Mother of Storms

For the 1989 fantasy novel Mother of Storms, see Adrian Cole.

Mother of Storms is a 1994 science fiction novel by John Barnes. It was nominated for three major science fiction awards.

Plot summary

In the early 21st century, the Earth suffers from a giant hurricane spawned by the release of clathrate compounds, as the result of a nuclear explosion. While the hurricane spawns hundreds of progeny, which, by novel's end, kill at least 1 billion people, two massively computer augmented human intelligences, both of whom witness their organic bodies die, race to corral a comet from beyond Pluto's orbit. They use the ice from the comet to reduce the Earth's surface temperatures, and quell the mother of storms.

Scientific ideas referenced

The clathrate gun hypothesis is the basis for the origin of the hurricane.

Award nominations

• 1995 - Locus Poll Award, Best Science Fiction Novel nominee
• 1995 - Arthur C. Clarke Award, shortlist
• 1995 - Hugo Award, Best Novel nominee
• 1996 - Nebula Award, Best Novel nominee

Translations

• French
  • La Mère des Tempêtes, translated by Jean-Daniel Brèque. Le Livre de Poche (2001), ISBN 2-253-07235-4
• Romanian
  • Uraganele, translated by Gabriel Stoian. Editura Nemira (1999)

External links

• Mother of Storms title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Mother of Storms at Macmillan Publishers website