TCWriter

Bacigalupi is one of the science fiction's rising stars, and [b:Pump Six and Other Stories|2819368|Pump Six and Other Stories|Paolo Bacigalupi|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298992600s/2819368.jpg|2845301] - his series of thoughtful short stories dealing with environmental or economic dystopias (though typically a "soft" dystopia) - suggests that all the talk isn't simply hype.Bacigalupi touches on many themes, though his most powerful stories reflect a post-oil, environmental dystopia, including a couple set in the same universe as his award-winning debut novel [b:The Windup Girl|6597651|The Windup Girl|Paolo Bacigalupi|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278940608s/6597651.jpg|6791425].This is not Mad Max; Pump Six offers a more cerebral take on the environmental issues facing the human race today, often from the perspective of a disenfranchised "common man" slowly getting crushed in the gears.I'm a huge fan of short fiction (often preferring story collections to novels), and Bacigalupi's thoughtful, often-dark collection only reinforces that preference.