Earth Abides (1949)

What actually happens at a practical level when the majority of the human race is suddenly removed? How long do buildings stand, or the lights stay on, or water continue to flow? Some of these questions are addressed in this story, which grounds it, and stops it becoming just fantasy. Although the book was written in 1949, it has not aged that much, particularly in the light of COVID, and lockdowns. The passage of time accelerates somewhat in two bridge-like chapters, but this seems to work. There are times when the opposite happens, and there is a long period of philosophical reflection, which drags a little. The concern of the main character that the new community should be more creative rather than relying on stores of food and other necessities still available in shops, and the lack of response to the challenge of this idea is interesting. As is the rise of a new generation that has known nothing about how the world used to be pre-disaster. Recommended. ( )

History was an artist, maintaining the idea but changing the details, like a composer keeping the same theme but dulling it to a minor or lifting by an octave, now crooning it with violins, now blaring it on trumpets.

I chose to reread this Science Fiction classic because of the Coronavirus Pandemic and my fond recall of this story I had read as a teenager.

With age comes much more appreciation for subtler things such as the interplay of history with 'reality' and the author's use of metaphor highlighting social and religious change.

Isherwood Williams starts out as the seemingly sole survivor of a great infectious disaster wiping the Earth of most of it's inhabitants.

Despite Ish's every attempt to raise the children as thinkers and to lead them away from superstition, his journey, as an intellectual overthinking philosopher, metamorphases into the leader of The Tribe, then ultimately, into a Deity.

Earth Abides is a love story to Humankind, a sonnet to the power of resiliency and one of the most well written Science Fiction books I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Pandemic novels may be all the rage right now, do yourself a favor and take the time to read Earth Abides. You'll be uplifted and cheerful at the end, rather than scared and anxious. ( )

This reminded me of The Lord of the Flies. To me, it feels like its companion piece. While LotF feels the loss of civilization in a generation's span to be woeful (cf. Lovecraft), EA argues that the loss of civilization is necessary and proper (cf. R.E. Howard). Moving piece; biblical and grave in tone; a bit slow in execution, but a cornerstone piece of philosophical sci-fi! And don't even get me started on the rich symbolism of Ish's omnipresent hammer! ( )

Even sixty years ago the Earth Firster's were crying out how Man is destroying the planet ( )

I read a kindle edition that could have used some editing, but it was a decent story. Strange writing style, but the point came across. Nice to read a post-apocalyptic story that didn't devolve into war, war, war. ( )