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The Deluge
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2023)From the bestselling author of Ohio, a masterful American epic charting a near future approaching collapse and a nascent but strengthening solidarity.
In the first decades of the 21st century, the world is convulsing, its governments mired in gridlock while a patient but unrelenting ecological crisis looms. America is in upheaval, battered by violent weather and extreme politics. In California in 2013, Tony Pietrus, a scientist studying deposits of undersea methane, receives a death threat. His fate will become bound to a stunning cast of characters—a broken drug addict, a star advertising strategist, a neurodivergent mathematician, a cunning eco-terrorist, an actor turned religious zealot, and a brazen young activist named Kate Morris, who, in the mountains of Wyoming, begins a project that will alter the course of the decades to come.
From the Gulf Coast to Los Angeles, the Midwest to Washington, DC, their intertwined odysseys unfold against a stark backdrop of accelerating chaos as they summon courage, galvanize a nation, fall to their own fear, and find wild hope in the face of staggering odds. As their stories hurtle toward a spectacular climax, each faces a reckoning: what will they sacrifice to salvage humanity’s last chance at a future? A singular achievement, The Deluge is a once-in-a-generation novel that meets the moment as few works of art ever have.
In the first decades of the 21st century, the world is convulsing, its governments mired in gridlock while a patient but unrelenting ecological crisis looms. America is in upheaval, battered by violent weather and extreme politics. In California in 2013, Tony Pietrus, a scientist studying deposits of undersea methane, receives a death threat. His fate will become bound to a stunning cast of characters—a broken drug addict, a star advertising strategist, a neurodivergent mathematician, a cunning eco-terrorist, an actor turned religious zealot, and a brazen young activist named Kate Morris, who, in the mountains of Wyoming, begins a project that will alter the course of the decades to come.
From the Gulf Coast to Los Angeles, the Midwest to Washington, DC, their intertwined odysseys unfold against a stark backdrop of accelerating chaos as they summon courage, galvanize a nation, fall to their own fear, and find wild hope in the face of staggering odds. As their stories hurtle toward a spectacular climax, each faces a reckoning: what will they sacrifice to salvage humanity’s last chance at a future? A singular achievement, The Deluge is a once-in-a-generation novel that meets the moment as few works of art ever have.
896 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
About the author
Stephen Markley
7 books902 followersStephen Markley's debut novel "Ohio" will be published in August of 2018 by Simon and Schuster.
Markley is the author of the memoir "Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold, and Published This Very Book" (2010) and the travelogue "Tales of Iceland."
His work has appeared in Paste Magazine, Slate.com, The Iowa Review, Chicago's RedEye, The Week, The Chicago Tribune, The Rumpus, Weber: A Study of the Contemporary West, and the Chicago Reader. He’s also the author of the e-reader short "The Great Dysmorphia: An Epistemological View of Ingesting Hallucinogenic Mushrooms at a 2012 Republican Presidential Debate."
Markley is the author of the memoir "Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold, and Published This Very Book" (2010) and the travelogue "Tales of Iceland."
His work has appeared in Paste Magazine, Slate.com, The Iowa Review, Chicago's RedEye, The Week, The Chicago Tribune, The Rumpus, Weber: A Study of the Contemporary West, and the Chicago Reader. He’s also the author of the e-reader short "The Great Dysmorphia: An Epistemological View of Ingesting Hallucinogenic Mushrooms at a 2012 Republican Presidential Debate."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 975 reviews
October 2, 2022
4.5 Stars
In 2018 I read Markley’s ’Ohio’, also a story of the changing of America, but set in the years of the recession in small town America. The disenchantment that follows as life begins to morph from those idyllic memories of what once was into something they don’t recognize.
In comparison, ’Ohio’ was a walk in the park compared to Markley’s latest, ’The Deluge’, in both length as well as the scope of this story as he tackles the years that begin in 2013 up through the present and beyond - politics and politicians, and the ever growing threat of climate change and how those that deny or ignore the threat are in for an awakening, as well as those politically motivated to prevent anything that would threaten their wealth and status. Religious ‘leaders’ who insist that there is no need to worry about the ocean rising, taking over the land, destroying towns in their path.
This is an epic story, epic in length and in scope - covering 2013 to 2040, in nearly 900 pages. This story is shared so realistically that it feels as though it is more of a prophecy than fiction. And that prophecy is beyond alarming.
It should come as no surprise that the there are those people in this story who are activists trying to make others realize that the changing climate poses a real threat, as well as others who either don’t care or don’t believe, who won’t listen or have too much invested financially in certain companies that will never agree with the need for change.
This was a hard one to read at first, not because it wasn’t well written but there are so many characters, and so much going on at the start. This is an epic read so I tried to set aside a little bit more time to read this, at least all the days after except for one. Depending on what year you were born in, this is a topic that many of us have been following since before The New Seekers song ’ I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’ attempted to bond the world in harmony in 1971 - which then ended up as a song used to sell Coca Cola…
This isn’t a book anyone will say ‘I couldn’t put this down!’, but it is one that I became invested in the more that I read it. There are often very disturbing moments, but there are also some beautiful moments that share the lengths we will go to in order to protect those we love, including putting ourselves in harm’s way. The generosity of strangers, as well as the evil in others. Politics and politicians - both those names we know (including Trump, albeit somewhat briefly) and those we don’t - play a major role, along with those who will spend their lives, some risking their lives, to make sure that the rising temperatures of the earth, and thus the seas, will be seen for what it is. This also includes an evangelical preacher who runs for office on the premise that he will save the planet through his prayers.
Many organizations and companies are formed claiming to have solutions to the global crisis, but not all are in it for the right reasons. Money is most often a factor. As this story progresses, as time passes, the threat becomes even more real. A threat to all the earth, to all humanity.
Throughout this story, Markley’s story keeps us aware of how serious this is, how little time we truly have before it’s too late to change the course, and also of how little a not insignificant percentage of people prefer to continue living as though the crisis is a figment of someone else’s imagination, as though the scientists and those people who understand and believe in science are the ones lying. There is also a focus on family, health, families and love, as well as much more.
While this story is fictional, the science is not. At times, a disturbingly realistic story, reflecting on the recent years of divisions in the world as well as the dangers of the rising temperatures and the rising seas, and the need for resolution before it is too late.
Pub Date: 10 Jan 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster
In 2018 I read Markley’s ’Ohio’, also a story of the changing of America, but set in the years of the recession in small town America. The disenchantment that follows as life begins to morph from those idyllic memories of what once was into something they don’t recognize.
In comparison, ’Ohio’ was a walk in the park compared to Markley’s latest, ’The Deluge’, in both length as well as the scope of this story as he tackles the years that begin in 2013 up through the present and beyond - politics and politicians, and the ever growing threat of climate change and how those that deny or ignore the threat are in for an awakening, as well as those politically motivated to prevent anything that would threaten their wealth and status. Religious ‘leaders’ who insist that there is no need to worry about the ocean rising, taking over the land, destroying towns in their path.
This is an epic story, epic in length and in scope - covering 2013 to 2040, in nearly 900 pages. This story is shared so realistically that it feels as though it is more of a prophecy than fiction. And that prophecy is beyond alarming.
It should come as no surprise that the there are those people in this story who are activists trying to make others realize that the changing climate poses a real threat, as well as others who either don’t care or don’t believe, who won’t listen or have too much invested financially in certain companies that will never agree with the need for change.
This was a hard one to read at first, not because it wasn’t well written but there are so many characters, and so much going on at the start. This is an epic read so I tried to set aside a little bit more time to read this, at least all the days after except for one. Depending on what year you were born in, this is a topic that many of us have been following since before The New Seekers song ’ I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’ attempted to bond the world in harmony in 1971 - which then ended up as a song used to sell Coca Cola…
This isn’t a book anyone will say ‘I couldn’t put this down!’, but it is one that I became invested in the more that I read it. There are often very disturbing moments, but there are also some beautiful moments that share the lengths we will go to in order to protect those we love, including putting ourselves in harm’s way. The generosity of strangers, as well as the evil in others. Politics and politicians - both those names we know (including Trump, albeit somewhat briefly) and those we don’t - play a major role, along with those who will spend their lives, some risking their lives, to make sure that the rising temperatures of the earth, and thus the seas, will be seen for what it is. This also includes an evangelical preacher who runs for office on the premise that he will save the planet through his prayers.
Many organizations and companies are formed claiming to have solutions to the global crisis, but not all are in it for the right reasons. Money is most often a factor. As this story progresses, as time passes, the threat becomes even more real. A threat to all the earth, to all humanity.
Throughout this story, Markley’s story keeps us aware of how serious this is, how little time we truly have before it’s too late to change the course, and also of how little a not insignificant percentage of people prefer to continue living as though the crisis is a figment of someone else’s imagination, as though the scientists and those people who understand and believe in science are the ones lying. There is also a focus on family, health, families and love, as well as much more.
While this story is fictional, the science is not. At times, a disturbingly realistic story, reflecting on the recent years of divisions in the world as well as the dangers of the rising temperatures and the rising seas, and the need for resolution before it is too late.
Pub Date: 10 Jan 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster
June 14, 2022
When I sat down to pen this review, I found myself somewhat stymied. Did I enjoy the book? Honestly, not so much. I am a post-apocalyptic fan and have stepped into some fairly treacherous trenches as far as the genre is concerned. At first blush, I assumed that this would be another in an extensive line of end-of-the-world fluff. Consider me schooled. This was a terrifying long haul journey through years of ignored climate change and devastating consequences, as author Stephen Markley pushes his foot on the gas and belts through intersecting narratives that, at their heart, document the earth’s demise. Did I mention it was terrifying? Dust bowl conditions, widespread global flooding and never before seen high temperatures take their toll on life as we know it and infect the very fabric of what it is to be human.
As for the quality of Markley’s writing, well that depends upon the criteria to which you hold the piece accountable. At just under 1,000 pages, it takes determination and patience to wade through the dense text in search of that pullable thread. It’s definitely there, but to find it requires wading though page after page of extraneous “stuff”. The snapshot narratives, interspersed with news stories, press releases and shared memos, are all arranged in a chronological(ish) format that deviates at will and the bemusement of the speaker-of-the-moment. It feels at times that the reader is stuck tumbling in the wheel that must never stop spinning in Markley’s head, as both the left and right are eviscerated and exposed for their over-sold dog and pony shows that amount to absolutely nothing in terms of meaningful change. The research behind these pages must be measurable only in mountains.
The author introduces an almost unwieldy cast of characters to deliver his warning—characters who cross paths then veer in distinctly different directions, though to eliminate even one would tear at the integrity of the story being told. Perhaps, as mentioned previously, making more judicious use of the minutiae would have made the text more approachable to the masses who need to read it. Often I’ve complained of other books that an author chooses either breadth or depth, one often at the peril of the other. Here, Markley makes no such concessions, insisting on tiny details, caught beneath a widely cast net, to the final page.
With all of that said, clearly exposing my prejudice for easy beach reads, this is a book that is of great import and a must read eye-opener for everyone—regardless of the tenacity one may have to muster to do so. Above all, Markley consistently drives home the urgency of our attention and, most importantly, our ACTION, before it’s too late to address and reverse the incomprehensible damage we are inflicting upon our world.
I believe in the not so distant future, we will look back at this cautionary tale and hail Markley a prophet, though of our successes or failures lies at the crux of the action he is able to mobilize.
Thanks to Simon and Shuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for review. Publication is set for January 10, 2023. The sooner the better.
As for the quality of Markley’s writing, well that depends upon the criteria to which you hold the piece accountable. At just under 1,000 pages, it takes determination and patience to wade through the dense text in search of that pullable thread. It’s definitely there, but to find it requires wading though page after page of extraneous “stuff”. The snapshot narratives, interspersed with news stories, press releases and shared memos, are all arranged in a chronological(ish) format that deviates at will and the bemusement of the speaker-of-the-moment. It feels at times that the reader is stuck tumbling in the wheel that must never stop spinning in Markley’s head, as both the left and right are eviscerated and exposed for their over-sold dog and pony shows that amount to absolutely nothing in terms of meaningful change. The research behind these pages must be measurable only in mountains.
The author introduces an almost unwieldy cast of characters to deliver his warning—characters who cross paths then veer in distinctly different directions, though to eliminate even one would tear at the integrity of the story being told. Perhaps, as mentioned previously, making more judicious use of the minutiae would have made the text more approachable to the masses who need to read it. Often I’ve complained of other books that an author chooses either breadth or depth, one often at the peril of the other. Here, Markley makes no such concessions, insisting on tiny details, caught beneath a widely cast net, to the final page.
With all of that said, clearly exposing my prejudice for easy beach reads, this is a book that is of great import and a must read eye-opener for everyone—regardless of the tenacity one may have to muster to do so. Above all, Markley consistently drives home the urgency of our attention and, most importantly, our ACTION, before it’s too late to address and reverse the incomprehensible damage we are inflicting upon our world.
I believe in the not so distant future, we will look back at this cautionary tale and hail Markley a prophet, though of our successes or failures lies at the crux of the action he is able to mobilize.
Thanks to Simon and Shuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for review. Publication is set for January 10, 2023. The sooner the better.
January 14, 2023
Markley’s debut novel, Ohio, came out in 2018, and it was one of the year’s best that I promoted at the end of the year on my blog, Seattle Book Mama. I loved it so much that I was convinced that anything this author wrote would be golden. So when Simon and Schuster invited me to read and review his next book, The Deluge, I was delighted. But although I am grateful to the publisher and Net Galley for including me, I cannot bring myself to finish this thing. I suspect Markley may have bitten off more than he can chew, because it’s kind of a mess.
To be fair, I have only read the first twenty percent, but since the book is 900 pages in length, that’s a chunk. After all of that, I can’t even keep the characters straight, let alone bond with them. One character, Kate, seems to hold the most promise, but just as I begin to develop interest, we transition to a different character—or news article, or whatever—in a manner that feels abrupt and jerky. Some of these characters appear more than once, and other may have, but I’m not even sure of it. There’s one horrifying rapist that speaks to the reader intimately and in the second person, and he gives me the heebie-jeebies so badly that I am glad to move on to someone else. That guy—whatever his name is—and Kate are the only two I can identify, sort of. I’m a language arts teacher. Good luck to everybody else.
