| A comet strikes the Earth, causing enough damage and disruption that civilization collapses overnight worldwide. The novel follows the struggles of various people to survive.
The luckiest ones are those who either live in the same reasonably isolated valley as U.S. Senator Arthur Jellison or who are able to get there and persuade him to let them stay. Among the latter are TV producer/director Harvey Randall and wealthy amateur astronomer Timothy Hamner, co-discover of the comet. Jellison is smart enough and tough enough to organize his friends and neighbors for self-protection and survival. A few others are able to do the same, though with less success. The vast majority, however, simply starve to death or kill each other for the rapidly dwindling available food and resources. Others find a different solution, forming a cannibal band that has to keep moving to feed itself. When the cannibals head toward the valley, a war erupts. | ||
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Plot & Themes FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes Explore: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 40 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Main Character Identity: - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Setting Earth setting: - 20th century Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only) - a fair amount of scientific explanation Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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