From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Alas, Babylon

Pat Frank,

David Brin (Foreword)

Start date: June 15, 2016

Finish date: July 1, 2016

Discussion: AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

Discussion leader: Gertie

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AW BOOK CLUB (spoilers)

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What Members Thought

Jul 19, 2010 Zach rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic

Well first off I have no idea why Day of the Triffids is always held up as the poster child of the cozy catastrophe phenomenon, because that is kind of this book's whole raison d'etre. What we have here, in fact, is a kind of anti-modern ode to the traditionally-minded small town communities of America, brought about (how else?) by means of the USSR removing the major cities of the nation and replacing them with smoking radioactive craters.

Did I mention this was published in 1959?

As a novel, th ...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Amy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, 2010-books-read

Certainly not the best post-apocalyptic I've read. I guess it became a classic since it was written during a time when everyone really was afraid everyone on the planet would nuke everyone on the planet (which is what happens in this book). ...more

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Nov 11, 2011 🥀 Rose 🥀 rated it liked it

Shelves: classics, science-fiction, apocalypse

I am only giving this three stars due to some of the quirky outdated statements and attitudes through out the book that I found a bit irritating. Other than those minor grumbles, I found this 1959 post apocalyptic novel very compelling. It takes place during the cold war at the end of the 50's and what the world would look like after a nuclear attack.

Our story centers on a group of people living in Florida who survive the bombings and are living on what is considered a clean zone ie no radiatio ...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Patrick Nichols rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

One of the earliest, and coziest, nuclear holocausts. This is no "Threads," meant to make you wet your pants in terror then hang yourself with your underpants. No, it's more of a family-friendly Sunday dinner apocalypse. There are a few moments where the horror of mass death seeps in to the narrative - especially the hotel full of lonely recluses, hiding in their dark rooms, waiting hopelessly for the return of electricity. But then the hotel burns down and we are relieved of pity. Rather polite One of the earliest, and coziest, nuclear holocausts. This is no "Threads," meant to make you wet your pants in terror then hang yourself with your underpants. No, it's more of a family-friendly Sunday dinner apocalypse. There are a few moments where the horror of mass death seeps in to the narrative - especially the hotel full of lonely recluses, hiding in their dark rooms, waiting hopelessly for the return of electricity. But then the hotel burns down and we are relieved of pity. Rather politely, the holocaust only dooms the deserving people (i.e. the ones the author dislikes) - the small minded bank manager who won't give the authorial stand-in a loan and the baddies who steal a crate full of radioactive treasure.

Not that I object to this rosy cataclysm in which our heroes ride off into the nuclear sunset. Who really wants realism when it comes to Armageddon? "The Road" was a great book, but it wasn't exactly upbeat.

The characters are surprisingly well-hewn for a science fiction novel. You get used to limited palette of characters in SF novels, mostly written by lonely introverts: the nebbish author stand-ins, the over-masculine bad guys drawn from memories of high-school bullies, the hip ubermensch character they fantasized being to escape from depression. It's tough to create good characters when you don't get out much.

Frank, on the other hand, was a professional newspaperman, so it's clear he got around and had to meet, and depict, a wide range of different people and perspectives. And this pays off; the novel has a surprisingly diverse mix of good characters. Because of this, "Alas, Babylon" is more about the way a whole community of people reacts and transforms after the fall of the great powers. And since most journalists wear a mask of cynicism to conceal their basic optimism about humanity, our tale also ends well for our heroes.

Snarkiness aside, this is a fun read. The writing is brisk and crisp, and despite the considerable age of novel (one of the main characters works at a telegraph office), the dated-ness rarely intrudes on ones enjoyment. The only really jarring element is the racism (this is 1950s in the south, remember). The author was probably quite forward-thinking for his day, but his indulgent condescension towards the black characters is pretty cringe-worthy to a modern reader.
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May 20, 2012 Vicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, post-apocalyptic, owned_audible, 2014, reviewed

While parts of this book are relatively anachronistic, on the whole it's still an enjoyable story. It's very much so a product of its day (1950s) in terms of things like gender roles and race relations. Not to mention the belief that some amount of human life would actually survive an all-out nuclear war. Sadly, if several A-bombs were dropped on multiple cities within a few hundred miles, the inhabitants of a small town in between would not survive, no matter what way the wind is blowing. And e ...more

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Aug 12, 2016 Gwyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016

This story is overwhelmingly positive. The bombs drop. Everyone dead. But it's all good. We've got coffee and salt. We'll figure it out. Don't you worry about it.

It was written in the 50s. It is pretty sexist and the attempt at not being racist is obvious. And painful at times.. I get that it's a classic. But, it just doesn't hold up as an apocalyptic novel. ...more

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May 11, 2011 Stout rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highly-regarded

Alas, Babylon was a moving and well-written post-apocalyptic story with an engaging plot and believable and likeable characters. I found this to be a wonderful book that held my interest and spurred on a rapid read. I could not make a stronger recommendation of any other book in this genre.

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Aug 18, 2011 Aaron rated it it was amazing

Shelves: apocalyptic

A decent post-apocalytpic read. Central Florida survivors of an all-out bomb exchange. Interesting to read it and understand when it was written, at the height of the cold war.

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