June 08, 2005

Curious, George: Apocalypse Back Then I don't have a link, which is why I'm getting in touch with you. I'm looking for a science-fiction novel that probably was published some time in the 1980s or 1990s, may have a woman author, and had to do with life in Topanga Canyon before and after the Bomb fell on L.A. It was neither Into the Forest nor The Gate to Women's Country, both of which are set in northern California. It contains one unforgettable scene in which surfers are surfing on the melted sands of Malibu Beach. Does this ring any bells with sci-fi-reading monkeys?
posted by LaGatta 19 years ago
  • At first I thought Alas, Babylon,, but I believe that was set in Florida. Similar theme, though.
  • The book Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis has a wonderful chapter on L.A.-centric dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. My copy is currently inaccessible, but if you can't find the answer quickly that book might very well have the answer. Your local bookstore or library should have it.
  • If you get really stuck you could try emailing these people. They run a very comprehensive collection of sci-fi and are generally quite friendly and helpful. Might take them a few weeks, but they came up with a title for me off of a less helpful description.
  • Golden Days - Carolyn See
  • wow, Amazon has it used for 20 cents.
  • wow, ye monkeys do rock.
  • Thanks all. Back to check all your leads.
  • The Gate to Women's Country has a recognisable setting? So many times I read it, never noticed!
  • Yes--Coastal California, north of San Francisco. The author describes the stream running westward for only a short distance into the sea (the inhabitants of Stavia's city can walk to the shore in the course of a day's festival), and mentions eucalyptus and (I think) redwood trees that they encounter on that journey inland. The Bay area, presumably, is the poisoned land to the south. Admittedly, I keep getting the terrain mixed up with the one in Always Coming Home, also set in northern California.
  • I confess to loving maps, so when I read something that's set in a location I can visualize, I keep track of the directions, landmarks, scenery, and the like, and try to map the place in my mind. I wish someone would come out with an atlas of science fiction, on the order of Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials.
  • An atlas of science fiction would be really cool. I remember being so excited when I figured out that The Chysalids was set in Labrador, and spent ages staring at topographical maps, trying to find out where (in Europe, I think) places in The Maerlande Chronicles might be. But I never caught the Gate to Woman's country references, or thought it would be specific (because no recognisable names) - I should reread it now, knowing what to look for.
  • Golden Days - Carolyn See