Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
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This novel should be on every discerning reader's top 5 list. Ish, the iconic "last man on earth" was based metaphorically on a Native American in California who was reportedly the last of his tribe. In this apocalyptic story, Ish faces the end of the world with hopes of recreating a new society, in the process meeting an African-American woman who he chooses as his new mate. Unfortunately, Ish's dream of a new world goes by the wayside and he witnesses the last descent of mankind back to the stone age. The ground-breaking approach to world destruction and its revolutionary (for the time) treatment of racial issues was particularly powerful in the mid-20th century when the book was published, and influenced many contemporary artists, most famously Jimi Hendrix. "Earth Abides" was Hendrix's favorite novel, and inspired some of the songs on his first album "Are You Experienced", most notably "Third Stone from the Sun." I dreamed of this story for months after reading it, haunted by the last tragic scene and imagery of a decaying, crumbling world. Unlike later apocalyptic writers, such as Stephen King in IT, there is no great battle of good vs. evil - the world dies in complacency and superstition, retaining only a rudimentary use of tools and healthy skepticism of Ish's stories of the glorious past. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
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Earth Abides by George R Stewart
powelltimothy, November 10, 2006
This novel should be on every discerning reader's top 5 list. Ish, the iconic "last man on earth" was based metaphorically on a Native American in California who was reportedly the last of his tribe. In this apocalyptic story, Ish faces the end of the world with hopes of recreating a new society, in the process meeting an African-American woman who he chooses as his new mate. Unfortunately, Ish's dream of a new world goes by the wayside and he witnesses the last descent of mankind back to the stone age. The ground-breaking approach to world destruction and its revolutionary (for the time) treatment of racial issues was particularly powerful in the mid-20th century when the book was published, and influenced many contemporary artists, most famously Jimi Hendrix. "Earth Abides" was Hendrix's favorite novel, and inspired some of the songs on his first album "Are You Experienced", most notably "Third Stone from the Sun." I dreamed of this story for months after reading it, haunted by the last tragic scene and imagery of a decaying, crumbling world. Unlike later apocalyptic writers, such as Stephen King in IT, there is no great battle of good vs. evil - the world dies in complacency and superstition, retaining only a rudimentary use of tools and healthy skepticism of Ish's stories of the glorious past. Highly, highly, highly recommended.(7 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)