Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

This is our discussion of the Contemporary SciFi novel....


The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

As asteroid, 2011GV1, aka Maia, hurtles towards Earth, Detective Palace tells us REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know It" is getting a lot of airplay on the radio. (Now try to get that tune out of your head.)

Type "end of the world" into the streaming music service of your choice, and you'll have a nice playlist for reading The Last Policeman. (I'm more from the Skeeter Davis generation, myself. :)

G33z3r wrote: Type "end of the world" into the streaming music service of your choice, and you'll have a nice playlist for reading The Last Policeman. (I'm more from the Skeeter Davis generation, myself. :)"

Skeeter Davis is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, being on the Fallout 4 soundtrack (also the only reason I've heard this song).

My choice for best end of the world song would be "Five Years" by David Bowie, a good science fiction story in itself within the larger science fiction story of the album.

Brendan wrote: "Skeeter Davis is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, being on the Fallout 4 soundtrack (also the only reason I've heard this song)...."

Is that so?! LOL

I loved it. It has 2 sequels too right? I read all 3 and really enjoyed the story and atmosphere.

G33z3r wrote: "As asteroid, 2011GV1, aka Maia, hurtles towards Earth, Detective Palace tells us REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know It" is getting a lot of airplay on the radio. (Now try to get that tune ..."

I just read that part this morning. He didn't even say the name of the song, he only said "that song by REM". I knew immediately what song he meant (who wouldn't) and it's still in my head hours later. Thankfully it's a good one.

I think the title is a bit deceiving (although I am only halfway so maybe things change). I thought everyone was going to be in an apocalyptic frenzy...everyone but Palace who's roaming the streets trying to keep the peace. But he isn't the last policeman. He may care more than the others, but several are still working. Especially the girl cop who found the dead guy's phone. She's certainly still dedicated to the job.

Asad wrote: "I loved it. It has 2 sequels too right? I read all 3 and really enjoyed the story and atmosphere."


While The Last Policeman is a standalone novel (that leaves just a few small threads outstanding for a sequel to tug on), I, too, read the two sequels (Countdown City, World of Trouble) last week. All three are reasonably short, quick reads.

I felt The Last Policeman has two distinct, if interrelated, components:

1. An end of the world setting in which a huge asteroid will in approximately 6 months wipe out all life on Earth. The story is accordingly full of vignettes of how people are reacting to the coming end: religious revivals, cults, denial, survivalists, anarchists, and suicides.

2. A police murder(?) mystery. Detective Hank Palace simply won't quit investigating an apparent suicide, based on the thinnest of evidence it might be a murder.

The narration is 1st person (past tense), told by the titular Detective Palace, though it avoids the "noir" or "hard-boiled" style of narration.

Palace is a relatively young detective (apparently a lot of older cops have quit the force in anticipation of the end of times, leading to quick promotions.) He doesn't seem to have anybody close to him in his life; he is estranged from his sister, Nico. In his reaction to the oncoming end of the world seems to be to throw himself into obsessively chasing leads in criminal investigations.

Rose wrote: "he isn't the last policeman. He may care more than the others, but several are still working. Especially the girl cop who found the dead guy's phone. She's certainly still dedicated to the job. ..."

Indeed, based on the sequels, officer Trish McConnell might well be a better choice for the title character.

I always find the characters that ‘just keep doing their job’ to be the most compelling in end-of-the-world stories. I’m thinking of the mailman in Lucifer’s Hammer and the captain in On the Beach.

I liked this well enough to continue the series.

By the way, what was the U-2 end of the world song?

Sarah wrote: "I always find the characters that ‘just keep doing their job’ to be the most compelling in end-of-the-world stories. I’m thinking of the mailman in Lucifer’s Hammer and the captain in On the Beach...."

If you're in a job that's important to the near-term welfare of others, I can see the merits of continuing to work. Policemen, firemen, food production & distribution, medical personnel, transportation, communications... That sort of thing. On the other hand, if you're working on constructing a freeway extension or new high-rise, trading stocks for a pension plan, or developing a videogame for release next Christmas, there doesn't seem to be much point in such long-term projects. Simply carrying on with your quotidian efforts in such cases is a form of denial; I suppose that's a way of coping.

Gray areas: Palace tells us the city schools are still open.

I can certainly see anyone deciding to go "bucket list".

I don't see the motivation for suicide. Spoiler warning: we're all going to die someday. (I remember in Annie Hall, the child version of Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) is depressed because, "the universe is expanding, so what's the point?"). People with fatal illnesses generally don't suicide unless in pain. True, there's the added knowledge that your family won't continue on after you, but that seems all the more reason to spend what time you have with them.

Sarah wrote: "By the way, what was the U-2 end of the world song?...."

"Until the End of the World"

Sarah wrote: "I always find the characters that ‘just keep doing their job’ to be the most compelling in end-of-the-world stories. I’m thinking of the mailman in Lucifer’s Hammer and the captain in On the Beach...."