I do understand that the overall message has to do with the environmental ruin that is marching toward us at an alarming pace. Markley isn’t wrong to sound the alarm, although it may in large part be a case of preaching to the choir; the most concerned among us are probably the most likely to read this book. At the same time, some of us have been following this horrifying debacle since the ‘70s, or the ‘80s, and when one is already virtually hyperventilating with alarm over this issue, reading this novel doesn’t do much good.
But more to the point, fiction is an excellent medium to promote an urgent political cause, but it’s only effective when the other story elements are outstanding. When the format doesn’t do justice to the characters or provide clarity to the reader, the effort is wasted.
I read other reviews saying that if one patiently reads the chaotic scramble at the beginning, eventually it will all come together and make sense, but honestly, if nothing makes sense two hundred pages in, then you can stick a fork in me, cause I’m done.
To be fair, I have only read the first twenty percent, but since the book is 900 pages in length, that’s a chunk. After all of that, I can’t even keep the characters straight, let alone bond with them. One character, Kate, seems to hold the most promise, but just as I begin to develop interest, we transition to a different character—or news article, or whatever—in a manner that feels abrupt and jerky. Some of these characters appear more than once, and other may have, but I’m not even sure of it. There’s one horrifying rapist that speaks to the reader intimately and in the second person, and he gives me the heebie-jeebies so badly that I am glad to move on to someone else. That guy—whatever his name is—and Kate are the only two I can identify, sort of. I’m a language arts teacher. Good luck to everybody else.
I do understand that the overall message has to do with the environmental ruin that is marching toward us at an alarming pace. Markley isn’t wrong to sound the alarm, although it may in large part be a case of preaching to the choir; the most concerned among us are probably the most likely to read this book. At the same time, some of us have been following this horrifying debacle since the ‘70s, or the ‘80s, and when one is already virtually hyperventilating with alarm over this issue, reading this novel doesn’t do much good.
But more to the point, fiction is an excellent medium to promote an urgent political cause, but it’s only effective when the other story elements are outstanding. When the format doesn’t do justice to the characters or provide clarity to the reader, the effort is wasted.
I read other reviews saying that if one patiently reads the chaotic scramble at the beginning, eventually it will all come together and make sense, but honestly, if nothing makes sense two hundred pages in, then you can stick a fork in me, cause I’m done.
January 22, 2023
Wow what a fucking achievement. *updated* everyone who is calling this a “post apocalyptic”novel, stop! This book is so goddamn realistic. No apocalypse happens,it is simply political downfall and climate change! Get your head out of your ass. This books is miraculous. All the people with 1 star ratings seem to have stopped at 100-200 pages, how can you judge a 900 page novel of such magnitude and depth with only reading 100 pages!? I’m baffled also by the fact a lot of these readers prefer YA or beach reads, yea no shit you’re not going to like this book. This is on the level of an infinite jest, a Thomas Pynchon, a masterpiece. A dire and sad outlook on our country and this world as a whole
“When you’re born into this world you’re given a ticket to the freak show. If you’re born in America you get a front row seat.”
.
The Deluge can be called nothing but an epic American novel traversing the mid 2000’s to roughly the year 2040, rummaging with ease through our sociopolitical climate, the backhanded politics and corruption, but most importantly the looming climate crises as we tailspin into an unknown desperation of nothingness. Markley has spent the majority of ten years on this novel, researching and piecing together the enigmatic characters and stories with a sculptors aptitude and concern. This novel takes patience, 944 pages that at first are muddled, with so many story arcs and characters to build it takes roughly 200 pages for things to start making sense and each protagonist is fully developed within the context of the big picture. Once established SM takes us on a hurricane force ride I don’t think I’ll ever forget, this novel consumed me for three weeks, on scope and magnitude with Infinite Jest and the other heavy hitters of modern American novelist writing about our culture and the harsh realities we choose to ignore, a petri dish amassed under the microscope of our naivety, an inexplicable Deluge blowing us away
.
Roughly ten or so main characters pace back and forth throughout the pages, not all of them have a shining light on their POV but each one is talked about within the others chapters. The way SM stitches together these lives is remarkable, a scientist who has warned everyone about this from the start, a poor drug addict in the crumbling outskirts of Ohio, a neurodivergent mathematician working with the government, an eco-terrorist group, a famed actor turned religious savior and second coming of christ, incompetent failing Presidents and politicians and an unfiltered young activist are amongst the main players in this story. Each one a wick tied together to form an explosion never before experienced in literature. However, the main character truly is the hurricanes, the superstorms, the extreme heat, the floods, the displacement and world wide refugee crisis, the list could go on, in short, this book was as outstanding as it was terrifying, opening your eyes not only to the deceit and lies of our own government, but to the growing terror that is our climate, I can’t say enough about The Deluge it is truly one of my favorite books I’ve ever read a journey I feared yet found comfort in, a testament to SM writing and his ability as a storyteller, READ THIS BOOK!
“When you’re born into this world you’re given a ticket to the freak show. If you’re born in America you get a front row seat.”
.
The Deluge can be called nothing but an epic American novel traversing the mid 2000’s to roughly the year 2040, rummaging with ease through our sociopolitical climate, the backhanded politics and corruption, but most importantly the looming climate crises as we tailspin into an unknown desperation of nothingness. Markley has spent the majority of ten years on this novel, researching and piecing together the enigmatic characters and stories with a sculptors aptitude and concern. This novel takes patience, 944 pages that at first are muddled, with so many story arcs and characters to build it takes roughly 200 pages for things to start making sense and each protagonist is fully developed within the context of the big picture. Once established SM takes us on a hurricane force ride I don’t think I’ll ever forget, this novel consumed me for three weeks, on scope and magnitude with Infinite Jest and the other heavy hitters of modern American novelist writing about our culture and the harsh realities we choose to ignore, a petri dish amassed under the microscope of our naivety, an inexplicable Deluge blowing us away
.
Roughly ten or so main characters pace back and forth throughout the pages, not all of them have a shining light on their POV but each one is talked about within the others chapters. The way SM stitches together these lives is remarkable, a scientist who has warned everyone about this from the start, a poor drug addict in the crumbling outskirts of Ohio, a neurodivergent mathematician working with the government, an eco-terrorist group, a famed actor turned religious savior and second coming of christ, incompetent failing Presidents and politicians and an unfiltered young activist are amongst the main players in this story. Each one a wick tied together to form an explosion never before experienced in literature. However, the main character truly is the hurricanes, the superstorms, the extreme heat, the floods, the displacement and world wide refugee crisis, the list could go on, in short, this book was as outstanding as it was terrifying, opening your eyes not only to the deceit and lies of our own government, but to the growing terror that is our climate, I can’t say enough about The Deluge it is truly one of my favorite books I’ve ever read a journey I feared yet found comfort in, a testament to SM writing and his ability as a storyteller, READ THIS BOOK!
February 12, 2023
I’m going to do my best to not oversell this or come off too much like a six year old who just came home from their first birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, but it’s going to be tough. So far, 2023 has been nothing but amazing books for me—I discovered the fantastic Gemma Amor right around New Years, and then read 3 five star books in a row with Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson, The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason, and now this masterpiece. I feel I have to write a review, but I’m kind of at a loss about what to say about this book, one of the best and most “epic” novels I’ve ever read. Or, maybe I’m not, lol. Hopefully I can keep this at a somewhat manageable length.
Markley is not a new author to me. I’m fact I’ve read his debut, Ohio, twice. That book spoke to me on a level books rarely do; Markley is around my age, from an area of the US not too far from where i grew up, and after reading Ohio, I determined we must’ve known some of the same people as well. As soon as I heard the first peep about The Deluge, I was looking forward to it.
I found Ohio to be a pretty damned epic (there’s that word again) book, but this one is on a whole different scale—a planetary scale—and his debut feels much smaller and more claustrophobic in comparison. This book is about the potentially devastating effects of climate change, the political and social ramifications, and the world we are leaving to our children, and our children���s children. It is told through the eyes of quite a few different characters: an activists (both extreme and nonviolent), a drug addict, a neurodivergent mathematician, a climate scientist, and others. Similarly to Ohio, Markley dedicates individual chapters to specific characters, and while at first you won’t be able to fathom how they all intersect and fit together, you will find out—and it’s done beautifully. Markley is an absolute pro, and I can’t believe that this is only his second work of fiction; it really makes me wonder what else he has in store for us in the next few years.
The Deluge is not escapist fiction. It is not end-of-the-world adventure fluff (not trashing that style of apocalyptic fiction as I love it), this is a heavy duty book that grapples with major, and very real, issues. Yes, it has political and social content. It has a message, and Markley isn’t afraid to get in our faces about it sometimes. That said, it never feels preachy or anything. We are treated to many different characters, from many backgrounds, with many different points of view. Markley eviscerates both the US left and right in their approaches (or non-approaches) to addressing this major issue of climate change that is headed straight for us. He calls out our preference to live in a state of blissfully ignorant inaction. Denial across the board, and some characters here continue to live in such a state even when the deadly consequences are staring them straight in face. Protests, talk of revolution, the rise of even more dangerous right wing populism than we’ve seen, religious wackos who claim to have all the answers, and the potential for absolute authoritarianism. It’s all here. Climate change calls for action from people and governments, and we clearly don’t all agree on what that action should be, and we see many potentialities, from sensible to terrifying.
This is a book I’d love to see everyone read, though stylistically it may not be for everyone. It’s a big book after all, it’s complicated, complex and filled with all kinds of different characters. Stephen Markley’s particular brand of angry literary fiction is demanding at times, disturbing at others, and it’s also filled with beauty and realities that we can all recognize. His prose is wonderful but requires “active reading”…I don’t mean that in an obnoxious sense, just that there is a lot to take in here. A lot to follow, to learn, and to consider. Markley put so much thought, research, and (clearly) passion into this piece of work, and it shows.
Overall, this is an absolute winner and it is definitely among my favorite books of all time. There are some echoes of Stephen King’s great novel, The Stand, here (in fact, not only is the book mentioned, but Markley manages to make it play a significant little role in the plot—you’ll see what I mean!) and there’s no doubt the Markley is a fan of that book. Which works out well as Mr. King has called The Deluge the best book he read in all of 2022, and has also heaped praise on Ohio.
Oh, one more thing, and this is just a personal opinion. I often get annoyed when people tell me I should read _____ book before ______ book, but I’m going to go against my better instincts and do this exact thing. If you are interested in getting into Stephen Markley’s fiction, I would recommend reading Ohio first, and for a few reasons. First being, the length. Ohio is a much shorter novel and is easier to read overall. It also introduces you to Markley’s, at times very loud, literary voice. His deft blend of fact with fiction, his takes on social issues—they are all present in both novels, but everything to a lesser degree in Ohio. It’s just easier to take in. While The Deluge is the better book, I gave them both 5 stars, and if you want to start with this one there’s nothing wrong with that of course; I just thought I’d mention that because I want to see more people reading Markley and having the fantastic experiences I believe both these books have to offer. Consider me a massive fan of the guy, already eagerly waiting for whatever he gives us next…
Markley is not a new author to me. I’m fact I’ve read his debut, Ohio, twice. That book spoke to me on a level books rarely do; Markley is around my age, from an area of the US not too far from where i grew up, and after reading Ohio, I determined we must’ve known some of the same people as well. As soon as I heard the first peep about The Deluge, I was looking forward to it.
I found Ohio to be a pretty damned epic (there’s that word again) book, but this one is on a whole different scale—a planetary scale—and his debut feels much smaller and more claustrophobic in comparison. This book is about the potentially devastating effects of climate change, the political and social ramifications, and the world we are leaving to our children, and our children���s children. It is told through the eyes of quite a few different characters: an activists (both extreme and nonviolent), a drug addict, a neurodivergent mathematician, a climate scientist, and others. Similarly to Ohio, Markley dedicates individual chapters to specific characters, and while at first you won’t be able to fathom how they all intersect and fit together, you will find out—and it’s done beautifully. Markley is an absolute pro, and I can’t believe that this is only his second work of fiction; it really makes me wonder what else he has in store for us in the next few years.
The Deluge is not escapist fiction. It is not end-of-the-world adventure fluff (not trashing that style of apocalyptic fiction as I love it), this is a heavy duty book that grapples with major, and very real, issues. Yes, it has political and social content. It has a message, and Markley isn’t afraid to get in our faces about it sometimes. That said, it never feels preachy or anything. We are treated to many different characters, from many backgrounds, with many different points of view. Markley eviscerates both the US left and right in their approaches (or non-approaches) to addressing this major issue of climate change that is headed straight for us. He calls out our preference to live in a state of blissfully ignorant inaction. Denial across the board, and some characters here continue to live in such a state even when the deadly consequences are staring them straight in face. Protests, talk of revolution, the rise of even more dangerous right wing populism than we’ve seen, religious wackos who claim to have all the answers, and the potential for absolute authoritarianism. It’s all here. Climate change calls for action from people and governments, and we clearly don’t all agree on what that action should be, and we see many potentialities, from sensible to terrifying.
This is a book I’d love to see everyone read, though stylistically it may not be for everyone. It’s a big book after all, it’s complicated, complex and filled with all kinds of different characters. Stephen Markley’s particular brand of angry literary fiction is demanding at times, disturbing at others, and it’s also filled with beauty and realities that we can all recognize. His prose is wonderful but requires “active reading”…I don’t mean that in an obnoxious sense, just that there is a lot to take in here. A lot to follow, to learn, and to consider. Markley put so much thought, research, and (clearly) passion into this piece of work, and it shows.
Overall, this is an absolute winner and it is definitely among my favorite books of all time. There are some echoes of Stephen King’s great novel, The Stand, here (in fact, not only is the book mentioned, but Markley manages to make it play a significant little role in the plot—you’ll see what I mean!) and there’s no doubt the Markley is a fan of that book. Which works out well as Mr. King has called The Deluge the best book he read in all of 2022, and has also heaped praise on Ohio.
