The Deluge
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- Create Date：2023-01-02 08:51:54
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Stephen Markley
- ISBN：1982123095
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Summary
“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。
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。
Reviews
Aline
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The book starts by giving off a vibe that’ll be a long crossover between “The Day After Tomorrow” & “Don’t Look Up。” In all honesty it took me several weeks to reach the 30% mark and I was about to DNF it when things picked up a bit， then from there I became invested in some of the characters just to have to go through a whole cast of other characters I didn’t care about， making the story jarring and disjointed。 Speaking of which， it seems the author was trying to do an experiment and see how ma The book starts by giving off a vibe that’ll be a long crossover between “The Day After Tomorrow” & “Don’t Look Up。” In all honesty it took me several weeks to reach the 30% mark and I was about to DNF it when things picked up a bit， then from there I became invested in some of the characters just to have to go through a whole cast of other characters I didn’t care about， making the story jarring and disjointed。 Speaking of which， it seems the author was trying to do an experiment and see how many different POVs， tenses and hot button issues he could fit in a go — there’s even a 2nd person POV rapist in there。 I like that when it comes to politics at least he shows both sides of the aisle are one and the same when we comes down to the nitty-gritty of it all。Two things:- After eluding everyone for so long， Shane deserved a better resolution。 - What was in the document Coral gave to Matt and he burned？ Did he realize Lucy and Shane were the same person？ Or was it that Kate knew at least one person in 6Degrees？ Or was it about the abortion she confessed to Jackie but never told him？ Something else entirely？ Way to piss this reader off， man。 Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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It's a bold move to open a novel about climate change with a science dense first chapter that was， for me at least， confusing。 Markley's treatise on climate change， politics and the lack of humanity among humans takes a lot of patience。 And more patience than I had。 I liked that we switch characters from chapter to chapter and move forward in time because some of them are more accessible than others。 However， this is a big big book that never really captured my imagination。 I DNF but I'm keeping It's a bold move to open a novel about climate change with a science dense first chapter that was， for me at least， confusing。 Markley's treatise on climate change， politics and the lack of humanity among humans takes a lot of patience。 And more patience than I had。 I liked that we switch characters from chapter to chapter and move forward in time because some of them are more accessible than others。 However， this is a big big book that never really captured my imagination。 I DNF but I'm keeping it by my side to read over time。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 I may be the odd one out so recommend for fans of literary fiction。 。。。more
Francie
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The Deluge by Stephen Markley seems daunting at 880 pages， but is a surprisingly fast read。 Markley has brilliantly captured the zeitgeist of the first three decades of the 21st century as he examines people's varying reactions to the increased dangers from the climate crisis， adversarial politics， and social unrest。 Following six major characters and a number of minor ones as their paths cross， diverge and recross， the novel masterfully pulls the reader into a drama that is both harsh and distu The Deluge by Stephen Markley seems daunting at 880 pages， but is a surprisingly fast read。 Markley has brilliantly captured the zeitgeist of the first three decades of the 21st century as he examines people's varying reactions to the increased dangers from the climate crisis， adversarial politics， and social unrest。 Following six major characters and a number of minor ones as their paths cross， diverge and recross， the novel masterfully pulls the reader into a drama that is both harsh and disturbing， yet ultimately somewhat hopeful。 Reading this in the last week of 2022 amidst the release of the 1/6 report made Markley's insights into our near future seem all too real。 Although quite technical at times， The Deluge is a call to action as we navigate the coming years and attempt to resolve our most pressing issues as a country and a world。 Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of this important novel。 。。。more
Kim Cabrera
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The Deluge is a warning of a possible future for the human species。 As the planet warms， catastrophic storms and sea level rise will cause massive disruption of human society。 People will react in various ways。 Some will try to write legislation to stop adding carbon into the atmosphere。 Some will become activists and try to influence change。 Others will use more violent methods。 All are characters in this book。 The book is very long， so be prepared for a lengthy read。 There are also a lot of ch The Deluge is a warning of a possible future for the human species。 As the planet warms， catastrophic storms and sea level rise will cause massive disruption of human society。 People will react in various ways。 Some will try to write legislation to stop adding carbon into the atmosphere。 Some will become activists and try to influence change。 Others will use more violent methods。 