On that theme, we have the medical examiner, Dr. Alice Fenton, who Det. Palace visits to get an opinion on his corpse ( the late Mr. Zell.) Dr. Fenton complains the forensic lab chief took off to study art. "Apparently it's what she always wanted to do." Later in the conversation, Palace asks Fenton, “Why haven’t you left, gone off to do whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do?”

"Fenton tilts her head, looks at me like she’s not exactly sure she understands the question. 'This is what I’ve always wanted to do'"

Perhaps the school teachers keeping the school system open feel the same way.

This story seems so very realistic in how humanity would react. Of course a bunch of people would run off for bucket lists and others would become doomsday cultists or suicidal or tribal or conspiracy theorists - but the catch is that they have enough lead-time for the whole idea to almost seem "normal." I mean, you can only freak out for so long, right? Then what? Just keep on, keepin' on until The End. I'm thinking many people would just want to be with family as much as possible.

And then, if you were just a normal person, could you afford to just run off? I mean, the economy hasn't completely collapsed so...do you just say "F8k it" and steal whatever you want? What about your kids who can't really understand? Is that a situation where you would try to keep things as "ordinary" as possible?

I loved that Palace isn't just going through the motions, but actively trying to solve his case that no one else would bother with. He's so very earnest and young and determined.

I wonder about some of the other police - a few seem to want to keep people safe, some seem to just be stuck in the routine, and I think a few (like Trish) are thinking that it's probably the most secure position for survival when things get worse. After all, if you're in charge, you're going to last longer and have more info and power as things go downhill.

I hope people read the sequels. I loved the ending and how the books keep giving you hope and then snatching it back and then dangling it again - and you just can't give up on that tiny shred of an idea that somehow Palace and a few others will find a way to stop it or at least survive.

Michele wrote: "This story seems so very realistic in how humanity would react. Of course a bunch of people would run off for bucket lists and others would become doomsday cultists or suicidal or tribal or conspir..."

I totally agree. I thought it was very realistic also, although this situation is dependant on the Gov't staying in place to implement laws, policy, pricing limits, etc. Hard to guess if that would happen in real life. Maybe they would all leave for their bucket list leaving us all to fend for ourselves.

I bought the next two after finishing this one. I didn't think it was the greatest story out there (the murder mystery aspect) but I love it when a book keeps you intensely thinking about it after you've finished.

I thought there were a couple of hints in the books (or maybe it was just crazy conspiracy nonsense from a few minor characters) that either the asteroid wasn't really going to wipe out the Earth, or that there were some sort of bunkers which could allow people to survive.

Did anyone else think that was being hinted at?

I haven't read the sequels yet, so don't tell me about them!

William wrote: "I thought there were a couple of hints in the books (or maybe it was just crazy conspiracy nonsense from a few minor characters) that either the asteroid wasn't really going to wipe out the Earth, ..."

Yes, it was being hinted at. In fact such hints/theories will continue to lurk in the background through the sequels, so I'm not going to spoil anything for you.

I recall a couple of such theories held by various characters...

1. The government made it all up. Seems impossible: too many different astronomers can check up on things, and no possible motive why a government, much less lots of governments would want that level of chaos.

2. There is a secret plan to deflect the asteroid. This is strongly advanced by Nico Palace, Det. Hank Palace's sister. She claims she's joined a group associated with some rogue scientists or something who are going to launch a missile and save the planet.

I believe it's India that wanted to launch some nukes at the asteroid, and the US who forcefully objected (objection was military in nature.) The US objection was that lots of little pieces of asteroid was worse than one big asteroid, and those asteroids would then be radioactive. Honestly, none of those objections really rang true to me, given that the alternative seems to be the end of life on earth.

3. The government has secret bunkers. This actually seems logical. Even with the prediction of initial shockwaves and firestorms followed by dust cloud darkness killing off plant life, places like NORAD HQ under Cheyenne Mountain, designed to withstand a nuclear attack, would be a place a limited number of people could survive provided one stashed enough food. Also, why not dust off all those fallout shelters from the 1950's? At least the ones away from the coast. Of course, this option wouldn't be available to everyone, only the "best people".

In fact, in a similar disaster movie, "Deep Impact" (1998), the government has several such bunkers, and has an open lottery to pick some ordinary citizens to join in.

What might things be like one one emerged from a bunker post-impact? See Lucifer's Hammer.

I just finished the book. It was a fast read.

I think the structure doesn't work too well, it feel like a tv show season, with an abc plot structure. Plot a is the main "whodunnit", and by the time its resolved it's not all that satisfactory - slight coitus interruptus, as there's a shift to plot b (sister), who I don't really care about at this point. The end twist feels as an end of season cliffhanger, where we know that whatever comes next will be completely different.

It could have been a longer book, including that next story, better planted and developed.

I liked the main character premise, a guy who does things well, regardless of consequences or reward, because that's the right thing to do. That's a hero.

A very interesting article on what would happen if we were in the same situation:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160...