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A climate novel imagined a heat wave killing 20 million people—scientists say an ‘extreme of extremes’ is no longer fiction

In the opening scene of American writer Kim Stanley Robinson’s “The Ministry for the Future,” a heat wave combined with a breakdown of the electrical grid in India kills 20 million people. The devastation causes the world’s nations to unite to combat climate change.

A climate novel imagined a heat wave killing 20 million people—scientists say an ‘extreme of extremes’ is no longer fiction

TL;DR

  • The novel "The Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson begins with a heat wave in India.
  • This heat wave, combined with an electrical grid failure, causes 20 million deaths.
  • The devastation leads to a global alliance formed to address climate change.