All are characters in this book。 The book is very long， so be prepared for a lengthy read。 There are also a lot of characters to sort out。 Once you’ve gotten more of their details， you begin to see how they interrelate。 Each character is told in their own voice。 Most are third person accounts。 One is told in second person point of view。 So， the reader will begin to recognize the various characters by their narrative voice as well as their actions and interactions。 It’s an interesting writing technique。 The story is also told via news stories and pages of news clippings from various sources （all fictional）。 One neurodivergent character writes long， detailed memos to a politician。 Some of the characters encounter the stories of the others in various ways。 I liked this technique of weaving so many story elements together in a variety of ways。 It made things more interesting。 It also keeps the reader on their toes。 It also lends credibility and believability to the tale。The background has many climatic events happening。 Some characters are affected directly， and some read about it in news stories， etc。 The climatic events begin moderately， such as a large dust storm。 From there， they begin to escalate until a huge hurricane wipes out North Carolina。 These events occur over a span of about 30-40 years， beginning in the early 2010’s and ending up near 2040。 The idea was to show how changes to the global temperature will begin to show up as these large-scale disastrous climatological events that affect masses of people。 Climate refugees begin to show up。 Starvation is widespread。 States close off their borders。 Economic collapse happens。 The coastal cities begin to be lost to sea level rise。 The list of dramatic events is long and should be a wakeup call。 Although this is fiction， these are things that could possibly exist in our future。 The entire book is a dire warning， set in a fictional world。 Dystopian is one way to describe this。 The surveillance state that is shown in the near future is sobering。 I’d also add that it hit too close to reality in a lot of ways。 As a reader， I found it hard to ignore that some of these things have already begun to occur。 The characters all rang true for me， as did all the political wrangling that had to happen in order to try to pass legislation。 Even when it meant that the legislation could literally save the world， the political system still had to go through its machinations to get it done。 It was too lifelike to be regarded as fiction。 Maybe that’s the point。 Maybe this is more a commentary on where we are at as a society。 It asks the question， what would we give up in order to save our planet？ How much would an individual be willing to sacrifice to make the planet habitable for human beings into the future？ Some of the characters make the ultimate sacrifice。 It should make us all think， what is the cost of a habitable world？ What are we leaving for our children and grandchildren？ This book will change your life。 You will be thinking about it a long time after you turn the last page and put it down。 。。。more
Seth Austin
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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 fabri 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。 。。。more
Tonstant Weader
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The Deluge takes place in the near future – a future in our lifetime for most of us。 We have continued to do too little too late to check the progress of climate change and it has reached a tipping point with catastrophic consequences。 Political dysfunction and polarization has brought extremism to the boiling point。 It’s a mess and the wheels are coming off the train。 And a scientist makes a discovery with huge implications for the climate at the same time he receives a death threat， possible e The Deluge takes place in the near future – a future in our lifetime for most of us。 We have continued to do too little too late to check the progress of climate change and it has reached a tipping point with catastrophic consequences。 Political dysfunction and polarization has brought extremism to the boiling point。 It’s a mess and the wheels are coming off the train。 And a scientist makes a discovery with huge implications for the climate at the same time he receives a death threat， possible exposing him to anthrax。 What follows is a far too realistic， far too possible a future and it’s terrifying。The construction of The Deluge reminded me of Ohio at first。 It begins with all these characters who are seemingly unrelated。 I think of the characters are being in a sort of whirlpool， at the beginning they are all floating around in the very separate lives， doing science， doing drugs， doing activism， and doing crime。 As the story moves forward， connections begin to appear and they come closer and closer until they are on a a faster and faster， tighter and tighter spiral toward catastrophe。The Deluge presumes we don’t’ do very much about climate change， gridlock and partisan polarization seeming to put us on a trajectory toward climate disaster。 Then， in a sort of Nixon-Going-To-China moment， a Republican is elected on a pledge to address climate change。 Of course， the petrochemical lobby finds a willing and ingenious marketer who comes up with a strategy to derail the bill。Meanwhile， a scientist studying underwater methane gets a death threat and an anthrax scare， an addict wins a small lottery jackpot and goes on a real bender， a guy meets the love of his life on a summer job and takes off with her for a wild ride of a life， a mathematician who is neurodivergent disappoints his parents by using his talent in sports betting， a woman meets a famous actor and she spends the night with him。 