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Not This August: Triumphant-Cn

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 49 ratings · 6 reviews

The USA warred 3 years with the USSR & PRC. Males either farm or are drafted. Billy Justin, a 38-year-old commercial artist & Korea War veteran works as a dairy farmer in Chiunga Ctr, NY when he hears over the radio that Soviet & Chinese forces have overrun American lines. Over the next months, they consolidate their hold, dividing the US at the Mississippi, fo...more The USA warred 3 years with the USSR & PRC. Males either farm or are drafted. Billy Justin, a 38-year-old commercial artist & Korea War veteran works as a dairy farmer in Chiunga Ctr, NY when he hears over the radio that Soviet & Chinese forces have overrun American lines. Over the next months, they consolidate their hold, dividing the US at the Mississippi, forming between them the Democratic People's Republic of N America.
Other than a garrison, disarmament & establishment of food production quotas, the surrender leaves Chiunga Center largely untouched. A paraplegic comes to Justin's farm asking for work. He's given make-work, then leaves. When Justin enters the nearest town, Norton, for supplies, he's drawn into a conspiracy with the paraplegic & others. The former turns out to be an army general. Buried in Chiunga County is a half-finished weapons satellite that requires parts & technical know-how to orbit it. The Soviet military police soon apparently capture all of them but himself & the general.
Receiving messages hidden in mail Betsy Cardew delivers, Justin deduces that the contacts he needs are in Washington, PA. With a traveling preacher, Sparhawk, he walks from Chiunga to Washington. Arrested by a military patrol, they're separated. Justin attempts to pass himself as one of Sparhawk's converts who can't be molested due to the Democratic Republic's freedom of religion. He & Sparhawk are exiled at the town border & soon arrive at Washington. He's given instructions about an assault planned for Xmas Eve on Chiunga Ctr to liberate the satellite. He & Sparhawk are sent back there with a specialist.
Despite Soviet torture of a local farmer, they're kept ignorant of what "Xmas Eve", a mild oath they hear sworn by citizens, means til battle begins. Coordinated by Gen Hollerith, the paraplegic, area bridges are blown up & arsenals sabotaged as townspeople are armed & fight as the satellite is launched. Hollerith's forces triumph. A radio message declares the satellite will destroy Moscow & Peiking in 24 hours if occupation soldiers don't evacuate American soil & release war prisoners. Hollerith offers Justin high position, but he declines to kneel in prayer with Sparhawk, fearing mutual assured destruction.(less)

Paperback, 256 pages

Published November 1st 1986 by Tor Books (first published 1955)

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May 02, 2008 Raegan Butcher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For a book that was originally published in 1955, NOT THIS AUGUST feels remarkably contemporary, despite the changes the world has gone thru in the years since the Soviet Union collapsed which make the central premise of the book that much more unlikely to ever occur.

The set up is this: after a long and bitter war, the Russians and Chinese have conquered and occupied the United States. Life is different under this new rule and the fascination of the novel is in watching how the various character...more

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Nov 28, 2011 tENTATIVELY, cONVENIENCE rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. review of
C. M. Kornbluth's Not This August
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - November 28, 2011

The front cover review excerpt from the Chicago Tribune reads: "The most shockingly realistic science fiction book since Orwell's '1984' - establishes Kornbluth as one of the best writers in the futuristic field." I find that review to be both flattering & a little odd. How many people at the time considered 1984 to be "realistic"? & is/was 1984 even a "science fiction book"? It seems that such...more review of
C. M. Kornbluth's Not This August
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - November 28, 2011

The front cover review excerpt from the Chicago Tribune reads: "The most shockingly realistic science fiction book since Orwell's '1984' - establishes Kornbluth as one of the best writers in the futuristic field." I find that review to be both flattering & a little odd. How many people at the time considered 1984 to be "realistic"? & is/was 1984 even a "science fiction book"? It seems that such a comparison was a potentially sly way of valuing Not This August & of sneaking 1984 in thru the back door of apparent Red Scare fiction.

At any rate, this IS a Red Scare novel.. at the same time that it's a pacifist one. It does seem like a realistic depiction of what a successful invasion of the US by the USSR & China might've been like at the time (set for approximately 10 yrs into the future from the 1955 publishing of the novel) that details all sorts of possible variations: some invaders who aren't harsh, some who are, American girls dating Russian soldiers, greed & treachery, underground resistance, starving overworked farmers, interrogation torture, etc..

But it's definitely NOT a Mickey Spillane / Mike Hammer take on the thing. The friendly neighbors of the protagonist turn out to be secret communist organizers who're immediately shot by the socialist invaders - to their surprise. The person who immediately gets into the best position w/ the invaders is the viciously capitalist storekeeper. The 'hero' is a guy who just sortof gets sucked into the whole mess against his somewhat weak-willed better judgment. The Americans are shown to make some horrific decisions. & the character who ultimately comes thru as the most sane is someone immediately established as a pain-in-the-ass.

All in all, the pacifism is precisely in the realism. People are shown reacting in believable ways, the resistance comes about as much as a result of an inability to cope any more w/ the harshness of the conditions - people become 'heros' out of desperation. Sympathy is, not surprisingly, w/ the invaded peoples - after all, who wdn't want to overthrow invaders? & it's possible that the invaded 'win' at the end. But the ultimate message of the novel seems to be that as long as human behavior continues as warlike as it has, humanity's stuck in a rut that merely 'winning' a battle will never solve. &, of course, some people have probably been concluding this for a very long time. So where are we? Still embroiled in as much war as ever. (less)

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Feb 22, 2013 Tom rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was okay in parts, but I guess its 1950's worldview was a little much, even for someone who revels in Red Dawn's chaos. Philip K. Dick must've read this, because "The Man In The High Castle" envisions Eurasian and Asian superpowers conquering and dividing the United States and does a much better job of it.

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Jul 27, 2010 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Fans of 1984, or people who enjoyed the premise of 1984 but want a bit of an easier read, take note.

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Jul 17, 2011 Erik Graff rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Kornbluth fans

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: sf

Dated, rather juvenile and unrealistic representation of a communist occupation of the USA. It may be of interest, however, to someone studying the Cold War and the paranoid ideas it engendered.

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May 02, 2008 Gracey valladares added it · review of another edition

it makes my desk stop moveing every were so i guess its good.!

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May 16, 2013 Steve Voelker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 30, 2013 Craig Comes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 01, 2013 Path rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Mar 13, 2013 Quincy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Feb 26, 2013 Michael Hooper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 01, 2013 Duane rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jan 30, 2013 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jan 07, 2013 Raymond Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dec 30, 2012 John Ambrose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dec 12, 2012 Robert James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nov 26, 2012 Absit added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantascienza, urania-1-200

Nov 30, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Shelves: urania-classici, fantascienza

Nov 06, 2012 Matt Fleming marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Oct 03, 2012 Mike rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Sep 13, 2012 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Aug 27, 2012 Marissa is currently reading it · review of another edition

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About C.M. Kornbluth

Cyril M. Kornbluth was born and grew up in Inwood in New York City. As a teenager, he became a member of the Futurians, the influential group of science fiction fans and writers. While a member of the Futurians, he met and became friends with Isaac Asimov, Frederik Pohl, Donald A. Wollheim, Robert A. W. Lowndes, and his future wife Mary Byers. He also participated in the Fantasy Amateur Press Asso...more

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