There are two books that I consider to be absolute classics in terms of ‘survival fiction’. The first is ‘Alas babylon’, the other is ‘Lucifers Hammer’. (LH)
The premise is one that you don’t see to often in this genre: a comet passes close to the earth and fragments strike the planet. Enormous tsunamis wipe out coastal regions, redraw continental maps, kick huge amounts of debris into the atmosphere, and generally turn the entire planet into a sodden, dark, cold mess.
The story follows the paths of people from a wide disparate group of lifestyles… a cop, secretary, senator, scientist, playboy, rancher, astronaut, criminal, etc, etc. Are the usual survivalist tropes present? Absolutely…but pretty much because this is the book that started those tropes. The cannibal armies, plucky survivors banding together, huge ‘final battle’, etc, etc….all there. LH is the source that is referred to when later survivalist fiction gets described as ‘derivative of’. (For example, the end of ‘One Second After’ and the end of LH are very, very similar.
People who are used to the fast-moving pace of some of the shorter survivalist-books may lose interest in the character development that takes up the first third of this rather lengthy book. If you can stick with it, the backstories enhance the rest of the book.
Are there things in the book that would make the average survivalist sit up and say “Hmm…I hadn’t thought of that?” I believe so. I would say that its as realistic a story as you can have on a topic that many people say would be very unrealistic.
LH is a book I recommend to people who enjoy the genre, but are not new to it. It’s a bit intimidating in terms of length, and a tad slow paced at the beginning, but I think if a person sticks to it and gets through to the actual disaster part of the book it becomes a wonderful read.
You can usually find a used copy in most used book stores. It’s an enjoyable read for people who want a more in-depth and well-rounded story than many of the ‘shallower’ stories that are out there. Nothing wrong with the ‘light reading’ survivalist fiction (cough*Ahern*cough) but sometimes you want something a little more than just shoot-em-ups and gear porn.
LH came out in 1977, which was right around the era of high inflation, expensive gas, and Soviet expansionism…and it shows in the book. But even if it is a little dated it is still a good read if you’re after a book that has a bit more substance.
Definitely a great read. I bought it when it was first released and get it out every few years to reread. There are very few novels that I do aside from my beloved Kurt Vonnegut, but LH is one of them……………..
I haven’t read this in decades. Time to do so again. Thank you for the reminder.
I read it quite a few years ago & enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the library no longer has it. 🙁
My absolute favorites are Earth Abides & almost anything by Nevil Shute. Many of Shute’s novels are real-world EOTWAWKI stories.
Just finished it based on one of your early recommendations. Long read and slow moving at first but worth it to stick with it.
Hot fudge sundae that falls on a tuesday.
I read LH in the early 80s. It was/is a milestone in disaster fiction. I was very much into the whole survivalist scene in the 80s. Then the Soviet Union fell apart and I lost interest, figuring that the threat of global thermonuclear war was ended.
Ten years ago, I got a wake up call when I saw “After Armageddon” on History Channel’s “Armageddon Week.” (See it on YouTube.) Suddenly, I rediscovered my survivalist side and I began to consider how much at risk society is from so many other types of threats. One of the first books I read after this re-awakening was LH.
Yes, it is a bit dated (set in California, there is only one very minor Hispanic character in the entire book), but it is an excellent read that I recommend to anyone vaguely interested in the survivalist/prepper movement.
This was the book that crystalized it all for me. I was a Pournelle/Niven/scifi fan and grabbed this one when it came out.
I realized that most of my life, I had been preparing as a survivalist, albeit haphazardly. From that point on, I became Organized in my approach which it think is the most important part of preparedness.
I still have this mental picture of “the last of the mau maus” going chimp on the van and how pissed off his leader was with him.
Great book, 1st in its genre as you said, and much more upbeat than 1 Second After and what I think will be reality.
I was 18 when this book was published. I was already reading Mel Tappan’s column in Guns and Ammo by then. I found this book on a coffee table at a friend’s party. I started reading it and pretty much checked out of the party. I tried to borrow it but he wasn’t finished. I found it at a 7-11 on my way home. It really was the book that set the tone for my life. Earth Abides was the next big one for me. I still revisit both of them every few years.
sorry for the OT, but are you the jackalope that detects?
Like metal detecting? No, but I am willing to learn. jackalope is my name in a lot of places on the internet.
Yeah, metal detecting. There is another jackalope that is very respected in md’ing circles.
If you do pick the hobby up, get something from Minelab.
Oh yeah. Read it several times. Kind of dicey though protecting a nuke plant. As Chernobyl and Fukushima have shown that can be problematic for sure.
I’ve never read LH. I’ll have to get it on my “to read” list.
I’m not sure about the validity of the “cannibal army,” and I think a Suburban can do better on flooded railroad tracks, but otherwise….
We control the lightnings!
A great read. Sadly, co-author Jerry Pournelle passed away this past year. He was a fine writer.
Another good one is slow apocalypse by John varley. Makes you think about what would happen if the oil supply was messed with.
If you liked LH you would love this book. https://www.amazon.com/Cannibal-Harper-Thriller-Thomas-Koloniar/dp/0062025821
“Eat, sleep, fight, drink and run. Not necessarily in that order. Right?” is what I tell people after they ask “where do I start with preparedness”. It has always stuck with me for some reason. It really does cover the basics, then we expand on those subjects to cover shelter, food, self defense, transportation. Just a random comment.
Excellent read. A true classic. There ARE some good ideas in the book, and the main character’s determination not to quit is something to take note of. He suffers setbacks and keeps on going.
Yes, it was a very different California from today’s. A very good short story on survival from Niven is “Inconstant Moon.” You won’t forget it.
I’m about a quarter through and yes it is slow, but hoping for more as everyone says! I have to throw “The Road” out there. It was so descriptive I felt cold when he was talking about being in the woods.