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End Times
In the late 1980s, two teenage girls found refuge from a world of cosy conformity, sexism and the nuclear arms race in protest and punk. Then, drawn in by a promise of meaning and purpose, they cast off their punk outfits and became born-again Christians. Unsure which fate would come first – nuclear annihilation or the Second Coming of Jesus – they sought answers from end-times evangelists, scrutinising friends and family for signs of demon possession and identifying EFTPOS and barcodes as signs of a looming apocalypse.
Fast forward to 2021, and Rebecca and Maz – now a science historian and an engineer – are on a road trip to the West Coast. Their journey, though full of laughter and conversation and hot pies, is haunted by the threats of climate change, conspiracy theories, and a massive overdue earthquake.
End Times interweaves the stories of these two periods in Rebecca’s life, both of which have at heart a sleepless fear of the end of the world. Along the way she asks: Why do people hold on to some ideas but reject others? How do you engage with someone whose beliefs are wildly different from your own? And where can we find hope when it sometimes feels as if we all live on a fault line that could rupture at any moment?
Fast forward to 2021, and Rebecca and Maz – now a science historian and an engineer – are on a road trip to the West Coast. Their journey, though full of laughter and conversation and hot pies, is haunted by the threats of climate change, conspiracy theories, and a massive overdue earthquake.
End Times interweaves the stories of these two periods in Rebecca’s life, both of which have at heart a sleepless fear of the end of the world. Along the way she asks: Why do people hold on to some ideas but reject others? How do you engage with someone whose beliefs are wildly different from your own? And where can we find hope when it sometimes feels as if we all live on a fault line that could rupture at any moment?
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2023
7 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Priestley
12 books3 followersRebecca Priestley is a non-fiction writer based in Wellington, New Zealand. Her books include creative non-fiction (Fifteen Million Years in Antarctica is an Antarctic memoir) and non-fiction works with a focus on the history of science.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 28, 2023
The idea behind this book was cool, comparing the 'end times' of the writers Christian phase with the 'end times' of climate change and earthquakes. But mate, this book was so boring! Entire 15 page chapters dedicated to the description of a coal mine and repeating the same information about carbon dioxide and climate change over and over again.
The Christian chapters in comparison are soooooo smalll and do not go into the same level of detail making the balance between the two time lines completely wack.
It also shows a lack of delving deep into Rebecca's Christian born again end times life moment and feels more pandering 'the world is dieing how could these west coasters not see that and omg an earthquake could happen why is not one doing anything'.
The level of fear is not the same nor delved into the same level in the Christian phase of her life despite there being some good opportunities for comparison.
Additionally, there was so much repetition and pointless information about what was happeneing in the 'climate end times' sections that I had to force myself to push through huge paragraphs.
Overall, this book was boring, did not explore any themes deeply, and made a really cool concept a chore to read.
I think I am more mad at the fact that this could have been an awesome book but instead I wasted my money, not worth $35.
Positive: book cover was cool
The Christian chapters in comparison are soooooo smalll and do not go into the same level of detail making the balance between the two time lines completely wack.
It also shows a lack of delving deep into Rebecca's Christian born again end times life moment and feels more pandering 'the world is dieing how could these west coasters not see that and omg an earthquake could happen why is not one doing anything'.
The level of fear is not the same nor delved into the same level in the Christian phase of her life despite there being some good opportunities for comparison.
Additionally, there was so much repetition and pointless information about what was happeneing in the 'climate end times' sections that I had to force myself to push through huge paragraphs.
Overall, this book was boring, did not explore any themes deeply, and made a really cool concept a chore to read.
I think I am more mad at the fact that this could have been an awesome book but instead I wasted my money, not worth $35.
Positive: book cover was cool
January 11, 2025
“I realise that, in one way or another, my entire life, the End Times have always seemed imminent, and I’ve been perpetually alert for tectonic surprises, Biblical raptures, nuclear blasts, the metaphorical ticks of the Doomsday Clock’s second hand. Through the decades, the End Times have travelled along with me, taking on new forms, gathering in new fears.”
First of all – what a great cover! And more importantly what a damn interesting book this is. This one of those books I picked up on a total whim on a recent mass trawl at the library and was plucked almost an afterthought and I’m so glad I did – a real gem.
