martattack reviewed The Membranes by Ta-wei Chi
Review of 'The Membranes' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Holy shit what did I just read?
So I went in knowing only that a) it was dystopian sci-fi and b) nothing else, tbh this is more than enough to get me to read a book.
Context: this book was written in 1996, right when Taiwan ended its martial law, leaving the country exposed to the rest of the world (aka capitalism) (but also other nice things like (queer) ideas!!).
The presented dystopia: ozone layer is gone, UV radiation is so strong that humans need to make Atlantis-like replicas of countries, occupying ocean beds of the planet. Clearly a critique on growthism and techno optimism, and almost literally where we're heading lol (if you substitute the ocean for Mars) (somebody stop Elon Musk pls lol im scared)
In any case, crazy plot and plot twist and, once you look into the context, it makes much more sense - as with …
Holy shit what did I just read?
So I went in knowing only that a) it was dystopian sci-fi and b) nothing else, tbh this is more than enough to get me to read a book.
Context: this book was written in 1996, right when Taiwan ended its martial law, leaving the country exposed to the rest of the world (aka capitalism) (but also other nice things like (queer) ideas!!).
The presented dystopia: ozone layer is gone, UV radiation is so strong that humans need to make Atlantis-like replicas of countries, occupying ocean beds of the planet. Clearly a critique on growthism and techno optimism, and almost literally where we're heading lol (if you substitute the ocean for Mars) (somebody stop Elon Musk pls lol im scared)
In any case, crazy plot and plot twist and, once you look into the context, it makes much more sense - as with any dystopia, this is a piece that unveils the turmoil and anxieties of its time by projecting onto a certain future. In this case, this future presents ubiquitous commodification, mass surveillance, omnipotent corporations (this is getting too real....) but also adding many queer elements (hooray!).
Quite a mind-boggling short read, and a cool way to peep into 90s Taiwan through queer sci-fi!
@Foskea this goes out to you cuz I'm reading this after you clicked "Want to Read" on this very website! And also today is your bday what a coinkindink! Happy bday Fossie xxxx
