Synopses & Reviews
Its the dawn of the 22nd century, and the world has fallen apart. The United States has become a nation of migrants starving masses of nomads who seek out a living in encampments outside government seed-distribution warehouses. In this new world, there is a new power. Satori is more than just a corporation; she is an intelligent, living city that grew out of the ruins of Denver. Satori bioengineers both the climate resistant seed that feeds a hungry nation and her own post-human genetic Designers, Advocates, and Laborers. What remains of the United States government now exists solely to distribute Satori seed; a defeated American military doles out bar-coded, single-use Satori seed to the nations starving citizens. When one of Satoris Designers goes rogue, Agent Sienna Doss is tasked with bringing her in: the government wants to use the Designer to break Satoris stranglehold on seed production and reassert themselves as the center of power. As events spin out of control, Sienna finds herself at the heart of Satori, where an explosive climax promises to reshape the future of the world.
Review
"A hungry beast of a book, rippling with slaughter and sex, powerhouse action, surreal post-human horrors and bigger-than-life heroes. Amidst the carnage, Rob Ziegler's devastated future earth is sowed with the surprising promise of redemption and rebirth. Seed pulses with life." Paolo Bacigalupi, Hugo Award-winning author of The Windup Girl
Review
"Rob Ziegler's explosive new novel reads as if Paolo Bacigalupi had teamed up with Garth Ennis to reboot Harlan Ellison's A Boy and His Dog by way of Jack Vance's The Dragon Masters. His feral and decadent characters, struggling for survival in a trashed world they never made, possess all the lively ferocity and savage beauty of the last tigers in the last patch of Sundarbans mangrove forests. Fans of Richard Morgan will also find much to like in this elegant gutter odyssey." Paul Di Filippo, author of Cosmocopia
Review
"If The Windup Girl had been born in the American southwest, and had had the genes of Akira spliced to it in utero, you'd have something like Seed, a gritty, sobering story about the fallout of climate change. When Seed hits, it hits hard, but there are parts that are surprisingly tender. The writing is intricate and bright, the plot sings, and through fascinating extrapolation, Ziegler has created a world that feels foreign and familiar both. The bottom line? Seed is a bold and welcome edition to the rising tide of ecopunk."
About the Author
Rob Ziegler lives with his wife in rural western Colorado. Seed is his first novel, and he is currently hard at work on his second.