A man and a woman have breakfast in a diner and discuss the Iraq War。 It all sounds so mundane， but it isn’t。After the first part， we begin to see a few more connections as their lives start to converge。 Much of the story is focused on climate change。 They are dealing with the effects of rising sea levels and extreme weather。 It’s hard to describe The Deluge。 It is one possible future， a future made likely by our continuing reliance on gas and oil。 It is the scariest book I can recall reading。 Stephen King has nothing on Stephen Markley for creating a nightmarish world and tossing us in it。 It’s scary because it is possible， even probable。I liked The Deluge even though it is scary and depressing and all to possible。 As in Ohio， the narrative language is lush and powerful。 He is too good a writer to have all the characters have the same felicity with language and does a remarkable job of writing in the voice of his various characters。 One weakness， though， is Ashir， the mathematician。 Markley wrote him as neurodivergent。 I suppose that was one way to excuse his didactic voice。 Some of his chapters feel like white papers。 Bur， as a reader， when I feel like I am being preached at， I feel hostile。 That is my biggest complaint with the book， that there is this didactic thread that runs through it。I understand。 The time to act on climate has passed again and again and it’s nearing the point of no return。 It’s urgent， the most important issue we face。 And we just go through life in a sort of la-di-denial of reality。 However， I think the rest of the book is more persuasive than the pedantry of Ashir’s chapters。 But if you can read this book without feeling the urgency of the climate crisis， what’s wrong with you？The Deluge will be out on January 10th。 I received an e-galley and ARC from the publisher through Shelf Awareness and NetGalley。The Deluge at Simon & SchusterOhio reviewStephen Markley author sitehttps://tonstantweaderreviews。wordpre。。。 。。。more
BookwormishMe
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4 stars Buckle your seatbelt， because this is one long-winding road to the end。 It’s hard to even summarize this novel， somewhat dystopian， futuristic， foreboding。 It’s an epic， over 900 pages， and it’s a challenging one at that。 But that being said， Markley does have a gift with words。 He is able to make paragraphs so utterly beautiful。 This story is about the future of our planet， the future of our people， and our will to survive。 The climate crisis has been known for decades， yet industry and 4 stars Buckle your seatbelt， because this is one long-winding road to the end。 It’s hard to even summarize this novel， somewhat dystopian， futuristic， foreboding。 It’s an epic， over 900 pages， and it’s a challenging one at that。 But that being said， Markley does have a gift with words。 He is able to make paragraphs so utterly beautiful。 This story is about the future of our planet， the future of our people， and our will to survive。 The climate crisis has been known for decades， yet industry and politics have kept us from doing what’s necessary to curtail climate change。 Markley tackles the subject of climate change while also showing the very dark side of our political clime in this country。There are a handful of key players - Kate Morris， Ashir al-Hasan， Tony Pietrus， Shane Acosta。 Then there is a large group of secondary players， some who at times get more attention than the key players。 The protagonist is our world， the antagonist， the human race。 Keeping up with the players is the important focus， as you must keep track of who is who to know what is happening in the story。 Moments in the story are heart-pounding， some are like a slow moving stream。 And while it took me 21 days to finish this novel （might be a record for me！） I am so happy to have stuck with it。 In many ways it is a cautionary tale of our world today and the future if we don’t start thinking about the ramifications of our lifestyles。 The final chapter of the novel was almost breathtaking。 No spoilers， but it is worth plowing through to the end。 。。。more
Melanie
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Whoa。 This book is intense。 And big。 Over 900 pages。 A sprawling story spanning decades as the effects of climate change catch up with the world amid a varied cast of players and storylines。 Scientists。 Drug addicts。 Environmental activists。 Religious zealots。 Militia。 Celebrities。 Politicians。 Storms。 Droughts。 Wars。 Floods。 Disease。 Politics。 This story was terrifying and too real for me to totally enjoy; however， the meticulous research， narration style， and scope were amazing。 #TheDeluge #Ne Whoa。 This book is intense。 And big。 Over 900 pages。 A sprawling story spanning decades as the effects of climate change catch up with the world amid a varied cast of players and storylines。 Scientists。 Drug addicts。 Environmental activists。 Religious zealots。 Militia。 Celebrities。 Politicians。 Storms。 Droughts。 Wars。 Floods。 Disease。 Politics。 This story was terrifying and too real for me to totally enjoy; however， the meticulous research， narration style， and scope were amazing。 #TheDeluge #NetGalley #January2023 。。。more
Melissa Crytzer Fry
