The Long Tomorrow
The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett
Who better to cope and thrive in a dystopian future without cities and electricity than the Old Mennonites and Amish? For them, it’s a Tuesday, and maybe proof that they were right with their beliefs. After all, it was everyone else God punished when hell rained down on the cities and the those using technology.
What a fantastic concept and starting point for a dystopian novel. The idea of a particular group thriving when the rest of the world falls apart is always a fascinating place to begin a story for me. It tends to offer unique viewpoints, often leads to interesting well developed characters, and asks morally engaging questions… especially when written by a genuinely brilliant author. Leigh Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow gives us all of the above, and plenty more.
The Long Tomorrow is the boys-to-men story about two young kids––Len and Esau––who aren’t sold on the new post-apocalyptic way of life and want to find the fabled Bartorstown which they believe is key to resurrecting the more exciting world of old. The one Gran use to talk about with huge buildings and colourful clothes.
The only problem is, Bartorstown is considered a myth by many, and sacrilege by all. The mere mention of its name could get you stoned (not like that). Old Testament stoned!
I absolutely loved this book. Leigh has an incredible way with words and I found myself reading certain passages over and over again. Her way of thinking and non-judgemental viewpoint feels similar to that of my own. She questions everything from all sides, offering possible solutions and downsides to all outcomes. There are heroes and villains in the book, but often they swap places, or are unaware of their roles.
The book is mostly a road movie type story, but there are a few shocking moments along the way, and always has the mystery of Bartorstown in the background. There was one scene involving Len that really turned me against him for a while, and I felt like that was a brave choice given that it’s largely his story we were following. But, I liked that the author acknowledged his bad behaviour. She didn’t try to justify it, even if the character did. It was his action, and he had to live with it. It made me feel in good hands seeing such a scene dealt with in a mature manner. (A far cry from a lot of modern sensibiltiies)
Despite being seventy years old the book could have come out at any time. The story feels universal and timeless, and the characters relatable to anyone. It’s expertly written and made me want to read a lot more of Leigh’s work having been more familiar with her fantastic screenplays than novels and shorts. Unfortunately, a lot of her writing doesn’t seem regularly available, but i’m going to make a point of hunting some of it down.
I highly recommend this one. The Long Tomorrow is one of the best books i’ve read in a long time.
