From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Summer of the Apocalypse

James Van Pelt

Why we're reading this: When a plague wipes out most of humanity, fifteen-year-old Eric sets out to find his father. Sixty years …more
[close] When a plague wipes out most of humanity, fifteen-year-old Eric sets out to find his father. Sixty years later, Eric starts another long journey in an America that has long since quit resembling our own, but there are shadows everywhere. Shadows of what the world once was, and shadows from Eric's past. Blood bandits, wolves, fire, feral children, and an insane militia are only a few of the problems Eric faces. Set in Denver, Colorado and the western foothills, Van Pelt's first novel is both a coming-of-age tale, and a story of an old man's search for hope in the midst of disaster. Eric's two adventures lead him through a slice of modern America and into the depths of one man's heart.

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Sep 30, 2008 Schnaucl rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, post-apocalyptic, read_2008, science-fiction, owned, september

Another book I quite enjoyed. In some ways it reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road in that it was an older man walking with a child (or in this case, children) across a post apocalyptic America. There were some major differences, this apocalypse was caused by plague, not nuclear bombs, and in this book there are actually other people for the characters to interact with and the author doesn't try to be new and exciting by ignoring rules of grammar and never giving the characters names (than Another book I quite enjoyed. In some ways it reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road in that it was an older man walking with a child (or in this case, children) across a post apocalyptic America. There were some major differences, this apocalypse was caused by plague, not nuclear bombs, and in this book there are actually other people for the characters to interact with and the author doesn't try to be new and exciting by ignoring rules of grammar and never giving the characters names (thank god). I'm glad there are more people, but it would have been nice to have a female play a part in the current part of the story (the book alternates between the current, post-apocalyptic time and the time 60ish years in the past when the plague started). Why does no one write a story about a couple of women walking across post-apocalyptic America?

This book had a lot more to say about the things we would miss if no one was around to run/produce them and I think the picture van Pelt paints of how society might look a few generations after the vast majority (90%) of humanity was wiped out. There would certainly be a faction who would think we should forget higher learning and concentrate on pure survival skills.

The explanation for the illness and stillbirths is an interesting one and makes me want to read World Without Us or watch Life After People again. (The random flying cats still make me laugh).

It was also interesting to see how elders were revered in every society mentioned in the current times. They are the keepers of the tales of the Gone Times. It stands in sharp contrast to how elders are viewed in contemporary America where they are rarely revered for being keepers of the past.

The book also made me think about the role that information would play in post-apocalyptic earth. Eric may scoff at the man who thinks books are some sort of magical totem, but the truth is, Eric basically thinks of them the same way, only he's thinking about the information inside. He clearly feels that the information in the books will raise humanity to a higher level and in that way the books become a sort of magic totem for him as well.

A very interesting book with lots to think about.

Recommended. ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Aaron added it

Shelves: apocalyptic

Interesting style to wind forward and to wind back in alternating chapters, and weave the Son into the Father/Grandfather, and the Dad into the self. In some ways it was ok to leave details out, in others not so much. I was disappointed with some parts of the end (no spoilers). And some parts of the story I just don't get, and other parts I won't get. I'm glad it finally read it, though.
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Mar 31, 2017 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Shelves: post-apocalypse

Told in alternating chapters by 15- and 75-year-old Eric, a pretty straightforward post-apocalyptic tale of society changing/disappearing after a plague. Bonus points for libraries being a stronghold, a traveling adventure, and the main focus not being a mad dictator.

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