Star's Reach: A Novel Of The Deindustrial Future

Like everything Greer writes, this novel of the "deindustrial future" is thoughtful, delightfully readable, and more complex than it initially appears. The story's narrator, a professional scavenger in a future North America reduced to poverty by fossil fuel depletion and climate change, finds a clue to the location of a place, long considered a mere legend, where the government of the former United States communicated with aliens. Fascinated, he dedicates himself to searching for it, crisscrossing half the continent, collaborating with half a dozen interesting characters, and through them getting accidentally involved in national politics. Without spoilers: the outcome of the quest is quite satisfying but not at all the trite sci-fi resolution a different author might have given us. While the protagonist expresses his voice in straightforward, simple language appropriate to a young man of considerable intelligence but limited education, the overall plot structure is complex, nonlinear and carefully planned, often giving teasers about momentous past events then making the reader wait several chapters to find out what happened. The projection of what eastern America might look like environmentally and economically in a couple of centuries is interesting and mostly plausible, if jazzed up a bit for the sake of fiction. The successor culture Greer creates for the story is poor compared to ours and hardly utopian, but also not dystopian. It includes what might be called a "neo-neopagan" environmental consciousness embraced by the entire public (which is perhaps too much to hope for on that timescale) and significant roles for women in politics and what's left of academia (in contrast to the apparent assumption of some male declinist writers that as soon as times get tough, women will go cheerfully back to total subordination). The book is highly recommended.

Summary: A compelling story of a post-fossil-fuel world, with solid characters and a deft handling of material that could easily have veered off into heavy-handed preaching or trite rehash. Well worth the time and money. Pros: I like "quest" stories, so this appealed to me. I had not followed along as Mr. Greer evolved it online, but I devoured it over the course of two days after I bought it. Trey and his merry band were likeable and, in the context of the story, well fleshed out, not cardboard mouthpieces of political views. There was a solid mix of action and philosophy (for lack of a better term) interspersed with the mechanics of daily life in a world with radically reduced energy supplies. Knowing something about breaking up concrete, shoring up structures, etc. (which play a key role, especially early on) it was enjoyable to find that as reasonably accurate. The nuclear stuff was actually handled well too, which surprised me even more than how well the structure material was presented. The plot was coherent and the world as presented in the novel made sense based on the back story, Cons: Very few cons. Some of the characters introduced in the second half of the story could have used a bit more fleshing out (mainly because they were so interesting that I wanted to know more). The wrap-up of the story strained credulity a little, but it worked. All in all an outstanding work of speculative fiction well worth your time, and one I expect to reread with profit in the future.

Great world building. Contrary to one of the previous reviewers, I liked the bastardization of the place names ("Cago" is Chicago, etc). The story is interesting, the premise plausible. John Michael Greer tells the future de-industrialization without being heavy handed. The mix of rudimentary technology and bumpkin ways was believable. The only thing that was disconcerting was the abrupt shift from the journey to being in Star's Reach and telling the rest of the story in flashback. The General is introduced with "The Jennel and I became good friends before we got to Star's Reach. Now he is dead." (paraphrase). This took away some of the suspense. Once got used to this shift in style I liked the book.

I love science fiction that explores possible futures or worlds while respecting scientific knowledge and logic. This book excels in this. The first chapter started a bit slowly for me, but the pace picked up rapidly and it was a gripping read. I have become despondent in recent years about the coming collapse of the old world. This book envisions it almost exactly as I have figured it out. The colllapse is easily avoidable, if we make the effort, but trends are toward destruction and the harder I work to prevent collapse, the more I feel marginalized. Star's Reach presents a sober reality and talks of the rebuilding process. In this way it is more hopeful to me than any amount of pie-in-the-sky platitudes about how collapse cannot happen. I would really love to discuss this book with someone who is wedded to old world ideas, but I don't think it will happen.

Star's Reach is set in a post-disaster world, but unlike any other I have encountered. Although much has changed over time, the reader is given clues to recognize the original names, places and institutions. This is no dystopian future, but a portrait, carefully constructed of a world built on the bones of an older world. Even though there are no illustrations, it almost seems that there are photographs accompanying every scene. I feel that I know this place and I can see it in my mind. It seems like a glimpse into a true future, strange and beautiful. I find myself making connections with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. There is a quest, a band of comrades and a need to deal with power and evil. But the tale can only work out its meaning against the background of a fully realized world. As 'Middle Earth' has been described as the main character of Tolkien's trilogy, I would say that the same is true for the world of Star's Reach.

