A Bleak Future: Closer Than We Think

We have been born witness to rapid industrialization and modernization. Over the past few decades, we saw how our pursuit of growth and technology, further driven by the exponential growth of the human population, has drastically, and worse, irreversibly altered our landscape. The pursuit of development, unfortunately, comes at a steep price and the symptoms are ubiquitous. Many species of animals are going extinct at an alarming rate. The surface temperature on Earth is rising at an alarming rate. Hurricanes and typhoons are getting all more powerful and destructive. Hurricane Katrina which ravaged the New Orleans area and Typhoon Haiyan which inundated a vast area of central Philippines are just some of the destructive storms that have been recorded in history. Not to be outdone, many of the resources we thought were infinite are getting more scarce.

The warning signs are everywhere and we even coined a term for this phenomenon: climate change. In 2006, former United States Vice President Al Gore raised the red flags on a growing but largely ignored concern. His eye-opening documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, probes deeper into this phenomenon which has been gripping us. As inconvenient as these truths are, unfortunately, the majority of us remain oblivious to the changes happening around us. We refuse to be inconvenienced by an inconvenient truth. These are despite the overwhelming signs. The image of a malnourished polar bear on melting ice has become one of the most popular representations of climate change. What was once a utopia is slowly transforming into a dystopia. We are at risk and the signs are everywhere.

The advent of climate change, coupled with our nonchalance to this growing global concern, has given rise to literary works tackling climate change and its consequences. Contributing to this growing literary subgenre is Stephen Markley. Five years after publishing his debut novel, Ohio (2018), he made an impactful literary comeback with the publication of his sophomore novel, The Deluge. At nearly 900 pages long, the labyrinthine novel commenced in the contemporary and slowly progressed to the future, carrying with it an apocalyptic vision. The story started with Tony Pietrus in a chapter titled The Phase Transitions of Methane Hydrates. Pietrus is a renowned climate scientist, a maverick of his profession. The core of his research revolves around studying the melting permafrost and deposits of undersea methane, both of which contribute to global warming.

“Yeah, well, time marches on. Getting caught up in causes don’t interest me. Not anymore. Especially when you see the scope of what this is. That’s the thing: Most people don’t understand this. The ingredients, what it goes on, where the energy comes from to create it, the ways the world’s gotta be directed and coaxed and violated and controlled to get this one little fucked bottle. And once you see how ketchup relates to imperial maintenance it’s tough to not get an overwhelmed quality to your thinking. Like one of them Magic Eye thingamajobs — hard the first time, but once you get it, you’ll never unsee it.”

~ Stephen Markley, The Deluge

When the story opened in 2013, Pietrus received a letter containing a mysterious yellowish-white powder. Pietrus immediately alerted authorities believing it carried the anthrax bacteria. However, the yellowish-white powder was revealed to be cornmeal. The moment, a subtle death threat, remained with Pietrus. The book’s first chapter then provides more details about Pietrus, shifting from the present to the past – like the rest of the story, time is fluid – tracing the arc of Pietrus’ career. We are given a perspective of what Pietrus has already foreseen. He also noted how the rest of the world is unprepared to embrace or even accept what fate has in store for them. His grim vision of the future, coupled with the threat he has received and will receive, prompted him to take action. Against the odds, he will be stepping out of his cocoon to be the purveyor of badly needed reforms.

The first chapter establishes the tone and the tempo for the rest of the story. As the story and the time moved forward – the novel ventured into the future and chronicled a good three decades of American life – more characters and elements were introduced. The novel and its perspective continuously shifted between the eclectic cast of characters. Beyond Pietrus, one of the key characters in the story was Kate Morris. She was the founder and leader of a creative movement, Fierce Blue Fire, which figured prominently in the advocacy for the passing of national environmental legislation. The battle, however, was uphill. Not everyone, particularly the conservatives, viewed favorably the environmental regulations being lobbied by groups such as Fierce Blue Fire. There were also other interests, the carbon interests, for instance, involved that blatantly lobbied against such proposed measures.

But Kate is not one to easily back down. What ensued was a tug-of-war taking place in the vaunted halls of Washington, D.C., and other parts of the nation. The Deluge then transforms into an evocative portrait of a nation that is slowly unraveling, of a nation that is at odds with itself. Politics then plays a prominent role in the novel; politics is a staple element of many a work of contemporary American literature. After all, everything is political, even discourses regarding the environment. As the lobbying for the environment took center stage in the American capital, more characters from different walks of life and with different interests were introduced by Markley. The novel’s primary interest, however, never wavered as climate change remained at the forefront. Lobbyists were relentless in their pursuit of a candidate with a political will to push for the drastic reforms that were required.

The ugly reality, however, is that even those who we perceive have strong will really don’t have the will to push through with their promises. It is a reality that has hounded us. Sadly, we have become complacent with our political leaders lying to us. Corruption has warped even our leaders. The right-wing blocks every attempt for regulation, with no consequences at all. The left-wing, on the other hand, crumbled under the weight of its fragmented vision. At the end of the day, they are bankrolled by big companies who have no qualms about gaslighting the ordinary people, making them believe that the ordinary people are to be blamed for this environmental crisis. In this political circus, anyone can take the helm. Take the case of the Pastor, a has-been actor. Buoyed by the support of the big oil players and his charisma, the Pastor declared his intention to run for the highest office in American land.

