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Well, we’re finally into the top 3 of my all-time favorite science fiction novels. This is probably the point where you all really start to disagree with me, but c’est la vie.
Earth Abides by George R Stewart tells the story of one solitary man who survives a global, but short-lived plague by pure chance. The novel chronicles his life from that point until his eventual death and is filled with both adventure and introspection. At times the main character, Ish, is hard to like simply because his reactions are so human it’s disturbing. He’s no hero, and in the post-Heinlein flood of heroic SciFi novels you could be forgiven for calling this novel slow.
Earth Abides reaches the lofty height of number 3 despite the fact that it DID NOT win either the Hugo or the Nebula Award, in fact it wasn’t even nominated. Instead I award it this honor because it is the most brilliant example of the post-holocaust theme I’ve ever encountered, and that theme is a huge one in the Speculative Fiction genre. This is THE BAR, and no one has raised it in 50 years.
Summary: Superbly poetic and graceful, Earth Abides is undeniably honest, realistic and human it’s long, diary-like journey from start to finish. I could easily see myself as Ish… which is both a revelation and scary thought at the same time.
This novel has been read by just about everyone I know from my geeky friends and their non-geeky spouses to my mother, brothers, wife and father (who rarely reads novels). The praise is nearly unanimously, overwhelmingly, positive and it’s a book that we merely need to mention the title to have everyone in the room nodding with nostalgia.
My favorite passages were centered around watching the Earth adapt to fill in the void that Man leaves behind. The rest of Earth’s life rebounds in very plausible ways. Reading the casual observations by the main characters, and the truth within aptly illustrated just how much of an impact we’ve had on our planet and it’s ecosystem. Sure it’s “just” fiction, but keep in mind this was written and published long before any sort of environmental movement started. Who Knows? It may even be more powerful today than the day it was written.
A book this unforgettable is one you simply cannot miss, and since it’s never been out of print in over 50 years it shouldn’t be too hard to find either.
If I could, I’d give it a 6 on my scale of 1 to 5, but that’s just silly.
5 responses so far ↓
1 A Science Fiction Primer - Top 10 MUST READ Books | We Read Science Fiction // Apr 13, 2008 at 11:38 am
[...] Earth Abides by George R Stewart [...]
2 Yahzi // May 11, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Another great book - despite its age. And the fact that it’s so depressing. I’d like to think I could do a better go of it than that!
Interestingly, I got this book from my father, who described it as one of his favorites.
3 Ian // Oct 14, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I have not read this book, but speaking of post apocalypse novels, have you read ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy? I read that recently and really enjoyed it.
4 Humbug // Jan 6, 2009 at 1:01 am
I enjoy the book and am reading it again for the first time in a few years. I favor post-apocolyptic fiction (and love ‘Alas Babylon’ by Pat Frank)… and I have one small complaint regarding the character Ish.
He is obviously smart and a self-described intellectual. He also seems blithly arrogant of his own intelligence in a passive and inoffense way, something that speaks more of hubris than self-confidence, and the first thing he does when meeting survivors is to determine how much smarter he is than they are.
IE: Ish is a borderline prick.
I still like the story, 2nd to ‘Alas Babylon’.
5 Cam // Jan 6, 2009 at 9:11 am
Alas Babylon is now on my wish list :).
As for Ish being a prick, I agree with your assessment. However, if you were amongst the very few who survived a near-instantaneous near-extinction of your species wouldn’t you think you were special too? :)
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