Synopsis
A disease of unparalleled destructive force has sprung up almost simultaneously in every corner of the globe, all but destroying the human race. One survivor, strangely immune to the effects of the epidemic, ventures forward to experience a world without man. What he ultimately discovers will prove far more astonishing than anything he'd either dreaded or hoped for.
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Review
Generally regarded as the classic tale of life struggling on after a global disaster, Earth Abides (1949) was George R. Stewart's only venture into SF. Before the first page the human race has been almost completely wiped out by plague. Our hero Isherwood "Ish" Williams discovers a female survivor and fumblingly tries to bring up a new civilization in the ruins of California. It's an elegiac story of loss as humanity makes it through the crisis, at the cost of our race's painfully gathered knowledge--which seems irrelevant to the new generations as they develop a hunter-gatherer society reminiscent of the old Amerindian tribes, and see no practicality in the fabulous tales of the old days told them by Ish. His nickname is deliberately reminiscent of Ishi, the once famous Californian Indian who was also the last of his tribe and became a misfit in a new world, in his case early 20th-century America. Annoyingly for fans of survivalist SF who reckon civilization can be rebuilt in about a month with a Swiss army knife, Earth Abides proposes that the cycle of regrowth will take significant time ... but there is always time. Stewart's title and epigraph echo the Book of Ecclesiastes: "Men go and come, but Earth abides." One of the sadder, gentler Millennium SF Masterworks reissues. --David Langford
About the Author
George R. Stewart (1895-1980) was a Professor of English at the University of California. He published a number of novels, including two studies of natural catastrophe, Storm and Fire. Earth Abides is his only work of science fiction.
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Earth Abides
Seller: -OnTimeBooks-, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
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Condition: very_good. Gently read. May have name of previous ownership, or ex-library edition. Binding tight; spine straight and smooth, with no creasing; covers clean and crisp. Minimal signs of handling or shelving. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation, if you're not satisfied with purchase please return item! Ships USPS Media Mail. Seller Inventory # OTV.0449213013.VG
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Earth Abides
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Unknown. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0449213013I5N00
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Earth Abides
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
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Unknown. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0449213013I4N00
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Earth Abides
Seller: ThriftBooks-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
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Unknown. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0449213013I5N00
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Earth Abides
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
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Unknown. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0449213013I5N00
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Earth Abides
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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Unknown. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0449213013I5N00
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Earth Abides
Seller: ABC Books, Springfield, MO, U.S.A.
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mass_market. Condition: Acceptable. Cover has light shelf and edge wear. Creasing to spine. Tanning and discoloring to pages and page edges. No apparent marks throughout this book. Kept in plastic sleeve for protection. Tracking available on most domestic orders. Seller Inventory # mon0000411570
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Earth Abides
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # 47I84_17_0449213013
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Earth Abides
Seller: BennettBooksLtd, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
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paperback. Condition: New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! Seller Inventory # Q-0449213013