2049 by Deepak Kaul was a scary read amidst the pandemic. Don't get me wrong here. It is not a horror genre book. But it is close to a futuristic fantasy book. The author brings his reader face to face to a vision that may turn into reality if humans continue in their denial mode. 

Let me brief you about the novel. Humans ignored every sign of global warming and continued exploiting the resources at their disposal. They did little to stop the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases. 

The year 2049 has witnessed a sweep of a heatwave. It increased the temperature to such an unbearable degree that the mighty USA drowned due to the flood. What will become of the world? This question hovers around while reading the book.

Had I read this book a year ago, I would have thought it was far fetched. But witnessing the indomitable virus spreading its wings far and wide threatening to wipe out a million lives from the earth, the author's imagination seems to be plausible.

Experts might have already predicted the consequences of global warming, but the author was vivid in portraying the disaster. The story has been narrated by four individual voices in four different locations from four different perspectives to draw the canvas of life after the heatwave.  His characters were appalled and anguished by the greediness of humans, which destroyed the only living planet of the Universe. 

The Verdict

You might find many books written on the environment and global warming. This book was the humble take of the author to spread awareness about the same. If concrete decisions and actions are not taken, then this speculation by the author might become a barrel of our catastrophe in the future.