Ich kannte Michael John Greer bisher von seinen Sachbüchern her. Als 'Erzdruide' einer amerikanischen Druidengruppe und Autor eines Blogs ('The Archdruid Report'), in dem er sicher kontrovers, aber immer fundiert und spannend über 'Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society' schreibt, habe ich 'The Long Descent', 'The Ecotechnic Future' und 'The Wealth of Nature' verschlungen. Warum es also nicht einmal mit einem seiner Romane versuchen? Es ist immer ein Problem, wenn Leute mit einer (politischen) Agenda versuchen, ihre Theorien in Romanform zu gießen: Zu oft kommt dabei eine (wie ich es nenne) 'Zeigefinger-Literatur' heraus, in der (Partei-)Programme von Papiercharakteren mit verteilten Rollen verlesen werden. Dieses Buch wird aber, denke ich, allen Spaß machen, die Klassiker des Genres (wie z.B. Millers 'A Canticle for Leibowitz') mögen. Zum Inhalt: Mehrere hundert Jahre nachdem die fossilen Energieressourcen erschöpft sind, ist aus Amerika ein geteilter Kontinent geworden. Es gibt 'Meriga', 'Meyco', 'Genda', 'Nuwinga'. Die noch existierenden Städte heißen 'Sanloo', 'Sisnaddi', 'Shanuga' oder 'Troy' (dem ehemaligen Zentrum der Automobilindustrie, von dem erzählt wird, das es in einem zehnjährigen Krieg einem Mann namens 'Dizzy' gelang, die Stadt mit einer List einzunehmen, wobei unklar ist, wie dieser Mythos damit zusammenhängt, dass dieser gleiche 'Dizzy' auch berühmt dafür war, ein Instrument in Memfis und Sanloo zu spielen). Überhaupt ist es ein großer Spaß, herauszufinden, was mit Städte- und Ländernamen gemeint ist (es gibt z.B. Regionen wie 'Aiwa', 'Tucki' und 'Cairline', Flüsse wie den 'Misipi' und den 'Suri' und Länder wie 'Genda'). Technik gibt es noch, aber auf einem niedrigen Niveau, und selbst die wird von den Priesterinnen der neuen Religion, die 'Mam Gaia' verehrt, misstrauisch beäugt und darauf überprüft, ob daraus Gefahren erwachsen können, die zu ähnlichen (Umwelt-)Katastrophen führen würden, die die 'Alte Welt' untergehen ließ (überhaupt ist es ein Vorzug des Buches, weder eine Utopie noch eine Dystopie zu beschreiben: bei aller Sympathie des Autors für die Gesellschaft, die er beschreibt und die er in seinen Sachbüchern für wahrscheinlich hält, blendet er die möglichen unschönen Szenen, die daraus resultieren könnten, nicht aus - am bedrückendsten vielleicht dargestellt in einer Szene, in der ein Handwerker, der eine noch nicht versiegte Erdgasquelle entdeckt hat und sie illegal ausbeuten wollte, jetzt unter der Litanei der Priesterinnen lebendig begraben wird oder in der Beschreibung des 'Circle', eines gesellschaftlich einflussreichen Frauenbundes). Die Gilde der 'Ruinman' schlachtet die Überreste der 'Alten Welt' aus, um Metalle, Gebrauchsgegenstände und andere noch verwendungsfähige Artefakte einer neuen Verwendung zuführen zu können (sozusagen Eisenträger aus Hochhäusern zu Pflugscharen). Trey, die Hauptperson, stößt dabei auf Dokumente über 'Star's Reach', einem Projekt, das in der 'Alten Welt' Kontakt mit Außeririschen herstellen sollte (und das - wie es sich zeigt - auch erfolgreich war). Die Suche nach 'Star's Reach' führt Trey auf eine Reise über den amerikanischen Kontinent, lässt ihn Freunde an unerwarteten Stellen finden, Freunde.zu Feinden werden und Feinde zu Freunden. Es gibt kaum ein Kapitel ohne eine überraschende Wendung in der Geschichte; Selbst Nebenfiguren (ich denke z.B. an Treys erste große Liebe) sind mit einer solchen Palette an Farben gemalt, dass sie lebendig werden und viel mehr als bloße Staffage sind. Schriftstellerisch beherrscht Greer alle 'tricks of the trade': Er findet eine adäquate Sprache, er macht auch unwahrscheinliche Ereignisse psychologisch glaubhaft, er macht, dass wir seine Figuren mögen, ohne ihre negativen Seiten zu unterschlagen (na ja, Trey ist schon nahe an 'perfekt' - leider kann man keinen zehntel Stern abziehen...). Wer Science Fiction mit philosophischen Gehalt mag, sollte diese Buch lesen. Wer keine Science Fiction mag, könnte mit diesem Buch vielleicht sein (Vor-)Urteil überwinden.

Amazing book, I was hooked from the start. Skillfully blends in the practical realities of a post industrial world with scifi adventure.

The vision of a radically changed mid-West American landscape, some 400 years in the future--recognizable and at the same time strange and challenging, is of a different order to most science fiction futures that are on the market today. John Michael Greer has provided both characters and plot that--for once--make readers think about what the future might ACTUALLY be like (not what it will be, but what it might be like). He writes of an America affected by climate change and political disintegration, and not the usual stuff of alien invasions, nuclear devastation, world-straddling super governments, super-techno/cyber stuff, and so on. Instead, he writes about people living their lives in a civilization that has declined and entered a period which can be described as it's dark age. The challenges of such a time, and the possible changes that might occur to bring about a rebirth of civilization make this book REQUIRED reading for anyone who is tired of the George Jetson future we're all still waiting for. Read this to get something different for a change.

A reality shower in form of fiction. Happens by a time when we will be a memory, and a not so happy one by the way. Wonderful writer, wonderful book.

An entertaining read of a possible de-industrial future, where the inheritors of the USA survive by cannibalizing resources like steel the old ruins of a world destroyed by climate change. Some current military and civilian institutions have evolved....but some have devolved, and new traditions, religions and dogma have arisen.