George R. Stewart: Earth abides (1979, Corgi)
Paperback, 316 pages
English language
Published Sept. 6, 1979 by Corgi.
The story of rebuilding civilization after a plague nearly wipes out the human race.
Written in 1949, this story portrays the collapse of civilization due to a pandemic.
Very believable exploration of the fall, and how communities re-form and rebuild. Not optimistic, but very grounded and not pessimistic either. One of the inspirations for "The Stand"
If you're into SF, you're going to like this book. Personally, I wasn't amazed by the story: the pace is pretty slow and I wasn't really surprised by the way the plot unfolded. Then again... after covid19 it would be hard to write a book about a pandemic that's surprising.
I found it appealing that it is a post apocalyptic story without any weird, crazy things happening. A thoughtful look at how new societies might form through the eyes of one "survivor". A tad optimistic about how long some modern conveniences would continue to last me thinks, but that is easily overlooked. Well written.
This is an very good post-apocalyptic tale. The format is a bit peculiar (but interesting). The main characters are quite wonderful and believable; the plot is well thought out and plausible. It was a slower read for me than I'm used to.... maybe that's good.
Earth Abides has long been one of my all-time favourites. Until I listened to the audiobook this week. And, oh dear, am I conflicted about this book now.
I've always been aware of (and annoyed by) the sexism and the racism and the capital punishment. But somehow for me, the strength of the story outweighed the (ahem) uneducated aspects. Alas, not so this time around.
This book is told in two threads. The primary thread follows Ish, an academic and intellectual, who finds himself amongst the last survivors of a great pandemic. The secondary thread follows the earth itself and the changes that play out following the loss of humanity (to a significant extent).
The secondary thread is, in my opinion, the most interesting one. The environmental, geographic, and biological changes are fascinating. The insight into what we would now call PTSD and survivor's guilt makes for compelling reading.
The …
Earth Abides has long been one of my all-time favourites. Until I listened to the audiobook this week. And, oh dear, am I conflicted about this book now.
I've always been aware of (and annoyed by) the sexism and the racism and the capital punishment. But somehow for me, the strength of the story outweighed the (ahem) uneducated aspects. Alas, not so this time around.
This book is told in two threads. The primary thread follows Ish, an academic and intellectual, who finds himself amongst the last survivors of a great pandemic. The secondary thread follows the earth itself and the changes that play out following the loss of humanity (to a significant extent).
The secondary thread is, in my opinion, the most interesting one. The environmental, geographic, and biological changes are fascinating. The insight into what we would now call PTSD and survivor's guilt makes for compelling reading.
The primary thread is underpinned by a white supremacist, heteronormative, misogynistic thread. The storytelling is masterful and the (white male) characters are well fleshed out and interesting. The female lead, Em, is a black woman. She's also quite a good character and, while Ish and Em's relationship would have been seen as shocking and progressive at the time of publication, it's sort of implied that she's some sort of exception to blackness rather than simply because she's a good person.
Also, the descent into hunter-gatherer society over the course of the book just seems so avoidable and unnecessary. Why don't they try harder to retain knowledge and instil it in the next generations?
There's a lot to love about this book – and unfortunately, a lot to hate too.
Maybe revisiting old favourites isn't always a brilliant plan.
I really feel like I've filled a hole in my education.
The book has aged, but the core ideas have not. I identify with Ish, he's an intellectual that over thinks things.
This is the story of the death of a civilization, the plague is only the beginning. There is a future, but Ish's world dies with him.
I found that to be a powerful message.
I'm confused about why this book is consider a classic. The story telling is bad and too many of the details are not believable.
