MAY 2007

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A Review of Brockmeier's The Brief History of the Dead (2007)
By Jason Jordan, Apr 28, 2007
The premise of Brockmeier’s dystopian, apocalyptic novel is more interesting in theory than on paper.  The Brief History of the Dead (Vintage, 2007) centers on Laura Byrd – a researcher stranded in an Antarctic base – and eventually it becomes clear to her that a lethal virus is circulating the globe, ravaging all those who come into contact with it.  Unsurprisingly, it decimates the world’s population.  So once the heat in the station fails, she ventures out into the vast Antarctic wilderness in hopes of reaching headquarters – a trip that takes days and is fraught with storms, fissures, and below freezing temperatures.  Meanwhile, several of those who Byrd remembers in one way or another are trapped in a city-like afterlife, condemned to wander it the entirety of the afterlife, until, one day, people start disappearing for ostensibly no reason at all. 

Similar to many other novels, the chapters alternate between storylines, delivering each of the two major plots in true piecemeal fashion.  While an understandable and smart tactic, which helps keep the reader interested and gives the individual plots room to breathe, I found myself bored during the city portions of the book because they revolve around back-story, mostly, and are simply not as interesting as the debacle in which Byrd finds herself.  Though the writing is strong – Brockmeier (pictured right) captures what I can believe Antarctica is like – it’s not enough to save a book that is half dead in the water, or city, I guess.  And some readers will tire of the mundane portions of city life (conversations in diners, apartments, etc.) due to the fact that it steals focus from what’s going on with Byrd.        

Compelling, however, is Byrd’s tale.  Because the research station gradually dilapidates, food supply becomes low, and radio stations eventually broadcast only static, she knows she must brave the days-long journey back to the Antarctic headquarters of Coca-Cola, the sponsor, even though she realizes beforehand that the chance she’ll make it in the first place – let alone unscathed – is slim to none.  Byrd knows she will die no matter what she chooses to do. 

So about half of this 272-page book is captivating, but the rest is not.  Comparable to T.C. Boyle’s short story “After the Plague,” The Brief History of the Dead is about as successful, which is to say not much.  Neither is worth the time and effort, and the novel in question has little payoff in the end.

Jason Jordan is many things. He is assistant editor and staff reviewer for this magazine. He was the host of the Bean Street Reading Series. He was an editor of The IUS Review. He has been a featured writer at the Tuesday Night Reading Series in Evansville, Indiana. His writing appears in The Edward Society and The2ndHand. He teaches college writing to college students. His book is called Powering the Devil's Circus and his website is located here. He is a writer.

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