“And we’re picking up food to take to her family’s house for dinner, and she’s got this huge list of everyone’s orders. But the speaker box or whatever that is don’t work so well. It keeps cutting out, so the lady on the other end keeps missing stuff and she needs to keep repeating herself, and then they’re confused about what she’s already ordered and what she hasn’t, and I’ll tell you—right in that moment, I would have given anything to be back in Baghdad. Any fucking thing in the world if it meant I could go back and get shot at.”

~ Stephen Markley, The Deluge

Thrown into the mix was an assemblage of interesting and eclectic characters who gave the novel different textures. Jackie is a marketing wunderkind who was commissioned to sanitize the image of the fossil fuel industry. Meanwhile, Shane is a single mother and a member of the climate radical group 6Degrees. Fomenting trouble through violence, 6Degrees is committed to obstructing big coal and corporate America. Also swept into the activities of 6Degrees was Keeper, a recovering OxyContin addict whose vulnerability made him easy prey for others’ terrorist schemes. Then there is Ashir al-Hasan. He is gay and also a neurodivergent. He was also a brilliant analyst and mathematician. While his predictive algorithm and layman’s analyses assist leaders and even readers, his talents also expose him to exploitative elements.

While these characters’ individual strands meandered across the novel, their paths nevertheless converged in the late 2020s when a female Black Republican woman was sworn into office as the President of the United States. The result was a rich but complex tapestry. The lush tapestry Markley wove was then juxtaposed with a nation that was slowly unraveling. As powerful lobbies dictated the American political arena, the rest of the nation was unattended to. This was exacerbated by the growing partisan division. The economy started to plummet while the cost of living was exponentially rising. Food and power shortages have become prevalent. The United States of the future, once the most powerful nation in the world, was a shell of its former self. It was a country descending into tumult and the measures to reverse these are left in the hands of the few.

The United States’ descent into pandemonium was backdropped by a growing ecological crisis. Extreme weather events were inundating the rest of the country. There were unprecedented snow storms. Monstrous hurricanes more powerful than those previously recorded have become more frequent. A fire aptly nicknamed El Demonio ravaged the Los Angeles area. Heatwaves have become more threatening. Floods have inundated several states. Coastal areas are also under the constant threat of rising sea levels. At one point in the story, the country’s leaders had to find a replacement for its capital which is slowly sinking. Military and fascist powers, meanwhile, have also started gathering steam. With the rise of fascism came a spate of state violence, total surveillance, and extrajudicial killings. Fascism has become a clear and evident danger. Throughout this pandemonium, Markley’s vision was grim and evidently clear.

It is a vicious cycle of lobbying and supporting politicians but ultimately, no real progress materializes. There was even a Trump 2.0 version. It was not so subtle. The book, while primarily set in the United States, carries a message that resonates on a universal scale. Markley’s vision of the United States is a microcosm for the rest of the world. It is palpable that climate change is a concern for everyone, not just Americans. We are in this together and lest we set aside our dichotomies, may it be political ideologies or personal interests, our descent toward dystopia is anything but assured. The reversal of the impact of hundreds of years of environmental neglect will require a collective effort. While The Deluge depicted a series of starts and eventual stops, it was clear in the delivery of its message that the best time to start is now.

“You people are living in a bell jar if you think differently. So, you can keep convening your panels and trotting out your woke women POC candidates and all the diversity hires of the corporate carbon establishment, and you can tell yourselves that everything’s going to be A-OK, but I can assure you, it is not. And I pray there’s somebody watching this video in about twenty years because all four of you are going to look very, very fucking stupid.”

~ Stephen Markley, The Deluge

There was a grand narrative at play, one which Markley was relentlessly painting with his robust writing. However, the novel was not bereft of affectionate writing. When he draws attention to his characters, Markley’s writing shines. We learn more about their plights. For instance, Ashir, or Ash, was averse to happiness. He was also grappling with his sexual identity while another character was dealing with addiction. Even Kate had her own concerns. There were several contemplations as the characters grew on the readers. Several characters are from the fringes of society but they were remarkably drawn by Markley. In shedding light on his characters’ personal concerns, Markley made the readers care for them. These elaborate backstories and polyphonic perspectives provide the novel with more layers.

As much as the novel is an examination of the future, The Deluge is also an evocative examination of the present. It was brimming with social commentary, referencing several timely and seminal subjects such as the recent rise of mass shootings across the United States. The book also built a case against the rise of sexual violence, addiction, and white supremacy. Markley was also unsparing in his tackling of the pervasiveness of virtual reality, from tech toys to Slapdish, a Zoom-like feature, and go-to social platform. Online woke-tivism was also not spared from nuanced criticism; even Greta Thurnberg and U.S. representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez were not safe. We have increasingly become toxic, hiding behind assumed identities so as not to be exposed while leaving a trail of vitriol. These are all without consequences.

