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Synopsis
The survivors of an H-bomb attack are forced to rely on their own resources amidst the ruins of Fort Repose.
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First Sentence
In Fort Repose, a river town in Central Florida, it was said that sending a message by Western Union was the same as broadcasting it over the combined networks. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
In Fort Repose, a river town in Central Florida, it was said that sending a message by Western Union was the same as broadcasting it over the combined networks. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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.
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.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have an affinity for post-apocolyptic novels. I was hesitant to purchase this novel because I was afraid that it would be too dated for me to enjoy. As it turned out, Alas, Babylon IS dated, but not so that it interfers with the story.
What I enjoyed the most was recognizing the context of the times that this story was written and the writer's attempt to address social issues of that era. Pat Frank made an obvious attempt to give women power; the President is a woman and a young girl saves the day by catching fish when no one else could. This is interesting because the battle for passage of the Civil Rights Amendment hadn't really begun when this book was written. Although I did find his discription of the women's need to have a man to take care of rather outdated. But, it was interesting because I can't imagine someone writing those types of stereotypes today. Also, the writer touches (however slightly) on southern segregation. I felt that he tip-toed around this subject a little too lightly, but I don't think that he was writing about that subject so his light treatment of racism and segregation didn't bother me too much.
All in all I enjoyed this novel immensly. I wouldn't be put off by the fact that it was written forty years ago either.
Now, can anyone recommend any other post-apocolyptic novels to me? Please send any recommendations to: Aphrodite0000@yahoo.com
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'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........
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Original 1950's Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction
Randy Bragg is living an unspectacular late 1950's existence in well-named Fort Repose, Florida. Things begin to change when he is contacted by his brother Mark, an Air Force... Read more
Published 11 months ago by John M. Ford
Could you survive after a nuclear attack?
I bought this book having read recommendations by other people. Alas, Babylon consistently features in top 10 recommendations for post-apocalyptic fiction and it is not difficult... Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by W. Jones
Alas, the passing of time
Written in 1959 and one of the first influential apocalyptic novels about the threat of nuclear holocaust, the tale follows the decisions of Randy Bragg, a Korean War veteran and... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2009 by Budge Burgess
Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank
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). Read more
odd years ago, and have read that original copy to peices over the years,(literally). Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2005 by Teresa Nieto
Excellent, a must read and still relevant today !
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. Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2000
Great as a teenager, even better now!
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! Read more
Published on 19 Aug 1999
Excellent - one of the best of it's genre!
I couldn't put it down; best post nuclear holocaust novel I've read since The Last Ship!
Published on 10 Aug 1999
one of the best books I read
It was an extraordinary real picture of human beings trying to struggle for their lives by catastrophe. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 1999
one of the best books I read
It was an extraordinary real picture of human beings trying to struggle for their lives by catastrophe. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 1999
a book worth reading
When I first began reading Alas, Babylon as part of my summer reading assignment for school, I imagined it would be very boring and not worth the trouble. Read more
Published on 21 July 1999
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