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I may be among the few who call this behemoth book ‘refreshing，’ because， yes， it paints a frightening， if not depressing （but realistic）， portrait of the world today and where the world may be headed in 15 to 20 years。 But what was refreshing is that the author cast a massive spotlight on both political parties， and took punches – repeatedly – at both sides。 This was incredibly restorative to me personally， in a time when traditional and social media have created this polarizing “refuse to see I may be among the few who call this behemoth book ‘refreshing，’ because， yes， it paints a frightening， if not depressing （but realistic）， portrait of the world today and where the world may be headed in 15 to 20 years。 But what was refreshing is that the author cast a massive spotlight on both political parties， and took punches – repeatedly – at both sides。 This was incredibly restorative to me personally， in a time when traditional and social media have created this polarizing “refuse to see anyone else’s perspective - can’t objectively assess the political party I believe in – fly off the handle if someone has different views – cancel those with different beliefs - won’t consider both sides of a story” culture。 As an independent， I’m talking about both sides wearing their blinders。 This book pointed out our highly polarized society quite clearly。 Yes， there was a particular political leaning， overall， but this novel did far better than traditional journalism does today with objectivity…Let me be clear that I take a wide berth with politics， yet this book entranced me， because while it may be fiction， my guess is that it’s closer to the truth than any of us want to realize or will be willing to realize。 And that’s the reason everyone should read it。I admit that this novel may not appeal to a good number of readers due to its sheer length （almost 900 pages）， its political emphasis， and its less-than-rosy undertones。 The author also employs some interesting literary techniques， using a vast number of main characters and points of view， backstory overloading， letter/briefing reports， graphics with world headlines， second-person/present narrative， and loads of description about political processes and committees… BUT， for me， it all worked。 I wanted to learn more and suspected that much of what goes on in this fictional account goes on in real politics: the closed-door meetings， the fence-jumping on issues simply to win an election， the backstabbing， the ‘do whatever it takes’ to get my party elected， even if the wrong person is in office… Oh， wait… We’ve been seeing this for years， haven’t we？ We see it now。But what kept me reading， in the end， was the characters。 Markley has an uncanny ability to create unique characters， each voice singular， each person’s background wholly individual and real。 I came to care for these characters and wept on at least three occasions。 I was surprised to be so touched by the troubled character， Keeper; the cantankerous Tony; the brilliant and evasive character on the spectrum， Ashir。 And the main character （who， interestingly， is not a point-of-view character）， Kate… holy moly was she a power to be reckoned with and so expertly drawn by Markley。 So damn good。 The writing， also: so damn good。Along those lines， I cannot imagine the research Markley went through to understand the science behind global warming， predictive theories about polar ice caps and methane clathrates in the oceans， political systems， resistance regimes， military operations， economics， political ideologies… my mind is completely， fantastically blown。 If I’d seen the list I just wrote， I probably would have said， “Nope。 Not for me。” And yet， it was for me…There is a message of hope at the end， though readers will need to be patient getting there。 I took months to read this book with 30-minute daily sessions and felt I was rewarded in the end。 It got me to thinking that maybe the book length and its insane complexity mirrored the themes within。 Getting whole societies together for the greater good – no， not an easy task。 A long， arduous， time-taking task… And， quite frankly， I’m not sure this would have been the same book had it been pared down。 Its elaborate and lengthy storyline felt necessary。A few samples of the writing:Gazing at that pink house， Shane could almost hear her father’s voice。 Not particular words but the big， booming squall。 The whole winds of the earth seemed to live in his lungs。Wounded people， I’ve noticed， tend to welcome camaraderie。I was speaking too softly and forced myself to sit up， to uncoil。 It probably looked like a small movement to her， but for me， it was like knocking over my chair。Then she looked around at her family’s cancer-alley lives， the sacrifice zone she’d called home， where the sun was a hazy red dragon breathing through the spires of refinery architecture， and she went hard for years at drinking and drugs herself。After decades of delay， policymakers and the economic elite who support them have allowed this civilizational crisis to metastasize。 Regan， Bush， Clinton， W。 Bush， Obama， Trump， Biden， Hogan， Randall， and now Love – leaders with nothing in common except their failure to address the only issue that ever really mattered。So， yes… As uncomfortable as this book may make you， you should probably read it。 You won’t agree with all of the political solutions or stances – nor did I – but you might come away with a more open mind， asking “What would I do to save the world？”Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vera
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Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of this book！ I really wanted to love it， since I generally enjoy climate fiction and epic fantasy/science fiction。 Unfortunately， I found it to be just a bit too long and the pacing was somewhat uneven， which is why I'm only giving it 3 stars。 I loved that the story was told from multiple perspectives， and I loved how those different characters came together in different ways throughout the book。 I also thought the overall theme of the book wa Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of this book！ I really wanted to love it， since I generally enjoy climate fiction and epic fantasy/science fiction。 Unfortunately， I found it to be just a bit too long and the pacing was somewhat uneven， which is why I'm only giving it 3 stars。 I loved that the story was told from multiple perspectives， and I loved how those different characters came together in different ways throughout the book。 I also thought the overall theme of the book was a good and timely one， but the execution wasn't as on point as I would have liked。 I think the book suffered from heavy-handedness and too much exposition， and I think it would have been a better book if it had been edited by at least 200 pages。 I wouldn't have taken out any of the characters - I just would have made most of the chapters shorter and moved the plotlines along a bit faster。 I very much appreciate what the author is trying to do， but the writing style and extreme amount of exposition made this book a bit of a slog for me。 。。。more
