The Deluge (by Stephen Markley)
A couple of years ago, I read Stephen Markley’s novel, Ohio. I found it challenging to get into the story, so I was hesitant about reading The Deluge. While browsing a 2-for-1 Audible sale, this book caught my eye, and I decided to give it a try someday. Besides, Stephen King had blurbed it, calling it “a modern classic.” Uncle Steve wouldn’t steer me wrong, would he?
This year, I’m participating in the Goodreads Community Challenges. I enjoy browsing the qualifying books to see which ones I already own or have been wanting to read as inspiration for my reading choices. I was pleased to find The Deluge on the list for the Lighting Round in the summer collection, and I felt compelled to tackle this 40+ hour audiobook.
The book description initially intimidated me and left me uncertain about its purpose. Similar to my experience with Ohio, I didn’t know what journey I was embarking on with this novel. It was intriguing and engaging from the very beginning, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty about its significance. Eventually, it all came together for me, and I realized its purpose. It’s one of those books I’m glad I persevered with and enjoyed thoroughly. Well, as much as one can enjoy a book that realistically depicts our grim future concerning climate change and politics.
The Deluge is a climate fiction novel that spans from 2013 to the 2040s. It weaves together the lives of several interconnected individuals, each grappling with the escalating impacts of climate change. Markley presents a hyper-realistic portrait of a world ravaged by superstorms, wildfires, and social upheaval through a diverse cast of characters, including scientists, activists, terrorists, and ordinary people. It’s my understanding that Markley dedicated 10 years to researching environmental and political trends. This book serves as both a dire warning and a hopeful call to action.
Unfortunately, this book could almost be read as nonfiction, as some events he predicted, like the LA fires, have occurred since its publication in 2022. It’s unsettling to contemplate the future when fires, flooding, and extreme heat have become our reality.
The diverse cast of characters from various walks of life made the novel well-rounded, and I found myself forming strong opinions about their behaviors. It’s a great book when there are characters whose roles I genuinely enjoy and those I absolutely detest.
I questioned whether the book truly needed to be so long, and I believe it did. The ending was emotionally intense, with a lot of frayed edges in my opinion. I suspect that was the author’s intention, as the subject matter of climate change and politics doesn’t have a straightforward, definitive conclusion. Strangely enough, I came to expect the book to continue indefinitely. With so many characters, I kept anticipating the story would return to them, but it didn’t. While the conclusion to their portion of the story was either stated or simply assumed, my curiosity lingered. I found myself still wanting to know more. Interestingly, I find book endings like this intellectually challenging.
The audiobook is narrated by a large cast of 14 narrators, which was overall well-produced. I usually enjoy books with multiple narrators, but I took some time to adjust to this one. I’m not sure which voice actor narrated which character, but there were several male voices that I found off-putting. After over 40 hours, I managed to get used to some of the robotic voices, but I still found them somewhat annoying. The following voice actors narrated The Deluge:
Danny Campbell
Joy Osmanski
Pete Simonelli
Shaun Taylor-Corbett
You’re welcome to check out my review for Ohio here.
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