Alas, Babylon

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Perfect storytelling, simple but so so effective - Rated
Nuclear war viewed through the eyes of a small isolated Florida community.

It seemed to me from reading the blurb that any story that didn't move location in its entirety must be somewhat lacking in its lasting appeal to the reader. Oh how I was wrong.

First off, I am a big sucker for this kind of apolcalyptic tale, stories where a small group of people watch society fall apart around them are perfect for portraying not only the often overlooked fragility of modern life but also the inherent animal strength of mankind forced to survive in a world torn apart.

Because of this Alas Babylon is one of my favourite ever novels, vying with the Day of the Triffids for that crown but where that story is fantastical and science fiction this is oh so real and chillingly possible.

I could go on for pages praising this book and its author but I won't! Suffice to say, this is an incredible novel. Not for fantastical settings or powerful character dynamics but for the simple and yet effective style in which it illustrates the world we know (albeit a somewhat old fashioned world) being blown apart and an average guy striving to look after those he loves.

For anyone who ever looked at the world around them and thought... What if? What if suddenly everything we rely on and base ourselves on was stripped away. Would I survive? Read it and find out.

Worth a look........ - Rated
'Alas, Babylon' is a novel that falls into the post disaster category, being about a Florida community trying to survive the aftermath of a nuclear war. It could be acccused of being a 'cosy catastrophe' - despite a continental holocaust little really bad happens to the main character and he actually seems to benefit from the experience in many ways. However, it is well written and since it was originally published in 1959 it gives an insight into the politics and societial structures of the time. If (like me) you've enjoyed the catastrophe literature of John Wyndham and John Christopher it's certainly worth a look......pity about the really flimsy covers of this edition though........

Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank - Rated
I first read this book when I was twelve or thirteen, some thirty
odd years ago, and have read that original copy to peices over the years,(literally). Its story of the survival of one small town in Florida, in the afermath of a nuclear war is unfortunately as timely and poiniant today as it was back in the 1960's when I first read it. Today's worldwide political situations come to mind. I would recomend the reading of this book, for not only is it thought provocing, but its also a terrific storey.

Excellent, a must read and still relevant today ! - Rated
This book is excellent. One has only to think of Yugoslavia or the worst-case-scenarios of the Y2K problem to see how timely this book really is. It is a study of survival What makes it unique amongst such stories is that the focus is on the survival of the community as a whole, not just an individual. Most stories of the collapse of civilization are about its effect on one individual. The collapse of civilization becomes nothing more than a backdrop for exciting and heroic personal adventures. This novel was first published during the Cold War (in 1960) nearly 40 years ago. Since the Cold War is over, isn't it hopelessly out of date? Sadly, it is not. One has only to watch the evening news to see how grimly relevant it is.

Pat Frank states in the Foreword that his purpose was to show realistically how terrible a nuclear war would be. His theme is stated and restated, that there will be no winners, no victors in such a war. All will be destroyed. Ironically, this is the one area where the book is out-of-date. It was written before we knew about nuclear winter. Also, too many atomic bombs fall. The radiation level would be much higher than he portrays. Realistically, there would be no survivors.

This flaw is what makes the book relevant and valuable. Forget a nuclear war between two superpowers. The true subject of the book is to look at what happens to a small town that is suddenly and totally isolated. What happens to the ordinary citizen? What happens to Randy, his family and his friends?

Alas, Babylon is utterly realistic. The town has to learn to defend itself -- so that it can then cope with the truly serious problems of survival. I'm not going to say what solutions are found.

I am going to recommend reading this book.

One only has to watch the news to realise how real this story is. It could happen anytime, you only have to look at the Middle East and Yugoslavia to see how real this book is.

Read it!

Great as a teenager, even better now! - Rated
I read Alas, Babylon in high school and thought it was a fantasic story. I have had to re-purchase this book a number of times...friends loved it and kept it. I now have it again! Pat Frank takes you to an earlier Florida and sets you in a atomic war haven. Would you survive?