Oh, one more thing, and this is just a personal opinion. I often get annoyed when people tell me I should read _____ book before ______ book, but I’m going to go against my better instincts and do this exact thing. If you are interested in getting into Stephen Markley’s fiction, I would recommend reading Ohio first, and for a few reasons. First being, the length. Ohio is a much shorter novel and is easier to read overall. It also introduces you to Markley’s, at times very loud, literary voice. His deft blend of fact with fiction, his takes on social issues—they are all present in both novels, but everything to a lesser degree in Ohio. It’s just easier to take in. While The Deluge is the better book, I gave them both 5 stars, and if you want to start with this one there’s nothing wrong with that of course; I just thought I’d mention that because I want to see more people reading Markley and having the fantastic experiences I believe both these books have to offer. Consider me a massive fan of the guy, already eagerly waiting for whatever he gives us next…
June 1, 2023
4.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/b3tb9fc_qTE
This was a long but worthwhile piece of epic science fiction. I ended up really liking this one but I know it won't be for every reader. The characters are very unlikeable and crass, which can be a turnoff for other readers. As well, this story is highly politicized, with a focus on the last two American presidents. The tone of the story is grim and depressing which can be hard in such a long novel. As is often the case with climate change fiction, this one offers a bleak future. Finally this book is very long with a mosaic narrative that often felt long winded and meandering.
Despite all of these potential criticisms, I really loved it. I was enamored by the plot and was dying to see how the different plot threads would come together. This book may not be for everyone but it certainly was for me.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/b3tb9fc_qTE
This was a long but worthwhile piece of epic science fiction. I ended up really liking this one but I know it won't be for every reader. The characters are very unlikeable and crass, which can be a turnoff for other readers. As well, this story is highly politicized, with a focus on the last two American presidents. The tone of the story is grim and depressing which can be hard in such a long novel. As is often the case with climate change fiction, this one offers a bleak future. Finally this book is very long with a mosaic narrative that often felt long winded and meandering.
Despite all of these potential criticisms, I really loved it. I was enamored by the plot and was dying to see how the different plot threads would come together. This book may not be for everyone but it certainly was for me.
December 7, 2022
Reading this book is a huge commitment of time. It's a pretty tough read because it is also dark, depressing, and at times gruesome and violent, with its focus on a near future and the possible devastating effects of climate change and political ineffectiveness to slow the crisis. The story is told through multiple characters' eyes, ranging from a climate scientist to domestic terrorists to a drug addict etc, and eventually something ties their varied stories together. Not many of these flawed characters are very likable but theirs is an extremely frightening and compelling story.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
February 11, 2023
I tried very hard to get through this book as I heard the author has a good reputation. I read 6 chapters and finely am stopping. I was initially also interested in this book since it was about Climate Change, something I like to keep up to date about.
However, this book started on Chapter 1 and I was already lost. I felt as though I had picked up a Science Textbook and was reading that. I could not in any way relate to the story. The next chapter was in a completely different style and believe alternated between writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Character. It was discussing some youth that had been in the Iraq War. I could follow this chapter even less.
Each chapter would be different and have new characters that I could not keep track of. The writing style would change again. The writing was disjointed and I just found it tedious to try and finish another unreadable for me chapter.
As this book is written, it just is not going to change. I like a much more linear narrative and to get to really relate to specific characters and a story. This truthfully was not going to happen no manner how many pages I read. It is the style of the book and may well work for others. It is very different. I recommend this book if you are interested in trying something such as this, but I am the wrong audience.
Thank you NetGalley, Stephen Markley, and Simon & Schuster for giving me a chance to read this novel.
However, this book started on Chapter 1 and I was already lost. I felt as though I had picked up a Science Textbook and was reading that. I could not in any way relate to the story. The next chapter was in a completely different style and believe alternated between writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Character. It was discussing some youth that had been in the Iraq War. I could follow this chapter even less.
Each chapter would be different and have new characters that I could not keep track of. The writing style would change again. The writing was disjointed and I just found it tedious to try and finish another unreadable for me chapter.
As this book is written, it just is not going to change. I like a much more linear narrative and to get to really relate to specific characters and a story. This truthfully was not going to happen no manner how many pages I read. It is the style of the book and may well work for others. It is very different. I recommend this book if you are interested in trying something such as this, but I am the wrong audience.
Thank you NetGalley, Stephen Markley, and Simon & Schuster for giving me a chance to read this novel.
June 11, 2022
this horror has no conclusion.an epic work of great ambition, stephen markley’s the deluge (the follow-up to his 2018 debut novel, ohio) is a dark, dystopian tale of american catastrophe and collapse. spanning a quarter century (2013-2039) – and some 950 pages – the deluge is speculative fiction (or, god help us, precognitive foreboding) at its absolute bleakest. with a rich cast of complex characters, markley’s latest envisions our coming future as one beset by disaster and cataclysm.
the years of the covid-19 pandemic, economic decline, increasing inequality, news of the plutocratic class gorging itself on the commonweal, widespread addiction, extreme weather events, and psychological despair have, i fear, primed the body politic to accept radical interventions.whether you prefer your perils environmental (fires, floods, storms, rising sea levels, crop failure), political (state violence, total surveillance, extrajudicial killings, religious extremism, domestic terrorism, fascist takeovers, mercenary policing, demagoguery), financial (unprecedented unemployment, extraordinary wealth disparity, ravaged housing market, widespread poverty, failing economies), or social (addiction, sexual violence, mass shootings, abuse, white supremacy, destructively pervasive virtual reality), the deluge offers a merciless torrent of them all. fueled by the cascading consequences of unmitigated climate change, nearly every facet of american government and civic life alike breaks down, erodes, and ultimately succumbs to the inundation of chaos. make no mistake, the coming 25 years as foretold in this novel are marked indelibly by violence and brutality.
“there is nothing more dangerous than the excitement of those suffering from a lack of agency and great bitterness of soul.”rather arduous it is to see the current american trajectory as anything other than a precarious, unstable course, but if (somehow!) the real world isn’t already enough of a dismal, daily reminder of dark days ahead, the deluge will all but beat you into senseless submission. while markley’s narrative is sometimes demoralizing, it is unquestionably impressive in scope. for days after reading, one might wonder (as i did almost endlessly) why an author would write a book like this. is it a chronicle of so many deaths foretold? a harbinger? a portent? an elegy? anthropological pre-mortem? whatever it may be, the deluge is unyielding; it marvels and it mortifies. it’s ferocious and it’s frightening, imperfect yet aspiring, broken but brave. few books in a lifetime will make you feel as this one must and while full of every kind of blooming horror, markley’s magnum opus is as engulfing as it is earnest.
when i write of my mauve dread, the slice of the color spectrum that has followed me my entire life, i perhaps speak of what i long intuited before i even had the mathematics to explain it: a new dark age brims on the horizon. religious fanaticism, ethnic factionalism, and political extremism will engulf the planet, and the pillage of the natural world will indeed accelerate as the elite make one last futile attempt to gather as much capital as possible in an effort to wall themselves off from the inevitable. perhaps this is why i remain funereal about the coming election. civilization’s abrupt retreat will be marked the world over by every flavor of warring chief in crisp, elegantly tailored suits murdering to obtain power in the hope that they might rule this barbaric and alien age.
February 1, 2023
4.5 stars
This is quite a piece of work. Complex, multifaceted, and beautifully written. That said, it also left me feeling drained and ineffably sad. It’s probably a bit too realistic if you suffer from climate anxiety. It might also push you into that camp if you’re not there already.
…I could easily believe that each and every one of us carried this thing she had, a dormant seed of the wild within. I could believe that this great sickness would one day pass, and all our work would be clean and decent and caring. I could believe we would free ourselves of these mournful histories, that all our tears and sorrow would be given back to us, and though we walked these ruins now, we would begin again, and carry across impossible time the glory of this ancient and magnificent world.
This is quite a piece of work. Complex, multifaceted, and beautifully written. That said, it also left me feeling drained and ineffably sad. It’s probably a bit too realistic if you suffer from climate anxiety. It might also push you into that camp if you’re not there already.
…I could easily believe that each and every one of us carried this thing she had, a dormant seed of the wild within. I could believe that this great sickness would one day pass, and all our work would be clean and decent and caring. I could believe we would free ourselves of these mournful histories, that all our tears and sorrow would be given back to us, and though we walked these ruins now, we would begin again, and carry across impossible time the glory of this ancient and magnificent world.
January 6, 2024
There isn't a gentler way to put it: this book scares the hell out of me.
The Deluge is a generational chronicle of what the next quarter century of living amidst the climate crisis may look like. Nuance-starved writers and creatives have rendered a similar vision in the past, often to cartoonish effect (no shade George Miller - still love your films). But Markley's vision is one in which the well-intended citizens of the divided states of American slowly turn hostile on one another as the fabric of social order begins to fray. Hoarding, looting, and bank runs might seem far fetched but I watched first hand what happened during COVID the moment a commodified resource (toilet paper) began to grow scarce. You thought that was uncomfortable? Imagine what it'll be like when the corn harvests begin to dry up? When the tides begin to lap at beach front homes in Miami and their mortgages default? When panicked protesters immolate themselves on live TV because they can't think of any other way to get the 24-hour "news" cycle to attend to them for more than a 90-second slot (and in case you haven't been wired into media lately, this one already happened).
From its ignorant religious zealots to its deeply dogmatic liberal activists, Markley's vision of a country in crisis is vividly rendered and exhaustively researched. He doesn't compromise on his down-to-earth humanistic worldview, and yet regularly dials out and captures the chaos at its full scope (without ever losing the personal element). Polyphonic in narratorial perspective, playful in its use of meta-textual apparatus, and sweeping in the breadth of its image, the Deluge is a "what if" speculative fiction piece par excellence.
To boil it down to a soundbite, let me offer to you like this. Markley makes the simple case that are two kinds of people in the world: those who are terrified of the future we've laid for ourselves, and those who aren't paying attention.
On to Ohio.
The Deluge is a generational chronicle of what the next quarter century of living amidst the climate crisis may look like. Nuance-starved writers and creatives have rendered a similar vision in the past, often to cartoonish effect (no shade George Miller - still love your films). But Markley's vision is one in which the well-intended citizens of the divided states of American slowly turn hostile on one another as the fabric of social order begins to fray. Hoarding, looting, and bank runs might seem far fetched but I watched first hand what happened during COVID the moment a commodified resource (toilet paper) began to grow scarce. You thought that was uncomfortable? Imagine what it'll be like when the corn harvests begin to dry up? When the tides begin to lap at beach front homes in Miami and their mortgages default? When panicked protesters immolate themselves on live TV because they can't think of any other way to get the 24-hour "news" cycle to attend to them for more than a 90-second slot (and in case you haven't been wired into media lately, this one already happened).
From its ignorant religious zealots to its deeply dogmatic liberal activists, Markley's vision of a country in crisis is vividly rendered and exhaustively researched. He doesn't compromise on his down-to-earth humanistic worldview, and yet regularly dials out and captures the chaos at its full scope (without ever losing the personal element). Polyphonic in narratorial perspective, playful in its use of meta-textual apparatus, and sweeping in the breadth of its image, the Deluge is a "what if" speculative fiction piece par excellence.
To boil it down to a soundbite, let me offer to you like this. Markley makes the simple case that are two kinds of people in the world: those who are terrified of the future we've laid for ourselves, and those who aren't paying attention.
On to Ohio.
July 26, 2022
I have been reading "The Deluge" for three days and am only 30% completed. Before I finish (who know s when, at this point), I must say: This is one of the best written and also one of the most disturbing books I have ever read.
I sense that the many and varied characters will coalesce into one ecoterrorist body. They include a marine scientist, a mixed-race activist, an Oxy/heroin addict, a young man called Tarheel (because he hails from North Carolina), a Viet Nam Vet, and numerous others. The Deluge takes place in the near future where Global Warming has already begun to affect the climate and cause horrific conditions like wide-ranging snowstorms, wide wildfires and flooding. Trigger warning: Some of these chapters are difficult to read, and not only because of the unusual page layouts. There is real pain depicted here.
Another trigger warning: If you are a Trump supporter you will hate this book! I'm writing this early review because I don't know how long it will take me to finish reading, but i want others to experience this incredible novel.
I have been reading "The Deluge" for three days and am only 30% completed. Before I finish (who know s when, at this point), I must say: This is one of the best written and also one of the most disturbing books I have ever read.
I sense that the many and varied characters will coalesce into one ecoterrorist body. They include a marine scientist, a mixed-race activist, an Oxy/heroin addict, a young man called Tarheel (because he hails from North Carolina), a Viet Nam Vet, and numerous others. The Deluge takes place in the near future where Global Warming has already begun to affect the climate and cause horrific conditions like wide-ranging snowstorms, wide wildfires and flooding. Trigger warning: Some of these chapters are difficult to read, and not only because of the unusual page layouts. There is real pain depicted here.
Another trigger warning: If you are a Trump supporter you will hate this book! I'm writing this early review because I don't know how long it will take me to finish reading, but I want others to experience this incredible novel.
******Added upon completion of this book:
Well, the answer to my question was three weeks. I kept at until the end and I must say that living through summer of 2022 I can see the parallels to the horrendous global warming events described in this novel. My rating remains at 5 stars because the author so skillfully blended the science and the politics to reflect a possibility that may well be a probability. Isn't it possible that Liz Chaney will become the Republican candidate for President? If you've watched the January 6th hearings, you'll see what I mean.
Stick with it. The characters and events will be clarified as you go along. Realistic, chilling and scientifically and politically possible The Deluge is an absolutely must-read for our time.
Thanks to NetGalley , Stephen Markley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I sense that the many and varied characters will coalesce into one ecoterrorist body. They include a marine scientist, a mixed-race activist, an Oxy/heroin addict, a young man called Tarheel (because he hails from North Carolina), a Viet Nam Vet, and numerous others. The Deluge takes place in the near future where Global Warming has already begun to affect the climate and cause horrific conditions like wide-ranging snowstorms, wide wildfires and flooding. Trigger warning: Some of these chapters are difficult to read, and not only because of the unusual page layouts. There is real pain depicted here.
Another trigger warning: If you are a Trump supporter you will hate this book! I'm writing this early review because I don't know how long it will take me to finish reading, but i want others to experience this incredible novel.
I have been reading "The Deluge" for three days and am only 30% completed. Before I finish (who know s when, at this point), I must say: This is one of the best written and also one of the most disturbing books I have ever read.
