Book Group - 'Nod' discussion thread

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GregP Jan 2017 12:57pm, 20 Jan 2017 89,414 posts	0 GregP Cars get abandoned in dystopia novels - it's a trope. Station Eleven is a 'disease-based dystopia' - and cars are abandoned.
westmoors Jan 2017 1:02pm, 20 Jan 2017 1,546 posts	0 westmoors I suppose the vehicles get used until the fuel runs out....hence the abandonment.
GregP Jan 2017 1:24pm, 20 Jan 2017 89,416 posts	0 GregP That's what happens in Station Eleven, certainly. Not sure why an inability to sleep would cause the petrol to run out mind.
Diogenes Jan 2017 1:59pm, 20 Jan 2017 20,207 posts	0 Diogenes That was my maIn problem with the book, everything broke down too quickly for no compelling reason.
GregP Jan 2017 2:05pm, 20 Jan 2017 89,421 posts	0 GregP The 'shutting off electronic communications' on day 2 or wherever was a bit pat too.
McGoohan Jan 2017 2:11pm, 20 Jan 2017 27,681 posts	0 McGoohan I don't think that's too bad. He kind of establishes that psychosis sets in for most people at a certain point, if everyone stopped sleeping at the same time.
McGoohan Jan 2017 2:12pm, 20 Jan 2017 27,682 posts	0 McGoohan Sorry that was to Dio. The electronic shutdown was too early, yes.
Columba Jan 2017 7:19pm, 20 Jan 2017 12,232 posts	0 Columba Abandoned cars attributable to psychosis? Indirectly? Indeed, Wyndham is great. I wonder what he's written that I haven't read. Must look him up.
McGoohan Jan 2017 7:32pm, 20 Jan 2017 27,683 posts	0 McGoohan Not quite what I meant. I just mean that there was a predictable timetable for the onset of psychosis, hence the apparently very speedy breakdown of society. Taking that further I think that would lead to petrol running out and cars abandoned. Workers at oil companies, petrol stations, tanker drivers would stop going in. That would have its own downward momentum. Emergency service personnel and the military might be expected to last a bit longer but no-one would be immune. Would it happen this quickly? Maybe not: he's compressed the time frame a bit I think so he can do a chapter per day like a diary. Generally though I think the logic - though implicit - is fairly sound.