It is the early 21st Century. Despite the threat of global warming the global temperature has descended and the whole world has been hit by a virtual ice-age. And the world is not the only place that has become a little frosty. Relationships between men and women are also growing colder with many people preferring the company of robots for sexual release rather than living with other human beings.

The story follows the experiences of Saul as he meets the woman of his dreams, falls in love and then experiences the ultimate loss as a rising political group, Wicca, force even greater barriers between the sexes and gain a stronger position in global politics.

The Ice People is an extremely unusual book. The story takes the form of a life story being told by the main character Saul as he huddles for warmth, now an elderly man. I particularly appreciated the way that the author drew a comparison between the ever dropping physical temperature of the world and the freezing of relationships between men and women. As society becomes more polarised Maggie Gee manages to make the story even more desolate until you honestly feel as though you are witnessing an emotional ice-age.

As the temperatures drop and food becomes in even shorter supply the world takes a rather poignant reversal of fortunes as the warmth of Africa seems to be the only hope for our continued survival.

I found this an extremely desolate and quite distressing story of society destroying itself, although each side believes they are doing what is right. There are a couple of humorous moments but generally this book should stand as a warning of what could be.

Read this book. I challenge you not to be touched by the stark future portrayed. I was left feeling breathless and slightly stunned. Woh!

Synopsis
In this novel, Maggie Gee speculates about the survival of love between men and women in a frozen future world where children are rare, child-size robots run out of control and homosexuality is the norm. Far into the the twenty-first century, civilisation has broken down in the face of the deepening cold. An old man, Saul, lives in a disused airport with a gang of wild boys, who spare his life only because of his skills as a storyteller. Saul tells of his youth, days of fierce heat and dwindling fertility. Men and women live separately, or "segged". The women cluster around the rare children; men turn to each other or to robot "pets". Saul is different... he falls in love with Sarah.