The Deluge (Unabridged)
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4.4 • 22 Ratings
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- $29.99
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Notable Book
“This book is, simply put, a modern classic. If you read it, you'll never forget it. Prophetic, terrifying, uplifting.” —Stephen King
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Stephen Markley’s epic novel is terrifying because it’s so cataclysmic—and because it’s closer to science fact than science fiction. The audiobook introduces us to a large ensemble of characters, including a mathematician, an activist, and a preacher, as they each confront the dire effects of a climate crisis. The novel’s constantly shifting perspectives let us see how the disaster ripples through all levels of society, while a full cast of 14 narrators keeps us grounded in each of their deeply compelling individual stories. Markley did intensive research into real science, which informs the story naturally instead of coming in distracting info dumps. The Deluge isn’t just an engrossing, white-knuckle listen, it’s also an illuminating wake-up call about the realities of climate change.
Customer Reviews
A better forecast than a narrative
There’s something valuable, maybe even important, about this book.
It contains a more precise and comprehensive understanding of the past, present, and future of the climate crisis (across the scientific, cultural, and political landscapes) than anything else I’ve read.
On the other hand, despite its seeming best efforts to do otherwise, the perspective here is almost relentlessly male, straight, white, often sadistically violent, and cluelessly oriented toward the concerns of those who pull the levers of power, rather than those who most suffer their effects.
That said, despite its many flaws I hope this is the kind of book which sparks many overdue conversations about the cliff edge on which our civilization is teetering.
A Prophetic Tale of Our Waning World
Wellness is like a turbo-charged GPS for the soul, packed with juicy nuggets of wisdom on memories, marriage, and the cosmic tightrope act of staying sane in a world drowning in information overload, fake news, and more choices than a cereal aisle. Prepare yourself for an epic journey through the labyrinth of self-narratives and the exhilarating sport of cherry-picking the parts that make us shine while conveniently sweeping the rest under the rug. This mind-expanding novel will make you question whether we're all just master architects of our personas, shaping our lives and relationships with every thought and decision we make.
Now, when I read Nathan Hill's previous gem, "The Nix," and now "Wellness," I couldn't help but nod furiously, underline like there's no tomorrow, and stand in awe of his ability to give voice to the very thoughts, ideas, questions, and gripes that I regularly ponder. He holds up a mirror to our world, offering characters as a prism through which we can reflect upon how we live today and what we aspire to be.
The Deluge
Enjoyed it very much. It took a bit to get to the excitement but then the action really took off. Educational and exciting too.