Devolution (Brooks novel)

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre is a 2020 fiction book by American author Max Brooks. The cryptid Sasquatch (Bigfoot) on the foothills of a post-volcanic eruption Mount Rainier stands as a metaphor for the real-world COVID-19 pandemic.[2] The book was optioned by Legendary Entertainment to become a film, around the same time the book began to be sold to the public in June 2020.[3]

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre
First edition (US)
AuthorMax Brooks
GenreSpeculative fiction, horror[1]
PublishedJune 16, 2020
PublisherDel Rey Books (US)
Century (UK)
Pages304
ISBN978-1-9848-2678-7

Plot

The plot focuses on the investigation being done by a reporter 13 months after the titular Sasquatch Massacre occurs in the community of Greenloop, Washington. Greenloop is a small eco-centric community, consisting of six smart homes and a central Community House. The location is remote; it is one and a half hours south of the city of Seattle, has a single access road, and supplies are delivered by drones. The homes inside are eco-friendly, powered by sunlight and waste. Many of the functions of the smart homes are automated, and are controlled via iPhones and iPads.

The narrator is guided into the events of the massacre by the brother of Kate Holland, one of the residents who is still missing. The narrator combines Kate's journal entries and additional interviews with experts on zoology, a Forest Service officer and others, in order to provide the reader context about the nature of the Bigfoot.

We learn that for therapeutic reasons, Kate was asked by her psychotherapist to maintain a written record of her thoughts, feelings and experiences in Greenloop. The initial entries describe her troubled relationship with her husband Dan, her lifestyle and the quirky upper-class neighbors of her small Greenloop community.

Upon the eruption of Mt. Rainier, the residents decide to shelter in place and wait for rescuers to arrive, relying on the capabilities of their technological homes and rationing to carry them through the coming days. As the National Guard and local officials try to regain control of the Mt. Rainier eruption area, including Seattle, the residents of Greenloop slowly realize how cut-off and unprepared they are.

It is then that the wild animals and worse, the sasquatches appear. The journal entries (and therefore, the book that we are reading) then become a record of the resident's battles against the sasquatch.

Reactions
[I]n light of current events, Devolution becomes a more disquieting read, and the horror is not necessarily found in the obvious places. Yes, the Bigfoot attacks are well orchestrated and surprisingly violent. The true terror for a post-pandemic reader, however, is in the grounded reality of how victims of disaster can be overlooked and how thin the veneer of civility and technology is revealed to be in the face of grand social disruption.

Neil McRobert, The Guardian[4]

Kirkus Reviews was positive, calling the book "a tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem".[5] Publishers Weekly and Library Journal also had positive reviews, saying Brooks "packs his plot with action, information, and atmosphere, and captures both the foibles and the heroism of his characters",[6] and that it was a "creative and well-executed conceit" that would also appeal to "those who appreciate nonfiction survival stories".[7] The Washington Post was negative, with the review titled "A great Bigfoot novel may be lurking out there. Max Brooks's 'Devolution' isn't it."[8] USA Today gave it a mixed review, saying it was "ambitious mishmash of individually interesting pieces. Not quite sharp enough for compelling satire, a little too sneering for effective horror, it will find plenty of readers among devotees of Brooks, but will be a miss for most general readers."[9] American gun enthusiast and self-defense instructor Massad Ayoob reviewed the book, concluding that it presented a good case for firearms ownership.[10]

References
  1. Hammett, Stephanie. "Max Brooks discusses new horror novel 'Devolution' with Northwest Passages Book Club". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  2. Chauncey Devega (July 6, 2020), "Author Max Brooks on America's poor pandemic response and why Donald Trump is "a homicidal buffoon"", Salon (website), [I]n "Devolution" the sasquatch becomes a metaphor for the coronavirus pandemic, incompetent government leadership, and a public that is largely unprepared and ill-equipped to survive a prolonged crisis.
  3. Borys Kit (June 16, 2020), "Max Brooks' Bigfoot Book 'Devolution' Picked Up by Legendary (Exclusive)", The Hollywood Reporter
  4. Neil McRobert (June 24, 2020). "Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay; Devolution by Max Brooks review – tales of apocalypse". The Guardian. Manchester, UK.
  5. "Devolution", Kirkus Reviews (book review), March 1, 2020
  6. "Devolution", Publishers Weekly (book review), May 2020
  7. "Devolution", Library Journal (book review), Brooks's creative and well-executed conceit will have readers searching Wikipedia to look up names and events, even the parts they know are not based on reality. An obvious choice for Bigfoot fans...and those who appreciate nonfiction survival stories.
  8. Ron Charles (June 9, 2020), "A great Bigfoot novel may be lurking out there. Max Brooks's 'Devolution' isn't it.", The Washington Post (book review)
  9. Eliot Schrefer (June 15, 2020), "Review: 'World War Z' author Max Brooks wreaks havoc with Bigfoot in 'Devolution'", USA Today
  10. Ayoob, Massad (July 5, 2020), "Devolution", Backwoods Home Magazine (book review), ... I see it as a validation of the gun owner's life style. With the right hardware, the battle would have lasted about one medium-long chapter...

Further reading
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