Civilization’s Long Retreat

Earth Abides

This flow traces the loss of infrastructure and specialized knowledge, then follows the partial return of practical invention in The Tribe.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Last Lights The Last Lights from "Earth Abides". The Last Lights An automatic inheritance Electricity persists after its operators die.

The Last Lights An automatic inheritance Electricity persists after its operators die. Isherwood Williams initially takes the working generators and city lights as signs that ordinary life may continue. The system fails Neglected governors gradually stop controlling the generators. The lights dim and vanish, leaving the survivors without power or refrigeration.

Water from the Past Water from the Past from "Earth Abides". Water from the Past An unnoticed dependency The Tribe has relied on running water for years without learning how its supply works.

Water from the Past from "Earth Abides". Water from the Past An unnoticed dependency The Tribe has relied on running water for years without learning how its supply works.

Water from the Past An unnoticed dependency The Tribe has relied on running water for years without learning how its supply works. A damaged aqueduct pipe gradually leaks away the stored water. A sudden reckoning When household faucets fall to a trickle, the community discovers that its inherited infrastructure has no human maintenance behind it. Members turn to springs, streams, and a new well.

A Jeep Returns A Jeep Returns from "Earth Abides". A Jeep Returns Recovering a machine Isherwood Williams leads Robert, Richard, and Joey through the difficult work of making an abandoned jeep run.

A Jeep Returns from "Earth Abides". A Jeep Returns Recovering a machine Isherwood Williams leads Robert, Richard, and Joey through the difficult work of making an abandoned jeep run.

A Jeep Returns Recovering a machine Isherwood Williams leads Robert, Richard, and Joey through the difficult work of making an abandoned jeep run. Their success depends on careful trial, usable parts, and persistence. A limited victory The vehicle moves, but damaged tires and deteriorating roads constrain its promise. The repair nevertheless shows that skills and cooperation can preserve some useful technology.

The Seed of Corn The Seed of Corn from "Earth Abides". The Seed of Corn A small inheritance Robert and Richard return with Pueblo corn seeds from a community near the Rio Grande.

The Seed of Corn from "Earth Abides". The Seed of Corn A small inheritance Robert and Richard return with Pueblo corn seeds from a community near the Rio Grande.

The Seed of Corn A small inheritance Robert and Richard return with Pueblo corn seeds from a community near the Rio Grande. Isherwood Williams recognizes that this hardy crop may survive where their own seed supplies have failed. Knowledge made material He explains the seeds to Joey and sacrifices a few to demonstrate parched corn. The immediate experiment is modest, but it makes agricultural knowledge feel like a living possibility.

A Primitive Weapon A Primitive Weapon from "Earth Abides". A Primitive Weapon Teaching through play After abandoning formal lessons, Isherwood Williams makes a bow from local wood and rawhide.

A Primitive Weapon from "Earth Abides". A Primitive Weapon Teaching through play After abandoning formal lessons, Isherwood Williams makes a bow from local wood and rawhide.

A Primitive Weapon Teaching through play After abandoning formal lessons, Isherwood Williams makes a bow from local wood and rawhide. The children adopt the project because it begins as an enjoyable game rather than an abstract demand. A practical legacy The children improve their bows, add feathers, and eventually hunt a rabbit. Archery offers a durable alternative to ammunition that cannot be replenished.

Several months after The Great Disaster

In Year 22, after the reservoir begins to empty

After the water crisis, in Year 22

After the expedition returns, in Year 22

After the typhoid epidemic, in Year 22