The Long Tomorrow (Leigh Brackett)

"I want to learn"

How do you get to a place when simply uttering its name gets you stoned to death? That is the question that challenges Len Colter, a boy who quickly grows tired with the religious repression and barbaric mob mentality of the post apocalyptic world he lives in, where technology is something to be feared and no city may be built for fear of another nuclear war. However there is a myth of a city that still exists in hiding, is Barterstown real? And if it is, can Len and his cousin Esau make it there?

The Long Tomorrow isn't a new book dipping into the post apocalypse trend of the 2010's, published in 1955 it is an early book to tackle so bravely the constraints of religion and mob mentality. Whilst many critics call it "almost great" I see it as a brave masterpiece that is as relevant and thought provoking today as it was sixty years ago.

The biggest success of The Long Tomorrow is its ability to have you as a reader relate so strongly to characters in a surreal world. It mixes who you relate to and ultimately this gives the reader a wider perspective that Len despite a restrictive first person narration. If you are looking for post apocalypse and critique The Long Tomorrow is one of the trendsetters in the genre and a must read!

8/10