D.E. Stevenson’s post-apocalyptic novel, The Empty World, was first published in 1936 and is now available in ebook format from independent publisher Lume Books. I was intrigued by the description of this book, which sounded very different from Stevenson’s usual light romances and family sagas.
The story begins with historical novelist Jane Forrest and her secretary, Maisie, boarding a flight from New York to London. When a violent electrical storm knocks them off course and cuts off communication with the world below, they eventually manage to land in Glasgow only to find the airport and the city itself eerily deserted. Jane and her companions are forced to face the possibility that they could be the only human beings left in the world.
The Empty World is an intriguing exploration of what happens when a group of strangers are thrown together in a post-apocalyptic world. Divisions and tensions arise within the group, both romantic and ideological, as they attempt to build a new society from the ruins of the old. The book is set in 1973, Stevenson’s future, although it feels much more like the 1930s.
The atmosphere of a world without life is beautifully captured by Stevenson and I found it particularly poignant when three members of the party take a small plane and fly to Europe only to find that the places they’d always dreamed of visiting have completely lost their magic now they are devoid of life.
The Empty World is an underrated novel that deserves more attention and acclaim. It raises many of the issues usually explored in post-apocalyptic fiction and is a fascinating, thought-provoking read. If you can get hold of it, I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
