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The Deluge

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The Deluge

By: Stephen Markley
Narrated by: Corey Brill, Danny Campbell, Gibson Frazier, Stephen Graybill, Soneela Nankani, Joy Osmanski, Melissa Redmond, Aida Reluzco, André Santana, Neil Shah, Aven Shore, Shakira Shute, Pete Simonelli, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
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Summary

 A New York Times Notable Book
“This book is, simply put, a modern classic. If you read it, you'll never forget it. Prophetic, terrifying, uplifting.” —Stephen King

From the bestselling author of Ohio, a masterful American epic charting a near future approaching collapse and a nascent but strengthening solidarity.

In the first decades of the 21st century, the world is convulsing, its governments mired in gridlock while a patient but unrelenting ecological crisis looms. America is in upheaval, battered by violent weather and extreme politics. In California in 2013, Tony Pietrus, a scientist studying deposits of undersea methane, receives a death threat. His fate will become bound to a stunning cast of characters—a broken drug addict, a star advertising strategist, a neurodivergent mathematician, a cunning eco-terrorist, an actor turned religious zealot, and a brazen young activist named Kate Morris, who, in the mountains of Wyoming, begins a project that will alter the course of the decades to come.

From the Gulf Coast to Los Angeles, the Midwest to Washington, DC, their intertwined odysseys unfold against a stark backdrop of accelerating chaos as they summon courage, galvanize a nation, fall to their own fear, and find wild hope in the face of staggering odds. As their stories hurtle toward a spectacular climax, each faces a reckoning: what will they sacrifice to salvage humanity’s last chance at a future? A singular achievement, The Deluge is a once-in-a-generation novel that meets the moment as few works of art ever have. Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Emotionally Gripping Feel-Good Scary
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Critic reviews

"Each narrator is distinctive and unique, and their styles are sometimes very different. But over so many hours those differences balance out and lend credence to a narrative that spans the globe, and years into the future. Together, these fine performers bring substance to the novel’s human drama and its urgent environmental message."
All stars
Most relevant
Deluge is speculative fiction based on current political/economic trends and a lot of research i.e. the writer bugging scientists for info. Set mostly in the near future, it deals with different aspects of how to climate crisis will develop through the lens of multiple characters.
It's the sort of book I been looking for for a while now, in part to help me mentally clarify (and prepare for) what is probably going to happen in the next decade or so. I think this book has it fairly spot on. It's not the easiest listen, but if you're anything like me and have been paying attention that won't come as a surprise to you. It is entertainingly written, maybe a little long but I was generally engaged throughout.
Someone mentioned audio issues (crappy sound quality) which unfortunately are noticeable in the 1st chapter but most of the rest of the book is better, so it wasn't an issue for me.

The book I've been looking for for a while now.

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Foretells a hellish future we don’t want to live to see, unless, that is, you literally want to watch the world burn. A relentlessly depressing look at where we are heading. Even the ‘uplifting’ ending left me flat and fearful of what the global players, and each of us with our daily choices, are doing to the planet.

A Crystal Ball

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I don't think I've ever put the time in to write any reviews here on audible before. out of my 200+ library here, this is the best book I've ever read. the horror, the characters, character building and the message is amazing! Thank you for being my gardening companion.

one of the best books I've listened to

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Beautifully written and as others have said should be read by everyone.
I didn't find the book overly long. In fact, there is nothing I would have taken out.
The science is great, and if you are interested in climate, then easy to follow. The American politics were more difficult for a Brit to follow, however I found it fascinating and after all, it's nice to learn when you read!
I connected with pretty much every character and enjoyed these, and their interactions with each other, as much as the climate story itself.
If you are unsure if it's worth a credit then don't be! and if you're a school teacher, please get this in schools!

Absolutely loved it, worth way more than a credit

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Stephen King mentioned this book in a tweet suggesting it was as good, if not better than 'The Stand: well I had to find out.
So... there's a lot going on and a dizzying aray of characters to keep up with but do stick with it.
Essentially this book is written over several decades as climate change tightens its grip and how civilisation is effected and struggles to cope.
I won't pretend to understand the science that is written but it feels very convincing and feels very fresh and up to date. There's a few nods to "The Stand' which was a nice touch.
At over 40 hours it's a long listen, but for me, the author has produced something that will stay with me for a long time, I suspect it'll be a film or box set in the future.

cloudy... with a chance of apocalypse

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