Classiclsfbc

Earth Abides | George R. Stewart

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#ClassicLSFBC
It was good to read a post-apocalyptic novel that didn't dwell on violence & murder (though it acknowledged those things), but rather told of how people went about surviving, preserving family and building community.
The study of the slow decomposition of the body of modern culture was interesting.
Stewart's presentation of xenophobia arising from a hygienic fear of disease & cultural contamination was plausible & sadly relevant. ⬇️

Bookwomble I expected there to be outdated attitudes to race and women, which were there but ameliorated to some degree by the interracial marriage of Ish and Em, and the strength of will and cohesive force shown by Em, and even if this was presented in a stereotypical “Earth Mother“ non-intellectual way, the community would have failed without her.
The outdated attitudes I found most disturbing were ableism and eugenic “purity“, the consequences of which ⬇️ (edited) 5d

Bookwomble ... might perhaps have been more apparent to Stewart at the time of writing, in the immediate aftermath of the nazi “Final Solution“, though the resurgence of both xenophobia & attempted state control of reproductive rights shows that these abhorrent ideas are tenacious.
Getting off my soap box, this was a slow-paced, thoughtful book that took me a while to get into, but which I found rewarding. The last section about the Last American was an ⬇️ (edited) 5d

Bookwomble ... especially poignant picture of old age and end of life.
Finally, I'm possibly unduly influenced by having recently read the Elder Edda, but rather than the cliché Adam and Eve, the names of Ish and Em were suggestive to me of Ask and Embla, “Ash and Elm“, the first man and woman of Norse myth, roots of the family tree, the Father and Mother of Nations. I've no idea if this was intended, but I do like the idea. 4.5⭐ (edited) 5d

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TrishB Great review. 5d

Bookwomble @TrishB Thank you 😊 4d

quietlycuriouskate Picture looks like Gloucester after a bank holiday has wreaked havoc with the bins collection schedule. 4d

Bookwomble @quietlycuriouskate Ha, ha! 😆 It's supposed to be post-apocalypse suburban San Francisco, but if Gloucester fits... 4d

Lesliereadsalot Just read this will be on MGM+ in December. #Classiclsfbc 4d

Bookwomble @Lesliereadsalot It'll be interesting to see how close they stick to Stewart's quiet, philosophical approach, or where they'll add in more peril and conflict. Hmm 🤔 almost definitely the second option. 4d

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Bookwomble

Earth Abides | George R. Stewart

"He had always tried to impress the children with an almost mystical value of books. Still he kept the symbol of the burning of books as one of the worst things that men could do."
??? #UniteAgainstBookBans #ClassicLSFBC

AmyG Make Americans ignorant, fearful and hateful and you will believe anything. 5d

TheBookHippie @AmyG 🎯 5d

BarbaraBB @AmyG so true 5d

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dabbe @AmyG Agree 💯. 5d

GingerAntics 🧡🧡🧡 yes! 5d

The_Book_Ninja MAGAs: “Must ban books! Must have freedom of speech!…does not compute! Does not compute” 4d

Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja This example of cognitive dissonance would suggest that rabid MAGAs actually have any form of critical functioning happening! 4d

Bookwomble @bibliothecarivs I borrowed your Book Ban hashtag, which I hope is ok. I thought it it more as homage than theft! 😁 4d

bibliothecarivs It's from UniteAgainstBookBans.org so feel free to use and share! 4d

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Lesliereadsalot

A Fall of Moondust | Arthur C. Clarke

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Very good sci-fi from over 60 years ago. It takes place on the moon where a tourist bus falls through the dust on the moon and 22 people onboard must be saved. There‘s one problem after another, both on the bus and during the rescue attempt. I liked the story but can‘t say much for the character development which is practically nonexistent.

#ClassicLSFBC

Ruthiella I still need to pick this one up. Too bad about the character development. That‘s an issue I have with Asimov too. 6d

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Bookwomble

Human? | Judith Merril

While I'm making progress with the August #ClassicLSFBC book, Earth Abides, I'm taking time out with a 1954 anthology of "science fantasy" stories, including such SF luminaries as H.G. Wells, Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de Camp, Algis Budrys & August Derleth. There's also the Asimov "Robot" story "Liar" that the CLSFBC read earlier this year: it's cool to read it in its first book incarnation.
Also, I luurrrve the retro cover art by Rafael DeSoto ?