Andy Krahling
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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 commitme 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。 。。。more
Tom
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I loved Ohio， so when I heard about this novel I just had to get my hands on it。 I've seen tons of reviews， stating this is a modern classic; they are right。 This novel is one of the finest novels I've read in recent years。 Although not a perfect five star review （based off of pacing issues through some parts） this novel is down right scary and interesting。 I loved Ohio， so when I heard about this novel I just had to get my hands on it。 I've seen tons of reviews， stating this is a modern classic; they are right。 This novel is one of the finest novels I've read in recent years。 Although not a perfect five star review （based off of pacing issues through some parts） this novel is down right scary and interesting。 。。。more
David V。
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Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble。 Started 12-18-22。 Finished 12-28-22。 Definitely a long book--880 pages！！！ Fictional account of the efforts to convince world governments of the true dangers of climate disasters and what they need to do to protect their countries。 Covers the years 2013 t0 2039 and beyond; the views of the "revolutionaries" to the media to the deniers to the children。 Weaves fact with fiction with scientific realities and news coverage of the time。 Truly scary。 D Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble。 Started 12-18-22。 Finished 12-28-22。 Definitely a long book--880 pages！！！ Fictional account of the efforts to convince world governments of the true dangers of climate disasters and what they need to do to protect their countries。 Covers the years 2013 t0 2039 and beyond; the views of the "revolutionaries" to the media to the deniers to the children。 Weaves fact with fiction with scientific realities and news coverage of the time。 Truly scary。 Deaths of protestors massacred by right-wing governments。 Flooding and storms and there are still non-believers！！ Specific plans are set forth and sacrifices will have to be made by everybody。 This is the "Bible" to save our planet。 。。。more
Joyce Hamel
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The Near Future is ForebodingGreat suffering and injustice is very real in this almost 900-page tome。 From 2013 to 2040， Markley has his characters prevent or at least forestall， shattering climate change。 The author depicts a diverse assortment in his cast of personalities。The plot is not a surprise in the beginning of this book。 Scientists are wailing about devastating ecological and social breakdowns。 We are introduced to an interesting group: geologist Tony Pietrus， Ashir as-Hasan， chief of The Near Future is ForebodingGreat suffering and injustice is very real in this almost 900-page tome。 From 2013 to 2040， Markley has his characters prevent or at least forestall， shattering climate change。 The author depicts a diverse assortment in his cast of personalities。The plot is not a surprise in the beginning of this book。 Scientists are wailing about devastating ecological and social breakdowns。 We are introduced to an interesting group: geologist Tony Pietrus， Ashir as-Hasan， chief of staff for Senate Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and many more heterogenous characters。 There are other participants to this motley group but the standout is Kate Morris， who is a climate activist。 She has varied solutions that are dependent on political support。 Morris is part of an organization called A Fierce Blue Fire， an impressive name。 Markley’s characters have diverse goals and talents。 I found it difficult at times to stay with the 896 pages but it may be worth it for some readers。 Noting the characters have different ambitions and points of view， this sets a stage for polarization。 There is a conservative faction who resists and sometimes acts on irrational ideas。 The novel is packed with possible solutions with the infallible need for quick reactions and those who persevere。 It’s a dire time and our civilization is at stake。 This a detailed， long book with considerable information。 Not all the players have the same goal makes it a disturbing reality。My gratitude to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this pre-published book。 All opinions expressed are my own， 。。。more
Kim Lockhart
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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 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。 。。。more
Sarah
