Rut

by Scott Phillips

Rut takes readers to the Rocky Mountains circa 2050, where the once thriving burg of Gower is about to become a 21st-century ghost town. Thanks to extreme weather and plenty of toxic waste, the skiers and celebrities are gone, along with the money and the veneer of civilization. What’s left? Old-time religion and brand-new pharmaceuticals, bad food and warm beer, mutated animals and small-town gossip. Can the town survive? We’ll see.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book jumped from 2-stars to 4-stars on page 204 (that is, about 20 pages from the end).

Up until that moment, I had been composing a review in my head (as you do ...), admiring and expressing disappointment in almost equal measure. Admiring the world building, and the frighteningly plausible detail of a future 30-odd years from now, in which climate change, political unrest, corporate deregulation and populism has resulted in, well, a version of the world that everyone is warning us about. Extremes of climate that is making life almost impossible anywhere except in limited temperate zones, and in larger cities that have the facilities to deal with the flips from scorching heat to freezing blizzard. A fragmented United States that has fractured into what seems to be a loose confederacy, with an authoritarian and feared Federal regime, and closer to home, local governments with their own rules and their own hegemonies. Various corporate entities, such as mining and pharmaceutical companies, which exist like sovereign nations, with their own territories, armies of security guard -- and their own agendas. Forever wars, which create an environment in which soldiers and first responders (including "Hero Dogs") are lionized, but the disabled and traumatized veterans they create are left to shift for themselves.

This was written in 2010, but as you can see, sadly, it is all hot off the press.

Expressing disappointment because, up until page 204, there didn't seem to be much of a plot to inhabit this very admirable exercise in world-building and bleak futurism. Oh, things happen. But it didn't seem to me as if the things happening amounted to a "plot," nor did it seem that that the things happening were woven together in such a way that they could only have been a result of the unique circumstances created by the author, and drew all the strands together to enable us to an understanding thst works beyond the dystopia created by the author. Is that a tall order? Tough.

All that changed on page 204, and I am more than willing to admit that Scott Phillips knew what he was doing all along.

I still have serious quibbles. I still think it reads like it's the first 200 pages of a much longer book. So much world building. Too many characters. It's hard to keep track of them all, and the relatively equal attention given to a good number of them makes it feel like they should have a more important role in what's going on.

But this is worth the time spend in it. Just be prepared to stick with it.

[Mary Overton]

"The last outpost of the old outskirts is an abandoned Mobil station, its pumps still standing minus their hoses underneath the remnants of a canopy, the corroding tanks no doubt still leeching he last remnants of their petrochemical contents into the ground-water. The convenience store inside was a wondrous source of junk food and expensive trinkets, scratch tickets, and sugary frozen drinks dispensed from colorful, humming machines. She took the place for granted when it was open, was in fact a bit of a snob about shopping at the real grocery store in town and avoiding junk food, and now that it's gone she'd give a withered ovary to get it back. She dreams of the store regularly, dreams in which she's loading her arms with processed foods and carbonated drinks and foam cups of hot black coffee.

"She sits for a while on the floor of the store and conjures the old place up in her mind, savors the taste of a Snickers in her mind, until she realizes what she's imagining so vividly is actually an Oh Henry! bar; the memory of what a Snickers tasted like is no longer accessible to her." pg. 146

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters qnd subplots, plot sort of drifts, and the odd sociopolitcal status of Gower and the rest of America is only vaguely described. The book would have been much better if it focused heavily on Cole, Bridget and Rex - the three strongest characters here who weren't as developed as they should have been. An interesting premise, but the execution was lacking.

[Freddie the Know-it-all · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wear Long Pants

Pros
1. There aren't any

Cons
1. Full of old hippies. I don't know what's worse, old hippies or young hippies. I guess old hippies.
2. Takes place in some frozen waste-land. I hate that.
3. Takes place in the future (so it's actually Sci-Fi), with all the usual Future Bad Guys:
a) evil U.S. government
b) even eviler Big Business
c) the I-told-you-so (even though it's made-up bullshit, so it never happened) of Greta eco-kook warnings and despoilation
d) no decent food (more I-told-you-so)
e) everyone in the future is super-duper religious (this is a twist)
4. Everyone in the future is super-duper horny, so I guess a lot of people will read this as a utopian, rather than dystopian, novel.
5. Tons of Nature Boy bullshit.

There's no story that I could discern, but I'm not very imaginative and take things literally, so if it's "evocative", it's wasted on me.

You usual suckers will probably like this book. You can imagine Trump, Musk, Jerry Falwell, John Lennon, Timothy Leary, Goldie Hawn, Peter Fonda, Ted Kaczynski, and Walmart all getting up to their predictable rasputinades. And not only that, China comes off as a better place to live than the USA, so it'll soothe your sucker fantasies to a turn.

