Alas Babylon follows a group of survivors in a small town in Florida after the USA and USSR launch their nukes in a MAD war. I liked this book. On one hand I thought it felt dated, and on the other hand I really enjoyed peeking into the mindset of 1960 and the cold war era. I like post-apocalyptic books in general and this was no exception. I will give the writing a 3 out of 5 and the accuracy a 3 out of 5, but the story as a whole worked quite well. It follows the situations which might start a nuclear war, through the effects of the war, and how the survivors make due, come together, and manage to survive (or not survive in some cases). I thought it had a lot of practical information without being boring, and I liked some of the creative ways the survivors solved their problems. There are a few themes dealing with race and gender roles, but it was published in 1959 and I was expecting that. I also liked how the characters grew and discovered new purpose to their lives, and also the realization that after a nuclear event on this scale it wouldn’t really matter who had won the war.

Alas, Babylon

Pat Frank. Harper Perennial Modern Classics 2005, Paperback, 352 pages, $4.70