From: petertrei@gmail.com   
      
   On 11/16/2025 4:27 PM, Christian Weisgerber wrote:   
   > On 2025-11-16, a425couple  wrote:   
   >   
   >> The novel is set on Earth in the year 2381, when the population of the   
   >> planet has reached 75 billion people.[4] Population growth has   
   >> skyrocketed due to a quasi-religious belief in human reproduction as the   
   >> highest possible good.   
   >   
   > Going from 8 billions now, that reflects a modest population growth   
   > of 20.5% for each 30-year generation.   
   >   
      
   I recall a good deal of near-porn in the book, to emphasize the   
   social drive to procreate. Its very much a 'casual sex world'.   
      
   It *was* 1970, and Silverberg knew what would appeal to his   
   fans.   
      
   Other 'crowded Earth' stories:   
      
   Best known is probably 'Make Room! Make Room! by Harry   
   Harrison (1966), which has 7 billion in 1999.   
      
   There's also 'Billenium' by Ballard (1961), with 20 billion.   
   Probably set in 21st century.   
      
   The crowded Earth I'm aware of is "A Torrent of   
   Faces" by James Blish and Norman Knight. That had an   
   Earth population of 1 trillion in 2794.   
      
   pt   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)