Emergence

Emergence (1984) – David R. Palmer
Bantam Books | ISBN: 0553245015
Condition: Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

The end of civilisation. A thoroughly inconvenient event, particularly when it happens before you’ve finished school, learnt to drive or discovered whether the person you’ve been secretly admiring actually likes you. Most people assume that surviving the apocalypse requires military training, enormous muscles, several warehouses of tinned food and a reassuring collection of firearms. David R. Palmer, however, has rather different ideas.

Welcome to Emergence, a wonderfully inventive post-apocalyptic adventure in which humanity’s future rests upon the shoulders of an exceptionally intelligent eleven-year-old girl, proving once again that adults are not necessarily the most competent people to have around when everything goes spectacularly wrong.

Our heroine is Candy Smith-Foster, a remarkably gifted young girl whose extraordinary abilities extend considerably beyond getting good marks in mathematics and irritating her teachers by knowing all the answers. Candy possesses exceptional intelligence, heightened physical capabilities and a rather unusual genetic inheritance, although these advantages prove considerably less comforting when a devastating biological catastrophe brings human civilisation to its knees.

When a deadly plague wipes out much of the population, Candy finds herself facing a world in which the familiar structures of society have disappeared. Schools are closed, government services have become unreliable for rather more serious reasons than budget cuts, and the ordinary conveniences of modern existence are rapidly becoming distant memories.

Fortunately, Candy is not entirely alone. Accompanied by her loyal macaw, Terry, she sets out on an extraordinary journey through the remains of America, encountering danger, unexpected discoveries and the uncomfortable realisation that surviving the end of the world is only the beginning of her difficulties.

As her adventure unfolds, Candy discovers that her unusual abilities may be connected to a much larger evolutionary mystery. Humanity, it seems, may be undergoing a transformation, and the catastrophe that has destroyed the old civilisation could also herald the emergence of something entirely new.

Palmer tells the story through Candy’s distinctive narrative voice, employing a compressed, unconventional style that reflects her remarkable intelligence and occasionally gives the impression that ordinary grammatical conventions are simply too slow to keep up with her thoughts.

The result is an engaging combination of survival adventure, speculative biology, evolutionary science fiction and youthful optimism, distinguished by a protagonist whose ingenuity is matched by her determination.

Originally published in 1984, Emergence became a cult favourite and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Its mixture of post-apocalyptic adventure and evolutionary speculation makes it an intriguing alternative to the familiar procession of miserable survivors wandering through ruined cities while arguing over the last tin of baked beans.

This 1984 Bantam paperback, offered in Good condition by Crappy Old Books, is an appealing addition to any collection of vintage science fiction, particularly for readers who enjoy intelligent young protagonists, unusual narrative techniques and speculative stories about humanity’s possible evolutionary future.

A clever, entertaining and surprisingly hopeful adventure through the ruins of civilisation, where intelligence, adaptability and determination matter considerably more than conventional authority.

Because when the world ends, humanity may discover that its best hope isn’t a general, a politician or a billionaire with an underground bunker.

It’s an eleven-year-old girl with a very clever bird.

Which, considering the performance of most adults, is perhaps not entirely surprising.

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