I sense that the many and varied characters will coalesce into one ecoterrorist body. They include a marine scientist, a mixed-race activist, an Oxy/heroin addict, a young man called Tarheel (because he hails from North Carolina), a Viet Nam Vet, and numerous others. The Deluge takes place in the near future where Global Warming has already begun to affect the climate and cause horrific conditions like wide-ranging snowstorms, wide wildfires and flooding. Trigger warning: Some of these chapters are difficult to read, and not only because of the unusual page layouts. There is real pain depicted here.
Another trigger warning: If you are a Trump supporter you will hate this book! I'm writing this early review because I don't know how long it will take me to finish reading, but I want others to experience this incredible novel.
******Added upon completion of this book:
Well, the answer to my question was three weeks. I kept at until the end and I must say that living through summer of 2022 I can see the parallels to the horrendous global warming events described in this novel. My rating remains at 5 stars because the author so skillfully blended the science and the politics to reflect a possibility that may well be a probability. Isn't it possible that Liz Chaney will become the Republican candidate for President? If you've watched the January 6th hearings, you'll see what I mean.
Stick with it. The characters and events will be clarified as you go along. Realistic, chilling and scientifically and politically possible The Deluge is an absolutely must-read for our time.
Thanks to NetGalley , Stephen Markley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2023
Happy Publication Day 1/10/2023
I would characterize this novel as Climate Fiction but also Climate Horror at times, if that is even a sub-genre. The author does not hold back in terms of what the planet can do, and what people are capable of. The characters in Deluge are introduced in quick fire sketches. What they have in common is their intensity, their danger level is a high pulsing live wire.
I was patient with the chapter by chapter rollout of the characters and pleased to see how different they were from each other, as well as intrigued as to how they might cross paths or even converge.
As an aside, the "Green New Deal" radical environmental climate action approach proposed by the fictitious Dr. Anthony Pietrus appealed to me so much, I wish we could put it into immediate action.
The science presented is fascinating. I thought I was fairly well-educated about Climate Change, but I was not. I only had a vague idea about greenhouse gases and the lack of sea ice being problems. The author clearly explains the roles of methane hydrates and carbon emissions, detailing a starker picture of what we, and not just the characters in the story, are facing. And the author absolutely nails it when he describes the actions/inactions of global leaders who will always try to balance threats to our planet with the needs of our systemic economic structures. The idea that the free market will be motivated to implement solutions which are of immediate benefit to everyone is to misunderstand the scope of the problem while also unnecessarily handcuffing the solution.
Beyond the contours of the politics of a changing climate, the author pans out and focuses back in on the human toll. The explosion of climate-driven disasters in macro, are reflected in the interpersonal implosions on the micro level, even among those who recognize the urgency of doing something to head off gathering dangers.
A recurring theme is an exploration of how far one might go, how much a person might be willing to sacrifice (including their values), for the people they love. Those are the narrative developments which feel the most cinematic in style, scenes plucked from popular disaster movies. To match the dire circumstances of the world, it makes perfect sense, though it's still extremely jarring when the story takes a turn to some very dark places. The author effectively creates a sense of complete unraveling horror, and not just of the climate.
At just past the midway point of the book, the meaning of the book's title is finally revealed, and it was more complex than I had expected.
One character seems to stand out from the others. Ash, is the oracle of truth, the voice of everything we would rather not hear. His neurodivergency allows his sober critical analysis to cut through emotions which ordinarily cloud perspective. His assessment of the nature of humanity is terrifying in its clarity. Add a little chaos, diminishing access to basic resources, a slight break in the social contract, and we would all become very dangerous. Like each of the other characters in the story, however, even Ash can go off the deep end. It's another reflection the author takes pains to point out deliberately. The author creates comparisons from the individual to the complex: what factors might cause a person to go too far, or cause governments (or other agents of the state), activists, or religious leaders to go too far? What responsibilities does a leader have for the actions of their followers?
Several observations that are not specifically mentioned, but obviously intimated by the author:
You cannot hope to meet new complex problems with old dated simple solutions.
You must always be on guard. For as surely as one psychopathic leader is replaced, another much worse one is rising as a new threat
Group cooperation can become completely derailed when simple comforts are denied.
The mostly unaffected majority can get used to almost anything, as long as it doesn't affect them directly.
Overall, I thought this was a good story with an important examination of who we are, and how we might solve threats to the planet without losing our common humanity. There are some nightmarish scenes, but spaced out in the narrative to increase their impact. The novel is very long, but only about the last 100 pages could use some tightening. Maybe some of it should have been an epilogue, but there's not a whole lot I would otherwise change. This is a novel which provides so many imaginative and hopeful solutions to every problem plaguing us today. And it stays with you.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this book.
I would characterize this novel as Climate Fiction but also Climate Horror at times, if that is even a sub-genre. The author does not hold back in terms of what the planet can do, and what people are capable of. The characters in Deluge are introduced in quick fire sketches. What they have in common is their intensity, their danger level is a high pulsing live wire.
I was patient with the chapter by chapter rollout of the characters and pleased to see how different they were from each other, as well as intrigued as to how they might cross paths or even converge.
As an aside, the "Green New Deal" radical environmental climate action approach proposed by the fictitious Dr. Anthony Pietrus appealed to me so much, I wish we could put it into immediate action.
The science presented is fascinating. I thought I was fairly well-educated about Climate Change, but I was not. I only had a vague idea about greenhouse gases and the lack of sea ice being problems. The author clearly explains the roles of methane hydrates and carbon emissions, detailing a starker picture of what we, and not just the characters in the story, are facing. And the author absolutely nails it when he describes the actions/inactions of global leaders who will always try to balance threats to our planet with the needs of our systemic economic structures. The idea that the free market will be motivated to implement solutions which are of immediate benefit to everyone is to misunderstand the scope of the problem while also unnecessarily handcuffing the solution.
Beyond the contours of the politics of a changing climate, the author pans out and focuses back in on the human toll. The explosion of climate-driven disasters in macro, are reflected in the interpersonal implosions on the micro level, even among those who recognize the urgency of doing something to head off gathering dangers.
A recurring theme is an exploration of how far one might go, how much a person might be willing to sacrifice (including their values), for the people they love. Those are the narrative developments which feel the most cinematic in style, scenes plucked from popular disaster movies. To match the dire circumstances of the world, it makes perfect sense, though it's still extremely jarring when the story takes a turn to some very dark places. The author effectively creates a sense of complete unraveling horror, and not just of the climate.
At just past the midway point of the book, the meaning of the book's title is finally revealed, and it was more complex than I had expected.
One character seems to stand out from the others. Ash, is the oracle of truth, the voice of everything we would rather not hear. His neurodivergency allows his sober critical analysis to cut through emotions which ordinarily cloud perspective. His assessment of the nature of humanity is terrifying in its clarity. Add a little chaos, diminishing access to basic resources, a slight break in the social contract, and we would all become very dangerous. Like each of the other characters in the story, however, even Ash can go off the deep end. It's another reflection the author takes pains to point out deliberately. The author creates comparisons from the individual to the complex: what factors might cause a person to go too far, or cause governments (or other agents of the state), activists, or religious leaders to go too far? What responsibilities does a leader have for the actions of their followers?
Several observations that are not specifically mentioned, but obviously intimated by the author:
You cannot hope to meet new complex problems with old dated simple solutions.
You must always be on guard. For as surely as one psychopathic leader is replaced, another much worse one is rising as a new threat
Group cooperation can become completely derailed when simple comforts are denied.
The mostly unaffected majority can get used to almost anything, as long as it doesn't affect them directly.
Overall, I thought this was a good story with an important examination of who we are, and how we might solve threats to the planet without losing our common humanity. There are some nightmarish scenes, but spaced out in the narrative to increase their impact. The novel is very long, but only about the last 100 pages could use some tightening. Maybe some of it should have been an epilogue, but there's not a whole lot I would otherwise change. This is a novel which provides so many imaginative and hopeful solutions to every problem plaguing us today. And it stays with you.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this book.
May 8, 2023
I had to wait a while after finishing this one before I could trust myself to write a review. It is an emotional read. Given the rating I am giving this one, I feel the need to point out that this book certainly has its flaws, particularly in the first half.
The writing is uneven at times. Markley has stated that the earlier part of this novel was being constantly re-written over the last ten years as new events occurred, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the writing in those parts of the novel is inconsistent. As the novel wore on, either those inconsistencies disappeared or I became accustomed to Markley's writing. I believe it is the former though.
My other issue with the book is Markley's lack of faith in the human spirit and his tendency to completely ignore the rise of conscious capitalism. This is a bleak, bleak story with no sign of optimism or hope. I recognize that these two items are subjective viewpoints, so I must admit that Markley and I simply have divergent views.
But I did give this book five stars, so why? First, even though it is inconsistent in the first half of the book as previously mentioned, Markley is also capable of incredibly beautiful writing that emotionally stirs the reader. This dark story contrasts starkly with Markley's prose, particularly in the second half as the body count starts to rise and the human condition spirals downward.
Secondly, this is the first contemporary novel I have read that captures the zeitgeist of the early 21st century. Gender and race relations, bigotry vs. the welfare state, climate change, corporatocracy and now even AI; these are all issues that have been at the forefront of our culture during this troubling start to the new century, and Markley captures our anxiety on these issues to a tee. As I read 'The Deluge', I would read passages and think to myself, "yep, that is exactly right. That is another reason why we are all stressed the fuck out." I haven't seen another book capture the reality of why the world seems so messed up right now.
So, in summary, I loved 'The Deluge' and think it has the potential to be an important book. I think we may have a new important writer on the rise in Stephen Markley. I think it's helpful to read a fictionalized version of what we are going through in order to give us another lens with which to view our world today. I think I hope that Markley is wrong and that the human spirit rises to the occasion as we enter what is very likely to be the single most challenging time in human history. I think everyone should read this one.
The writing is uneven at times. Markley has stated that the earlier part of this novel was being constantly re-written over the last ten years as new events occurred, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the writing in those parts of the novel is inconsistent. As the novel wore on, either those inconsistencies disappeared or I became accustomed to Markley's writing. I believe it is the former though.
My other issue with the book is Markley's lack of faith in the human spirit and his tendency to completely ignore the rise of conscious capitalism. This is a bleak, bleak story with no sign of optimism or hope. I recognize that these two items are subjective viewpoints, so I must admit that Markley and I simply have divergent views.
But I did give this book five stars, so why? First, even though it is inconsistent in the first half of the book as previously mentioned, Markley is also capable of incredibly beautiful writing that emotionally stirs the reader. This dark story contrasts starkly with Markley's prose, particularly in the second half as the body count starts to rise and the human condition spirals downward.
Secondly, this is the first contemporary novel I have read that captures the zeitgeist of the early 21st century. Gender and race relations, bigotry vs. the welfare state, climate change, corporatocracy and now even AI; these are all issues that have been at the forefront of our culture during this troubling start to the new century, and Markley captures our anxiety on these issues to a tee. As I read 'The Deluge', I would read passages and think to myself, "yep, that is exactly right. That is another reason why we are all stressed the fuck out." I haven't seen another book capture the reality of why the world seems so messed up right now.
So, in summary, I loved 'The Deluge' and think it has the potential to be an important book. I think we may have a new important writer on the rise in Stephen Markley. I think it's helpful to read a fictionalized version of what we are going through in order to give us another lens with which to view our world today. I think I hope that Markley is wrong and that the human spirit rises to the occasion as we enter what is very likely to be the single most challenging time in human history. I think everyone should read this one.
August 15, 2022
To say that this might be the most important book to emerge about each of the twin emergencies of the climate and politics may sound hyperbolic, but what Stephen Markley has been able to accomplish with The Deluge is nothing short of brilliant. Opening in 2013 and setting a course over the next quarter century Markley traces seven characters (and a few dozen important additional players) as they attempt to turn the tide on the climate crisis, which also is inherently tied to the crises of democracy in the final throes of the carbon lobbying industrial complex (which, obviously, is purely directed by late-stage capitalism).
There are obvious real-world touchpoints to previous cli-fi books like Richard Powers’ The Overstory, and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, but as I finished this book the most apt corollary that I could find was to Alan Moore’s The Watchmen. Like Moore’s text, The Deluge feels overwhelmingly prescient in detailing the collapse of a society on the edge and the rise and rise of fringe groups that run the gamut of extremes.
At times in this book the climate was a stand in for much of the current ills of humanity (sub in any topic making headlines from school shootings to racial injustice and it would be just as poignant); that Markley is able to make climate emergency both a metaphor and a pillar of the story is just one of many virtues of this powerful work and part of it’s staying power. It dives into the intricate workings of how the government, scientists, non-profits, the oil industry, and radical environmental groups all seemingly at times have the same end goal: curbing climate change, but beyond their differing approach, their methods are simply madness to each other’s points of view. The reason why no one can come together and agree on even the simplest of matters is a large part of what Markley is exploring here: how the Left does nothing better than eat its own and the Right can only foment violence to support its inherent goal of maintaining the “founders” vision of Christian white supremacy; meanwhile lobbying groups, Wall Street, businesses, and banking continue to veneer their image while creating an ever deepening well of indifference as long as the capital keeps flowing.
While reading this book you will think that Markley is exaggerating or being hyperbolic to make his point, and then you’ll spend five minutes doom scrolling social media and realize that he is not at all - that real life is just as much a nightmare as parts of this book depict. He is just allowing us to view into the future to see what will most likely happen in the next 15 years with increasing technological innovation feeding the polarizing attitudes of billions of people. And it’s not about “if we don’t do anything” because we’re already past the tipping point; it’s about how can we look beyond our own belief systems to see the larger problems looming on the horizon? The catastrophes he describes in The Deluge are already here for much of the world, it’s just a question of how long will it take us before we decisively act on what scientists have been forecasting since the 1970s?
There are obvious real-world touchpoints to previous cli-fi books like Richard Powers’ The Overstory, and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, but as I finished this book the most apt corollary that I could find was to Alan Moore’s The Watchmen. Like Moore’s text, The Deluge feels overwhelmingly prescient in detailing the collapse of a society on the edge and the rise and rise of fringe groups that run the gamut of extremes.