If there's a moral to the story, it can only be this: if you got one your legs chopped off (because of syphilis) and have one of those mechanical legs, but you still go around in short pants (so everyone can see it and you're hoping everyone will think it was blown off saving your buddies in Afghanistan) -- my advice is to wear long pants and quit grossing us normal people out. Mechanical legs can't sweat, so you should have no need for short pants even if you live in the Amazon jungle.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

thought-provoking, character-driven science fiction. having read phillips’s three earlier novels, i was prepared for a large cast of strong characters, but the dystopian backdrop and somewhat opaque (to me) themes were a surprise. i guess, like most of phillips’s characters, those in Rut don’t stray far from the midpoint between decency and immorality. Indeed, I don’t think any two of them would agree on definitions for those concepts.

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to shy away from free books in the same way I shy away from free food. I'm not talking about a good book loaned from a friend, I mean bargain basement, remaindered, major mark-down, anything that has the the faint whiff of the unwanted. Also, self-published. I know it shows a prejudice, probably unfair and possibly a relic of a past and failing model, but flawed though it is, I believe in the filter of editors and agents, professionals who have dedicated their lives to discovering and cultivating literature, and I think that if a book could find a home at a traditional publishing house, it would. Therefore I approached Rut with wariness and hesitation.

Rut, from Concord Free Press, is not your everyday free book. From the back cover: 'This novel is free. By taking a copy you agree to give away money to a local charity, someone who needs it, or a stranger on the street.... [it] is an experiment in publishing and community...' Inside the book is a place to list your name alongside those who held (and presumably read) the book before you. The CFP website expands the philosophy and the benefits of the system, pointing to readers around the world and over $220,000 in donations. The website features a 'GivingTracker' to log your donation and track your particular book as it continues it's well-thumbed journey/quest. It also claims a much longer shelf-life (or NON shelf life) for its products; books that keep going from hand to hand. I think there was some mention of the authors making some money too, beyond the benefit of exposure... but I'm not sure what the deal is with that.

Inspiring? Certainly. Emissary of the future? Maybe. However, visionary marketing and good intentions aside, some success must depend on the merits of the novel itself. Rut is strange, different, somewhat confusing. It details a future world, neither utopian nor dystopian, with ecosystems largely effected by global climate change. People ride bicycles instead of fossil-fuel powered vehicles, Bible As History is taught in public school, and, if I'm not mistaken, there's no electricity, or much of a central government. That said, The Road it is not, and everyone seems to get along in a quiet bumbling amiable fashion. There are a lot of characters, seemingly equally weighted. There is some indication of dark government forces at work. Early on one character is snatched away by security contractors wearing flak jackets, but that plot line never materializes, not yet, and midway through I can't really say what the book is about or why I'm reading it.

[Avanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rut was received from Concord Free Press.

Rut is a not-too-distant futuristic novel that sort of tracks a biology PhD student's interest in amphibian life in the small, former ski town, Gower, Colorado. It's about 50 years in the future, and humans have already trashed the place (the earth, that is). Cars are incredibly rare (government issue and rich people, plus, I believe, people in the big cities "on the grid"), medicine is readily available for almost anything (new eyes, new hair, new limbs, boner-pills, etc.), and electricity has become almost prohibitively expensive (for things like phones and non-solar energy). Bridget, the biology student, finds in Gower a lake/pond with non-mutated (though incredibly large in her eyes) frogs, so she settles in for the long haul (a year of research, observation, and sending reports back to her base). In the meantime, she also finds a "pond" with giant tadpoles (and no evidence of any morphing into frogs), clearly mutations, and sends samples back to her base for likely use in future research and development of pharmaceuticals.

But the thing is, even all of that description is most of what happens with Bridget. There's a little romance, a little crush, a little adultury (with other characters), a local business owner with two prosthetic legs (the image on the cover, apparently), a lot of conspiracy - most of which is neatly explained by the end, and a local stiff doctor who ends up learning probably more than any other character in the novel. In other words, there is a lot of life happening, but not much climax. There came no point in the novel where I felt I just *had* to know what was going to happen next. It was all mildly interesting and mildly amusing, but neither fascinating nor inspiring. In the end, I was happy to be done with it but not too excited for whatever I had to pick up next.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is set in a near-future dystopian United States. Climate change, pollution and peak oil have all taken their toll on a small town in Colorado. Once a popular tourist destination but now dying, its only visitor is a young biologist, come to study the local frogs. Although frog populations are declining worldwide, frogs are flourishing near this town. However, effluent from a mining operation is having an odd effect on some frogs, leaving them stuck in the tadpole stage; they'll grow up to a foot long, but remain legless, a fate that parallels that of many of the town men, who are missing legs from all the wars they've served in, and a boy named Cole, who's seventeen years old but looks eleven. Like the frogs, his development has been stunted by his environment.

