Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling

I first became fascinated with the "survival outside of civilization" plot line when I was about ten years old and read The Swiss Family Robinson. I read it over and over, fascinated with how clever and ingenious the family was in providing for themselves. The implausibility of such inventiveness with supplies that just happened to be on the wrecked ship never entered my mind. So, too, with Robinson Crusoe. I kind of skimmed over the preachy parts but loved the survival bits.

Fast forward to adulthood. Modern books of the survival genre could no longer depend on a small group or an individual being stranded alone on an island, because that was, of course, much less likely to happen. So writers turned to disasters to strand their characters, usually nuclear war. I remember Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, which alerted me to the importance of having a supply of salt in my survival supplies. Later I read The Stand by Stephen King and Swan Song by Robert McCammon, both of which feature a good-versus-evil, supernatural viewpoint, rather skimpy, however, on the details of what the survivors have to do to feed themselves. Then, more recently, came The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It was the most chilling, the most well written, and probably the most realistic of the lot.

Finally getting to the novel being reviewed--this is Stirling's take on the post-apocalypse. His disaster is selective: a bright pulse of light that knocks out all electrical devices, all gas-powered engines, and all guns. The source of the light is unknown (space aliens?), and it is impossible to learn the extent of the coverage. Two separate groups come together in separate places to try to survive, eventually coming together to help each other with their own special talents.

The Bearkiller clan is led by a fierce fighting man, who has trained his followers to battle against the inevitable bad guys. The Mackenzie clan is led by the High Priestess of a Wiccan coven, who has led her group into an agrarian lifestyle, farming, gardening, and stock tending. Happily met, indeed.

The most interesting part of this narrative, for me, was the introduction of Wiccan beliefs and practices, of which I knew next to nothing. Some internet research was in order, of course. That made it possible for me to somewhat accept the abundant coincidences which populate the novel, because in the Wiccan belief, "There are no coincidences." Time after time, the two groups happen upon people who have just the survival skills the group needs--experts in blacksmithing, horse training, archaic sword fighting, tactics for fighting with pre-gun weapons, hang-gliding, and so forth.

The part about survival on the land was fascinating. I was alerted to the importance of having seeds for crops and a reliable source of water. (What would you do if all electricity went out and the grocery stores in your cities ran out of food and the gas stations ran out of fuel?) I resolved to always have cash on hand to use before stores realized that the end had come and paper money would soon have no value. I was clued-in about which supplies I should hoard--not cans (too heavy to carry enough) but dried foods, like rice, beans, jerky, and fruit. And matches, and a couple of pans, and the awareness of somewhere I could buy or steal a horse. Not that I will do any of this, but maybe I should.

The part about fighting the bad guys was not so interesting to me. I know we have predators around us who are kept somewhat in check from widespread mayhem by civilization, but as a somewhat wimpy, old female, I cannot imagine myself fighting them. This part is rather detailed and would be interesting to guys, I would expect.

All-in-all, I would say this is certainly an interesting read, although not a classic in the genre.