At times in this book the climate was a stand in for much of the current ills of humanity (sub in any topic making headlines from school shootings to racial injustice and it would be just as poignant); that Markley is able to make climate emergency both a metaphor and a pillar of the story is just one of many virtues of this powerful work and part of it’s staying power. It dives into the intricate workings of how the government, scientists, non-profits, the oil industry, and radical environmental groups all seemingly at times have the same end goal: curbing climate change, but beyond their differing approach, their methods are simply madness to each other’s points of view. The reason why no one can come together and agree on even the simplest of matters is a large part of what Markley is exploring here: how the Left does nothing better than eat its own and the Right can only foment violence to support its inherent goal of maintaining the “founders” vision of Christian white supremacy; meanwhile lobbying groups, Wall Street, businesses, and banking continue to veneer their image while creating an ever deepening well of indifference as long as the capital keeps flowing.
While reading this book you will think that Markley is exaggerating or being hyperbolic to make his point, and then you’ll spend five minutes doom scrolling social media and realize that he is not at all - that real life is just as much a nightmare as parts of this book depict. He is just allowing us to view into the future to see what will most likely happen in the next 15 years with increasing technological innovation feeding the polarizing attitudes of billions of people. And it’s not about “if we don’t do anything” because we’re already past the tipping point; it’s about how can we look beyond our own belief systems to see the larger problems looming on the horizon? The catastrophes he describes in The Deluge are already here for much of the world, it’s just a question of how long will it take us before we decisively act on what scientists have been forecasting since the 1970s?
September 17, 2022
I’m some 400 pages into (41% of the way through) this approximately 1,000-page novel (electronic ARC) about global warming, the ruination of life as we know it, and the possible end of life on this planet. Parts of the novel are quite absorbing. Others are very instructive. As a whole, however, the novel is way overlong. It features too many characters and too many storylines spread too far apart. It needs a wholesale edit.
First and foremost, I’m impressed with the level of research undertaken and the knowledge displayed about global warming and the dangers we face, as well as the possible remedies. I’m by no means an expert in this subject and I don’t know if things are as dire as the author would have us believe. However, I think I’m learning something about the science involved and the interplay between politics—both national and global—and the environmental/scientific community.
For the most part, the prose and dialogue are first-rate—well-constructed, descriptive, artful at times, but never overdone or obnoxiously "writerly."
But no matter how good the writing is sentence-to-sentence, paragraph-to-paragraph, page-to-page, “Deluge” needs a good paring down. There are so many characters involved in so many disparate storylines that I sometimes had trouble remembering them and/or keeping them straight. Certain scenes—especially one involving a days-long meeting between eco-terrorists—were so eye-glazing that I found I was skimming.
It didn’t help that many of the characters are not all that well-drawn. Some of them—especially the politicians—are stereotypical. Others are only vaguely sketched. Unfortunately, none of them are very memorable.
What is memorable are some of the "worlds" author Stephen Markley creates. His portrayal of the political culture of Washington, D.C., with all its “politics make strange bedfellows” inconsistencies and "politicians fiddle while the world burns" recalcitrance, seems realistic and timely. He does equally well prognosticating what life may be like in 5-10 years: droughts, fires, floods, rising oceans, holograms, package-delivering drones, virtual reality entertainment, etc. The disasters he portrays are frightening.
Hopefully, some of the problems mentioned above can be fixed prior to publication, especially the novel's length. The message "Deluge" seeks to bring to readers is an important one. But in its current form, it risks overwhelming or exhausting readers before they can glean that message.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
First and foremost, I’m impressed with the level of research undertaken and the knowledge displayed about global warming and the dangers we face, as well as the possible remedies. I’m by no means an expert in this subject and I don’t know if things are as dire as the author would have us believe. However, I think I’m learning something about the science involved and the interplay between politics—both national and global—and the environmental/scientific community.
For the most part, the prose and dialogue are first-rate—well-constructed, descriptive, artful at times, but never overdone or obnoxiously "writerly."
But no matter how good the writing is sentence-to-sentence, paragraph-to-paragraph, page-to-page, “Deluge” needs a good paring down. There are so many characters involved in so many disparate storylines that I sometimes had trouble remembering them and/or keeping them straight. Certain scenes—especially one involving a days-long meeting between eco-terrorists—were so eye-glazing that I found I was skimming.
It didn’t help that many of the characters are not all that well-drawn. Some of them—especially the politicians—are stereotypical. Others are only vaguely sketched. Unfortunately, none of them are very memorable.
What is memorable are some of the "worlds" author Stephen Markley creates. His portrayal of the political culture of Washington, D.C., with all its “politics make strange bedfellows” inconsistencies and "politicians fiddle while the world burns" recalcitrance, seems realistic and timely. He does equally well prognosticating what life may be like in 5-10 years: droughts, fires, floods, rising oceans, holograms, package-delivering drones, virtual reality entertainment, etc. The disasters he portrays are frightening.
Hopefully, some of the problems mentioned above can be fixed prior to publication, especially the novel's length. The message "Deluge" seeks to bring to readers is an important one. But in its current form, it risks overwhelming or exhausting readers before they can glean that message.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.
March 20, 2023
2.5 rounded up
Ooooooou boy, this was a biggun’
I’m going to stay in my lane as far as the politics and climate crisis - of course I have opinions. But I’m just a girl that read a book, and I won’t wax poetical or go on some verbal spew triggered by a book I barely thought was ok (harsh… ouch, Joss)
So. In a nut shell….
- I hated Kate. I wanted to get behind her ideals but her man-hating was gross.
- This book is effing terrifying and too real. So real, it could be a foretelling.
- The amount of research that went in to this big boy is astounding. Holy shit man, this is the authors baby.
- The first 200-250 pages were a struggle. Ok, the entire thing was a struggle - but the first 250ish were definitely the worst. I almost put it down multiple times. It was scattered, hard to get in to.
- A few parts were super boring (sorry)
- There were so many story arcs and characters I had a hard time keeping track, remembering who was who, and keeping them straight.
- I’ve read multiple reviews smashing the writing. The writing was very good - I’m not on the same page there (lmao: see what I did there). It’s just… a lot. And getting through that first chunk…. And mustering the energy to keep going…
Ooooooou boy, this was a biggun’
I’m going to stay in my lane as far as the politics and climate crisis - of course I have opinions. But I’m just a girl that read a book, and I won’t wax poetical or go on some verbal spew triggered by a book I barely thought was ok (harsh… ouch, Joss)
So. In a nut shell….
- I hated Kate. I wanted to get behind her ideals but her man-hating was gross.
- This book is effing terrifying and too real. So real, it could be a foretelling.
- The amount of research that went in to this big boy is astounding. Holy shit man, this is the authors baby.
- The first 200-250 pages were a struggle. Ok, the entire thing was a struggle - but the first 250ish were definitely the worst. I almost put it down multiple times. It was scattered, hard to get in to.
- A few parts were super boring (sorry)
- There were so many story arcs and characters I had a hard time keeping track, remembering who was who, and keeping them straight.
- I’ve read multiple reviews smashing the writing. The writing was very good - I’m not on the same page there (lmao: see what I did there). It’s just… a lot. And getting through that first chunk…. And mustering the energy to keep going…
January 19, 2023
What a real mind-F this book was. Please, please don’t let this happen!!!
I’ll add more when others read this. Dare I call it a wake-up call?
Solid 4.5 ⭐️
I’ll add more when others read this. Dare I call it a wake-up call?
Solid 4.5 ⭐️
August 19, 2023
Though it seems to drag on in places, this book is a veritable deluge, building as the story develops to an unsettling conclusion. From all manner of human compassion to heartlessness, to angst over escalating environmental and geo-economic problems in a biased society, to special interest disinformation campaigns, to the viper's nest of complicating political agendas at all levels, to the tactics and consequences of factional groups, to adrenaline fueled situations, this book is interesting and potentially informative, though a macédoine of disjointed detail, overbearing at times, sporadically maddening and nightmarish, and in part an 18+ read. Even so, it's more representative of a broad spectrum of our species than I've read in a long time, and an exceptionally realistic scenario of our current and near future path (especially the corrupted politics and heavy-handed policing in a deepening societal crisis).
"In her dad’s estimation, fear conscripted your whole mind, rationalized irrational behavior, and the worst part was when people who were acting out of fear became adamant that they were not." Markley, Stephen. The Deluge (p. 453 of 888).
"In her dad’s estimation, fear conscripted your whole mind, rationalized irrational behavior, and the worst part was when people who were acting out of fear became adamant that they were not." Markley, Stephen. The Deluge (p. 453 of 888).
May 4, 2024
The End of EcoLit, and the Start of Something New Between Two Men Who Are Both Single (Haha… But What If Tho)
I would like to begin by thanking Simon & Scheuster for sending me an ARC in exchange for an objective review. I hope to have fulfilled that requirement below. Should any of you worry that my objective review might incur the author's ire, let me assure you I spent a good deal of time Google Image searching "stephen markley shirtless" / "stephen markley beach" / "stephen markley turkish oil wrestling" to size him up for a potential fight. Yes, I imagine things might get physical between us. Though I couldn't find what I was looking for, I emailed his agent for some nude, full-body shots, just in case our manly tussle should prove inconclusive and we have to resort to a dick-measuring contest. His agent has yet to respond.
Anyhow. Markley’s 896-page second novel will no doubt beget comparisons to David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. Both are written by bicurious, white men, and the novels have similar cover art, grandiose titles, and girth. Such comparisons will quickly fall apart, however. Whereas Infinite Jest strove to be good, The Deluge charts its own path. Before I Virgil you along it, I should note right off the bat that the novel is 2.27” thick and 1.28 pounds, making it profoundly sexist, homophobic, and ableist by gatekeeping all those with weak wrists from reading it. Thankfully, I lift—almost up to 225 on bench, by the way—so I, in a profound act of allyship, will put my rough and calloused hands to use as a sensitive reader. (DM me for my Venmo if you’d like to support my allyship.)
The book opens with a dedication to Markley’s mother—a sure sign that this guy gets no women. From there, we are thrust into a decades-spanning, Sorkinesque political opera about climate change, featuring characters who range politically from corporate “denialists” to left-wing extremists radicalized by incivility on Twitter. This imagined future does feel a little nostalgic at this point, because, as of 2022, climate change is very passé and one struggles to imagine that it will become politically or socially relevant again. (When was the last time you heard about Greta?) Further, this book’s January release is a puzzling decision from the marketing department: Can you think of a time of year when so-called global warming feels less plausible? That said, climate change, as a liberal fiction, befits the imaginary backdrop of a novel, and indeed, I found myself hoping for a mass extinction event in a Malthusian gambit that would leave us with a more manageably sized cast of characters. So, all in all, one can’t fault Markley for taking the easy way out of developing a setting for his sophomore novel.
Leaving aside these liberal hallucinations, I was pleasantly surprised that Markley got to a sex scene in the first 100 pages—an important reward that must be interspersed throughout a novel of this length to rally the reader’s motivation, like when you give your tyrannical, ADHD child a gummy bear for every paragraph of their history textbook they stumble through. The sexual encounter is between a young woman—a failed candidate for Lean In feminism recently jilted both romantically and professionally by men—and a strapping, anonymous actor, whom the reader is left to imagine as a virile and carousing Volodymyr Zelensky in his leather-pants prime. Though the woman ultimately learns that the actor sees her only as a one-night stand, she accompanies him to his lavish apartment where they undress and the woman palpates his toned abs against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline.
Reader, I was hooked! But here, Markley betrays the hapless reader by inserting a flashback that diegetically overwrites the unfolding sex scene. He resumes at the aftermath of the encounter by giving us the excruciating, seemingly unnecessary description of the actor’s semen running from the woman’s vagina to her anus (Markley’s word). Then, one recalls a vulgar joke from a previous chapter where semen runs in the opposite direction, from anus to vagina, and realizes that, though Markley may not have read enough from Literotica or had sufficient practical experience to write a serviceable sex scene, he has certainly studied his Bible, because these intersecting details create a sexual-anatomical chiasmus—the rhetorical form, dear readers, favored by Christ, most notably in the Sermon on the Mount. Subtly chiming with the religious undertones of the book’s title, we are opened up to the first hint that the deluge Markley has in store for us isn’t biblical but seminal.
I assume I’m going to run into a word cap in this review, so allow me to provide my own fast forward. Markley introduces some more characters, gestures toward a plot, and embellishes the novel’s setting and themes. He duly and explicitly checks his own privilege as a white male writer via two of his characters before we get to the end of Book I, and throughout, you get the sense he has put a lot of thought into how writers can #resist Donald Trump. Such self-seriousness—bested only by Ben Lerner’s The Topeka School—belies the novel’s more spritely frolics in perspectival changes and formal experimentation.
Thankfully, in all this excitement Markley does not fall into the trap of EcoLit by meditating on nature or reveling in its beauty through the enchanting power of language, à la Richard Powers. Rather, even as the novel moves between its diverse cast of narrators and through time, it insists that the best way of making people care about nature is through statistics and politics and not, like, trees. “Touch grass” might be a meme tossed around by the homegrown terrorists targeting me on Twitter, but do you know what isn’t a meme? Politics. It’s serious business, and it’s what the novel as an aesthetic form does best.
This is not to say that the novel entirely avoids romanticizing nature. Two college grads have a sexual grapple on a majestic peak in the Tetons (for those curious: male sub, bi female dom; 1.5 red peppers out of 5); years later, another escapade beside a waterfall (zero peppers); and a little after that, in a camper (zero again); and in these scenes, we mournfully recognize that catastrophic climate change would jeopardize the possibility of educated young people having al fresco sex—a fate sadder than a starving panda. (One imagines the liberal commentariat will soon start whipping its base into line by scaring them into believing that the acidification of the oceans will spell the end of woke sex on the beach.) Indeed, one would be forgiven for believing that this book is simply Markley’s sexual obsession for one of his characters, the face of a Warrenite revolution in nonprofits, grassroots activism, and across-the-aisle compromises: a plucky, biracial, bisexual, incredibly horny girlboss with a bad mouth and an irresitable sexual hunger for aspirational writers. But believing this sincerely would risk invalidating Markley’s budding midlife bicuriosity, so we must set this unfair criticism aside.
At any rate, what Markley’s avoidance of nature makes clear is that at stake in climate change is not the health of the planet so much as “humanity”—a vague term that brings with it all sorts of liberal political frameworks. In this way, Markley graciously confirms what the Right has been saying about “climate change” for years: it is simply a cudgel or a trojan horse for a left-wing political agenda. We can’t have climate change politics without intersectionality, but we can have it without bees. Leftists everywhere should be heartened by the news that they can stop rubbing their boners against tree bark! The ploy has worked! They can save the world without having to touch it.