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It's nearly 900 pages， there are dozens and dozens of characters， and there's some fairly technical climatology lingo。 However， don't let any of that intimidate you。 The Deluge is， by far， my favorite new book I've read this year。I've sung my praises about this book earlier in my reading journey， but wow， it picked up steam since my last report。 The majority of the story takes place in the not-too-distant future and pivots around the question of "What if we continue to do nothing about our clima It's nearly 900 pages， there are dozens and dozens of characters， and there's some fairly technical climatology lingo。 However， don't let any of that intimidate you。 The Deluge is， by far， my favorite new book I've read this year。I've sung my praises about this book earlier in my reading journey， but wow， it picked up steam since my last report。 The majority of the story takes place in the not-too-distant future and pivots around the question of "What if we continue to do nothing about our climate？" The answer？ Imagine the chaos of the year 2020 on steroids， multipled by a hundred， year after year。The book is especially powerful because all the horrors that occur feel alarmingly possible。 Record breaking floods， fires， food shortages， economic collapses， and political zealots are a few examples among many。 The Deluge is an important read， but it's more than just terror and gloom。 It made me laugh， and I felt attached to the characters， flawed as they all were。I can go on and on， but I strongly recommend that you give it a go yourself。 I PROMISE you that all the characters and separate storylines will connect and make sense。 。。。more
Clement
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At nearly 1，000 pages， The Deluge is long and， honestly， the technical scientific jargon in the first chapter had me worried but， in the end， Markley managed to pull all the disparate storylines together in a very compelling and engaging story that engulfs the reader。 Stephen Markley has written a masterpiece that Stephen King rightly calls “a modern classic。” It’s unsurprising that King acclaims The Deluge， as it is as long and as epic as King’s The Stand。 The Deluge well worth the effort and c At nearly 1，000 pages， The Deluge is long and， honestly， the technical scientific jargon in the first chapter had me worried but， in the end， Markley managed to pull all the disparate storylines together in a very compelling and engaging story that engulfs the reader。 Stephen Markley has written a masterpiece that Stephen King rightly calls “a modern classic。” It’s unsurprising that King acclaims The Deluge， as it is as long and as epic as King’s The Stand。 The Deluge well worth the effort and commitment， its vision of the future is eerily prophetic， and its warning regarding climate change is worth heeding。 。。。more
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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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 c 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。 。。。more
Ellen
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The Deluge begins in 2015 and takes us through present day to the mid 21st century。 Along the way we meet dozens of characters who are reacting in different ways to the worsening climate crisis。 The device of anchoring the book in familiar events lends credibility and urgency to the narrative。 I was excited to read the book because of the many positive reviews， but unfortunately， the book just did not work for me。 First of all， it clocks in at over 900 pages， and there were long periods where I The Deluge begins in 2015 and takes us through present day to the mid 21st century。 Along the way we meet dozens of characters who are reacting in different ways to the worsening climate crisis。 The device of anchoring the book in familiar events lends credibility and urgency to the narrative。 I was excited to read the book because of the many positive reviews， but unfortunately， the book just did not work for me。 First of all， it clocks in at over 900 pages， and there were long periods where I just didn't feel like I was making any progress at all。 Fully 250 pages of the book is exposition; the entire first section is a series of chapters introducing the dozens of characters we will continue to follow throughout the rest of the book。 Reading this online， it was very frustrating。 not to be able to go back and remind myself who these people were; there were just so many of them and they when they started to interact with each other the relationships and their backstories got very muddy。 It doesn't help that the chapters are titled with events and dates， but each has a different narrator speaking in first person。 Many times it took me 3 or 4 pages to fully understand who was speaking， which slowed me down even more。One important issue the book raises is the need for urgency when we are dealing with political systems that move very slowly。 4 or 5 presidents are in office during the time period of the book， and none of them are able （or willing） to pass the kind of legislation that would really help。 As climate conditions worsen， and the nation experiences unprecedented flooding， drought and storms， politicians posture， acquiesce to the fossil fuel lobbyists， and have summits which produce nothing。 This is a very important message but it is almost lost。 Markley might have been better served to tighten up the narrative and eliminate half of the characters and at least a third of the pages。 Ironically， a book about the need for urgency ends up being a time-wasting slog。 。。。more
Maureen Tumenas
