Earth Abides (1949)

this is a version of a post apocalyptic USA that is done without an Atomic War. That radiation problem is a real trial for the Science Fiction writers of the 1950's. Deep in the American psyche is the pioneer frame of mind, and Stewart creates a reasonable setting for the meme. It was readable. I like Sterling's new medievalism better. ( )

I stopped reading at the halfway mark. The plot was too familiar and the story felt soulless. Meh. ( )

If this was a movie - it would be a slow burn burn. Its more about the characters than the events. A solid classic that tells the tale of why knowledge should be passed down and also that the worthy don't always survive- however, the earth will adjust. Should be read by anyone who enjoys the dystopian or post-apocalyptical. ( )

I think I found this book on the same list as "After London." Originally written in 1949, this apocalyptic novel follows Isherwood Williams, a graduate student who leaves near Berkeley, who survives an unknown plague which kills off most of the people in the cities. Ish, naturally curious and surprisingly unaffected by the destruction of mankind, explores the country to see the slow encroachment of the wilderness upon civilization, and searches among the survivors for the individuals that he believes will be the catalyst for a new generation. He meets a woman named Em, a strong African-American lady who agrees to marry Ish and becomes a mother figure to the new community of survivors, the Tribe.

There are some really interesting scenarios in the novel, especially relating to the checks and balances on populations of domestic pests such as ants and rats; the reluctance of the Tribe to move from being scavengers and relying on their past resources to innovating and creating tools for proactive survival. ( )

on the one hand, there is a lot of racism, misogyny, and ableism in this book. on the other I was fascinated by the setup because it's a worse pandemic than covid by a lot and what happened after. But on the other hand, the main character is an unlikeable asshole and also the survival science is uh… questionable? I don't know. This is like a 1 or 2 for actual content and a 4 or 5 for bubblegum, so I've compromised it to a 3.

There is probably a less problematic book covering the same shit that is a 5. ( )