Title: I tried really hard to like this book
Review: I love end-of-the-world stories, especially those with a solid scientific foundation. Unfortunately, FDOR is missing a key element of the end-of-the-world series, namely the end of the world. The story is dull, slice-of-everyday-life, too preoccupied with traffic jams and baby minding to really engage the audience.It's also grossly misogynistic. Nearly every female character in the story is introduced through the eyes of a male character admiring her curves. The lead scientist is praised repeatedly by one of the main (male) characters as doing science like a man, as opposed to like a woman, and she's constantly shown throughout the narrative with a pump attached to her breast. Robinson, I appreciate that you included female characters, especially female scientists, as strong female characters are still very much lacking in hard SF. But your treatment of these characters completely undermines the benefit gained by their inclusion.
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