5 ms·

I’ve been reading a sci fi book called the windup girl. The setting is a future where agri-tech companies and bioweapons proliferated until some conflict happen

I’ve been reading a sci fi book called the windup girl. The setting is a future where agri-tech companies and bioweapons proliferated until some conflict happened that led to almost all crops on earth being wiped out, and only innovative new produce could survive the engineered diseases, so the agri-tech companies have incredible power since the world depends on them for its survival. I would like to think it’s unlikely to really happen, but I’ve read news in the last 2 years about the USA researching tech that could lead one day to these types of scenarios[1]. There was also agent orange etc in Vietnam, showing a willingness to use such tech even in less serious wars (eg, compared to ones that endanger your cities). [1] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181009102511.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181009102511.h...

gimmeThaBeet 7y ago
That's also roughly the backstory of Niander Wallace in Blade Runner 2049. He creates synthetic farming methods to avert a global famine, which then gives him the clout to get the ban on replicants overturned. Windup Girl came out in 2009, perhaps some inspiration was acquired for BR2049...
- C1sc0cat 7y ago
  Does raise the question is how Wallace manged not to just get his methods expropriated by the government or other Zaibatsus. Cyber Punk Dystopias are not big on Due Legal process, quite big on extra judicial solutions :-)
  - mcv 7y ago
    That reminds me of the time Monsanto bought Blackwater. (It's unclear to me whether they actually did, though I do remember it being reported. Online, reports are all over the place, with Monsanto denying it, others claiming it's true, and some sources claiming Monsanto merely hired Blackwater or bought only the intelligence arm of Blackwater under a different name. But it seems likely there's some relationship at least.)

gimmeThaBeet 7y ago

That's also roughly the backstory of Niander Wallace in Blade Runner 2049. He creates synthetic farming methods to avert a global famine, which then gives him the clout to get the ban on replicants overturned. Windup Girl came out in 2009, perhaps some inspiration was acquired for BR2049...

C1sc0cat 7y ago
Does raise the question is how Wallace manged not to just get his methods expropriated by the government or other Zaibatsus. Cyber Punk Dystopias are not big on Due Legal process, quite big on extra judicial solutions :-)
- mcv 7y ago
  That reminds me of the time Monsanto bought Blackwater. (It's unclear to me whether they actually did, though I do remember it being reported. Online, reports are all over the place, with Monsanto denying it, others claiming it's true, and some sources claiming Monsanto merely hired Blackwater or bought only the intelligence arm of Blackwater under a different name. But it seems likely there's some relationship at least.)