“A 2.1 metre-thick coal seam sighted in the Mokihinui River in 1862 first alerted prospectors to coal on the West Coast. We have been chasing it ever since, first chipping it off cliffs, then chasing it underground, now digging it out of massive pits, to get every last bit. So we can burn it and release its carbon into the warming atmosphere.”
The author has a lovely way of seeing the world and at times quite a beautiful and articulate way of sharing that with us, really bringing the South Island’s West Coast to life. She even mentions a bakery I went to yesterday (great buns & cakes but dreadful veggie pies). One of the things I loved most about this book is that for a time I wasn’t 100% sure if it was fact and fiction?...In this case I started off believing this was fiction so it was a lovely surprise when I realised it was non-fiction.
“For Indians and the Japanese to send a boat from the northern hemisphere to us, rather than get all their coal locally, tells you something about this coal.”
It’s a bit of a cliché to say that Aotearoa’s West Coast is home to those who have evolved to become hardy, practical down to earth friendly types. The region is renowned for having a fickle, often tempestuous and unforgiving climate, its home to the treacherous Alpine Fault, and the ever retreating Franz Josef Glacier, some rare fauna, as well as many precious minerals, not least coal, gold and even uranium.
At times there were slight elements of Fiona Farrell in here, Priestly has a really strong voice, and I think the bravery she shows in willing to be so frank, open and vulnerable to the reader really allows a deeper and more immediate connection to be formed. It grants a kind of intimacy as she generates a succession of powerful images, conjuring up pictures of a cinematic quality, giving the feel of a goofy road movie, with some science on the side.
Priestly does such a beautiful job of bringing alive the magic, romance and mystery of the place making it feel both intimate and familiar but also alien and unknown. This is a fun, joyful and educational travelogue through some of the secret corners and treasured places of the West Coast and serves well both as an advert for the region, its people, its history and beauty as well as showcasing the qualities of the author, who really has produced a lovely piece of work.
“Life is a progression of moments and if you can get a couple of good ones in every day you’re doing okay.”
October 27, 2023
“End Times" by Rebecca Priestley is a masterful read that weaves together the disparate threads of personal experience, cultural shifts, and the looming anxieties of global challenges.
Transporting readers from the turbulence of the 1980s punk scene to the uncertainties of today's world, Priestley's narrative is both a captivating memoir and a poignant reflection on society's deep-seated fears. The duality of her journey, both temporal and emotional, makes for a riveting read.
As she traverses the West Coast, we're treated to a rich exploration of human beliefs, resilience, and the desperate search for hope in uncertain times. It's rare to find a book that resonates on so many levels, speaking not just to our intellect but also to our hearts and our shared human experience.
Priestley's keen observations, matched with her impeccable ability to capture the essence of the zeitgeist, cements "End Times" as a must-read. Amid the vast expanse of literary explorations on change and belief, this book stands out, reminding us of the power of empathy, understanding, and the indomitable human spirit.
Transporting readers from the turbulence of the 1980s punk scene to the uncertainties of today's world, Priestley's narrative is both a captivating memoir and a poignant reflection on society's deep-seated fears. The duality of her journey, both temporal and emotional, makes for a riveting read.
As she traverses the West Coast, we're treated to a rich exploration of human beliefs, resilience, and the desperate search for hope in uncertain times. It's rare to find a book that resonates on so many levels, speaking not just to our intellect but also to our hearts and our shared human experience.
Priestley's keen observations, matched with her impeccable ability to capture the essence of the zeitgeist, cements "End Times" as a must-read. Amid the vast expanse of literary explorations on change and belief, this book stands out, reminding us of the power of empathy, understanding, and the indomitable human spirit.
March 8, 2024
Part road trip, part memoir, part scientific investigation, End Times is an enthralling work of narrative non fiction, ranging from geology to punk to conspiracy theories to the pandemic and the author's experiences with evangelical Christianity as a young adult in the 1980s. All framed by a road trip down the West Coast with her oldest friend. Charming, informative and passionate.
January 27, 2025
But most nights, when I'm not sleeping over a plate boundary, or checking my symptoms for signs of a deadly virus, the thing that keeps me awake is climate change.
***
Though, which would be better? To have a hard life but know your children will have a happier, more stable, more prosperous life than you have? Or to have a good life, with physical comforts, material wealth, state-provided healthcare, a fulfilling career, but to live it expecting that things will get worse for your children, and your children's children, and to know that your generation had the power to change things but didn't?
***
It seems apt. A melting glacier made from tears.
