tech
Novel about ‘Disneyfication’ of nature wins climate fiction prize
Hum, Helen Phillips’ third novel, featuring a woman whose job is taken by a humanoid robot, is a terrifying look into a future where AI rules and nature is scarce
TL;DR
- Helen Phillips' novel 'Hum' won the £10,000 Climate Fiction prize.
- The novel features a protagonist, May, who loses her job to a humanoid robot (AI).
- May undergoes an experimental injection that alters her face to evade surveillance.
- She visits the Botanical Garden, the city's last green space, where events worsen.
- Judges noted the book's themes of the "Disneyfication of nature" and "privilege" in the climate crisis.
- Phillips was inspired by algorithmic surveillance and its potential worst-case scenarios.
- The prize is funded by Climate Spring, with CEO Lucy Stone highlighting the novel's message about questioning consumerism and exploring different futures.
- Previous winner was Abi Daré for 'And So I Roar'.