Earth Abides
George R. Stewart Book Review

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Plot Summary of Earth Abides

"In this novel, George R. Stewart takes the reader on an exploration of de-evolution beginning with a plague that wipes out 95% of the human race. The main character is Isherwood, a geographer, who has miraculously survived the illness and is now left with rebuilding civilization. Driving his car Ish, he begins his journey through what is left of his world.

This book has a unique perspective since it is told from Isherwood's perspective as a geographer. He does all the things one would expect from someone in this position, he goes to his parents home, he looks for food, and most importantly, he looks around himself. Ish describes what is happening to the world around him, to the plants, animals, buildings, and streets, and eventually to the people around him. As he moves through what is left of his hometown, Isherwood begins to find other survivors. This group forms a tribe and lives as scavengers, finding food and clothing in old stores and using electricity and water from the pre-plague era. Soon enough, these systems fail, and Ish realizes that the tribe must learn to live off the land if humanity is to survive. He teaches the tribe members how to hunt with the bow and arrow and how to make new tools from the remnants of a dead civilization.

In the end, Isherwood becomes a relic of a forgotten time, but his legacy lives on in those he has guided through to a new dawn.

Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout.

"
Deana Cox, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Earth Abides

Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 60%

Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - surviving a post environmental/nuclear disaster
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books to Earth Abides
Haint by Joy Ward
The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner
Thinning the Herd by David L. Fraley
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
Domain by James Herbert

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George R. Stewart Resident Scholar Profiles

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Deana Cox

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Earth Abides George R. Stewart Book Review

Earth Abides
George R. Stewart Book Review