Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling (2004, Hardcover)

What if the conveniences, the technology, the transport, the world we've grown comfortable with suddenly fell out from under us? What if we were thrown back to the dark ages; what would we do?

S.M. Stirling explores this question in this first book of the trilogy that follows the people of the Willamette valley in Oregon as they survive, rebuild and fight to become a people again after all the technology that we take for granted is taken away in one fell swoop.

I loved this book. I have a certain 'yen' for books that have 'end of the world' scenarios, and this one was just the right flavor. Mr. Stirling is a compelling writer; he can get a bit lost in the political infighting and dialogue sometimes; and he has a taste for descriptive writing that can go on a bit long--but in this book he keeps it pretty tame; and focuses on excellent, compelling characters that take you through the first years of the end of the world as we know it, and the subsequent rebirth, where people who understood the past learn to thrive and become a new people.

Being a resident of Oregon, I have a special appreciation of the book's local flavor, and the author does a wonderful job painting a picture of our lovely state.

I recommend this book highly. It's an excellent read that you won't want to end.

This author has a way of dragging you into a story and making you part of it. Sometimes it is a little hard to get into at first because he uses a lot of words to get his message across but within a short time it is worth it. S. M. Stirling has become one of my favorite authors within the past year. Dies the Fire is the 1st in the series about a change on earth which drew me and and has kept me reading all the way through 4th book in this series. Definitely worth the read!

A really good read. It makes you think about your own abilities and what you would do in similar situations. A little preachy at times but always leaves you thirsting for more. If you get this one go ahead and buy the other two in the series. You will love them.