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Bookwomble

Earth Abides | George R. Stewart

Halfway through the August #ClassicLSFBC book, so unlikely to finish before tomorrow, but I'm settling in with a Perry's Puffin-label Somerset cider, classic cheese balls snack, and a bit of John Coltrane to try and make some headway. It's possible I will be too chilled to actually read, but it's a risk I'm prepared to take 🫡

CoffeeNBooks This looks perfect! Coltrane is great! 🎶 3w

Bookwomble @CoffeeNBooks He was a good choice for my mood 😊😎🎷 3w

The_Book_Ninja No to cheesy balls✋🏼🛑 3w

Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja You strike me as a person with a healthy diet, so I wouldn't be surprised to find you noshing on the Man from Del Monte's plums 🍑 (with apologies to Julian Clarey for blatant joke theft! 😄) 2w

The_Book_Ninja @Bookwomble 🤣🤣🤣🤣 2w

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Ruthiella

Earth Abides | George Rippey Stewart

A few questions if anyone wants to discuss this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC 🦠 pick.

Question 3: I think for any Litten, the loss of literature would have been devastating…could the parents have at least read picture books to their children to keep stories alive? Or would this have been too strange, given that the world depicted in many of the story books would not make sense to the children given their extremely limited society?

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Honestly this grated on me SO much. Stories are so inherently part of being human that we‘ve been telling them around campfires pretty much since we came into existence. I cannot fathom just giving up on keeping literature alive and accessible. If Ish had really cared so much, I think he absolutely could have made more of an effort of getting the younger generation interested. 3w

Lesliereadsalot I never understood why all the members of the tribe didn‘t go to the library every day! What a waste of a resource that undoubtedly could have helped in so many ways. I enjoyed this book even though I would have liked to see all the characters “Do something!” Was nobody else thinking about the future?? #LSFBC (edited) 3w

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I knew I‘d find kindred spirits here! My first thought about getting the children interested in reading and writing was to read to them and encourage them to tell and write their own stories. 3w

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Bookwomble I'm late to the discussion, but for what it's worth... books would have been available everywhere the post-disaster people were scavenging, and given Ish's love of books it seems inconceivable that he would have relegated all of them to the 'sacred' space of the university library. A love of reading is passed from parent to child, so this would have happened. I can conceive it dying out, perhaps, over time, but not in the first generation. ⬇️ 5d

Bookwomble A narrative device, then, to represent the loss/shift in culture. 5d

Ruthiella @Bookwomble It‘s never too late! I‘m glad I wasn‘t the only one who found the lack of literature odd. You might be right about it being a narrative device to speed up the development. 4d

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Ruthiella

Earth Abides | George R. Stewart

A few questions if anyone wants to discuss this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC 🦠 pick. If you want to be tagged next month or untagged from the distribution list let me know.

Question 2: What about little Joey? Had he survived, do you think he could have influenced the trajectory of the tribe where Ish was unsuccessful?

BookmarkTavern, Readergrrl, Johanna414, KathyWheeler, Lizpixie, BookBelle84, Larkken, julesG, Deblovestoread, majkia, LeticiaToraci, sebrittainclark, kwmg40, rwmg, Wandering, CatLass007, BookwormAHN, CSeydel, RamsFan1963, TheSpineView, bnp, swynn, PaperbackPirate, Bookwomble, Klou, Roary47, MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm, AuthorCjwhitcomb , Lesliereadsalot, PageShifter, tokorowilliamwallace, MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward, Books_et_al

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I think Ish focusing so much on one child‘s strengths was detrimental to Joey and the society as a whole. If things had continued the way Ish had been, all I think he would have accomplished would be cloning his unhappiness at the inadequacies of The Tribe into Joey. The boy would have grown up miserable, isolated, and possibly become a sort of danger himself. Ish‘s self-importance imposed upon Joey could have concluded with a tyrant or zealot. 3w

Lesliereadsalot All the children must have had one strength or another as all children do. I felt like there could‘ve been lots of things for Ish to develop in the children, besides bows and arrows. To think Joey would have been the tribe leader was wishful thinking on Ish‘s part based solely on what he saw in Joey, ignoring what the other children night have had to offer. #LSCFBC 3w

swynn Ish's idea that there should be some visionary leader who could preserve the pre-apocalypse's knowledge was never realistic: the Tribe did not share his vision so it wasn't going to happen whether it should have done or not. At best Ish was setting Joey up to be a Cassandra, at worst a scapegoat. 3w

Ruthiella @swynn @Lesliereadsalot @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm The more I think about it, the more I think that it‘s circumstances that make leaders who rise to the challenge and not mantle passing from parent to child (look at heredity dynasties ) As Leslie points out, every child has their talents and some of the others had what was needed collectively at that moment. As Steve and Meagon indicate, Ish was setting Joey up for probable failure. 3w

Bookwomble @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Lesliereadsalot @swynn @Ruthiella Although not mentioned in the text, I had the impression Ish was aiming for something like Plato's Atlantean governmental system of Philosopher Kings. 5d

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Ruthiella

Earth Abides | George Rippey Stewart

A few questions if anyone wants to discuss this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC 🦠 pick. If you want to be tagged next month or untagged from the distribution list let me know.

