Imola Ilyes answers “does it bother anyone that in the 20 years...”

Catherine Goldwyn asked this question about Station Eleven:

does it bother anyone that in the 20 years since these people got slammed and the human race got almost wiped away , no one thought about going to a library and figuring out how to rebuild? I mean, all the information is there - in writing, in books! All of it - for all the ages! For me, this was nagging me the whole time

Imola Ilyes In contrast to some people who answered this question, I didn't find this part of the book to be that unrealistic. I think people might underestimate …moreIn contrast to some people who answered this question, I didn't find this part of the book to be that unrealistic. I think people might underestimate not only the physical but the social infrastructure that needs to be in place for technology and medicine to get back up and running. Most electricity production is still tied to the electrical grid - I've never encountered a wind-up radio or a house powered off the grid, though these do exist. That means that post-collapse someone would either have to find these things or make them from scratch. While books and raw materials are indeed present, travel is dangerous, as is owning things. It was mentioned in passing that one of the characters was beaten up and had her bicycle stolen. Most books are also in cities and larger towns, which were abandoned in the immediate aftermath and back to which people would have to travel - which again, is dangerous. And in order to be inventive, you generally need security, as well as cooperation from others. There are no lone inventors - even those who work alone depend on the non-interference and frequently the cooperation of others, to provide raw materials, food, security, etc.

In a broader historical time-scale, 20 years isn't even that long anyways. The early Middle Ages, which saw the retreat of the Roman army, the decline of trade and the shrinkage of cities, lasted hundreds of years. So in the grander scale of things, it isn't even that long for things to get up and going again. (less)

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Jcb "Most books are in cities or larger towns"? IDK, I've been to plenty of small town libraries. And, plenty of small town hardware stores. Whether I cou ...more
Dec 26, 2018 11:25PM · flag

Jennifer I have two solar-powered batteries that charge any device that uses a USB. I use them for my phone and camera when I'm camping. It takes a while for t ...more
Apr 20, 2020 10:51AM · flag

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