Earth Abides

Earth Abides is a novel written by George R. Stewart that recounts the experiences of a young man named Ish in the aftermath of mankind's near total extinction. Humanity has been devastated by an unknown virus that appears to only effect humans and primates. The novel is split into three parts: the effects of mankind's absence on nature, both plants and animals; the effects on the remaining pockets of humanity who are left to adapt or die in the new environment, and the tenacity of lack thereof of the old, civilized world.

I found Earth Abides to be a very well-written novel that tends toward an analytic approach to the apocalyptic narrative. However, behind Ish's scientific observations lies a rather beautiful and poetic vision of our planet's will to carry on without us. Reading Earth Abides I couldn't help but think that in spite of humanities sloughing off of higher modes of thinking and philosophizing in favor of more utilitarian tendencies, that we'll be okay, and we will come back around when the time is ripe.

Ish's children and grandchildren, Joey excluded, have no use for literature, art, or philosophy, because it has no bearing on there immediate concerns. The civilization that Ish's world held so dear have become for the next generations, nothing more than ancient ancestral tales. In a sense Ish has become like a shaman to this new tribe of humanity and all of his higher learning and the great men of civilization have become the ancestral ghosts of a bygone and shadowed age. In my opinion this is neither bad or good, it simply is. Mankind has shed all things that are of no consequence to his immediate survival.

Eventually mankind will lose the need for clocks and other time keeping implements and the sun will continue to rise and fall countless times without measure. In this environment a thousand years can pass in the blink of an eye. Mankind will rebuild the world anew and innumerable civilizations will come and go, but earth will abide in its blind orbit. Ultimately Earth Abides is, in my opinion, a somewhat optimistic novel about mankind's tenacity and fluidity in adapting in the face of nearly insurmountable odds.

The Time Machine

This marks my first entry into what I hope will be a much anticipated weekly look into the bleak and desolate world of Apocalyptic Fiction. Just because its bleak however, does not mean that it can't be fun, and as H.G. Wells', "The Time Machine", has shown me, just because it's fun doesn't mean it can't also carry a weighty message.
H.G. Wells' novella is about much more than time travel, in fact, the central message of the story could be told without the protagonist ever leaving the familiarity of the 19th Century. At its heart, "The Time Machine", is about the Victorian age that Wells' was living in and how the division between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat will eventually cause mankind to wither and die. In short, Wells is calling for compassion and love to win out over greed and the human need to have power over others.                                                                                                                                                          I found Wells' story to be a short and pleasant read that refused to beat around the bush and wasted no time in getting things moving. I was quite amused by Wells' portrayal of the bourgeoisie as being useless little fructivorous squirts that are treated like cattle by the chthonic Morlocks who make the Eloi's life so easy and carefree. I found their symbiotic relationship to be of particular interest because it was the last twisted remnant of balance left to humanity: that one should tend to the others needs and make them complacent just so they can be picked off and consumed all the easier.
"The Time Machine", is a good book, not a great book. The themes it covers are pretty heavy handed, but Wells can be forgiven in light of the books groundbreaking status. He certainly has a knack for pop fiction and this little story is no exception. If you haven't read it, I recommend it as it is a page turner.