— Rebecca Priestly / End Times
***
Though, which would be better? To have a hard life but know your children will have a happier, more stable, more prosperous life than you have? Or to have a good life, with physical comforts, material wealth, state-provided healthcare, a fulfilling career, but to live it expecting that things will get worse for your children, and your children's children, and to know that your generation had the power to change things but didn't?
***
It seems apt. A melting glacier made from tears.
— Rebecca Priestly / End Times
September 20, 2024
Through the narrative framework of a roadtrip up and down New Zealand's West Coast with her life-long mate Maz, this memoir by scientist and writer Rebecca Priestley explores a journey through apocalyptic angst and anxiety via late 1970s fears of nuclear annihilation, then early 1980s charismatic Christian end times enthusiasm, through to climate change and the inevitable big earthquake that will one day hit the Alpine Fault that runs down the spine of New Zealand.
Sounds like fun, right? Well it actually is pretty great. It was on the long list for the Ockham NZ book awards this year.
Priestley is about 10 years older than me, but I thought her descriptions of the charismatic world of that time were spot on - and all things considered even-handed and generous-hearted, which includes a generosity to her young self, who was so caught up in that world for a couple of years, and a space for mystery about what she actually experienced. She critiques it too, of course, and rightly so.
Barry Smith features in one part - if you know, you know. And my young self is still in recovery, I reckon, from his sensationalist efforts (which included, amongst ample talk of demon-possession and fire and brimstone, a good serving of failed predictions, it transpires, about world events, personalities and the second coming) to scare the living daylights out of people, and thereby scare them into the... kingdom of heaven? Yikes.
Somehow, Priestley manages to loosely weave all these threads together with the narrative of her road trip, the ambiguities of contemporary life and encounters with a host of colourful West Coast characters. Not perfectly balanced in narrative form, but good reading I reckon.
Sounds like fun, right? Well it actually is pretty great. It was on the long list for the Ockham NZ book awards this year.
Priestley is about 10 years older than me, but I thought her descriptions of the charismatic world of that time were spot on - and all things considered even-handed and generous-hearted, which includes a generosity to her young self, who was so caught up in that world for a couple of years, and a space for mystery about what she actually experienced. She critiques it too, of course, and rightly so.
Barry Smith features in one part - if you know, you know. And my young self is still in recovery, I reckon, from his sensationalist efforts (which included, amongst ample talk of demon-possession and fire and brimstone, a good serving of failed predictions, it transpires, about world events, personalities and the second coming) to scare the living daylights out of people, and thereby scare them into the... kingdom of heaven? Yikes.
Somehow, Priestley manages to loosely weave all these threads together with the narrative of her road trip, the ambiguities of contemporary life and encounters with a host of colourful West Coast characters. Not perfectly balanced in narrative form, but good reading I reckon.
June 25, 2024
Memoir with a great concept. Priestly looks at the ‘end times’ anxieties of three chapters of her life: the punk rock years waiting for a nuclear holocaust; followed closely by the Christian years waiting for the Rapture; then decades later as a middle-aged woman researching and writing about climate breakdown. The present day chapters dominate the word count, in part because they can be captured in extensive notes to tease out every nuance. The chapters from Priestley’s teens and early twenties have to rely no doubt on any emphatic memories stubborn enough to stick around. This makes the historical chapters lean and punchy compared to the meandering pace of the present day chapters. No doubt Priestley’s aware of this but it had me wanting the present day chapters to end so I could delve back into the past.
For me, there might be sentimentality and recognition at play here as well. I’m the same age as Priestley with lapsed Christian and punk rock years of my own, I knew these things were in the book and was looking forward to reading about them from the get go. The present say South Island road trip with her mate? Not so much. The fact that I started to get over this preference for the past chapters by the book’s end is a good sign. I’d give it 3 ½ stars if Goodreads allowed, but…
For me, there might be sentimentality and recognition at play here as well. I’m the same age as Priestley with lapsed Christian and punk rock years of my own, I knew these things were in the book and was looking forward to reading about them from the get go. The present say South Island road trip with her mate? Not so much. The fact that I started to get over this preference for the past chapters by the book’s end is a good sign. I’d give it 3 ½ stars if Goodreads allowed, but…
February 8, 2024
There were quite a few things that I enjoyed about this book. I really liked the strand on the authors past, and her experience as a born again Christian. From the present day strand, I enjoyed the reflections on climate change, the alpine fault and other anxieties. Rebecca Priestley has a very strong personal voice, and I felt very connected to her by the end of the book. (The cover is also absolutely gorgeous).
