Meridian 144

by Meg Files

While scuba diving on a sunken warship, Kit and her companion are trapped underwater after a nuclear bomb strikes the harbor of their Pacific island home

Genres: Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This end-of-the-world novel has been around for a while, but it’s just as valid today, and it’s hard to put down. Kit Manning, who has just moved to a remote Pacific island to teach English, is underwater diving when the long-feared nuclear blast occurs. She sees the flash and watches in horror as her partner is crushed by the sunken boat they were exploring. When she returns to the surface, she finds destruction and dead bodies everywhere. She seems to be the only human still alive. We follow her efforts to find food, water and shelter and to look for anyone else who might have survived. Flashbacks are threaded through the story showing the events that led her to run away to this island. It’s a fascinating tale, well written. Does Kit find other people? Will she die of radiation sickness? Is the rest of the world gone, too? Read and find out.

[John Eidswick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unconventional (post) apocalyptic tale. A woman goes diving offshore of a South Pacific island and an atomic holocaust occurs. The dismal trajectory of the life of protagonist Kit Manning echoes thematically with that of the degradation of international relations that brings about WWIII. Superbly written and oddly inspirting. A great read.

[Don Lively · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read and not at all the type of science fiction I expected. This surprise was my reward. I saw in this a story of deep, personal exploration forced forward by stress inflicted from humanity. I came to care for the heroine in this novel. She held a depth and complexity that kept me turning the pages. Highly original, it is told in a style reminiscent of Attwood's "Cat's Eye". A very good read!

It's a shame it is so hard to find a copy of this. The author or publisher should consider an eBook re-release. More people should have access this fine work.

[Eva Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meridian 144 is a slightly disturbing tale of a woman who finds herself at the end of the world and what she needs to do to survive. This is more of an emotional ride rather than the action packed works of many apocalyptic tales and definitely worth reading.