Question 1: Earth Abides is speculative fiction - a thought experiment exploring how humans might change and adapt to an End of Days scenario. Did you find Stewart‘s depiction plausible? What did he get right and/or wrong?

Bookwomble I'm still reading it - 49% through. So far I'm enjoying it but I'm not gripped, hence the rather slow going. I'll try to maintain focus and get it done! 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I think he got people‘s complacency right, as much as it irked me through the whole thing. I like to think people would be more proactive about survival, but I honestly don‘t know. Scavenging premade things seems easier than investing in long term solutions, so why do anything? I found the lack of conflict within The Tribe unrealistic. It seemed a little too quaint and perfect, even for “solid, good people”. 3w

Lesliereadsalot I was surprised at how little effort the tribe made to hook up with other tribes. It took so many years to even find one other tribe! And I also found the lack of conflict infuriating. Everybody seems to have this happy-go-lucky attitude that isn‘t realistic. #LSFBC (edited) 3w

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swynn @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm This was the thing that most surprised me, and was most insightful. In my imagination 1949 is full of self-sufficient post-WWII "can-do"ers who could meet the end of the world with grim competence. But after forty years of mostly-ignored climate change warnings and COVID's lesson that the expression "avoid it like the plague" has no source in actual human behavior, I think Stewart gets it right 3w

Ruthiella @swynn @Lesliereadsalot @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm He indicated however that other communities were more proactive (in the south and southwest). I do think that some humans would have been less willing to rely only on scavenged resources. Just not those Ish hooks up with. 3w

swynn @Ruthiella Fair point. And the rapid development of very distinct cultures is an interesting prediction, that I think depends on the level of group isolation, which, as @Lesliereadsalot points out, is extreme in Ish's group. 3w

kwmg40 I started reading this book and was enjoying it but only got about halfway before having to return it to the library. So I'm on the waiting list again and will return to these questions when I finish it! 2w

Bookwomble @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Lesliereadsalot @swynn @Ruthiella I did find it generally plausible, given the premise that most people died, leaving the survivors in an environment of scavenger abundance. The introduction of Charlie illustrated the potential for a more stereotypical "Mad Max" dystopian post-apocalypse. I think in this scenario, there just weren't enough people to warrant resource hoarding, other than considering people as resources. 5d

Ruthiella @Bookwomble I think too he‘s demonstrating (intentionally or not) how poor humans are at long term planning. We have trouble seeing more than a generation beyond our own and the sacrifices we should make to ensure they abide. 4d

Bookwomble @Ruthiella Agreed 👍🏻 It does seem an intentional pussy of the narrative, given Ish's often stated and then unrealised plans. 4d

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

Earth Abides | George R. Stewart

pan

1 ⭐️
Unpopular opinion, but I really didn‘t like this book. Ish is an absolutely insufferable protagonist and I couldn‘t connect with him or any of the other members of The Tribe. Every time I thought something interesting was actually going to happen, it doesn‘t or it‘s skipped over. Ish‘s self-importance and how he looks down on everyone around him drove me insane.

I was THRILLED when a glimmer of conflict came but that was also quickly ⬇️

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm washed away. The final section was the most interesting to me, but it couldn‘t salvage the majority of the trudge through the most boring post apocalyptic story I have ever encountered. And I LOVE the post apocalyptic genre. From The Postman to The Stand, Mad Max to the Fallout franchise, I love it all.

I hated how Ish would think, “Gee, I should really do something about (insert x problem here),” and then proceed to NOT do anything about it. ⬇️ 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I‘d rather read a book about Jack or the black family Ish contemplated turning into slaves (WTF?!?!) than about the narcissist “god”.

The only good thing to come out of this book was that it apparently inspired Stephen King to write one of my all time favorite books ever, The Stand.

#ClassicLSFBC 3w

Ruthiella Hot take! I liked it but the sexism and racism were difficult and I wasn‘t sure if it was the author‘s view or only Ish‘s. 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Ruthiella I also didn‘t appreciate how the character of Evie was handled. I always try to go into a book giving the author the benefit of the doubt. Just because people write certain morals/beliefs into their characters doesn‘t mean they themselves hold to them. But Stewart made it really difficult for me not to wonder… I haven‘t looked into the author, and I don‘t plan to, honestly. 😅 So I don‘t know what his true views were in life. 3w

dabbe #fanofthepan! #betterbooksahead 🙌 3w

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