[Fergie]

Recently I discovered that the great John Seymour (Complete Book of Self Sufficiency, The Self Sufficient Gardener, Fat of the Land etc.) had written a peak oil novel called Retrieved From The Future before he died. I bought it from Amazon and I decided to let everyone know about it because I think it is essential reading from an author with impecable credentials.
From the blurb on the back cover:
"This book is the story of what will, inevitably, happen if there is any interruption in the supply of oil. It could happen today - it could happen tomorrow. It is more likely to happen in twenty or thirty years' time. Maybe we could learn lessons from this story which - if we heed them - could prevent this rather sad and violent story from happening at all!"
Amazon.co.uk link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 03-5013410


The story is set in a small part of England following the economic crash caused by dwindling oil supplies. Seymour goes into all the details we need as we prepare for the future. He imagines the remnants of the army causing havoc as they try to impose a semi-feudal military order on what is left of society. He also describes the kind of society that could emerge from the ashes.

Anyone interested in peak oil should read this novel (along with all of Seymour's other books)!

All the best,
Fergie
Sunny Highland Scotland

[qwanta]

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to look it up it looks interesting. Here's the only tidbit I could find by googling:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')his new book by John Seymour tells the tale of events following an economic crash caused by the scarcity of oil. It is realistic in that it projects three political systems that could emerge in such a situation: feudalism; military dictatorship; and Peasant Communitarianism. It looks at the conflict between these ideologies through the eyes of different characters.

[DomusAlbion]

Unfortunately this book is not available through Amazon US.

[bart]

You're right, Fergie, the late John Seymour was one of the green giants.

I hope his books get reprinted (or at least put online). It was quite a struggle to find all his books, even in England years ago. I never was able to find the novel you mention, "Retrieved From The Future."

As you read the book, if you find any insights, it would be wonderful if you could post them here. Thanks!

Here are some links:

John Seymour's Self Sufficiency Network
(opens with an obituary; click on through to the site itself)
http://www.self-sufficiency.net/

Obituary in the Guardian
http://money.guardian.co.uk/ethicalmone ... 92,00.html

Obituary in the Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 19,00.html

[Fergie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DomusAlbion', 'U')nfortunately this book is not available through Amazon US.

[Fergie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bart', 'I') never was able to find the novel you mention, "Retrieved From The Future."

[Jake_old]

I've just finished reading it, got it off Amazon but it did take ages to arrive, months even.

Without giving too much away, there is a population reduction of unimaginable proportions in England. So much so that the novel doesn't dwell on the detail.

It is much more based on the survival side of a fast crash scenario.

Superb, what an excellent writer.