Earth Abides

What is the Science Fiction Premise?

Earth Abides takes place in the present and begins with a plague that wipes out most of humanity in a matter of weeks. The author never gives an estimate of the number killed, but we can infer that fewer than 100 in a city of a million appear to have survived. This is less than 0.01%. The Science Fiction premise is that our "civilization" is dependent on our presence for its maintenance. We are provided a glimpse of this ecology of humanity by the removal of all but a smattering of humans.

The book was published in 1949, over 60 years ago! There are certain details that tell its age, For example, a trip across the country is on Route 66, not an interstate highway. Similarly, there are political and interpersonal concerns that no longer seem important. These details date the book, but they do not harm the story. Given the magnitude of the book's concerns, there is very little practical difference between 1949, 2013, and, in all likelihood, 2077.

Is the science of the premise explored?

I have chosen the term ecology of humanity to describe the science behind Earth Abides. In fact, the book does not identify any particular science underlying its speculations. When discussing plants and animals it might make reference to ecology or population dynamics to explain why some survive and others perish. When discussing technologies, such as power plants or water works, we see the action of erosion, friction, rust, and the other ravages of entropy.

Put together, however, the central question is what will happen when humans are no longer available to tend the systems. Many plants and animals have been modified by humans to serve their purposes. Without humans to care for them, their future is uncertain. Even some vermin are adapted to and dependent on humans. They cannot last without their hosts. As for technologies, there is always a weakest link and a constant pressure to fall apart.

Earth Abides is rich in its descriptions of the many aspects of our life and our civilization that require attention to remain viable. The science behind these descriptions is not complicated or unfamiliar. The genius of this book is the breadth of its considerations and the consistency with which it returns to its central question, namely, what happens when humans are removed. 

Is the impact of the premise on an individual explored?

The story follows the life of a man from his twenties when the plague occurs until his death many decades later. Although not strictly first-person, the story is tied completely to this one character, which provides us an intimate sense of what he is thinking, feeling, and experiencing. All other characters are understood through his perspective.

For this main character, and for everyone else, the novel is about how the few survivors adapt to the collapse of civilization. We watch him try to comprehend the scope of what has occurred. We watch him establish a home among the ruins. And we watch him eventually seek out and establish community with others. It is all very matter-of-fact and straightforward, but thoroughly captivating.

Is the impact of the premise on society explored?

For the most part, we know little of how society changes except as revealed through the main character's experiences. These experiences include a trip across the United States, which reveals that his situation in California is mirrored throughout the country.

Occasionally, the story pauses to provide little italicized passages that adopt a more omniscient perspective. Through these passages, we learn about the erosion of civilization and the reasons for changes that the main character might be unable to understand or perceive. These changes do not reveal whether things might be different in Borneo or Tahiti; they mostly tell us about the processes driving change.

In the end, we infer -- mostly from what is not said -- that the main character's experiences are being repeated across the planet. The outcomes will differ in their details from one place to another, but the movement to small groups, living off the remains of civilization will be the norm.

How well written is the story?

The book is well-written and I could not put it down, which I found quite surprising. It is not a thriller or full of action. In fact, most of the action is mundane events that we might easily imagine ourselves encountering.

The book is also wordy, in that most of what we read about is what the main character is thinking and feeling. Indeed, it is quite some way into the book before we encounter any dialog and much further before we encounter a second character of any lasting interest.

Also, the book reveals that the author is considerably more erudite than I am. There are references to biblical passages and other literature that I do not know about. At a critical point there was even an unexplained reference that I pieced together somewhat, but ultimately went to the Internet to track down. [See below.]

In addition to the fluidity of the writing, I think there were three aspects of the story that sustained my interest. First, although the main character is more educated than most, it is quite easy to put yourself in his shoes. Other than the basic premise that almost everyone has been killed by the plague, there is little else that strains credulity. The every-day nature of what he encounters and must do lead the reader step-by-step from the familiar world to a wholly changed one.

Second, the main character does have a goal that I shared, namely, to preserve the learned advancements of civilization despite the removal of learned men. This challenge and his steps to meet it were the mystery I wanted him to solve.

Finally, the thing that kept me coming back was the author's clear-eyed perspective on how man's adaptation to the collapse of civilization might play out. I have read many post-apocalyptic stories. Some are placed too far in the future to appreciate how things changed. Others are not really interested in how man might adapt, but in some other theme. Others introduce romanticized feel-good endings or horrifying feel-bad endings.

In Earth Abides, George R. Stewart comes the closest I have seen to providing a credible roadmap to how things might really play out if most of humanity died off. Even if you disagree with some of his beliefs and conclusions, you readily sense that he is trying to portray events as realistically as he can. He is not trying to frighten you or give you courage. He is trying to help you understand the ecology of humanity and how the civilization we have depends on all of us.

Can I recommend the book?

I think everyone should read this book, but I am not sure everyone will want to. It is not a cheery book, an exciting book, or a surprising book. In the spectrum from entertaining to enlightening, it is definitely towards the enlightening side. You will judge it by how much you think back on it, not by how good you felt as it unfolded.

It is, however, an important book. For the student of Science Fiction, it is a must read. I doubt it is the first post-apocalyptic tale (consider H.G. Wells), but I cannot think of an earlier serious treatment of the topic. For the student of Science, it is the earliest and most detailed discussion of the ecology of humanity that I have encountered. And, for everyone else, read it and ask yourself whether your view of mankind would lead to the same conclusions as those reached in Earth Abides.

Tar Daddoo

 

[In the middle of Earth Abides at a critical moment, you encounter the phrase "the blue of the half moons." There is little to make it clear what this means, but you can make a sensible guess that is lightly confirmed later in the book.

Upon completing the book, this phrase stuck with me. First, I went to Wikipedia hoping to get lucky. This did not work, so I put the phrase into Google Search. The first link I followed {link} took me to a Wikipedia discussion archive page in which someone asked my very question and included the passage from Earth Abides. This was answered on the same page by someone who included a link to a more thorough reference at Google Books.

Unless you have read the book or are overwhelmed with curiosity, I recommend that you read the book before following the links. The meaning of the phrase is not essential to appreciating the book and it would probably be more fun to see whether you can understand the phrase when read in context.]