calorie-plague
Devastating agricultural diseases like cibiscosis and blister rust that have ravaged global food supplies and shaped the socio-political landscape.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Windup Girl (2009)Paolo Bacigalupi
In this chapter, Anderson Lake discovers a new, genetically resurrected fruit called 'ngaw' in a Bangkok market, symbolizing a rare botanical revival amid widespread agricultural collapse caused by plagues and genehacking failures. The chapter contrasts the Thai Kingdom's innovative gene technology and resilience with the failures of other nations and calorie companies, highlighting themes of survival, scientific progress, and cultural persistence. Anderson's encounter with the fruit and his reflections on its significance underscore the tension between lost natural history and the engineered present.