THE NOAH COUNTDOWN

A novel about the end of cheap energy features compelling characters, dysfunctional families and a good dose of black humor.

Set against the lush backdrop of Tampa Bay, Fla., this novel combines the politics of peak oil and economic apartheid with characters and situations that rival Carl Hiaasen’s in their absurdity and black humor. Liz Delaney, recently widowed and inching herself back into life in a new career as a mental health professional, meets Bud Jackson, a renegade journalist whose discoveries about the truth behind the worldwide energy economy land him in a mental institution. What ensues is seven days of hectic revelations about the potential collapse of everyday life, brushes with death, social commentary, examinations of power and an arch look at our healthcare system. Added to the mix are Liz’s blackmailing and murdering quadriplegic brother, his nymphomaniac wife, an evangelical plastic surgeon who runs the Born Again Clinic and a wise professor in a mangrove swamp, among other memorable characters. And yes, there is a hurricane. Despite of–or because of–these elements, this surreal narrative works. Strong descriptions of patients and staff make the hospital and institutional settings compelling in their compassion and humanity. Wry humor in discussions of consumer behavior and greed relieves the polemic that drives the novel. While the main narrative is an apocalyptic one, larger-than-life characters and wacky situations–like the huge hired bomb maker who wears a bright yellow shirt and is interrupted, twice, while trying to set a car bomb–engage the reader. Unfortunately, humor and family dysfunction diminish as the story reaches its climax. Action-packed scenes and plot turns excite, but character development and dialogue become mired down with socio-political rhetoric: “people are placated by dreams of wealth while a distant upper stream actually benefits from their labors.” Still, a taut plot, hilarious characters and a vivid portrayal of different aspects of health–mental, environmental and cultural–provide a rollicking read.

A merry, if uneven, romp through an end-times conspiracy.