World Made by Hand

The World Made by Hand Novels, Book 1

By: James Howard Kunstler

Narrated by: Jim Meskimen

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

In The Long Emergency, celebrated social commentator James Howard Kunstler explored how the terminal decline of oil production combined with climate change had the potential to put industrial civilization out of business. In World Made by Hand, an astonishing work of speculative fiction, Kunstler brings to life what America might be, a few decades hence, after these catastrophes converge.

The electricity has flickered out. The automobile age is over. In Union Grove, a little town in upstate New York, the future is nothing like people thought it would be. Life is hard and close to the bone. Transportation is slow and dangerous, so food is grown locally at great expense of time and energy, and the outside world is largely unknown. There may be a president, and he may be in Minneapolis now, but people aren’t sure. The townspeople’s challenges play out in a dazzling, fully realized world of abandoned highways and empty houses, horses working the fields and rivers, no longer polluted, and replenished with fish.

This is the story of Robert Earle and his fellow townspeople and what happens to them one summer in a country that has changed profoundly. A powerful tale of love, loss, violence, and desperation, World Made by Hand is also lyrical and tender, a surprising story of a new America struggling to be born - a story more relevant now than ever.

©2008 James Howard Kunstler (P)2010 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic Reviews

“Richly imagined.” ( O, The Oprah Magazine)

“Far from a typical postapocalyptic novel…An impassioned and invigorating tale whose ultimate message is one of hope, not despair.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)

“Brilliant.” ( Chicago Tribune)

Male fantasy makes for a poor/unrealistic story

As some reviewers have pointed out, this book is not particularly well written. As a story, not great literature, it would be passable. However, you will have to pretend that it was written in the 50’s like Alas Babylon, for it to be an okay listen and even then it sounds like a pathetic kind of male wishful thinking.

Women are not going to “drop” feminism and revert to being stereotypically deferential and secondary to men because we lose technology. Every major player in this book is male and that effectively eroded any plausibility of this story for me. Two minor characters are female. One is manipulative and emotionally unstable, the other (young and attractive) picks a man older than her father for shelter and wants to sleep with him in exchange for protection although being the protagonist, he doesn't pressure her. Oh, and there is also a mysteriously powerful woman at the heart of the religious cult who is described as obese, nauseating and completely disgusting.

Even in times past, in a small town, women would be extremely important to the fabric of the community, not just shadows. Sorry Mr. Kunstler. For better or worse, women today are even the largest new market for guns. While you obviously long for more “simple” times, there are just too many female doctors, dentists, mayors, police chiefs, land holders, CEOs and even ministers for the future to play out this way. That reality completely blows your story -- and exposes your misogyny.

A kind of Amish post-apocalypse

Among the many subgenres I have a weakness for, one of my favorites is the post-apocalyptic thriller. World Made By Hand is not a thriller, though there is some action and violence. It occupies some strange middle ground between The Stand and Earth Abides. James Howard Kunstler is more interested in telling a story about what people do when the lights go out and how they go back to churning their own butter and making their own candles than a broader story about the collapse of civilization. In fact, that theme (as indicated by the title of the novel) seems to be the reason why the author wrote this book. While the residents of Union Grove, New York now live hard, sometimes precarious lives, and Kunstler does not neglect to show people suffering trauma and not coping very well with the death of the world they knew, the subtext throughout the book seems to be "Maybe it's better this way." The narrator, who by virtue of being the only responsible adult who was too much of a sucker not to say 'No' is now the mayor of Union Grove, frequently ruminates on how much better and sturdier things are now when you have to make them to last, just like in the old days, and seems to regard his old modern consumer life with a mixture of yearning and ironic disdain.

So there is quite a bit of talk about how people have gone back to a primarily agrarian existence, without oil or electricity, and how they struggle to survive when most folks don't have the skills needed for a post-industrial society. It's one of those books that makes you think about what you would do: if all of a sudden we got knocked back to the 19th century by some sort of apocalypse, do you have any survival skills? Any useful skills that would make you valuable to a community. Well, I'm no prepper and I'm afraid my own skill set would probably prove a bit meager.

We aren't given many details about what happened in this world made by hand. There is talk of recent wars in the Middle East, and bombs took out Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles and other cities (though apparently not New York City), and the U.S. government, and global civilization, seems to have essentially collapsed. The folks in Union Grove get little news from up the Hudson and even less from anywhere outside New York.

That said, they have been, as Brother Job of the New Faith Church points out, awfully lucky so far. They've managed to keep their town running with no major disasters, and their region has not yet reached the stage of feuding warlords and roving bandit gangs. However, lawlessness is certainly taking over the countryside, which causes most of the problems in the book as they have to deal first with a trade ship that was sent down the Hudson to New York City and never returned, and then with a local troublemaker who has set himself up as a feudal lord on the edge of town with a bunch of bikers, vagrants, and other ne'er do wells.

The New Faith Church, a bunch of healthy young evangelicals, show up in Union Grove and want to settle there, which proves to be a mixed blessing. They are (it seems) basically clean, decent, hard-working folks, and they bring fresh blood and, incidentally, a lot of combat vets. However, they definitely have proselytizing on the agenda, and being an instant power in the community, there are bound to be tensions.

