NEED TO WANT

Buncic offers a post-apocalyptic novel about life in an isolated community.

A woman named Una is the eldest adult child of two people who escaped to a remote, uninhabited island.Life in mainstream society became unlivable due to disease, dwindling resources, and hotter weather, so Una’s mother and father decided to take their chances in a far-off place. Una, who’s now known as Matron to those around her, is in charge of watching out for other inhabitants, and their environment requires lots of attention. Island life is challenging; the days get dangerously hot, water must be used with care, and rats and roaches are considered a boon to any meal. Despite its austere beginnings, the group expands, and new methods are developed for such things as obtaining fresh water. The food improves to the point where people no longer want to eat roaches, but with this success comes conflict. As one character points out, the problem with technology is that “People quickly get spoilt by the comfort it provides.” What if some people care less about their work? How will the community punish those who steal? This examination of life in a remote location sheds light on what it means to adapt; after all, most of the people on the island don’t know anything about life beyond the island’s borders and are willing to do things that their parents would likely never have done. For instance, the novel makes clear that the idea of breeding roaches for food is a smart and practical decision even if it is disgusting to many readers’ sensibilities; the characters’ reactions to other island issues are similarly thought-provoking. The fallout of such advancements is predictable, however; as one might expect, the people want progressively better things, and the story’s excitement comes not from how power structures develop from these advances but how terrible dangers emerge from them. The work makes clear that even a plentiful supply of food doesn’t always secure a comfortable future.

An earnest and stark tale of the human will to survive and its consequences.