Cold People - Tom Rob Smith

I have a fondness for apocalyptic and post apocalyptic fiction. I'm always fascinated by an author's take on what might be in the cards for the world as we know it.

Tom Rob Smith's new novel, Cold People, is a novel that takes on that question of 'what might be...'

2023. An alien force has dictated the planet is theirs and humanity has a month to reach the one place they will be allowed to survive - in Antarctica. If you're not an 'alien' person, don't worry. Their mandate is simply the catalyst of the migration and what follows. We never meet them.

I was drawn into Smith's worldbuilding. He has picked one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth for the survivors to land. Where will they live, what will they eat, how will they survive the cold? And the burning question - who will 'run' this new society? 

We see what has transpired as Smith takes us to Antarctica twenty years on - in 2043. What ethical decisions were made? How do genetics fit into the story?  I'm not going to expand on that as its a key part of the plotting.

We meet a select few of the characters in the 'before' times and follow them to the 'after'. Liza was my favorite - her grit, drive and compassion make her a standout protagonist. Smith's players are very well drawn. Their detailed thoughts, actions, reasoning and more that will have the listener wondering what they themselves would do. What is best for a society intent on saving humanity? 

I did choose to listen to Cold People. The reader was Rebecca Lowman and she did a stellar job of interpreting and presenting Smith's novel. As I've said before, I find myself more in a story when I listen rather than read. This was most definitely the case this time. Lowman has a smooth, well modulated tone to her voice that draws the listener in. She varies her voice for each player's appearance and they are believable. She speaks clearly and her pace of speaking is just right. A great performance of a very different book that I quite enjoyed. 

See for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Cold People.