It's a well-constructed story and the world, while light on details, makes sense. No major suspensions of disbelief, until the end, where Kunstler seems to be hinting at the encroaching of supernatural elements. As Brother Job says, "Science don't rule the roost no more." It's both odd given the straightforward, realistic style of the rest of the novel, and also seems to be in keeping with the idea of a "world made by hand" being somehow deeper and more spiritual.

Well, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't terribly exciting, and I'm not inclined to sign up for the rest of the series to learn just how religious the author decides to get. Yes, our modern consumer lifestyle probably is unsustainable and many things are lost when everything is commercial and transient. On the other hand, as the events in World Made By Hand show, it's not a great improvement to let the world be run by whoever has the most charisma and guns, and I have no faith in the nice folks of the New Faith Church not turning into witch-burning science-hating zealots given a generation or so to cement their power. So, while I feel a certain sympathy for the idea that the world would actually be a better place without Walmarts and reality TV, I'm not willing to throw out electricity, antibiotics, and indoor plumbing to get it.

Andy Griffith at the end of the world

Be prepared for a leisurely pace. The first 1/2 of the story is more of a sketch of a post-electronic world than an actual story. Built to be idealistic more than realistic, this dystopian world clearly depicts the author's preference for a world with less technology. He succeeded in making me imagine the beauty that could await us if we found ourselves back in synch with nature's rhythms, but the entire story softens the blows--until the strange and abruptly violent ending. The plot takes its time developing, then takes an ugly turn in a way that seemed incongruous with the Andy Griffith beginning.

An additional note of complaint is the author's treatment of women. Not only are they all emotionally weak, needy, manipulative or disturbed, they rely exclusively on men for their care and feeding. Kunstler's main source of differentiating between them is by remarking on their various breast sizes, which only exaggerates this misogynist worldview.

Before adding this book to my summer reading (& listening) list, I had just finished Alas Babylon (1959, Pat Frank). The similarities are abundant. The biggest difference is in the story telling. Babylon builds suspense while offering plenty of commentary, thus never feeling dull and weary. The narrator for Alas Babylon also kept the pace and intensity in a way that Jim Meskimen never mastered. I was also able to forgive Pat Frank for his 1950's treatment of women (pre-women's liberation). On the other hand, I could not get past Kunstler's apparent chauvinism .......and racism. Really? Are no minorities in all of upstate New York? In Kunstler's future they are entirely relegated to race wars in urban centers far, far away.

Pick a world made by a hand other than Kuntzler's!

Interesting concept, poor writing, lots of pompous pontification

I am open to the concept of a collapsing society, and while I am not convinced that this will happen in the next few decades, it is certainly a possibility. I enjoy this genre of fiction, and I have a great deal of respect for McCarthy's The Road for its masterful, poetic writing and profound themes, for Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl for its handling of a multitude of modern dangers and compelling plot, and for Atwood's Oryx and Crake for its bold premise of humanity re-engineered and also for its fluid writing.

Kuntsler's World Made by Hand, on the other hand, also contains interesting and important ideas, but these are masked by poor, overly explicit presentation of Kuntzler's world view, and by poor writing, wrought with cliches.

Example one: "with his bare hands" This is how the book's villain is tagged by Kuntzler. The villain is suspected of strangling his first wife "with his bare hands," and that trite phrase is repeated a few times.

Example two: This same villain was a motorhead before the collapse, someone who loved snowmobiles, four wheelers, and NASCAR, and who didn't seem at peace without the whir of an engine next to him. OK, I'm a backcountry skiier and whitewater kayaker and I have no great love for snowmobiles or jet skis, but I don't look down on people who do like these things. No, I don't want a snowmobiler polluting the atmosphere of a national park with the roar and exhaust of the engine, but I am prepared to compromise with snowmobilers who also pay taxes and thus support national parks. This villain is two dimensional, a bit like the bad guys cruising around on the oil tanker in Waterworld, and all of us, hillbilly, yuppie, hippie, and entrepreneur are party to the imposition of possibly great social and environmental costs to future generations due to our consumption.

I respect Kuntzler's efforts, but this is an awkward hybrid between an essay and a novel.

Failed Sexy Lamp

Let me save y'all some money here, Cis-white heteronormative middle-age male protagonist is sad at the end of the world and his best friend's wife, who is also sad, has sex with him because she's sad and definitely not depressed. I'm so sick of this.

One of my favorite “post-apocalyptic” novels

There’s a sort of sub-genre of post-apocalyptic fiction, which is the “almost-but-not-quite-apocalypse” that I enjoy. World Made by Hand is also one of those books. (I’d put Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh, which I also really liked in this category). I tend to be interested in the “things have almost completely fallen apart and how are we going to survive this and still live a decent life?” scenarios. Most of us don’t make or grow anything—we buy it—so I find the details of daily life without all the modern conveniences fascinating.

I read this when it first came out and just now listened on audio, and it held up for me. (The second book in the series is horrible, but the third and fourth are good.) No, there aren’t any kick-butt heroines or even strong female characters, but I could overlook the male-dominated story because I liked the characters. Plus, throw a cult into any story and I’m on board—even if they are nut-case Christians; some of them are actually likable and if not likable, rather entertaining.

