For some time scientists have known Yellowstone National Park is the site of a volcanic caldera, and if it suffered another major eruption, world-wide and centuries-long effects would ensue. What a great potential disaster for an author to write about!
I just read Supervolcano: Eruption by Harry Turtledove, © 2011. I listened to the Recorded Books version narrated by Jim Frangione. I had previously read other books by Turtledove, namely How Few Remain, The Breath of God, and Opening Atlantis. That author is known as the Master of Alternate History, but Supervolcano is not alternate history.
This book follows the life of California Police Lieutenant Colin Ferguson and his extended family and a few acquaintances as they deal with the consequences of the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. It appears from Turtledove’s website it’s supposed to be the first of an intended series.
The novel is populated with intriguing characters all of whom have depth and quirks. It’s easy to identify with them and to care about them when bad things happen. Most of the characters whose point of view the author alternates us through are part of Colin Ferguson’s extended family. They become widely separated geographically which gives Turtledove a chance to show the effects of the eruption on various parts of the country. The author has done his research, and a reader who pays attention will come away with a much better understanding of the Yellowstone volcano. Jim Frangione provides a fine narrative voice as he reads the tale.
The book suffers from some significant deficiencies. In any disaster novel, there must be some introduction to the characters before the catastrophic event; however, Turtledove’s book goes on for a very long time before the volcano does its thing. I wondered if it would ever get around to blowing up. The entire book is too long, having extended stretches with no real advancement of the plot. Indeed, there is little real action in the entire novel. Worse, none of the characters experience any internal change, despite the self-reflection they go through on a continual basis.
Moreover, the author takes nearly every character’s action, follows it with an adage or rhetorical question thought by that character, and then relates what they think about the adage or question. This is fine every so often but not all the time. This is not a quote from the book, but it could have been: ‘He tied his shoe. You were supposed to tie your shoes. Everybody said so. And he wasn’t about to argue with Everybody. What was the point in that? No point at all, that’s what.’ This sort of thing happens far too often in the novel.
It seems to me Supervolcano: Eruption is a great idea, poorly executed. I can’t rate it any higher than 2 seahorses. Fans of Harry Turtledove’s works might enjoy this departure from alternate history, but I did not. As always, if my review has gotten you angry enough to erupt, leave a comment and spew your (metaphorical) molten lava on–
Poseidon’s Scribe
