A story about life at sea-based civilization after climate change destroyed old civilization
MELBOURNE, Australia – Author Martin Simons believes that the changing climate threatens to destroy civilization on the land. For him, a likely solution is for the human race to live entirely on the sea, which occupies about 75% of the globe. This concept gave him the idea to write the novel “Cities at Sea,” (published by Xlibris AU) a story set a couple of thousand years from now.
This book tells of a land-based civilization that collapsed long ago as a result of climate change, flooding and impoverishment of soils, wars and other causes. All the major coastal cities of the globe saved themselves by moving onto the oceans, developing gigantic, highly sophisticated, entirely self-sufficient rafts on which they now navigate at will. Life is easy in the raft cities for those who conform, but is strictly disciplined under constant surveillance. Sal, a restless young woman who longs for something exciting imagines a more intimate connection with the sea and its creatures. She seeks help from a renowned genetic scientist. This leads to extraordinary adventures and changes in her and the city where she now lives.
“This novel suggests a long-term solution to the problem of climate change,” Simons says. “It could even be a kind of ‘wake up’ call. It also contains an echo of the ancient myth of the little mermaid; but the echo is upside down and the wrong way round.”
Martin Simons
Simons was trained as a geographer and geologist. He has a profound interest in weather and climate which comes partly from his glider flying experience. He hopes “Cities at Sea” will offer some new thoughts and ideas about sea living.
About the Author
Martin Simons was born in Derbyshire, England, in 1930. After national service in the RAF, he trained as a teacher at Borough Road and Goldsmiths Colleges. While teaching full-time, in the evenings, he studied geography with ancillary geology at Birkbeck College, London University. He graduated with first-class honours in 1959 and subsequently became a university lecturer in London and Adelaide. He completed masters’ degrees in education and in philosophy. He has had lifelong interests in education, philosophy, aeronautics, especially the sport of gliding. In 1954, he married Jean, and they had two daughters, Patricia and Margaret. Since the death of his wife, he has lived alone in suburban Melbourne but remains fully engaged with his writing and other activities. He has written three very unusual novels, “Jenny Rat,” “Cities at Sea” and “The Glass Ship.”
Media Release/Xlibris Publishing Australia, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider dedicated to serving Australian authors.
