Book Log 2012 #11: Supervolcano: Eruption by Harry Turtledove


In the end notes to this book of alternative geology, Turtledove thanks his parents for subscribing him to National Geographic all those years ago, as an article from that magazine is what inspired this series that starts here by having the supervolcano that lies beneath Yellowstone National Park blow for the first time in 70,000 years or so. It just so happened that I'd unearthed what I believe is the issue in question (August 2009, article here) while I was reading the book, so I had added impetus to read the article.

And if you do opt to pick this book up, I would suggest reading the article first. For one reason, you'll get to see where much of the exposition comes from (including a Rhode Island reference that leads to the main character's odd and unexplained hatred for the state). For another, you'll actually get a decent idea of how and what such an explosion might entail.

Because the book, rather than having a chapter that describes the eruption in detail, only covers it from a distance. And while the towering clouds, fearsome roar and rolling ground under the characters' feet underscore just what a big deal this is, we never get a good feel or depiction of the event referenced in the title. It's like a book version of Terra Nova's distinct lack of dinosaurs, but in this case the reader gets shortchanged on the one event the book should address.

Instead, we get the aftermath of the eruption and its impact on the members of the Ferguson family and their associates. Which isn't bad in and of itself, but does get bogged down pretty badly in a narrative that can't go more than a sentence with making some allusion, riffing on a notable quote from literature, or using a phrase or slang term that may have been used semi-widely 30 years ago. This also infects a decent amount of the dialog, which certainly doesn't help. There are passages here that are in no way related to how people actually talk. All of this is too cute by half, and by trying to show how smart and/or clever he is, Turtledove detracts from the story.

There are some interesting bits - the Ferguson daughter becomes a refugee staying one step ahead of the ashfall, and the older son is snowbound in Maine touring with his band, whose name is like a bad joke come to life.

So would I recommend this book? No. But will I read the next one? Probably. Because I am a sucker.