The Deluge examined every facet of American life. It was literally a deluge where various elements converged: social, political, ecological, and even financial. Everything was on the brink of collapse. Morals and even integrity have also eroded. There is a proliferation of violence and brutality. It was a torrent coming all at once. Markley’s world-building was breathtaking even if the message his sophomore novel carries is ominous and heavy. But with the deluge of information and satire, the book is quite dense. It is ambitious and vast in scope. It is extraneous reading. Reding the book requires perseverance and even patience to navigate the dense text, especially as the message is not always evident. Nevertheless, the book underlines Markley’s level of research which was astounding, to say the least.

“He’d feel that same eclipsing terror, born on the day of the letter, in the same familiar way, and all he could see were the bubbles, and then beyond into the molecule itself. This invaluable atomic combination in a prison of ice, struggling its eternal life away in a tombuntil it broke free and began its journey through the depths and on to the invisible wastes at the crown of the world.”

~ Stephen Markley, The Deluge

The story also tended to meander and can even drag at parts. The opening chapter was even an open challenge to readers. In writing his sophomore novel, Markley deviated from formulaic storytelling. Straightforward narratives were forfeited for snapshot narratives. This was interspersed with tabloid headlines, opinion pieces by prominent individuals, press releases, and even Vanity Fair profiles, such as that of Kate “Chaos” Morris. On the other hand, they provide respite from the main narrative thread while providing an outside perspective. There was also a shifting perspective. This intricate structure also highlighted Markley’s background in journalism. The Deluge is encyclopedic and it is its various elements that make it stand out from the other books dealing with similar subjects.

While it was not without its flaws, The Deluge is nevertheless a timely read. Markley’s sophomore novel is a thought-provoking literary masterpiece about climate change. It is ambitious in scope, covering subjects a wide array of political, social, and ecological subjects. It was unsparing in its vision of the future and its examination of the forces that propel the world’s descent into an inevitable pandemonium. Climate change is a critical driver in the collapse of critical institutions. Capitalism, greed, and corruption permeate every stratum of our political and social systems. Not only is it a labyrinthine work backed up by exhaustive research but it is a satire of our current realities brimming with evocative social and political commentary.

Early in the story, Markley already provides a premonition of how he envisions the future is going to be should things not drastically change, or at least a glimpse of how he sees the future. He mentioned Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book that also provided a grim portrait of the future. The book, however, does not hold all the solutions for this growing concern. Markley himself is not a scientist. The book nevertheless is a powerful reminder, an urgent wake-up call. Climate change is a global concern that requires collective action. Lest we forget, it is our future that is at stake. Should we fail to act immediately, Markley’s grim vision is just a matter of when.

“I could easily believe that each and every one of us carried this thing she had, a dormant seed of the wild within. I could believe that this great sickness would one day pass, and all our work would be clean and decent and caring. I could believe we would free ourselves of these mournful histories, that all our tears and sorrow would be given back to us, and though we walked these ruins now, we would begin again, and carry across impossible time the glory of this ancient and magnificent world.”

~ Stephen Markley, The Deluge
Book Specs

Author: Stephen Markley
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publishing Date: 2023
Number of Pages: 880
Genre: Speculative, Dystopia

Synopsis

In the first of decades of the twenty-first century, the world is convulsing, its governments mired in gridlock while a patient but unrelenting ecological crisis looms. America is in upheaval, battered by violent weather and extreme politics. In California in 2013, Tony Pietrus, a scientist studying deposits of undersea methane, receives a death threat. His fate will become bound to a stunning cast of characters – a broken drug addict, a star advertising strategist, a neurodivergent mathematician, a cunning eco-terrorist, an actor turned religious zealot, and a brazen young activist named Kate Morris, who, in the mountains of Wyoming, begins a project that will alter the course of the decades to come. From the Gulf Coast to Los Angeles, the Midwest to Washington, DC, their intertwined odysseys unfold against a stark backdrop of accelerating chaos, and as their stories hurtle toward a spectacular climax, each faces a reckoning: What will they sacrifice to salvage humanity’s last chance at a future?

About the Author

Stephen Markley was born in 1983 in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop; before that, he worked as a journalist. Before writing fiction, Markley wrote nonfiction, with his first book, Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold, and Published This Very Book, published in 2010. He followed it up with Tales of Iceland (2013), a travelogue. In 2018, he published his first novel, Ohio. His most recent work, The Deluge, was published in 2023.

His works have also appeared in various publications such as Paste Magazine, Slate.com, The Iowa Review, Chicago’s RedEye, The Week, The Chicago Tribune, The Rumpus, Weber: A Study of the Contemporary West, and the Chicago Reader. He’s also the author of the e-reader short The Great Dysmorphia: An Epistemological View of Ingesting Hallucinogenic Mushrooms at a 2012 Republican Presidential Debate.

Markley is currently residing in Los Angeles.