Although this is definitely science fiction, it's not a fast-paced novel with emphasis on action and thrills. Rather, it focuses on the everyday lives of the townspeople and how they react to the arrival of the newcomer. One might classify this as literary fiction, but that doesn't mean it doesn't go anywhere; this ain't The Shipping News. To the contrary, the ending is explosive... and I don't just mean that figuratively. While it's not a page-turner, if you stick with it until the end, it will stick with you.

In fact, I was a little sad to have to give away my copy. This is a Concord Free Press book, which means you get a copy for free but you have to give a donation to a charity of your choice, then pass the book on so that someone else can do the same. So if you want to read it, you can either ask Concord for a free copy (they have a form for that purpose on their web site), wait until somebody gives you their copy, or wait until the novel becomes available from a traditional publisher and buy it. Take your pick.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a world in the not so distant future where the US has slipped from being a major power, the right has taken over, resources are scarce, toxic waste is not, oil is tapped out, military order is supreme, China is the superpower -- a post-apocalyptic setting minus the actual apocalypse. That's the world of Rut.

The story is very loosely sketched, hinging more on the characters that populate/visit the small Colorado town of Gower. Gower is definitely past it's sell-by date, no longer the ski-vacation town of the rich and famous, but instead dying a slow death from depleted resources. Though there is an erosion of the veneer of civilization as we know it, a new type of frontier has emerged, based on barter, chicanery and sheer chutspa. The town is dying, but the inhabitants are scrappy survivors. I found i quite compelling to read, fascinated by the character interactions and resourcefulness of several of them.

This book was part of Concord Free Press' generosity based publishing. I popped over to Concord Free Press and was lucky enough to claim one of 2,500 free copies of the novel. All they ask is that folks make a voluntary donation to a charity or someone in need, and pass the book along to someone else when ... sounds kinda familiar to me. :)

For my donation I gave $ to kickstart to support a young filmmaker and help make it possible for him to complete his MFA thesis project at Cal Arts.: Rhys Ernst's Tristan and Zooey, and to Trident Literacy.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice littel snapshot of American politics in the long view as of this moment. It was like a forecast of the current zeitgeist wherein big pharma owns the little man and is morally bankrupt when it comes to providing chemicals to amuse and sooth him with complete disregard to long term health and environmental factors. The environment (global warming, big corporation pollution and hunting/farming) also looms large. The emergent power of China and the provision of cheap labour from the former Eastern bloc is also covered. Nothing is really resolved but the issues are explored a little. It was a nice attempt at post apocalyptic style narrative with a nod to Aldous Huxley.

As this is a Concord Free Press book, I would encourage you to register it there as well (after making a donation of your choice somewhere or to someone). I chose to give my donation to Shelter Box as part of the Bookcrossers group. We were moved to donate after the Japanese Earthquake.

As if there isn't enough to track in this journal entry already, you can also track the boxes we sponsored on the Shelter Box site by clicking here.

[Eileen Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Concord Free Press, with the agreement that I would give an amount of money of my choice to a person or charity who deserved it, in honor of the book. I gave $25 to Kiva.org, giving someone a chance to start a small business.

The book was intriguing - I could give it 1,2,3,4, or 5 stars, depending on the concepts that the book presented, so I'm sticking with three. This is another one that could have gone 3.5

The story is about Gower, CO around 2050, in a war-torn, overpowering government. Gower is "off the grid", meaning that they have no electricity, and because of that no tourism, business, etc. Basically, people are living back in the middle ages in a town that snowed out from the rest of the world 7-8 months a year. There are a variety of interesting characters, and certainly gives you a look into a possible future. The story was not terribly powerful, but definitely thought-provoking.

I will absolutely support Concord Free Press again in the future.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received Rut free from Concord Free Press. I was quite intrigued by the cover, it shows a person with a prosthetic leg so straight away I was starting to wonder about what sort of story it was going to be. The book does not have a synopsis so I just had to dive in and start reading.

Set in the near future Rut offers a possible view of what may happen if China becomes the global superpower and America is taken over my right wing extremism. We follow Bridget, a research scientist, as she enters the small town community of Gower. It is through her eyes that we get to know the town and its inhabitants and learn about how the world has changed.

