In the sequel to his bestselling World Made by Hand, James Howard Kunstler expands on his vision of a post-oil society with this novel about an America in which the electricity has flickered off, the Internet is a distant memory, and the government is little more than a rumor. In the tiny hamlet of Union Grove, New York, travel is horse-drawn and farming is back at the center of life. But it’s no pastoral haven. Wars are fought over dwindling resources and illness is a constant presence. Bandits roam the countryside, preying on the weak, and a sinister cult threatens to shatter Union Grove’s fragile stability. Here is a novel that seamlessly weaves hot-button issues like the decline of oil and the perils of climate change into a compelling narrative of violence, religious hysteria, innocence lost, and love found—a cautionary tale with an optimistic heart.
Already a renowned social commentator and a bestselling author, Kunstler has recently attained even greater prominence in the global conversation about energy and the environment. In the last two years he has been the focus of a long profile in the New Yorker, the subject of a full-page essay in the New York Times Book Review, and his wildly popular blog and podcast have made him a sought-after speaker who gives dozens of lectures and scores of media interviews each year.
James Howard Kunstler was born in New York City in 1948. He is the author of several books of fiction and nonfiction, including the bestseller The Long Emergency. After college he worked as a reporter and feature writer for a number of newspapers and finally as a staff writer for Rolling Stone. In 1975 he began writing books and lecturing full time.
Jim Meskimen is an accomplished actor, impressionist, and voice artist whose work has been seen and heard for thirty years. He is a veteran of hundreds of TV and radio commercials for major clients, and he has appeared in many top TV shows and films. Jim's television appearances include the acclaimed British comedy-improv show Whose Line Is it, Anyway? as well as recurring roles on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Parkers, and the Parks and Recreation. As an impressionist, Jim's viral YouTube videos have entertained over two million viewers. His feature film debut was in Ron Howard's The Paper, and he went on to work on four subsequent films for Howard: the Oscar-nominated Apollo 13, The Grinch, Ed TV, and the Oscar-nominated Frost/Nixon. As a director of audiobooks, Jim has completed over five hundred hours of multicast audiobooks of the fiction work of L. Ron Hubbard for Galaxy Audio.