Ray Hammond

[Extinction] opens with a lawyer visiting a large group of people who are adrift in old tankers in the ocean. These people are now without homes as several countries (largely developing countries) have been submerged under the melting polar icecaps. No one has been willing to allow them refuge status to their country. They have been adrift for over 20 years. The lawyer hopes to successfully sue the corporations that were largely responsible for global warming in international court to get them some status/supplies.

Add to the problems of these refuges the fact that the global climate/weather patterns have become increasingly unstable recently. Larger more violent storms, more earthquakes/volcanic eruptions etc. Corporations have learned how to somewhat alter weather patterns by reflecting light extra light back from the sun. This means that countries that can afford to pay can be assured of predictable weather, sun at the beach, etc. Those who cannot such as developing countries and the refugees are left at the mercy of the strange weather. And it is getting worse, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that seem to be unpredictable and that they are unable to control. Could this be tied to the changes in the weather?

I found this to be a great/fun dystopian book. If you enjoy reading about storms/earthquakes/survival then I highly recommend this book for you.… (més)

The Cloud is original in concept. Beyond that however, The Cloud is a 1950's type sci-fi novel about mankind's xenophobia, barbaric approach to dominance and ultimately a reflection of what may be our place in the universe. The plot simply revolves around potential alien contact and the appearance of a giant space cloud which is heading for Earth (and will strip the Earth of it's atmosphere, and possibly all of it's life). Hammond has no fear about where his book may take the reader. It's very cleverly woven, with enough characters to ensure reality, and enough diversity in suspense and action to keep the reader glued. Chapters are interspersed with tabloid headlines to keep the b-movie genre in place, but in reality this book is too smart to be a b-movie. Crichton-esque in it's approach at times, The Cloud is a fast paced techno-thriller which is refreshing original. Definitely worth a read, although the end lacks somewhat in it's punch.… (més)

Ray Hammond, in Extinction, creates a clever sceanrio which pits science versus humanity, with a consequence which is global in scale. The scientific concepts that Hammond introduces are intriguing and insightful. The story presented in Extinction is set fifty years in the future, upon an Earth that has undergone ecological and climatic changes, a result of rising sea levels. Improvements in technology have also allowed corporations to affect the weather, selling sunshine and rain, and the planet has also become more unstable, with increasing volacanic and tectonic action. Are they linked? Well, read Hammond's tale of global upheaval, which is full of large scale action, with twists and turns aplenty. Enjoyable stuff.… (més)

Emergence is almost the biography of (the fictional) world's richest man. Thomas Tye heads a corporation so large it has soverignship of an island, has purchased the world's finest minds and is accountable to noone. Emergence follows multiple strands of scientific development and their effects upon Earth and its people, for the better or the worse. The science developed is near future and Emergence's success lies in the credibility of its science fiction. Hammond creates a dazzling vision of the future - with tantalizing forethought. However, what happens when one man owns it all? Emergence, although lengthy, will create an answer that you may or may not like - read it and find out. Fascinating fiction.… (més)