His father warned him not to do it. Neil Stephenson can control the weather—but should he? He is already a rising star TV meteorologist in Baltimore. During a snowstorm that isn’t producing as much snow as predicted, Neil discovers his gift: he can make the snow increase or decrease and make it start or stop raining.
The latest science shows that extreme weather has increased in frequency and severity due to climate change. Being able to prevent some of those disasters sounds great, but… weakening one hurricane in the Atlantic could strengthen a typhoon in the Pacific. Preventing floods in one country might lead to drought next door ("They stole our rain!").
Neil is torn between preventing disasters that save the insurance industry billions and saving lives from drought in Africa. The most famous actress in Hollywood seduces him so he will do the latter. The military and organized crime want to use him, too. He becomes a national hero to many. On the other hand, lawsuits, criminal charges, and even death threats follow his actions.
The Weathermaker is a "cli-fi" genre-bending thriller, with the action aspects of Twister. It shows the tragic aspects of climate change The Day After Tomorrow and "the cure is worse than the disease" (Snowpiercer). There is also evidence that controlling nature can lead to disaster (Jurassic Park). The added bonus is that the author is a meteorologist, and the science is accurate. Plus, 40 years on TV has given him lots of "inside TV news" stories.
