“A mysterious plague has destroyed the vast majority of the human race. Isherwood Williams returns from a wilderness field trip to discover that civilization has vanished during his absence. Eventually, in San Francisco, he encounters a female survivor who becomes his wife. Around them and their children a small community develops, but rebuilding civilization is beyond their resources, and gradually they return to a simpler way of life”.
So reads the back of the Sci-Fi Masterworks edition of “Earth Abides” by George R. Stewart.
You might be wondering why I am looking at a book in one of my posts, but bear with me, there is method to my madness (or at least I hope there is!). This is an important book to me and undoubtedly one of the best that I have read. I found myself identifying very strongly with the protagonist Isherwood Williams, or Ish as he becomes known. At first I couldn’t work out why I felt such a connection, but then all the pieces started to come together. Ish seems to be an Aspie. I don’t know if this was intended, but it certainly seems to be the case. Without wishing to give away any of the plot I will give the reasons why I believe that Ish is an Aspie:
- Ish doesn’t really like being around other people and he prefers being on his own, hence his wilderness trip.
- Ish has an SI in the form of Ecology i.e. the relationship between living things and between them and their environment.
- He prefers to observe rather than participate.
- Is adversely affected by any change (anyone would be forgiven for being adversely affected by a civilisation destroying plague!).
- Social constructions such as racism mean nothing to him. He sees the world in a different way than those around him.
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