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Earth Abides Review

Every fan of post-apocalyptic stories has his own reason for following the genre. Mine is, that I like to see what the author considers most important to life in this world. When civilization and human society collapse; when food, medicine, and basic comforts become scarce; when friends are few and family is imperiled, what values will prevail? Most of the classic novels of calamity portray survivors determined to carry on, forming communities which are insular and self-reliant; learning and developing the skills and collecting the resources essential to living in a new world. Earth Abides paints a somewhat different picture.

Ish is much like the heroes of the other popular disaster stories, in that he is determined to carry on; and to recover, as much as possible, the advances of civilization which are in danger of disappearing with the loss of most of the human race. Ish finds himself the head of a community and extended family; and though he is strong, educated, and resourceful, he finds nothing but frustration in his efforts to pass on his values to the next generation. His children and grandchildren have little desire to produce goods for themselves, having become dependent on the things left behind by those who died from the plague. He is unable to inspire them with his vision for keeping the great accomplishments of humanity alive.

Something unique about this story is the occasional vignette describing what happens to the world around Ish, now that the human race has essentially become an endangered species. If you've ever watched the History Channel's "Life After People", you'll get a sense of that here - and see how these things directly affect Ish and the other survivors.

I'm discovering that those classic novels which I can read many times throughout my life, and which say something new to me each time (see my reviews of "1984" and "Fahrenheit 451"), are those in which I recognize the signs of true works of genius. This is only my first time reading "Earth Abides", but I already wonder what it will say to me in five years, or ten, as I raise my children, or lead kids in my community, and try to impart my own values and experience to them. Will I be able to pass on those things they need to survive, or will I find myself, like Ish, disappointed, or having to realign my expectations?

An engaging read, with all the hallmarks of a true classic.

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Customer Reviews

EARTH ABIDES by George R. Stewart - Gandhi the Vile - Tulsa, OK
Earth Abides is a 1949 science fiction novel by George R. Stewart. When a plague all but wipes out the human race, a young introverted intellectual decides to observe the way the world responds to the sudden removal of humans, and, later, works to reconstruct certain aspects of civilization while battling to keep education alive.

This is a thoughtful book: one of Stewart's primary themes here is a philosophical take on civilization: its pros and cons, what is gained and lost through starting over, and whether parts or the whole are worth rebuilding. Stewart, with the world's last scholar as his main character, does a wonderful job with this.

But while Earth Abides is all about ideas, Stewart mostly punts on the moral and theological ramifications, as his characters move on quickly when these themes present challenges. In a world where people can't help but focus on death, that's a missed opportunity.

In addition to the book's philosophical emphasis, Stewart's post-apocalyptic world is generally free of unrest and violence. While this allows Stewart to focus on his themes of rebuilding, his characters are rarely in much peril, and there's never much suspense. Yet as Stewart charts the life of his protagonist through the years and decades, the reader becomes invested in and attached to the character, passive and powerless though he may be, and this is why the novel is compelling, and why the reader will not mind the book's many philosophical detours.

On the whole, Earth Abides is an intelligent, poignant and melancholy novel, and one of the finer and more influential works in the genre. Bonus points for an interracial relationship during a hostile era.




Earth definitely abides... - Anthony T. Leanza -
What an excellent book! I read this on Vacation in Cancun, and couldn't put it down. I may have missed a couple good vacation days totally engaged with this story. Well worth it.



OK, but not great - Kyle L. Rhynerson - Austin, TX
With so many books available to read, is this one worth your time? Ultimately, you'll have to make that decision, but I hope my review can help in some way.

There are some technology issues with the story that clearly show it was written in the late 1940's; however, these don't detract too much from the story.

There are also a few typos in the Kindle edition, which I assume is a scanning problem when converting to eBook format.

The two main issues I had with the book are:
1. Food - It is unrealistic to think that people would be subsisting off canned food for 20+ years, let alone, 40+ years at the end of the book.

2. Future generations - Without ruining the ending, the book makes a plot decision on how Ish decides to pass knowledge on to future generations. I liked two aspects of what he did, but I thought the rest was foolish.

I liked the book overall, but I didn't necessarily think it was a "great" work.



Great book - Evan 504 -
Earth Abides is a great book in general but among its genre its easily one of the best. If you enjoy post apocalypse fiction then this is a must read. No hesitation at a five star review.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 21, 2010 03:15:04