The Ice People by Maggie Gee (1998): A Review

Title: The Ice People

Author: Maggie Gee

Publication Year: 1998

Pages: 319 pages

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Climate Fiction

Source: Paperback Book

Warning: Angry Review

I generally begin my star ratings by the end of the first chapter, and initially, I was ready to give this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐! The beginning felt promising, evoking vibes reminiscent of "Cloud Atlas" or "The Stone Gods" (which I would rate a solid 10 stars). However, that resemblance didn’t last. While I appreciate clever allusions, I found very few in this book, at least after the first chapters. I powered through to the end, because it was a must-read for me. I settled on ⭐⭐⭐ primarily because I would feel guilty rating it lower—especially after giving Freida McFadden’s “The Housemaid" the same rating, and that book had its own unique flavor of chaos! This book, at least, is impactful with its message, even if it feels a bit like being shoved down the readers’ throats. And really, who enjoys that?

So, what is the book about? It takes us into a future where global warming has turned our planet into a sweltering desert, followed by an ice age that flattens European civilization as we know it—quite the transition! The book explores serious topics such as racism, gender, sexuality, infertility, segregation of sexes, parenthood, and many more. I liked the concept of Europeans becoming refugees and fleeing to Africa for survival. However, attempting to tackle all these issues at once feels like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle; it’s not exactly the best approach.

The main theme , or as I assumed, centers on the destruction of the planet and, even before that, the decay of traditional society. But in this dystopian world of the novel, we generally forget about climate change, which becomes background noise, and instead focus on the traditional relationships between men and women that have deteriorated, leaving marriage clearly on the endangered species list. The love story we’re supposed to root for falls flat, particularly with our main characters, Saul and Sarah, who—let’s just say—wouldn’t make it onto anyone’s “most likable” list. Their relationship? It's a hefty dose of toxicity that's hard to swallow, dragging on for what feels like decades (literally for decades).

Then, in this seemingly advanced world, we’re suddenly introduced to poorly designed, ill-functioning robots whose purpose makes no sense! And, surprise—they turn out to be cannibals?! The advanced technology also falls flat in this book, almost as if it were written in the 18th or 19th century!

On top of everything, the male narrator criticizes women for hating men and taking the power they once held—to the point that men become expendable due to new reproductive technologies. Our narrator and main character, Saul positions himself as the voice of all men who believe they are victims of women’s authority, or something like that. Furthermore, in this futuristic dystopia, women (whom I assume are radical feminists) attain political power, pushing men to the brink of forming militias to fight back against their oppression and to defend their robots, which eat cats and children!

I don’t know. I just felt uncomfortable reading it. Maybe it was the author’s intention, but I do not like feeling this uncomfortable, especially when I cannot figure out who is being criticized! Everyone?