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Wow！ This book flew from feeling like it was snatched from todays headlines to a view of the future that felt all too real。 I usually worry more about characterization， but honestly - the story， what could literally be our current story/our future- is what I loved about this。 Markley pulled together all of the pieces from social justice warriors to climate change warriors/deniers， to the politicians， the christofascists， and more。 He pulled in the anger and the fear from all sides。 Although this Wow！ This book flew from feeling like it was snatched from todays headlines to a view of the future that felt all too real。 I usually worry more about characterization， but honestly - the story， what could literally be our current story/our future- is what I loved about this。 Markley pulled together all of the pieces from social justice warriors to climate change warriors/deniers， to the politicians， the christofascists， and more。 He pulled in the anger and the fear from all sides。 Although this book is wicked long。。。 it was well worth the time。 One thing to note- read it on a device with a dictionary！ I literally looked up 26 words as I read this。 Do you know what clathrates are？ or hagiogaphic？ or hermeneutics？ and so many more。 Many thanks to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster for the galley copy。 。。。more
Don Weymouth
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I was extremely interested in reading this book prior to release。 Unlike Stephen King's endorsement， the book is boring， disjointed， and poorly written。 The general theme is a projection of the next 20 years of climate extremes。 Initially， a number of disturbing observations of bacteria in the ocean pointed towards a speed up of storms and ice melts being analyzed by biologists and mathematical quants。 If it stayed on theme， it could have been a great book。Instead， he divided it into sub-plots t I was extremely interested in reading this book prior to release。 Unlike Stephen King's endorsement， the book is boring， disjointed， and poorly written。 The general theme is a projection of the next 20 years of climate extremes。 Initially， a number of disturbing observations of bacteria in the ocean pointed towards a speed up of storms and ice melts being analyzed by biologists and mathematical quants。 If it stayed on theme， it could have been a great book。Instead， he divided it into sub-plots that he never stitched together。 It took me 4 weeks to get through this and was painful。 I highly recommend not wasting 15 to 20 hours reading this。 。。。more
Barbara Dougherty Evans
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Stuggled to get through this book。 It took me forever as there are way to many characters and way to much going on。 I could not follow it at all。 Every time I put it down and came back I had to start over。I finally had to make myself a chart just to keep track of the characters。Just to much for one book！ I really really did not enjoy the book。 Thought I would love it based on the synopsis。Just can not recommend。Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy in return fo Stuggled to get through this book。 It took me forever as there are way to many characters and way to much going on。 I could not follow it at all。 Every time I put it down and came back I had to start over。I finally had to make myself a chart just to keep track of the characters。Just to much for one book！ I really really did not enjoy the book。 Thought I would love it based on the synopsis。Just can not recommend。Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy in return for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Theodore Kinni
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A compelling and horrifying vision of how the environmental and political mess we’re in right now might play out。 900 pages and well worth the time。 Read an advance copy， forthcoming Jan 2023
Dollie
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This book is a prediction of what our world might come to unless we close every coal mine， totally switch over to electric vehicles， severely limit oil usage and get all the plastic out of our oceans。 The Deluge is a pretty stark view of what the world’s population may be suffering in the next thirty years if we don’t do something to stop carbon emissions and other pollutants now。 I’m definitely a believer of climate change， so for me， reading this book was like preaching to the choir。 One doesn This book is a prediction of what our world might come to unless we close every coal mine， totally switch over to electric vehicles， severely limit oil usage and get all the plastic out of our oceans。 The Deluge is a pretty stark view of what the world’s population may be suffering in the next thirty years if we don’t do something to stop carbon emissions and other pollutants now。 I’m definitely a believer of climate change， so for me， reading this book was like preaching to the choir。 One doesn’t even have to pay close attention to the news these days to realize that storms are getting more severe， fires are becoming more frequent and deadly， and the glaciers are melting， raising water levels at coastlines。 My hopes for this book， which I think was well-written， informative and important， is that every world leader， every member of Congress and the Senate， are each given a copy and make vows to no longer accept any money whatsoever from the big oil companies and other polluters。 I believe until that happens， sadly not much is going to change。 Humans are the ones destroying this planet and we are the only ones who can save it， so I hope this book becomes a bestseller and is in every town， high school and college library。 There is only one thing I really didn’t like about this book， and it wasn’t the length。 It is longer than it has to be， but I like big books， so I was okay with that。 Anyone who reads my reviews know characters are very important to me。 The only thing I disliked about this story was every single character except for one， Matt Stanton。 And there are a lot of characters。 I don’t know if the author intentionally made them all unlikable or if it’s just me。 So， if any of you read this book and you actually do like the characters， please leave me a comment， because I’ve never liked a book as much as I did this one while not liking 99% of the characters in it。 I would like to thank Simon & Schuster， Stephen Markley and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC free for an honest review。 。。。more