Then there were a few things that I didn’t like quite so much. Quite a lot of time was spent on specific details of the trip, which I found to get a bit boring at times. There were also pages at a time spent on descriptions of things such as coal mines, rocks, etc. I guess this is to be expected from an author who is an academic in this area, but as a reader who doesn’t have a particular interest in geology, this did make certain chapters quite hard to read.
Overall, I’m glad I stuck this book out and finished it, even when I did struggle at certain points. It was nice to read a kiwi book for a change, particularly one that focused on New Zealand. However, I do think that sacrificing some of the more specific geology details, and focusing more on the ideas, backstory and reflections, would make this book more enjoyable to the average reader.
Then there were a few things that I didn’t like quite so much. Quite a lot of time was spent on specific details of the trip, which I found to get a bit boring at times. There were also pages at a time spent on descriptions of things such as coal mines, rocks, etc. I guess this is to be expected from an author who is an academic in this area, but as a reader who doesn’t have a particular interest in geology, this did make certain chapters quite hard to read.
Overall, I’m glad I stuck this book out and finished it, even when I did struggle at certain points. It was nice to read a kiwi book for a change, particularly one that focused on New Zealand. However, I do think that sacrificing some of the more specific geology details, and focusing more on the ideas, backstory and reflections, would make this book more enjoyable to the average reader.
February 22, 2024
There wasn't enough here to relate to. It felt like listening to someone's story over dinner and having nothing much to add or say. It did make me look up the alpine fault and put a can of salmon in the bottom of my bag incase I have to walk home after an earthquake, but otherwise, not a great connection.
April 9, 2024
Coal mining, evangelical Christianity, female friendship in adulthood, climate anxiety, geology, colonial lineage etc. good informative and easy read. Science vs. religion. Urban vs. rural perspective. West coast road trip. Last review left on this book is savage! Personally enjoyed the long ‘boring’ history of NZ’s extractive industries. Read this if you like rocks 🪨
January 1, 2025
Enjoyable and easy read. Very conversational and filled with intriguing snippets of history and science. The author writes about the personal and specific in a way that relates it to universal or at least broader experiences.
November 23, 2023
Buy this book. It’s about me.
Seriously it captures a moment in time and is a special story.
Seriously it captures a moment in time and is a special story.
December 4, 2023
I always enjoy reading about familiar surroundings and I thought the account of the trip down the West Coast of New Zealand very interesting and entertaining.
January 6, 2024
Absolutely loved it. Beautiful weaving together of memoir and roadie and science and nature and 21st century anxiety.
January 23, 2024
I enjoyed this as a pick up and read a few pages. It resonated with me being a similar age as the author, reminiscent of my teenage years, my own west coast road trip ( I'm annoyed I didn't visit Karamea!), and similar feelings about the Ao/NZ Covid 19 experience.
February 10, 2024
I enjoyed the way that Rebecca Priestly weaved moments of time past and present into her story. A fascinating read.
June 2, 2024
Cool to read this and recognise all the places the author is talking about. West coast beat coast !! Waimangaroa 4eva !!
June 10, 2024
Good strong scientific communication, but it seems to be stuck onto a narrative that doesn't really go anywhere.
August 24, 2024
Terrible cover incongruousness. Friendship, road trip west coast, mining, geology and climate change.
December 3, 2025
this had so much potential but it went absolutely NOWHERE. let's see if it brings back my seismophobia 👀
July 24, 2024
This book came across my desk to catalogue a little while ago, and it piqued my interest immediately. I found out later that it had been longlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards - so clearly I have great taste lol. As someone that grew up in evangelical Christian churches petrified of being left behind the rapture, who then battled with some brutal panic attacks largely centred around pollution and waste in my mid-20s, Rebecca’s personal story (although the specifics were different from my own history) resonated immediately. A fascinating and oddly comforting read.
January 30, 2024
Wonderful trip down Rebecca's memory lane which reminded me of my own links to Aotearoa's West Coast, and student life in Wellington, and the impact of live music, and finding your "tribe". Interesting reflections on times back then, on being drawn into a Christian group that valued street preaching, and how people's willingness to think about climate change now may be influenced by others' views.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews