Earth Abides Book Review

This  book is one of the many that I have in my to-read pile strictly for Apocalypse Hub and while I’ve finished it over a month ago, I’m just now getting around to write a quick and dirty book review on it. 

This was supposed to be one of the inspirations for Stephen King’s The Stand. How can one resist, right?

The story is told from the POV of Isherwood (Ish) Williams. It begins with him suffering the effects of a rattlesnake bite and wakes up to a world whose population has been pretty much wiped out by a plague. 

It’s a beautifully written epic tale that spans many generations after year zero. 

The thing about Ish was that he didn’t mourn humanity in general. He almost seemed to enjoy being alone in the early years after the pandemic (he does meet people during his travels). I think that the way he coped with the situation is how most people would have probably handled it.   

With no one to sustain agriculture, industries, the law, and government – it was back to square one for those who made it. I especially enjoyed the moments where he realized the importance of self-sufficiency and rebuilding. Opening tin cans of food would only last him and the others so long until it either ran out or became unsafe for consumption. With topics such as the structure of family, community, and culture covered, this book could have easily been part of a trilogy. 

Having read reviews of this book, I was aware that some readers were distracted about the antiquated references (it was written in 1949). In my case, however, I do believe that it added to its authenticity. It painted a very genuine and vivid picture of that era which enhanced the reading experience despite the racist and sexist overtones. There are parts that were dull and tedious in its description of day to day life but I had to remind myself that the story is being told from the eyes of a man who was more of an observer than a doer and one who lived through generations after the collapse of civilization as he/they knew it. It’s less of a sprint but a marathon, paced to see you through to the end. 

This is one of those books that only gets better after you’ve reread it and I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t been made into a feature film yet. I don’t think the Hollywood machine is up for such a challenge. 

Overall, a fascinating and engaging read. Highly recommended. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Harbor Freight Survival Knife (Gear Review & First Impressions)

Here's another first impressions type of review. This time it's for a survival knife I picked up at Harbor Freight.

It's definitely got the cool factor going on. It's a visually appealing knife, with a handle that has an alternating pattern/texture which improves the grip. I have small hands and it feels pretty comfortable holding on to this. It's a pretty hefty-sized knife with a sharp and serrated edge. the grip has a screw top that has a built in compass. That opens up to reveal a compartment pre-packed with a few basic supplies (fishing line, sewing kit, matchsticks, etc.). I like this feature since this will allow me to customize what's inside.

It also comes in a nylon sheath which looks pretty flimsy but as I've mentioned on the vid, it's better than nothing. All you crafty people out there can probably make your own sheath for this (or buy one).

The pros:
Price - very affordable, under $15
Build - seems solid and durable but I haven't put it through a field test yet so we'll see if it holds up.
Compartment - Nice little extra place to stash additional supplies, plus the cap has a compass

The Cons:
Sheath - flimsy material but for the price it's not bad at all
This product might be suitable to newbies (like me), casual dayhikers / campers.

Modifications I'm planning on doing to this:
I'll have to make a better paracord handle for it and use an O-ring and a carabiner to hook it up to the side. I saw someone who made that mod and I thought it was more functional than the single string paracord loop that it comes with.