As the book goes on, Congress pares down historic climate legislation; corporate boardrooms go into overtime to stymie activists; and a polyamorous couple breaks up (though one can’t say “predictably” or the cancel police will come)—all while once-in-a-lifetime weather catastrophes become commonplace, famines spread across the planet, and LA, in a stroke of mercy, is burned to the ground, freeing the nation from cultural decline amid its general devastation.
And yet none of this is comparable to the looming dread one feels that the novel is escalating toward some grand statement about literature, climate change, and the future—the seminal emission that has been building up over hundreds of pages. I, for one, feared that someone of Markley’s political acumen and extremism—someone who invested $100 into Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign before tactically pivoting to Liz Warren—would radicalize me with the force of his revelation. But as with the aforementioned sex scene, Markley betrays our expectations, even though our mouths were already agape, awaiting his explosive revelation. Perhaps Markley realized in concluding this novel that he has nothing to say about literature, because he has failed to create it himself. The book is a hodge-podge of liberal policy proposals and interest group rejoinders—sometimes reduced to mere bullet points—embellished with left-wing infighting. It is The Jungle for Vox readers.
Wonkish and chaste, The Deluge awaits a glowing review from The New York Times’s most discerning mind, Dwight Garner, and will no doubt be universally described and fondly remembered as “timely.” I look forward, with relish, to listening to Markley’s interview on Ezra Klein’s podcast. And Steve, if you’re reading this, I have oil and a tarpaulin; I’m ready for you.
I would like to begin by thanking Simon & Scheuster for sending me an ARC in exchange for an objective review. I hope to have fulfilled that requirement below. Should any of you worry that my objective review might incur the author's ire, let me assure you I spent a good deal of time Google Image searching "stephen markley shirtless" / "stephen markley beach" / "stephen markley turkish oil wrestling" to size him up for a potential fight. Yes, I imagine things might get physical between us. Though I couldn't find what I was looking for, I emailed his agent for some nude, full-body shots, just in case our manly tussle should prove inconclusive and we have to resort to a dick-measuring contest. His agent has yet to respond.
Anyhow. Markley’s 896-page second novel will no doubt beget comparisons to David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. Both are written by bicurious, white men, and the novels have similar cover art, grandiose titles, and girth. Such comparisons will quickly fall apart, however. Whereas Infinite Jest strove to be good, The Deluge charts its own path. Before I Virgil you along it, I should note right off the bat that the novel is 2.27” thick and 1.28 pounds, making it profoundly sexist, homophobic, and ableist by gatekeeping all those with weak wrists from reading it. Thankfully, I lift—almost up to 225 on bench, by the way—so I, in a profound act of allyship, will put my rough and calloused hands to use as a sensitive reader. (DM me for my Venmo if you’d like to support my allyship.)
The book opens with a dedication to Markley’s mother—a sure sign that this guy gets no women. From there, we are thrust into a decades-spanning, Sorkinesque political opera about climate change, featuring characters who range politically from corporate “denialists” to left-wing extremists radicalized by incivility on Twitter. This imagined future does feel a little nostalgic at this point, because, as of 2022, climate change is very passé and one struggles to imagine that it will become politically or socially relevant again. (When was the last time you heard about Greta?) Further, this book’s January release is a puzzling decision from the marketing department: Can you think of a time of year when so-called global warming feels less plausible? That said, climate change, as a liberal fiction, befits the imaginary backdrop of a novel, and indeed, I found myself hoping for a mass extinction event in a Malthusian gambit that would leave us with a more manageably sized cast of characters. So, all in all, one can’t fault Markley for taking the easy way out of developing a setting for his sophomore novel.
Leaving aside these liberal hallucinations, I was pleasantly surprised that Markley got to a sex scene in the first 100 pages—an important reward that must be interspersed throughout a novel of this length to rally the reader’s motivation, like when you give your tyrannical, ADHD child a gummy bear for every paragraph of their history textbook they stumble through. The sexual encounter is between a young woman—a failed candidate for Lean In feminism recently jilted both romantically and professionally by men—and a strapping, anonymous actor, whom the reader is left to imagine as a virile and carousing Volodymyr Zelensky in his leather-pants prime. Though the woman ultimately learns that the actor sees her only as a one-night stand, she accompanies him to his lavish apartment where they undress and the woman palpates his toned abs against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline.
Reader, I was hooked! But here, Markley betrays the hapless reader by inserting a flashback that diegetically overwrites the unfolding sex scene. He resumes at the aftermath of the encounter by giving us the excruciating, seemingly unnecessary description of the actor’s semen running from the woman’s vagina to her anus (Markley’s word). Then, one recalls a vulgar joke from a previous chapter where semen runs in the opposite direction, from anus to vagina, and realizes that, though Markley may not have read enough from Literotica or had sufficient practical experience to write a serviceable sex scene, he has certainly studied his Bible, because these intersecting details create a sexual-anatomical chiasmus—the rhetorical form, dear readers, favored by Christ, most notably in the Sermon on the Mount. Subtly chiming with the religious undertones of the book’s title, we are opened up to the first hint that the deluge Markley has in store for us isn’t biblical but seminal.
I assume I’m going to run into a word cap in this review, so allow me to provide my own fast forward. Markley introduces some more characters, gestures toward a plot, and embellishes the novel’s setting and themes. He duly and explicitly checks his own privilege as a white male writer via two of his characters before we get to the end of Book I, and throughout, you get the sense he has put a lot of thought into how writers can #resist Donald Trump. Such self-seriousness—bested only by Ben Lerner’s The Topeka School—belies the novel’s more spritely frolics in perspectival changes and formal experimentation.
Thankfully, in all this excitement Markley does not fall into the trap of EcoLit by meditating on nature or reveling in its beauty through the enchanting power of language, à la Richard Powers. Rather, even as the novel moves between its diverse cast of narrators and through time, it insists that the best way of making people care about nature is through statistics and politics and not, like, trees. “Touch grass” might be a meme tossed around by the homegrown terrorists targeting me on Twitter, but do you know what isn’t a meme? Politics. It’s serious business, and it’s what the novel as an aesthetic form does best.
This is not to say that the novel entirely avoids romanticizing nature. Two college grads have a sexual grapple on a majestic peak in the Tetons (for those curious: male sub, bi female dom; 1.5 red peppers out of 5); years later, another escapade beside a waterfall (zero peppers); and a little after that, in a camper (zero again); and in these scenes, we mournfully recognize that catastrophic climate change would jeopardize the possibility of educated young people having al fresco sex—a fate sadder than a starving panda. (One imagines the liberal commentariat will soon start whipping its base into line by scaring them into believing that the acidification of the oceans will spell the end of woke sex on the beach.) Indeed, one would be forgiven for believing that this book is simply Markley’s sexual obsession for one of his characters, the face of a Warrenite revolution in nonprofits, grassroots activism, and across-the-aisle compromises: a plucky, biracial, bisexual, incredibly horny girlboss with a bad mouth and an irresitable sexual hunger for aspirational writers. But believing this sincerely would risk invalidating Markley’s budding midlife bicuriosity, so we must set this unfair criticism aside.
At any rate, what Markley’s avoidance of nature makes clear is that at stake in climate change is not the health of the planet so much as “humanity”—a vague term that brings with it all sorts of liberal political frameworks. In this way, Markley graciously confirms what the Right has been saying about “climate change” for years: it is simply a cudgel or a trojan horse for a left-wing political agenda. We can’t have climate change politics without intersectionality, but we can have it without bees. Leftists everywhere should be heartened by the news that they can stop rubbing their boners against tree bark! The ploy has worked! They can save the world without having to touch it.
As the book goes on, Congress pares down historic climate legislation; corporate boardrooms go into overtime to stymie activists; and a polyamorous couple breaks up (though one can’t say “predictably” or the cancel police will come)—all while once-in-a-lifetime weather catastrophes become commonplace, famines spread across the planet, and LA, in a stroke of mercy, is burned to the ground, freeing the nation from cultural decline amid its general devastation.
And yet none of this is comparable to the looming dread one feels that the novel is escalating toward some grand statement about literature, climate change, and the future—the seminal emission that has been building up over hundreds of pages. I, for one, feared that someone of Markley’s political acumen and extremism—someone who invested $100 into Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign before tactically pivoting to Liz Warren—would radicalize me with the force of his revelation. But as with the aforementioned sex scene, Markley betrays our expectations, even though our mouths were already agape, awaiting his explosive revelation. Perhaps Markley realized in concluding this novel that he has nothing to say about literature, because he has failed to create it himself. The book is a hodge-podge of liberal policy proposals and interest group rejoinders—sometimes reduced to mere bullet points—embellished with left-wing infighting. It is The Jungle for Vox readers.
Wonkish and chaste, The Deluge awaits a glowing review from The New York Times’s most discerning mind, Dwight Garner, and will no doubt be universally described and fondly remembered as “timely.” I look forward, with relish, to listening to Markley’s interview on Ezra Klein’s podcast. And Steve, if you’re reading this, I have oil and a tarpaulin; I’m ready for you.
January 14, 2023
No matter what ideologies arise, what myths we embrace, what technologies we invent, what dreams we offer, this crisis is effectively our eternity.
If you read just one book this year, it should be The Deluge. It's not an easy book to read, for a variety of reasons: the subject matter is incredibly heavy; it's really long, and portions of it are dense; it asks a lot from the reader both from an intellectual and an emotional standpoint. But I'm calling it now: This eerily prescient, meticulously researched, terrifyingly relevant near-future cli-fi dystopia is going to go down as one of the most important books of this generation. I think I may have already said that about Markley's phenomenal previous novel, Ohio, and the fact that he published that book and this one back to back literally blows my mind.
Charting a path from 2013 through 2040, The Deluge is a new kind of American epic, following a large cast of characters as they navigate the consequences of climate change: escalating weather events, widespread famine and disease, corporate overreach, religious zealotry, political extremism and corruption, economic fallout, inequality, inaction, tyranny. Their perspectives are varied -- they are a scientist, a drug addict, a neurodivergent mathematician, activists and revolutionaries, ecoterrorists, politicians, ordinary people drawn into extraordinary circumstances -- and at first their stories unfold on completely separate trajectories, until they begin to intersect in ways great and small.
This is not one of those dystopian novels that picks up decades or centuries after the effects of climate change have been wrought on the world. Rather, Markley puts you right in the middle of our current crisis: what is happening to our planet, right now, which so many of us (myself included, most of the time) would prefer to blissfully ignore. In great detail, with astounding clarity, he lays out the science for us. Will it all play out exactly the way it does in this novel? Probably not -- I hope not -- but Markley's fictionalized account feels utterly believable and prescient all the same.
Even more than the science, though, what The Deluge has is heart. It is, despite its disturbing, violent, relentless content, an emotionally compelling, hopeful book about the endurance of the human spirit and our ability to choose to do the right, hard thing. The narrative is largely focused on love and family, relationships and sacrifice, acceptance and healing: the ways life goes on in the midst of a undeniably present crisis. Markley brought me to tears several times. This is a book that you simply cannot be unaffected by, one way or another. The characters, the science, or both: You will be moved, your eyes will be opened. Absolutely everyone should read this, although the sad reality is that the people who most need to read it likely will not.
The Deluge is an urgent call to action, a profound, thought-provoking, unflinching exploration of the irreversible effects of climate change. Markley's description of one of his characters actually sums it up best: He "describe[s] the situation with such magnetism, simplicity, conviction, doom, and hope." It is our duty to listen, and hopefully, to act.
May 17, 2023
4/5 slightly conflicted stars
The Deluge is a tricky novel to put a rating on. Throughout my reading, I went through a lot of emotions with this book; from a deep, quiet melancholy for the freakishly realistic future the author puts in front of us, to sympathy and care for the characters, to utter annoyance at the squandered potential this book had for greatness.
The best way I can put it is this: there’s a 5-star novel in here. It’s just a shame that it’s about 300 pages long, and buried in between 500 pages of weaker narratives, and unnecessary repetition.
The Deluge sets out to be a climate epic, both in size and scale, yet it’s often at its best in its smaller moment of character work. Some of these characters stories were genuinely moving and meaningful to me, and I’m personally glad I read the book just for those narratives. I don’t think it justifies it’s 900 page length though.
On the strong side we a fantastic narrative voice and some incredible sentence-work. It’s beyond any doubt that Markley is an incredibly gifted author with a love for language. Then there’s a few brilliantly memorable characters, like Tony, which the novel opens with. He’s a maverick biologist investigating ocean-floor bacteria, and publishing on climate science. His story was easily my favourite and had me hooked from page one, which starts with an anti-eco-activist sending him an anthrax-threat by mail, until the final and very emotional scene which almost had me in tears.
I was also a fan of Kate and Matt’s narrative, although Kate as a character was absolutely insufferable to me , and I’m surprised so many readers (and the author himself) seem so fond of her. The perspective of Ashir, a brilliant mathematician struggling with his sexuality and an illness in the family, was also very interesting in the beginning, although I felt his neurodivergence became a bit gimmicky later on.
On the weaker side, we have the glacial pacing and some of the other perspectives I could’ve done without, and mostly the repetition when it comes to its messaging. The sad part is: there are some very important messages in here, and the passion the author feels for them really shines through. My fear is just that the only people who are willing to commit to a 900 page eco-fiction novel aren’t the once that need to be preached on these messages.
Overall, I’m personally happy I read The Deluge, but I honestly wish it had been about half the length. 900 pages is a lot to commit to, so be your own judge whether you think the time investment would be worth it for you, based off the above.
The Deluge is a tricky novel to put a rating on. Throughout my reading, I went through a lot of emotions with this book; from a deep, quiet melancholy for the freakishly realistic future the author puts in front of us, to sympathy and care for the characters, to utter annoyance at the squandered potential this book had for greatness.
The best way I can put it is this: there’s a 5-star novel in here. It’s just a shame that it’s about 300 pages long, and buried in between 500 pages of weaker narratives, and unnecessary repetition.