Soft core prepper porn

This story basically fetishizes apocalypse. It feels like the author wishes this would happen. There’s no real conflict or drama. Everything wraps up with a bow, except the random insertion of apparently supernatural events toward the end which don’t advance the plot in any way.

It’s a decent adventure yarn, and the performance is excellent, but I don’t recommend it.

a bit peeved

Overall i liked this book. But was pretty unhappy about author's writing when a young woman was not raped but only touched by the hooligans against her will. treated sexual molestation like it was nothing because she was not raped.

A Well told story

“A World Made By Hand” paints a vivid picture of what life could be like when all of the modern world’s conveniences are gone through lack of oil. If you’re looking for an action packed post apocalypse thriller this probably isn’t for you, but what it lacks in action it more than makes up for in storytelling. Everything from what has happened to make the world this way to the everyday actions of the characters are painted so vividly that you could practically be there. The characters are liable well thought out and the story is so interesting compared to other post-apocalyptic novels. While other novels are almost exclusively small groups or individuals trying to stay alive this book focuses on a whole community. I can’t wait to get into the other books in the series.

The narrator was great with the different characters and really brought the story to life.

Blah

Just not well executed. Bashes you over the head with "how things used to be" and lots of niggling little issues. For example, how come every professional in this book is assisted by " his wife"? Are there no more female dentists in the future? Not worth the energy to ignore the plot holes.

Feels like it's written by a 60 year old male

The story feels like it's written by an old white frustrated male, giving the "back in my old days", "kids nowdays are some lazy punks" and "praying is the cure to everything". I got to about chapter 7, and It's simple unbearable. It's like talking with an old divorced guy.

End of the World meets Frontier Country

What did you like most about World Made by Hand?

Although the Author has a definite political agenda (left of centre) I didn't feel it was being constantly rammed down my throat as is often the case with this genre. I enjoyed not being told everything at once. How did the world stop why is it the way it is now? This was drip fed on an almost need to know basis which kept me wanting more. I will definitely buy more in the series. As an atheist I tend to be wary when religion pops up in any book. However, in this book I found the use of religion interesting in the binding together of a community. A new religion moving in on an established faith and the possible outcomes. There are other underlying issues mentioned in the book that may be looked at later; the number of children being born; the issues of race and ethnicity; and a nascent serf system developing under a benevolent liege lord

What was one of the most memorable moments of World Made by Hand?

There are no set pieces so it is difficult to say. However, I found the visit to Carpville to serve an arrest warrant reminiscent of scenes from westerns, or a visit to an off-world market from a science fiction film. Bizarre and creepy with enough tension to make you concerned for the main protagonists. .

Have you listened to any of Jim Meskimen’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Jim Meskimen before, so have nothing to compare it to. However, I did enjoy his performance and at no point did it grate, although being English I would have issues over some pronunciations.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Killing is messy and the law is notional idea in this world of the future. We have characters who want to uphold and use the law, but also realise that sometimes you have to just kill people. It's not cartoon violence. When people die you are surprised and in some cases sorrowful.

Any additional comments?

It is nice to read a book in this genre where sex is okay and sex outside of marriage is a given. No mention yet of same sex relationships, but I live in hope.

Best audio listening. Great book!

The narrator is amazing, loved it!!
Interprets all characters. Great story too. Thank you.

Never fear old white guys will still be in charge.

Like most reviewers I have a bit of a soft spot the post apocalyptic or back to nature genre.
Try the wild shore by Kim Stanley Robinson if you haven't already read it. it was written 25 years before this rubbish.

Thought provoking

A great post apocalyptic tale, exceptionally well delivered by an excellent voice actor.
I swear Wayne was played by Jack Nicholson!

The new old days

This was a terrific book, very plausible and thought provoking of mankind’s future. I loved it and could not stop listening to it, the narrator was great. Thoroughly recommend this book!

Really good read

An unusual, deep and gentle take on post apocalyptic society - more a slide than a big bang

worth a listen

didn't feel like there was a start, middle and end. did enjoy it though. I couldn't get through it as quick as other books.

an unexpected gem, scratches post apocalyptic itch

Great to have a post apocalyptic book that isn't about zombies. I love all the detail about how they've had to adapt and the challenges they face. looking forward to listening to book 2 and hope to buy books 3 and 4 when they get adapted to audiobook.

Thought provoking.

Although set after the downfall of society as we know it, this is no way a fantasy novel.
I guess we all have an idea in our heads, or have flirted with the concept of, what our lives might be like after the apocalypse. In this imagined world there is not even an apocalypse, there is a realistic spiral downwards of the American infrastructure. This book then imagines that concept with less dramatic consequences than we are used to seeing in films set in future times. I can imagine the world James Howard Kunstler has created, and not ALL of it is unappealing.
The only negative I can think of is the ending, it kind of just stops, though it does leave the reader to imagine their own 'what happens next'.
Off to buy the second book now. Sad to see the rest of the series after that isn't on Audio.