science or technology significantly beyond what we have today.  It’s not a scientific project to avert disaster.  It’s a speculative future, but not one well founded on scientific plausibility.  Even stretching the definition of science fiction, it’s not alternative history, psychic powers fiction or supernatural fiction.  Of course, I don’t intend to say that if it doesn’t have much SF content, it can’t be worth reading.  It just has little to satisfy a craving for SF.

 

The book begins with a gripping scene.  The early part of the book pulls the reader in.  However, it doesn’t have enough to keep many readers that involved.  There’s personal drama that will be at least satisfactory for some readers.  Some readers will find some novelty in watching the oceans covering one landmark after another.  But it will be lacking for other readers.  The downhill slide of society and technology, and deaths of over 99% of the human race - with little hope for the future – may not appeal to some readers.

 

 

Science Notes

 

The story isn’t helped by the questionable nature of the supposed cause of the flood.  We’re told that some unspecified process has caused water in the Earth’s mantle to come to the surface in such quantities that even Mount Everest is covered.  There is a scientific basis to believe there are some areas of water down in the mantle.  There isn’t really a basis to believe there is enough water in the mantle to cover every inch of the Earth’s surface with several miles of water.  Nor is there a very good explanation for how all the water would rise against gravity to the surface and not find a way to go back down again.

 

Once Mount Everest is covered by water, we’re not given any further indicators of how much more the waters do or eventually will rise.  It begs certain questions (which I don’t claim to have the answer to).  If water covered the Earth up beyond the peak of Everest, what would the air density and pressure be at the water’s surface?  Would this force a significant amount of the Earth’s atmosphere far enough from the Earth’s center of mass that it would escape into space?  What would the consequences be for the ozone layer protecting humans? 

 

 

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