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A standalone sequel to the acclaimed The Sands of Sarasvati, an eco-thriller that paints a picture of a terrifying, tsunami ravaged future.
The year is 2044. In the near future, the planet is rapidly heating up and humans face extinction. We meet researcher Susan Cheng again, who, with journalist Pierre Chamberlain is involved in an operation to stop Greenland’s ice sheet from melting. When an earthquake hits their research station the team are forced to flee for their lives whilst trying to save civilisation from immediate danger.
In an interwoven timeline set in 8,700 BC. Ish, a mermaid-like kaditha, is caught by a group of fishermen off the west coast of India, and is taken in by Manno Ann, who shields her from the prying eyes of the local townspeople. When a vast tidal wave sweeps through their village, Ish and Manno Ann are washed out to sea, witnessing the devastation of the deluge as they try to make land. Embarking upon an unlikely love affair, Ish and Manno Ann battle the elements and their enemies knowing that a very different world lies ahead of them.
Masterfully combining scientific research and expertise with mythology and vivid imaginings of a near future, THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE is a pacy immersion into a world destroyed by the Anthropocene drawing comparison to the works of Kim Stanley Robinson and J.G. Ballard’s The Drowned World.
The Children of the Deluge is a stand-alone sequel to The Sands of Sarasvati, winner of the 2005 ‘Tähtivaeltaja’ Prize.
Risto Isomäki (b. 1961) is a writer, science journalist and leading expert on environmental threats. His science fiction novel The Sands of Sarasvati was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and won the Tähtivaeltaja Prize in 2005. It has been translated into 10 languages. Isomäki is a well-known environmental activist who has published many non-fiction books about environmental responsibility, development corporation, and developing nations. In 2009 Isomäki was awarded the Warelius Prize from the Finnish Association of Non-Fiction Writers.
Finnish PDF
English Sample Translation 85pp
Full English Translation of The Sands of Sarasvati
Synopsis
Author letter
“Risto Isomäki’s book, THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE, is immersive, exciting, and touching. At some points the plot progressed so quickly that I found myself repeatedly asking the book for mercy, but there was no way I could have put the book down either. The relationship between the man and the kaditha, the mermaid-like creature, is enchanting. It made me think about human intolerance towards other people, especially those who are different to us. A well-thought-out novel of international quality, which I’ll be thinking about for a long time.” – Sanna Stellan, Alfa-TV screenwriter and actor
“Risto Isomäki’s fiction and non-fiction is world class in its vision and diversity.” – Professor Heikki Hiilamo, author of Invisible Heroes
“Isomäki has a unique ability to talk about climate change in an assured way. The science writer’s authorial voice is neither cynical nor fanatical, but rather emphatic. Since the topics the book handles are extremely interesting, even the academic parts of the book feel light and airy.” – Ilta Sanomat newspaper
“In the rich description of the past, the book’s thrilling plot and mystical riddles concerning kadithas combine… At first the two main stories in the novel seem stylistically different, but eventually Isomäki brings them together. This combination makes for a fascinating message which resonates thinking about both the past and the future. Simultaneously, flood mythologies that are present in many cultures are explained… At its best, THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE reads like a thriller disaster novel. The novel’s scenes of destruction, with their collapsing skyscrapers and tidal waves, are vividly reminiscent of the big-budget Hollywood hits of German director Roland Emmerich. When he describes the beauty of the icebergs, Isomäki is almost poetic. Unlike Emmerich, Isomäki unwraps and explains the story’s scientific facts and theories, which he does commendably. It is this that makes the novel both entertaining and thought-provoking. The reader really feels that these unfortunate events could happen if we do not take immediate action towards the melting of our continental glaciers.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
“This immersive thriller sucks you in, making you feel both comfortable and excited. The book’s ending presents a beautiful image of how the end of one era signals the beginning of another.” – Lapin Kansa newspaper
“Risto Isomäki’s new book, THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE, is classic Isomäki. If you’ve enjoyed his earlier works, you’ll like this one, too. The book is an independent sequel to The Sands of Sarasvati, perhaps Isomäki’s most famous book, and it includes many of the same characters and themes: the melting of the northern glaciers and its resulting impact on the planet and humanity. Isomäki has a unique talent for combining entertainment, meaty topics, and important messages. He is very convincing in his descriptions of disasters. His final scene paints a picture of the paradox between humanity surviving and the earth’s continuation, suggesting that salvation may in fact come from great destruction.” – Savon Sanomat newspaper
“Risto Isomäki’s novel is a beautiful story about the Great Deluge. The immersive thriller pulls the reader in, making them feel comfortable and excited, and sometimes a little anxious. Through his narrator, Isomäki tells us about the eternal pain that many people across the world are experiencing today: does mankind have any hope of digging its way out of the pit it has dug itself into and are we even worth saving?” – Kaleva newspaper
“Risto Isomäki’s latest book is very much like a disaster film in written form.” – Kainuun Sanomat newspaper
“An entertaining work on a truly shocking subject matter. THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE is classic Isomäki. If you’ve enjoyed his earlier books, you will like his latest, too.” – Keskisuomalainen newspaper
“Risto Isomäki has created a Finnish version of the myth of the great deluge!” –Satankunnan Kansa newspaper
“The book combines many different branches of the story, the climate crisis, and mythical storytelling. An astonishing narrative.” – Keski-Uusimaa newspaper
“An entertaining read on a serious subject. THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE is classic Isomäki. If you’ve enjoyed his earlier works, you will enjoy this one, too.” – Keskisuomalainen newspaper
“Though the book is fictional, Risto is known for peppering his stories with lots of factual information: often about climate change and biology, but also about history, technology, chemistry, engineering, and different kinds of energy.” – Apu magazine
“Isomäki has made it known that for him, writing thrillers is about putting serious and important information out into the public sphere.” – Suomen Kuvalehti magazine
“Every now and again the book moves into the mythical past where sea people live amongst terrestrial people. It is when they meet that the process of development begins, which leads to the environmental disasters of our times.” – Kodin Kuvalehti magazine
“THE CHILDREN OF THE DELUGE is not only a complex and exciting story, it’s a captivatingly beautiful and terrifying depiction of glaciers and other forces of nature. Mythical stories and the struggle for survival come together in the midst of a natural disaster.” – Risingshadow literary blog
“A rewarding and rich read!” – Mummo matkalla literary blog
“The book combines ancient mythology, modern science, and imaginative elements effectively. If the author’s intention was to make the reader think about humanity and the world, presenting us with facts and compelling storytelling, he certainly succeeds.” – Kultuuri kukoistaa literary blog
“An engaging, realistic future scenario.” – Kuiske literary blog
