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Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sci-Fi lit spawned from the Cold War holds a certain fascination for me. I find it so interesting to see how authors thought about the future and how those specific historical events shaped their vision. This book was written right in the midst of the Cold War and presents a what-if scenario. What if the USSR did push that red button and bomb not only the US, but all over the world? What if the US retaliated? Set in Florida (so even more interesting since that is where I'm currently living), the book follows the lives of a small community and how they survive post-bombing.It is interesting to note that since this book was written in the 50's, the attitude towards African-Americans and women is very noticeably dated. While this can be annoying at times (particularly the woman thing!) it is also interesting as a historical study of the time period. Overall, I really recommend reading this one. I'm very glad I did.

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