Fifty Degrees Below
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| Fifty Degrees Below | |
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Science in the Capital |
| Genre(s) | Hard science fiction novel |
| Publication date | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-553-80312-3 |
| Preceded by | Forty Signs of Rain |
| Followed by | Sixty Days and Counting |
Fifty Degrees Below (2005) is the second book in the hard science fiction Science in the Capital trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. It directly follows the events of Forty Signs of Rain, with a greater focus on character Frank Vanderwal, and his decision to remain at the National Science Foundation, following the earlier novel’s superstorm and devastating flood of Washington DC.
[edit] Major Themes
In the novel (p. 99), Robinson discusses paleolithic activities that human beings should return to in order to give us happiness, as our brains are hard-wired to enjoy such things:
- walking
- throwing things at things
- having sex
- dealing with the opposite sex
- looking at fire
- talking
- running
- dancing
- singing
- stalking animals
- gathering plants to eat
- cooking and eating
- killing animals for food
- experiencing terror
At a lecture on the Chicago Humanities Festival (Nov 5, 2007) Robinson added a few more:
- making your bed
- looking at the moon
