Pacific Edge
Third novel of the Three Californias Trilogy, set in 2065.
Pacific Edge is a 1990 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, the third book in the Three Californias Trilogy. It depicts a future Orange County, California, in 2065, focusing on a young house renovator and town council member in the El Modena neighborhood of Orange.
- author
- Kim Stanley Robinson
- published
- 1990
- series
- Three Californias Trilogy
- setting
- El Modena neighborhood of Orange, 2065
- award
- Winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1991
- protagonist
- Kevin Clayborne
Lore & Background
Pacific Edge (1990) is set in the El Modena neighborhood of Orange in 2065 and narrates a summer in the life of Kevin Clayborne, a young house renovator recently elected to the town council of El Modena. Kevin finds himself at odds with the town mayor, Alfredo Blair, both personally and professionally. On the personal side, both Kevin and Alfredo are vying for the affection of Ramona Sanchez, Alfredo's former long-term girlfriend. On the professional side, Alfredo has been influenced by corporate money and attempts to rezone the last virgin hill inside the town for commercial development.
Reader's Guide
Pacific Edge is the concluding volume of Kim Stanley Robinson's Three Californias Trilogy, which explores three possible futures of Orange County, California. Unlike the post-apocalyptic The Wild Shore and the dystopian The Gold Coast, Pacific Edge presents a more hopeful but still conflicted future. The novel won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1991, marking its recognition within the science fiction community. The story's focus on local politics, environmental preservation, and personal relationships reflects Robinson's interest in how individuals navigate societal pressures. The novel's significance lies in its nuanced portrayal of a future where ecological awareness and community activism contend with corporate interests, offering a counterpoint to the darker visions of the trilogy's earlier books.
Did You Know?
- Pacific Edge won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1991.
- The novel is set in the El Modena neighborhood of Orange in 2065.
- The protagonist, Kevin Clayborne, is a young house renovator and town council member.
- The story involves a conflict over rezoning the last virgin hill in town for commercial development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pacific Edge?
Pacific Edge is a 1990 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson that serves as the concluding installment of the Three Californias Trilogy. It envisions a transformed Orange County, California, in the year 2065.
Who is the main character in Pacific Edge?
The novel follows Kevin Clayborne, a young home renovator who also holds a seat on the local town council in the El Modena neighborhood of Orange.
Where and when is Pacific Edge set?
The story unfolds in 2065 within the El Modena neighborhood of Orange, California, depicting a future Orange County reshaped by political and environmental change.
What major award did Pacific Edge receive?
The novel was named the winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1991, an honor given to the best science fiction novel published in the prior year.
How does Pacific Edge relate to the rest of the Three Californias Trilogy?
It is the third and final book in the trilogy, picking up the broader political and social threads established in the earlier novels and bringing them to a resolution in 2065.
More in Novels by Kim Stanley Robinson 1-22
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