The fiction work he exists in is "On the Beach", by Neville Shute. Overall, I like the fiction of Shute. And I like the genre here, which I think would be called 'post-apocalyptic' fiction. I actually read quite a bit of this type of fiction. Some titles I like include 'The Road', by Cormac McCarthy and 'The Last Ship', by William Brinkley. There are many more that I could recommend.
And truthfully, there is something to be said for "On the Beach". My recent journey into this novel was my third go round, so I entered this adventure willingly. Again. As the time before, I listened to the Audible version of this novel, narrated terrifically by Simon Prebble. The novel is very dated, originally published in 1957, it was recorded for Recorded Books, llc for this version in 1991. By my reckoning, this would indicate that the book has stood a significant test of time.
I can understand why it may have stood this test of time. For one thing, even in 2019 the threat of Nuclear Holocaust is very real, so this dated novel is based on real fears, even 62 years after publication. This novel takes a pretty interesting and unique viewpoint. Unlike many other post-apologetic works, Shute takes a pretty docile approach to the apocalyptic situation. Not a lot of preaching in this book, really. No real heroes, villains, or conflict at a quick study of the plot. The conflict is the impending extinction of mankind, but there is no real antagonist for that conflict to focus on. The tone seems to be 'this holocaust is what it is'. As for villains, those are primarily the idiots that pushed the buttons and the governments that allowed it to happen, present in only shadow form in this novel. The novel takes a look at pretty regular people, average straight up people, including families, as they deal with and face their impending doom upon a dying earth.
So why does Captain Dwight Towers bother me so much? What gets my hackles up?
The Captain has at his command a very large nuclear powered submarine. In fact, including the sister submarine stationed in sub-tropical South America, eventually he becomes Admiral of two nuclear powered Submarines. In this novel, these are the only surviving ships of consequence in the entire world. The ships, among other positive traits, are equipped to be able to desalinate sea water and can filter the 'hot' nuclear air to be breathable. And the novel states that enough nuclear fuel can be generated in Australia, where the ship is based, to keep it powered for years. Air, water, power. AIR, WATER, POWER! There they are with three pretty key ingredients required for sustaining life. And there is one more...the obvious one for submarines. As a nuclear powered submarine, this ship can submerge as needed.
One more thing to consider: Many of the men stationed on the 'Scorpion', the primary nuclear submarine Captain Dwight Towers commands, are married to women in Australia. Captain Towers himself has a beautiful young female companion completely in love with him. There are women aplenty. Besides breathable air, power, drinkable water...if you add to the equation the potential for procreation...you are starting to assemble the building blocks to sustain human life.
There are obstacles for sure. The submarine can not stay submerged forever. And dry land is on the verge of becoming inhospitable. The food the submarine can carry is limited, certainly not enough to sustain life indefinitely. But with all the resources available shipboard on a US nuclear submarine, and with all the additional resources of Australia at their fingertips, are you telling me that no amount of brainstorming can come up with a list of solutions to the serious issues faced?
The setting for this novel is 1957. By this time in history, there are stations on the Antarctic continent. What stops Captain Tower and his willing and capable trained staff, teamed with the best scientists in Australia...from moving the available submarines and as many food barges they can tow...from finding refuge in a safe harbor near one of these Antarctic scientific stations in hopes of prolonging their lives and their progeny...for as long as possible. Using the power and resources of the nuclear submarines, it becomes at least one last chance of saving a remnant of civilization.
Captain Towers never even rolls the thought through his dim cranium. This is unbelievable to me. His behavior seems to be that he will obey every US Naval ordinance line by line to the very end. No civilians aboard ship, no attempt to sustain lives of his loved ones nor any others. No basic human sense of responsibility to the human race?: By following Navy regs precept upon precept, he single-handedly dooms all of humanity. He dooms it willingly. And he dooms the one woman who truly and completely loves him.
This, to me, is unforgivable. As a literary character, he has no character at all. He becomes an allegory for all those folks who blindly pushed the buttons that lead to this literary disaster in the first place.
Let me tell you, when it comes to blind obedience, or going down fighting to the very end...I choose the latter.
Cheers, nca
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