Mother of Storms is a 1994 science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 novel by John Barnes

John Barnes (author)

-Writing:Two of his novels, The Sky So Big and Black and The Duke of Uranium have been reviewed as having content appropriate for a young adult readership, comparing favorably to Robert A. Heinlein's "juvenile" novels...

. It was nominated for three major science fiction awards.

Plot summary

In the early 21st century, the earth suffers from a giant hurricane spawned by the release of clathrate compound

Clathrate compound

A clathrate, clathrate compound or cage compound is a chemical substance consisting of a lattice of one type of molecule trapping and containing a second type of molecule...

s, as the result of a nuclear explosion. While the hurricane spawns hundreds of progeny, which by novel's end kill at least 1 billion people, two massively computer augmented human intelligences, both of whom witness their organic bodies die, race to corral a comet from beyond Pluto

Pluto

Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...

's orbit. They use the ice from the comet to reduce earth surface temperatures, and quell the mother of storms.

Scientific ideas referenced

The clathrate gun hypothesis

Clathrate gun hypothesis

The clathrate gun hypothesis is the popular name given to the hypothesis that rises in sea temperatures can trigger the sudden release of methane from methane clathrate compounds buried in seabeds and permafrost which, because the methane itself is a powerful greenhouse gas, leads to further...

 is the basis for the origin of the hurricane.

Award nominations

• 1995 - Locus Poll Award, Best Science Fiction Novel nominee
• 1995 - Arthur C. Clarke Award
  Arthur C. Clarke Award
  The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. The award was established with a grant from Arthur C. Clarke and the first prize was awarded in 1987...
  
  , shortlist
• 1995 - Hugo Award
  Hugo Award
  The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
  
  , Best Novel
  Hugo Award for Best Novel
  The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
  
   nominee
• 1996 - Nebula Award
  Nebula Award
  The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
  
  , Best Novel
  Nebula Award for Best Novel
  Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
  
   nominee

Translations

• French
  • La Mère des Tempêtes, translated by Jean-Daniel Brèque. Le Livre de Poche
    Le Livre de poche
    Le Livre de Poche is the name of a collection of literature which appeared 9 February 1953 under the leadership of Henri Filipacchi and published by the Librairie générale française, a subsidiary of Hachette.-History:...
    
    (2001), ISBN 2-253-07235-4

External links

• Mother of Storms at Macmillan Publishers website