Draft:How to Surf a Hurricane
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- File:Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: Unfortunately, I am not convinced that the cited reviews are sufficient independent to meet our criteria to have a book article. The Kirkus review is from their paid "Kirkus Indie" program (see WP:KIRKUS). Independent Book Review also has a program allowing for purchased editorial reviews, and does not appear to mark whether reviews have been purchased. Crime Fiction Lover is less transparent but also appears to allow paid promotion. Reader's Favorite is user-generated, also ineligible. I did some searches of my own and was not able to find two reviews that I was confident were independent. (A shame, because it sounds like a fun book!) ~ L đ¸ (talk) 01:18, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
- File:Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Toddmedema (talk) 01:07, 16 October 2025 (UTC)
| File:How to Surf a Hurricane cover.jpg Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Todd Medema |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Atmosphere Press |
Publication date | August 2025 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print and Digital |
| Pages | 244 |
| ISBN | Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). |
How to Surf a Hurricane is a science fiction and climate fiction adventure novel by American writer Todd Medema, published in 2025.[1] The book is described as "a hopeful climate heist - Ocean's Eleven meets The Martian, in a world adapting to climate change."[2]
Plot
[edit | edit source]The book is about a heist of Lithiumâsulfur battery prototypes on the high seas, conceived by an engineer and corporate heir named Moro Petroff in the year 2040.[1]
To plan the heist, Moro hacks into his family's natural gas electricity company, Petroff Power, using Phishing techniques. While hacking, he discovers that his family has illegally interfered with several other people's projects, and proceeds to recruit them as allies.[3]
The main characters and heist crew members include Miki, an Alaskan ex-oil worker trying to pay for his dad's cancer treatment; Anne Le Blanc, a French salt farmer and smuggler trying to preserve her family's salt marsh in the face of rising sea levels; Victoria and Azure Wood, a mother-daughter duo and professional hurricane surfers; Liv and Oliver Fuller, the founders of hurricane surfing; and Patty Smith, a Florida-based engineer trying to start a climate change adaptation business.[4]
Together, they set sail from Miami to intercept the Pyxis Cloud, an electric cargo ship carrying the prototypes. Unfortunately, Moro's geoengineering efforts worked too well, and they're caught in the middle of a Category 6 hurricane. Victoria and Azure use this chance to establish their alibi - that the crew is out there to attempt a hurricane surfing record - but are injured in the attempt due to Liv sabotaging their boat. Meanwhile, Miki, stowed away on the Pyxis Cloud, sabotages their engines but is thrown overboard by the storm.
With the Pyxis Cloud unpowered, the crew proceeds with the heist, docking with the Pyxis under the guise of providing aid. While Moro distracts the crew, Patty uses a specially-modified crane to move the container of batteries over to their ship. They finish helping the Pyxis and sail away, their target none the wiser.
After the heist, Moro sells the prototypes on the black market to a company called EQ Energy. Unfortunately, Petroff Power discovers the fate of the batteries and has Moro arrested.
In the climax of the book, Moro attempts to defend himself in court, but is ultimately sentenced to five years in jail.
While in jail, Moro makes new acquaintances and acquires wisdom from Xochitl of How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Meanwhile, the rest of crew uses their heist rewards to prosper - Victoria breaks the hurricane surfing record, Anne is able to save her family's marsh, and Patty successfully launches her climate adaptation business as a worker cooperative.
Once Moro is released from jail, his cousin Leo reveals that Petroff Power has gone bankrupt, and that he downloaded the plans for the batteries before the servers were shut down. Re-energized, Moro recruits his old crew to start a new adventure: Turning his prototype batteries into a reality at Patty's worker cooperative.
The book's title refers to the fictional sport of surfing hurricanes using specially designed hydrofoil jet boats - as well as the challenges and opportunities humans will face in adapting to climate change.[3]
Reception
[edit | edit source]Kirkus Reviews wrote "An inventor stages a high-seas robbery to steal back his own technology in Medemaâs debut SF novel. Despite some early pacing issues, the premise is a winning one, and readers will quickly find themselves caught in the cyclone of Medemaâs story."[4]
Nikolas Mavreas, reviewing for Independent Book Review, wrote "In a literary landscape that is overwhelmingly cluttered with anxiety about the future, Todd Medemaâs debut novel offers an adventure set in a more hopeful version of the near future, where people have the power to change things, as well as themselves, for the better."[5]
Vicki Weisfeld, reviewing for Crime Fiction Lover, wrote "Reading a debut novel like How to Surf a Hurricane offers a bit of an extra thrill [...] Itâs probably how people felt back in 2009 seeing Lin-Manuel Mirandaâs rap about Alexander Hamilton, which eventually flowered into the musical Hamilton. The energy is there."[3]
References
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Category:2025 American novels Category:Climate change novels