I really wanted to love this book, it’s the type of plot I enjoy and I love the ethos of the company. Unfortunately it just wasn’t meant to be. For my tastes the book was too slow, it described the town and people wonderfully but there was no overall gripping plotline. It’s a well written book that I’m sure many people will love, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rut reads like literature disguised as dystopian fiction. Set in a not too distant future when the world has turned for the worse, this not entirely inconceivable tale is more a character and environmental study than a page turning fast moving plot thriller. Bridget, a research scientist is sent to the small off the grid rural town of Gower to study the amphibious life. What see encounters is small town scandal, corruption, and violence. Rut places a heavy emphasis of creating a setting and establishing a particularly mood over a core plot. We learn that the inhabitants suffer from some mild form of mutation and that parts of the landscape are decimated by radiation poisoning while the world itself seems to be ruled by the Chinese. I thought Rut was a solid foundation to build a more compelling story – while parts were good, I craved some action to go with the setting and colourful characters – 2.5 stars.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the concept behind the publication of this book- a book that is passed around free in return for its readers making a donation to a charity of their choice. However, the fact that this was a free book showed in the quality of the reading experience.

The setting was good, a future world similar to ours but different enough to make an interesting world. Unfortunatly there seemed to be s much happening that it was hard to find a clear plot amongst all the different characters. Every time I became intrigued by one set of events a new set would appear to take everything off briefly in a different direction, before returning back again. This made the book confusing at points and it took me a while to get used to the characters.

In summary this was an OK read, but not one that I would have paid for to experience.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the concept behind Concord Free Press probably more than I liked this book. I found it at a used bookstore and the idea of giving people books for free with the expectation that people will pay it forward in exchange definitely drew me to the book.

It's unclear that it's a dystopian kind of future early on in the book. It took me a while to catch on to the setting without having any kind of summary to go from and without more specifics it's hard to picture but the way the story is written is less about when and more about what happens. The familiar tragedies of lost loved ones and a sort of settled indifference in small towns and the universal frustrations of political games are all captured in this relatively short story. While I'm not sure there's a specific message that's cleat after reading it, it's an interesting read to think about.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting, a near future look at a small town in Colorado. Phillips gives us a look at what life might be like after the trhreats of climate change, corporate power, global economic control, energy shortages, and fundamentalism become a reality. But at it's heart, the book is still a book about a small town and the people who live there.

Also interesting is the fact that this book was published by Concord Free Press. I picked it up at Puddinhead Books in St. Louis on one of my indie bookstore seek-n-find jaunts. The book is free, they just ask that you make a donation to a charity or someone in need and track the donation on their website before you pass the book along. I donated $20 to the Carolina Raptor Center.

[Chris Hansford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as part of the Concord Free Press project.

http://www.concordfreepress.com

It was pretty good. It didn't blow me away, but it was interesting. Set in a distopian near-future, it looks at life in a small town after the US has become a 3rd world country. This book is unique in its genre because it doesn't go into the global politics that lead to the current state of the world. It just looks at how ordinary citizens are getting by. The characters are interesting, but at times can be a little caricature-ish. All in all, I'm glad I read the book because it is something different.

[Gareth Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read The Ice Harvest ages ago & enjoyed it but have yet to catch up with the rest of Scott Phillips output til now. This was a good enough read and well written but nothing much seems to happen until the end where things pick up pace. Very subtle in it's description of a near future dystopia where people are struggling to mantain normal lives it probably failed to grab me completely as I read it in short bursts & may have benefited from reading it in larger chunks . My fault then not the writers as I think the writing was very, very good. Has set me up for his other work (The Walkaway, The Adjustment) that might be more up my street.

[SallyJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the very few "futuristic warning" books I've read where I kept wishing for more details, please! Set in a small, isolated town, there were frequent allusions to big city living. I really, really wanted to hear about what was going on there! Recommend reading, simply because its short and a fast. choose for yourself how you feel about the message.

[Nathan Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini-review: I found this short novel very entertaining to read - Phillips is a gifted storyteller. Unfortunately, this seemed like only a small part of a much larger story - like the rest of the novel was missing.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kudos to self-publishers, to Concord Free Press and to free books. I support you. But 'Rut', a story of futuristic toxic America and the folks still fighting to survive in a small town left me wondering if free press doesn't need a shot of bravado.

[Brooke Barnum Berntson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not really sure what I think of this book. I’m originally from Wichita, KS and quite a bit of the book talked about KS and CO, all areas I’m familiar with so I think that helped keep me interested.

[Nik Korpon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much different than I'd expected from Scott Phillips, yet at the sam time exactly what I expected. I love it when that happens. Mini-interview/review coming soon.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anybody want my copy? Concord Free Press is all about circulating these books.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Futuristic society book published by Concord Free Press which gives out books for free and asks readers to donate to a favorite cause. The future in this book is not looking so free.