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Breathless: The Oxygen Apocalypse
From the author of the best-selling and award-winning travel memoir Falling Uphill comes a prophetic dystopian novel.
What if global warming isn't the problem, but a symptom of something much worse?The greatest mass extinctions in Earth's history were caused by cataclysmic oxygen depletion. Now, it has begun again, this time due to humanity's rampant industrialization — the burning of fossil fuels and the decimation of the ecosystems that produce oxygen. The oceans are already filled with giant dead zones, while cities and deserts overflow fertile lands.
Breathless takes you into a plausible near-future as humanity crosses the tipping point and the Earth's atmosphere is destroyed in a global firestorm. A handful of survivors struggle to cooperate before the infrastructure fails, and question whether it is worth saving themselves, much less humanity.
If you like post-apocalyptic classics like On The Beach, Earth Abides and Alas Babylon, Breathless will keep you turning pages to learn the fate of humanity.
What if global warming isn't the problem, but a symptom of something much worse?The greatest mass extinctions in Earth's history were caused by cataclysmic oxygen depletion. Now, it has begun again, this time due to humanity's rampant industrialization — the burning of fossil fuels and the decimation of the ecosystems that produce oxygen. The oceans are already filled with giant dead zones, while cities and deserts overflow fertile lands.
Breathless takes you into a plausible near-future as humanity crosses the tipping point and the Earth's atmosphere is destroyed in a global firestorm. A handful of survivors struggle to cooperate before the infrastructure fails, and question whether it is worth saving themselves, much less humanity.
If you like post-apocalyptic classics like On The Beach, Earth Abides and Alas Babylon, Breathless will keep you turning pages to learn the fate of humanity.
375 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2023
About the author
Scott Stoll
13 books15 followersScott Stoll asked himself: “If I could do anything, what would I do?” His answer resulted in a quest for happiness around the world on a bicycle (4 years, 32,344 miles, 59 countries and 6 continents). His adventures are chronicled in his best-selling and award-winning book Falling Uphill, a tale described as having moments from pure survival to pure enlightenment. He was honored to be the Cultural Ambassador to Argentina by the US Department of State. He has received Hosteling International’s Spirit of Adventure Award and is most proud of his honorary diploma from a primary school. Not least of all, Scott is proud to have been blogging since before blogging was even a word.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 25, 2024
James Michener + hard science fiction + apocalypse = reading late into the night
I never thought I’d encounter a science fiction novel, let alone a novel roughly in the genre of post-apocalyptic that reminded me of James Michener’s writing style, but this is it. Stoll gives us compelling characters to follow through an oxygen depletion crisis, adding in 30,000 foot overviews of the climatology driving the story. Against what looks like impossible odds - all the oxygen is GONE, how are you going to survive? - Mykelti, Sherbert and their motley crew find a way.
I think it’s important to mention a few possible triggers - death of mother due to cancer, death on page of a ton of people though no graphic depictions, gun violence, and abusive parent.
This book is ideal for anyone who wants to learn a lot of climate science and stretch their mind while being entertained by a good story.
I never thought I’d encounter a science fiction novel, let alone a novel roughly in the genre of post-apocalyptic that reminded me of James Michener’s writing style, but this is it. Stoll gives us compelling characters to follow through an oxygen depletion crisis, adding in 30,000 foot overviews of the climatology driving the story. Against what looks like impossible odds - all the oxygen is GONE, how are you going to survive? - Mykelti, Sherbert and their motley crew find a way.
I think it’s important to mention a few possible triggers - death of mother due to cancer, death on page of a ton of people though no graphic depictions, gun violence, and abusive parent.
This book is ideal for anyone who wants to learn a lot of climate science and stretch their mind while being entertained by a good story.
April 26, 2025
A very interesting thought experiment about our/the earth's vulnerability to oxygen depletion.
A mixture of history, science, and speculation animated by the fictional story of the complex relationships among a young refugee from Cameroon and his adopted nfluential American Scientists.
The group of survivors struggles to define their lives while ingeniously facing a multitude of life destroying challenges.
The artwork is lovely. The author effectively used humor to simplify explanations of complex scientific concepts. Clearly much research and creative thought have gone into this work and it is definitely worth reading. My only complaint (bringing my rating down to 4) is that the moral and philosophical discussions between the characters can become a bit tedious.
Overall, a provocative read.
A mixture of history, science, and speculation animated by the fictional story of the complex relationships among a young refugee from Cameroon and his adopted nfluential American Scientists.
The group of survivors struggles to define their lives while ingeniously facing a multitude of life destroying challenges.
The artwork is lovely. The author effectively used humor to simplify explanations of complex scientific concepts. Clearly much research and creative thought have gone into this work and it is definitely worth reading. My only complaint (bringing my rating down to 4) is that the moral and philosophical discussions between the characters can become a bit tedious.
Overall, a provocative read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews