When discussing plants and animals it might make reference to ecology or population dynamics to explain why some survive and others perish. In fact, the book does not identify any particular science underlying its speculations. I have chosen the term ecology of humanity to describe the science behind Earth Abides. Given the magnitude of the book's concerns, there is very little practical difference between 1949, 2013, and, in all likelihood, 2077. These details date the book, but they do not harm the story. Similarly, there are political and interpersonal concerns that no longer seem important. The book was published in 1949, over 60 years ago! There are certain details that tell its age, For example, a trip across the country is on Route 66, not an interstate highway. We are provided a glimpse of this ecology of humanity by the removal of all but a smattering of humans. The Science Fiction premise is that our "civilization" is dependent on our presence for its maintenance. The author never gives an estimate of the number killed, but we can infer that fewer than 100 in a city of a million appear to have survived. Earth Abides takes place in the present and begins with a plague that wipes out most of humanity in a matter of weeks.
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