The Deluge sets out to be a climate epic, both in size and scale, yet it’s often at its best in its smaller moment of character work. Some of these characters stories were genuinely moving and meaningful to me, and I’m personally glad I read the book just for those narratives. I don’t think it justifies it’s 900 page length though.
On the strong side we a fantastic narrative voice and some incredible sentence-work. It’s beyond any doubt that Markley is an incredibly gifted author with a love for language. Then there’s a few brilliantly memorable characters, like Tony, which the novel opens with. He’s a maverick biologist investigating ocean-floor bacteria, and publishing on climate science. His story was easily my favourite and had me hooked from page one, which starts with an anti-eco-activist sending him an anthrax-threat by mail, until the final and very emotional scene which almost had me in tears.
I was also a fan of Kate and Matt’s narrative, although Kate as a character was absolutely insufferable to me , and I’m surprised so many readers (and the author himself) seem so fond of her. The perspective of Ashir, a brilliant mathematician struggling with his sexuality and an illness in the family, was also very interesting in the beginning, although I felt his neurodivergence became a bit gimmicky later on.
On the weaker side, we have the glacial pacing and some of the other perspectives I could’ve done without, and mostly the repetition when it comes to its messaging. The sad part is: there are some very important messages in here, and the passion the author feels for them really shines through. My fear is just that the only people who are willing to commit to a 900 page eco-fiction novel aren’t the once that need to be preached on these messages.
Overall, I’m personally happy I read The Deluge, but I honestly wish it had been about half the length. 900 pages is a lot to commit to, so be your own judge whether you think the time investment would be worth it for you, based off the above.
June 13, 2022
I didn't enjoy Stephen Markley's The Deluge, which OI read courtesy of NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an objective review. . The first afternoon I tried to read it, I didn't get further than 50 pages before deciding it was a mistake. I couldn't relate to anything or anyone in the book. I read my way through the book in bits and pieces until i stumbled to the end.
Spanning almost 30 years, The Deluge is really two books. The first is a treatise on how climate change leads to natural disasters, shortages of food and critical resources, political upheaval and major changes in the earth's geography. It also shows the ugly side of American politics. This part of the book is fascinating, and unfortunately, all too real.
The second part of the book looks at the human side of the issues - those who do not want to change current policy for whatever reason (usually financial, ideological support, financial or personal ambition) versus those working to create change (and all the factions in between). Bombings, riots, violent demonstrations, political (and sexual) betrayals. All that was missing was the storming of the Bastille.
I would have appreciated a scorecard to keep track of all the characters, their ideologies, their betrayals, etc. There were almost as many characters in this book as in a Dostoevsky novel. It was confusing. With the recent political upheavals, congressional hearings, and the nation's financial woes, the timing of this book may have been off for me.
Spanning almost 30 years, The Deluge is really two books. The first is a treatise on how climate change leads to natural disasters, shortages of food and critical resources, political upheaval and major changes in the earth's geography. It also shows the ugly side of American politics. This part of the book is fascinating, and unfortunately, all too real.
The second part of the book looks at the human side of the issues - those who do not want to change current policy for whatever reason (usually financial, ideological support, financial or personal ambition) versus those working to create change (and all the factions in between). Bombings, riots, violent demonstrations, political (and sexual) betrayals. All that was missing was the storming of the Bastille.
I would have appreciated a scorecard to keep track of all the characters, their ideologies, their betrayals, etc. There were almost as many characters in this book as in a Dostoevsky novel. It was confusing. With the recent political upheavals, congressional hearings, and the nation's financial woes, the timing of this book may have been off for me.
December 21, 2022
Wow. Wow. Wow. The phrase that kept going through my head as I read this hefty offering was "magnum opus." A book highly recommended by the master Stephen King was going to catch my attention, and this truly did.
I admit my scientific and political knowledge is limited, so I didn't dwell too much on the intricacies of the massive plot, but the fact was that I was truly entertained. The story made me feel, think and dream. That doesn't happen often.
To read this book is to make a big time commitment -- it's loooooong. But in the end, I'm glad I stayed with it, and I'm glad I read it.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I admit my scientific and political knowledge is limited, so I didn't dwell too much on the intricacies of the massive plot, but the fact was that I was truly entertained. The story made me feel, think and dream. That doesn't happen often.
To read this book is to make a big time commitment -- it's loooooong. But in the end, I'm glad I stayed with it, and I'm glad I read it.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2023
I don’t think I’ve ever given 5 stars to such an imperfect book. Nevertheless.
Fierce and fatalistic. Monumental and monstrous. Interminable and immersive and intimate and important. This blend of climate and politics and activism, of fact and fiction, of essay and report and memoir and novel, forces the reader to see a future where hope is not lost but hangs on a precarious thread buffeted by forces both complex and ridiculous, where in the best case scenario mitigation will be long haul endeavor requiring centuries. For those who find it hyperbolic, go read the IPCC 2022 report and the current relevant news.
I could nitpick the things that bothered me, but just can’t consider them worth pointing out.
“‘Was it worth it? Was a raped and murdered world worth it for a few decades of excess? How did you let this happen? You knew. Everyone knew.’ She will gaze up into this haunting vortex, the consequences of what was done in just a single human lifetime, with nowhere to run or hide or escape this uncharted and endless future.
All I will be able to tell her is that some of us tried, baby. Some of us fought like hell.”
Fierce and fatalistic. Monumental and monstrous. Interminable and immersive and intimate and important. This blend of climate and politics and activism, of fact and fiction, of essay and report and memoir and novel, forces the reader to see a future where hope is not lost but hangs on a precarious thread buffeted by forces both complex and ridiculous, where in the best case scenario mitigation will be long haul endeavor requiring centuries. For those who find it hyperbolic, go read the IPCC 2022 report and the current relevant news.
I could nitpick the things that bothered me, but just can’t consider them worth pointing out.
“‘Was it worth it? Was a raped and murdered world worth it for a few decades of excess? How did you let this happen? You knew. Everyone knew.’ She will gaze up into this haunting vortex, the consequences of what was done in just a single human lifetime, with nowhere to run or hide or escape this uncharted and endless future.
All I will be able to tell her is that some of us tried, baby. Some of us fought like hell.”
October 19, 2022
4-1/2 stars for a phenomenal novel that takes our current circumstances and projects them into a future that's equal parts terrifying and reassuring. It's a bit too long (though I can't identify anything specific that needs to be cut) and it does bog down in spots, but overall, this 896-page novel was an amazing tour through three decades of the twenty-first century (2013-2040) as climate change becomes an increasingly urgent issue and divergent groups press for change. I found it helpful to keep a list of the many characters as they were introduced, and to make notes of their connections to one another, which sometimes changed in surprising ways as the story progressed. I don't pretend to understand all the science described, and have no idea if it's all accurate, but if it is, then the author built a convincing case for comprehensive plans to remediate our present ecological, political, economic, and social crises -- all intertwined and compounding one another. Descriptions of the effects of catastrophic weather events were frighteningly realistic, as were the political machinations of those who sought change as well as those who battled equally hard to preserve the status quo. Dialog and interactions among the various characters showcased the author's ability to "speak" in the voices of many individuals with vastly different backgrounds, values, and belief systems. The Deluge was not an easy read, and the last chapter left me with unanswered questions; if it weren't so awfully long I'd be tempted to go right back to the beginning and read it all again while I still remember most of the story. Just an amazing read!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an objective review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an objective review.
January 17, 2023
This is so highly rated, but so badly written. It is hard to get into or care about. I found the writing to be pedantic to the point of self-indulgence. I really wanted to like it after all of the hype. Instead, I had to force my way through it. A lot of editing could make a decent story.
October 7, 2023
“From the bestselling author of Ohio, a masterful American epic charting a near future approaching collapse and a nascent but strengthening solidarity.”
From the bestselling author of a literary novel comes a Science Fiction epic that despite being about the near future and approaching climate change apocalypse will never be called genre fiction even though it absolutely is.
Clocking in just under 900 pages and being so heavy I regretted taking it with me on a train trip to LA and back is the science fiction epic The Deluge. It is probably not the fault of the author Stephen Markley that his novel is a modern Stand on Zanzibar, I would guess he never heard of the John Brunner classic. The comparison is not an insult, I consider SOZ to be the best SF novel of the 20th century. It won the Hugo Award, and I will be comparing those books throughout this review.
Brunner embraced Science Fiction, and Markley appears to be wandering through the genre like he accidentally walked into the wrong store. That might be the fault of marketing and I apologize to Markley if I am wrong.
What he was in control of was the page count. I enjoyed this book but the weight and length did challenge me. As a writer, I try to limit narrative side quests or fluff. I don’t like to waste words. As a reader, I am more forgiving. That said Robert McCammon’s Swan Song was almost as long as this book and the page count didn’t bother me.
There is a tight 500 or 600-page version of this novel I would have thought perfect. That is still epic, but when a book is this long, this heavy that it takes almost two weeks for a fast reader like me you start to edit in your head or question entire chapters. I would think to myself, what does that have to do with the story? Many times they are details that while important can be seeded with asides, not entire chapters. Who the fuck am I? Markley is a more acclaimed author than me but I am giving my experience as a reader.
That is tons of negative thoughts about a book that I generally liked and think is important. Using multiple characters in the same epic is a method that classic door stops like The Stand and Swan Song have used. This novel has a diverse set of characters that show the collapse of global sustainability and the next couple of decades of efforts to deal with it. Cli-fi in our rapidly heating, flooding and growingly unsustainable future is the most important direction storytelling in any media is going. I might sound harsh on The Degluge but that is because it is so very important. If that sounds preachy then so be it, because apparently asking nice has universally failed to do shit to stop all this stuff. That is the point of this novel that weaves political, personal American panorama on this future.
Heat waves, rising waters, and massive storms. Some get offended if you call this an end-of-the-world novel, and that is not exactly true. That is some optimism on behalf of the author that I am not sure I share. However one of the best things Markley is doing here is painting a realistic picture of the frustration and resistance of the desperate to survive hitting the brick wall of the political system that kicks the can down the road on climate change. This is not something the book takes time to get to page 139…
“…we have a precious handful of years left to act, I promise you this: If you join this movement now, you will wake up fifteen, twenty years from now and feel sick that you didn’t do everything you could during the sliver of time when we still had a chance. When we hadn’t yet fallen over the brink.”
One of the reasons Stand on Zanzibar was considered such a breakthrough in style was because Brunner used a style he admitted he stole from the 1930 USA Trilogy by John Dos Passos. Using letters, newspaper articles, and multiple seemingly unconnected characters and storylines. The Deluge uses this method to a degree. In one of the few page-saving methods, much of the world-building is done in Newspaper headlines that are mixed together like a collage. He still uses articles and multiple characters. Most of it is excellently written, Markley does a wonder job filling his diverse characters with an identity that makes them stand out from chapter to chapter.
I almost quit reading after the second chapter used this “experimental style” that was the only part of the writing that didn’t work for me. That chapter used boxes that had asides that sometimes added to the chapter with context, but sometimes they didn’t. I found them confusing, I often didn’t know what I was supposed to be reading or the order. It was frustrating.
If that had gone on longer I might have quit. I would have missed out.
It is interesting reading many of the comments, and online reviews very few point or even name characters who they spent hundreds of pages following. In a sense, the characters almost were more defined by what they were in this tapestry than who they were. The narratives used different styles, tenses, etc. so it was easy sometimes to think less about a character's name and think my self as the character not as Seth, but this is a chapter about the gay activist characters, Or this is ex-military drug addict, the guy whose name I don't remember now a week after reading the book. That is not a knock, I actually think that is a feature as part of the point seemed to be their roles in the crisis.
Each of the characters has their own personal connection to the growing crisis. The one that stood out to me was Seth and Ash deciding on having a baby. As a gay couple, the choice of having a child and raising them is powerful to get to witness in fiction but the rapidly ending world it is one I can relate to. At least one of my past relationships ended when I went with team Seth saying it was crazy to bring a baby into this world. “Forrest was born into socioecological circumstances more dire than I could have imagined. He was born into 444ppm carbon in the atmosphere, melting ice-caps, oceans crawling up the world’s coasts and deltas, soil salinization, dwindling fresh water, spreading desertification, and stalling agricultural production.”
I know this might offend some of you who are on team Ash, but I am glad I am not a young person today. That is the power of Speculative fiction. It is also the power to make this future not come true but as this part of the story powerfully displays - time is running out.
The heat waves, and the storms are well written and slowly and carefully lay out the mission statement. I am not positive but I think that statement is a rude awakening, get your shit together. Personally, I think Kim Stanley Robinson nailed the horrors of heatwaves better in his novel Ministry for the Future. John Shirley got the power of the unending storms better in his criminally underrated Stormland. The genre writers have been writing about an angry and warming planet for decades so perhaps we need Stephen Markley for the NPR listener who won't slum in the genre ghetto.
Some other issues this book dealt with well...
“Here in a campus bubble it was easy to look around and believe the country was swept up in a wave of change and possibility, a narrative propagated and commodified by the social media companies inflicting a new colonialism on people’s minds.”
I often tell co-workers that we are in a California bubble, where Trump doesn't seem so bad. That bubble here in San Diego also keeps the problems of climate change in the distance. The Deluge does an amazing job of portraying some of the political bubbles, and ways that the obvious need for change gets lost in the mundane even when people know better.
“You might not believe in what we’re doing, but this is the kind of action on which history pivots. This is a choice between revolution against the power structures or our extermination by those structures. People like you and your family? You’re what they harvest. Everything you do, everything you buy, everything you believe in—that’s just product and profit for them. You’re their cash crop.”
This moment stood out to me because it lays out the pivot point we are at so well. I like a cli-fi novel that reminds people that you are making choices. I have heard this novel preachy, but that is far as it goes. It doesn't say ride a bike or you will kill your grandkids, although sometimes I wish it did. It doesn't say you must go vegan, change law and act better now. It could be preachier, soI think that suggestion is without merit.
“The trajectories of the two major political parties shaped much of our lobbying experience, the Republicans in wounded disarray, trying to rebuild their party while frequently staving off primary challenges from suburban neo-Nazis, the Democrats playing a perpetual game of three-card monte, releasing aspirational platforms and progressive wish lists while mostly doing the bidding of Wall Street, Big Tech, and the military–national security–industrial complex.”