Scott J Pearson
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Few issues have as far-ranging of a potential impact as climate change。 Like nuclear weapons or global war， it has a very real potential to end human life on this planet， yet it is not （yet） taken seriously in political conversations in America。 Instead， we dilly-dally about old debates like whether authoritarianism or democracy is a better form of practical government。 In this book of futuristic fiction， Markley tries to predict how the American experiment might evolve over the next 20 years in Few issues have as far-ranging of a potential impact as climate change。 Like nuclear weapons or global war， it has a very real potential to end human life on this planet， yet it is not （yet） taken seriously in political conversations in America。 Instead， we dilly-dally about old debates like whether authoritarianism or democracy is a better form of practical government。 In this book of futuristic fiction， Markley tries to predict how the American experiment might evolve over the next 20 years in light of science。 Warning: It resembles more of a dystopia than a utopia。Markley tells a very wide set of intertwining stories involving over a dozen main characters （with many points of view）。 The main narrative centers on one intriguing protagonist named Kate Morris， who advocates for the well-being of the planet。 She stages multiple peaceful protests and becomes famous for her cause。 Abundant subplots involve violent demonstrators， craftiness among politicians， a scientist seeking a future for his family， and both the rich and poor of America。 Climate change， not myopically siloed here， involves other issues like social justice and the inflexibility of the American government。To be honest， I sense a few limitations。 The entire first half of this novel is somewhat confusing with so many points of view。 It does come together into a tight conclusion。 Further， the political stance advocates for an unapologetically wide leftist agenda， even more ambitious than the recent Green New Deal。 This limits the potential audience。 Although my newspaper sometimes seems to disagree with me， I sincerely hope our future governments will prove more responsive than this novel portends。 No widespread political healing from the upheavals of recent years are predicted。 Finally， the main narrative development takes place among the strum und drang of the environment， not among the characters， and the environment can be a big drama queen in this story。 That tended to slow my intrigue into the plot。Markley had a highly successful debut novel （Ohio） and captured some big-name endorsements （like Stephen King） for this work。 Further， the big-name publisher （Simon & Schuster） pioneering a 900-page work says that someone believes in his talent。 But the above limitations keep me from fully embracing this work。 There’s so much dystopian material with a happy ending only appended that the art of the fiction-writing seems limited。 I would have liked to see more character development of the actual characters， not just the weather。 Of course， I support awareness of the cause and implore the American public to embrace needed economic reforms。 Markley can and should raise awareness of this needed topic。 We must face the realities of what we’re doing to the environment very soon， before it’s too late。 。。。more
nvsblmnstr
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2。5/5It’s full of captivating ideas and but there are too many characters in a too long book。 You’d think with the length here I would care more about these people and what happens， but I just didn’t。 That was a bummer。
willowdog
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You just know a book is not well written when you take 3 weeks to read one-half of the work。 Try as I may， I could not waste any more time on this。 Seemingly unrelated pseudoscience stories that even when they have a good premise， fail to deliver a satisfying ending。My thanks to Edelweiss for providing this free ebook in exchange for this review。
Christina
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I tried to read this book， I really did。 But is was so slow and very difficult to follow。 I can usually read a book in less than a week but i I can barely get a chapter in a day。 I'm not one to give up on a book， so I'll probably find myself coming back to this one at some point but I'm incredibly disappointed。 I tried to read this book， I really did。 But is was so slow and very difficult to follow。 I can usually read a book in less than a week but i I can barely get a chapter in a day。 I'm not one to give up on a book， so I'll probably find myself coming back to this one at some point but I'm incredibly disappointed。 。。。more
Jami
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This was just “ehhh” for me， unfortunately - a bit too meandering and disjointed。 Was good enough though that I *had* to finish， so I’d say 3。5 stars would be a sound review。 Thanks for the ARC opportunity！
Gerry Durisin
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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 kee 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。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Deluge
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Deluge&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Deluge&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0