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Cannonball Read III: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

By Lizella | Posted Under Book Reviews | Comments (5)

alas babylon.jpg

I first read Alas, Babylon as required reading in 6th grade. I couldn’t remember the name of the book or author, but would remember bits and pieces and hoped I would run across it again one day. It was one of the first apocalyptic stories I read and introduced me to a genre that I have revisited frequently. After finally finding it again and giving it another read, it held up to my expectations.

Set in cold war America, Alas, Babylon explores the potential aftermath of nuclear war. While the specific circumstances of the threat to life as we know it may have changed, current threats are just as real, preserving its relevance. In many ways, the more technologically advanced our society becomes, the more varied and catastrophic the consequences.

Fort Repose, a small town in Florida is the setting for this survival story centered on a small group of neighbors. The book chronicles the hardships and triumphs, ingenuity and tenacity of people who have to figure out how to live without the necessities of modern life in a town cut off from the rest of the world. Frank explores the scenario in all aspects from loss of electricity and fuel, to the return to the barter system and upheaval of class and society infrastructure. The story’s structure puts the reader in the middle of the situation and makes you wonder how you would fare in similar circumstances. While Alas, Babylon does take some dark turns, on a whole, it is a story of hope despite an uncertain future.


For more of Lizella’s reviews, check out her blog, Lizella Reviews.

This review is part of Cannonball Read III. For more information, click here.









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Comments

I thought this was a pretty decent piece of PostApocLit (copyright 2011), but I had a really hard time keeping my head in the plot due to the casual racism and sexism that permeated it. I understand that it was a product of its time, but if I was a 6th grade English teacher I'd probably hesitate to assign it without an exploration of some of the subtler aspects of the book's setting.

Thanks for the review.

Posted by: Ian at March 2, 2011 9:41 AM

I read this at around the same age (grabbed it off my mom's shelf, along with Diary of a Mad Housewife and Flowers for Algernon). Haven't read it since but absolutely loved it at the time.

Posted by: Leah at March 2, 2011 12:49 PM

I love this book. The only problem I ever had with it (other than the racism and sexism of the time and all that) is in the final little exchange.

The entire book sets up this world where no one ever comes out ahead in a nuclear war, but America won "They really whooped 'em!". It's so...so...blech.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at March 2, 2011 3:26 PM

i've never heard of this book. i'll have to check it out, i love a good post-apocalyptic story.

The genre of post-nuclear war stories for children must be a narrow niche?

Posted by: idleprimate at March 2, 2011 5:58 PM

I'm getting my post-Apocalyptic fiction confused, then. Which one was it where there were just five nuclear bombs (some small number) detonated, but because of the trade winds, most of the world had been killed? And people were feeding cyanide capsules to their pets and children and everyone was in Australia because it was the last habitable...ON THE BEACH! That's it! Read it too.

Posted by: Tibbi at March 2, 2011 7:29 PM