Is this preaching? Or is this explaining the hardcore reality of why we are a culture held underwater by the powerful and elite? I don't care how it comes off I just want more books like it.
The Deluge is a fantastic book, an important message but again I can't help but feel John Brunner made an equally powerful statement in 1969. His novel also addressed global issues better and was less focused on this one country. Together the two books half a century apart make an interesting comparison. SOZ was worried about overpopulation, and The Delgue is about a warming climate. Some dismiss Brunner prophetic nature because the population bomb didn't lead to a crash. But it is leading to a warming and unlivable future. One that Markley is warning readers about.
Environmental warning novels have a long tradition as long as the Nuclear war warning novel. The jury is out on this novel's ability to prevent this future but I can say it is adding to the discussion. I think this has more pros than cons, if a long book scares you I suggest Ministry For the Future, which reads more like a textbook but offers solutions. I have also included a link to my shelf of Cli-fi books.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
From the bestselling author of a literary novel comes a Science Fiction epic that despite being about the near future and approaching climate change apocalypse will never be called genre fiction even though it absolutely is.
Clocking in just under 900 pages and being so heavy I regretted taking it with me on a train trip to LA and back is the science fiction epic The Deluge. It is probably not the fault of the author Stephen Markley that his novel is a modern Stand on Zanzibar, I would guess he never heard of the John Brunner classic. The comparison is not an insult, I consider SOZ to be the best SF novel of the 20th century. It won the Hugo Award, and I will be comparing those books throughout this review.
Brunner embraced Science Fiction, and Markley appears to be wandering through the genre like he accidentally walked into the wrong store. That might be the fault of marketing and I apologize to Markley if I am wrong.
What he was in control of was the page count. I enjoyed this book but the weight and length did challenge me. As a writer, I try to limit narrative side quests or fluff. I don’t like to waste words. As a reader, I am more forgiving. That said Robert McCammon’s Swan Song was almost as long as this book and the page count didn’t bother me.
There is a tight 500 or 600-page version of this novel I would have thought perfect. That is still epic, but when a book is this long, this heavy that it takes almost two weeks for a fast reader like me you start to edit in your head or question entire chapters. I would think to myself, what does that have to do with the story? Many times they are details that while important can be seeded with asides, not entire chapters. Who the fuck am I? Markley is a more acclaimed author than me but I am giving my experience as a reader.
That is tons of negative thoughts about a book that I generally liked and think is important. Using multiple characters in the same epic is a method that classic door stops like The Stand and Swan Song have used. This novel has a diverse set of characters that show the collapse of global sustainability and the next couple of decades of efforts to deal with it. Cli-fi in our rapidly heating, flooding and growingly unsustainable future is the most important direction storytelling in any media is going. I might sound harsh on The Degluge but that is because it is so very important. If that sounds preachy then so be it, because apparently asking nice has universally failed to do shit to stop all this stuff. That is the point of this novel that weaves political, personal American panorama on this future.
Heat waves, rising waters, and massive storms. Some get offended if you call this an end-of-the-world novel, and that is not exactly true. That is some optimism on behalf of the author that I am not sure I share. However one of the best things Markley is doing here is painting a realistic picture of the frustration and resistance of the desperate to survive hitting the brick wall of the political system that kicks the can down the road on climate change. This is not something the book takes time to get to page 139…
“…we have a precious handful of years left to act, I promise you this: If you join this movement now, you will wake up fifteen, twenty years from now and feel sick that you didn’t do everything you could during the sliver of time when we still had a chance. When we hadn’t yet fallen over the brink.”
One of the reasons Stand on Zanzibar was considered such a breakthrough in style was because Brunner used a style he admitted he stole from the 1930 USA Trilogy by John Dos Passos. Using letters, newspaper articles, and multiple seemingly unconnected characters and storylines. The Deluge uses this method to a degree. In one of the few page-saving methods, much of the world-building is done in Newspaper headlines that are mixed together like a collage. He still uses articles and multiple characters. Most of it is excellently written, Markley does a wonder job filling his diverse characters with an identity that makes them stand out from chapter to chapter.
I almost quit reading after the second chapter used this “experimental style” that was the only part of the writing that didn’t work for me. That chapter used boxes that had asides that sometimes added to the chapter with context, but sometimes they didn’t. I found them confusing, I often didn’t know what I was supposed to be reading or the order. It was frustrating.
If that had gone on longer I might have quit. I would have missed out.
It is interesting reading many of the comments, and online reviews very few point or even name characters who they spent hundreds of pages following. In a sense, the characters almost were more defined by what they were in this tapestry than who they were. The narratives used different styles, tenses, etc. so it was easy sometimes to think less about a character's name and think my self as the character not as Seth, but this is a chapter about the gay activist characters, Or this is ex-military drug addict, the guy whose name I don't remember now a week after reading the book. That is not a knock, I actually think that is a feature as part of the point seemed to be their roles in the crisis.
Each of the characters has their own personal connection to the growing crisis. The one that stood out to me was Seth and Ash deciding on having a baby. As a gay couple, the choice of having a child and raising them is powerful to get to witness in fiction but the rapidly ending world it is one I can relate to. At least one of my past relationships ended when I went with team Seth saying it was crazy to bring a baby into this world. “Forrest was born into socioecological circumstances more dire than I could have imagined. He was born into 444ppm carbon in the atmosphere, melting ice-caps, oceans crawling up the world’s coasts and deltas, soil salinization, dwindling fresh water, spreading desertification, and stalling agricultural production.”
I know this might offend some of you who are on team Ash, but I am glad I am not a young person today. That is the power of Speculative fiction. It is also the power to make this future not come true but as this part of the story powerfully displays - time is running out.
The heat waves, and the storms are well written and slowly and carefully lay out the mission statement. I am not positive but I think that statement is a rude awakening, get your shit together. Personally, I think Kim Stanley Robinson nailed the horrors of heatwaves better in his novel Ministry for the Future. John Shirley got the power of the unending storms better in his criminally underrated Stormland. The genre writers have been writing about an angry and warming planet for decades so perhaps we need Stephen Markley for the NPR listener who won't slum in the genre ghetto.
Some other issues this book dealt with well...
“Here in a campus bubble it was easy to look around and believe the country was swept up in a wave of change and possibility, a narrative propagated and commodified by the social media companies inflicting a new colonialism on people’s minds.”
I often tell co-workers that we are in a California bubble, where Trump doesn't seem so bad. That bubble here in San Diego also keeps the problems of climate change in the distance. The Deluge does an amazing job of portraying some of the political bubbles, and ways that the obvious need for change gets lost in the mundane even when people know better.
“You might not believe in what we’re doing, but this is the kind of action on which history pivots. This is a choice between revolution against the power structures or our extermination by those structures. People like you and your family? You’re what they harvest. Everything you do, everything you buy, everything you believe in—that’s just product and profit for them. You’re their cash crop.”
This moment stood out to me because it lays out the pivot point we are at so well. I like a cli-fi novel that reminds people that you are making choices. I have heard this novel preachy, but that is far as it goes. It doesn't say ride a bike or you will kill your grandkids, although sometimes I wish it did. It doesn't say you must go vegan, change law and act better now. It could be preachier, soI think that suggestion is without merit.
“The trajectories of the two major political parties shaped much of our lobbying experience, the Republicans in wounded disarray, trying to rebuild their party while frequently staving off primary challenges from suburban neo-Nazis, the Democrats playing a perpetual game of three-card monte, releasing aspirational platforms and progressive wish lists while mostly doing the bidding of Wall Street, Big Tech, and the military–national security–industrial complex.”
Is this preaching? Or is this explaining the hardcore reality of why we are a culture held underwater by the powerful and elite? I don't care how it comes off I just want more books like it.
The Deluge is a fantastic book, an important message but again I can't help but feel John Brunner made an equally powerful statement in 1969. His novel also addressed global issues better and was less focused on this one country. Together the two books half a century apart make an interesting comparison. SOZ was worried about overpopulation, and The Delgue is about a warming climate. Some dismiss Brunner prophetic nature because the population bomb didn't lead to a crash. But it is leading to a warming and unlivable future. One that Markley is warning readers about.
Environmental warning novels have a long tradition as long as the Nuclear war warning novel. The jury is out on this novel's ability to prevent this future but I can say it is adding to the discussion. I think this has more pros than cons, if a long book scares you I suggest Ministry For the Future, which reads more like a textbook but offers solutions. I have also included a link to my shelf of Cli-fi books.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
January 31, 2024
The Deluge is by far and away the most disturbing and alarming novel I’ve ever read. During the entire month I’ve been consumed by it, some of the superlatives I’ve used to describe it to my frolleagues (friends and colleagues) include the following :
‘Honestly, it’s rewired my brain and caused me to really reflect on some of my personal lifestyle choices.’
‘You need to fuckin’ read this book!’
‘It’s about climate change, but that’s reductive, because it actually contains multitudes narratively and thematically.’
‘I’m giving this to you when I’m done.’
‘It’s not THAT big…’
The 4.22 rating it has on Goodreads should serve to strengthen my praise, and it’s been getting what seems to me pretty much universal acclaim around this here community. So, everything is as it should be! Except for our planet..
I’m not nearly as educated as I’d prefer to be on the topic of global climate change, let alone the political and economic complexities that are involved, so I want to avoid details on that and instead try to emphasize why you should read this novel regardless of personal beliefs. Markley gives us many specific scenarios and details focusing on what our world could be like going forward. Some of these are real and others are manufactured, but all of it seems so very pressing for the reader. And legitimate, believable and even, dare I say, imminent…? We have multiple narratives that are presented in different points of view, all of them executed with crisp and incisive prose, culminating in a period of time 16 years from now. Extremely readable and still varied nicely. For what it’s worth, I remember thinking at some point that it seems like a nice sort of bridge between the challenging, complex, ‘postmodern’ tomes (Pynchon, Wallace, Markson) and the more popular, straightforward, accessible fiction (Franzen,Hill, Robinson). Obviously, I was riveted, but also deeply moved a number of times. People need to know that the book is filled with humanity, including elicitations of humor, love, unity, and deep personal reflection.
It is fiction, and I get that, but good heavens does it ever read like reality. I believe, and speaking for others I’ve been in touch with, that this singular and masterful literary accomplishment may not get the readership it deserves because of its heft and/or subject matter. This is a true shame. I can’t really see it working if it was any shorter. Somehow it seems inaccurate to call it a favorite, and a rereading at some point in the (fearsome) future doesn’t seem all that appealing, yet I’m entirely confident in stating that it’s one of the best books I’ll ever read.
‘Honestly, it’s rewired my brain and caused me to really reflect on some of my personal lifestyle choices.’
‘You need to fuckin’ read this book!’
‘It’s about climate change, but that’s reductive, because it actually contains multitudes narratively and thematically.’
‘I’m giving this to you when I’m done.’
‘It’s not THAT big…’
The 4.22 rating it has on Goodreads should serve to strengthen my praise, and it’s been getting what seems to me pretty much universal acclaim around this here community. So, everything is as it should be! Except for our planet..
I’m not nearly as educated as I’d prefer to be on the topic of global climate change, let alone the political and economic complexities that are involved, so I want to avoid details on that and instead try to emphasize why you should read this novel regardless of personal beliefs. Markley gives us many specific scenarios and details focusing on what our world could be like going forward. Some of these are real and others are manufactured, but all of it seems so very pressing for the reader. And legitimate, believable and even, dare I say, imminent…? We have multiple narratives that are presented in different points of view, all of them executed with crisp and incisive prose, culminating in a period of time 16 years from now. Extremely readable and still varied nicely. For what it’s worth, I remember thinking at some point that it seems like a nice sort of bridge between the challenging, complex, ‘postmodern’ tomes (Pynchon, Wallace, Markson) and the more popular, straightforward, accessible fiction (Franzen,Hill, Robinson). Obviously, I was riveted, but also deeply moved a number of times. People need to know that the book is filled with humanity, including elicitations of humor, love, unity, and deep personal reflection.
It is fiction, and I get that, but good heavens does it ever read like reality. I believe, and speaking for others I’ve been in touch with, that this singular and masterful literary accomplishment may not get the readership it deserves because of its heft and/or subject matter. This is a true shame. I can’t really see it working if it was any shorter. Somehow it seems inaccurate to call it a favorite, and a rereading at some point in the (fearsome) future doesn’t seem all that appealing, yet I’m entirely confident in stating that it’s one of the best books I’ll ever read.
January 5, 2024
Way, way, way too long...
This could easily have been six regular-size books. Sure there are some very good books that are very long ... have you read 1Q84? I have, and I loved it!
This book is clearly very well researched, very well written, but reading it is like reading those earlier-mentioned six books at once.
The characters are deep, three-dimensional, complex (often too deep and too complex!), but overall the story is the size of an avalanche. Aptly so, since the subject matter is a planetary catastrophe, that's been snowballing over years and decades, into a planet killer. If only it were a little more readable and memorable.
There are better Climate disaster novels out there, including the recently released and excellent The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, or the more pulpy but clearly well-researched State of Fear by Michael Crichton. "The Deluge" is unlike either of those, a little bombastic and by far too self-assured story-telling, as if derision and contempt - of everyone and everything - are the only expressions on offer here.
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for providing an eARC for this honest review.
I really wish I could have given a more positive feedback to a book that has so much effort put into it, but come on ... it shouldn't take an equal amount of effort to read it !!
This could easily have been six regular-size books. Sure there are some very good books that are very long ... have you read 1Q84? I have, and I loved it!
This book is clearly very well researched, very well written, but reading it is like reading those earlier-mentioned six books at once.
The characters are deep, three-dimensional, complex (often too deep and too complex!), but overall the story is the size of an avalanche. Aptly so, since the subject matter is a planetary catastrophe, that's been snowballing over years and decades, into a planet killer. If only it were a little more readable and memorable.
There are better Climate disaster novels out there, including the recently released and excellent The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, or the more pulpy but clearly well-researched State of Fear by Michael Crichton. "The Deluge" is unlike either of those, a little bombastic and by far too self-assured story-telling, as if derision and contempt - of everyone and everything - are the only expressions on offer here.
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for providing an eARC for this honest review.
I really wish I could have given a more positive feedback to a book that has so much effort put into it, but come on ... it shouldn't take an equal amount of effort to read it !!
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