Max Brooks’ ‘Devolution’ and the Promise of Realistic Fiction
How the author of World War Z created another terrifying story that reads like nonfiction
Escapism has rarely been more appealing than in the middle of a pandemic. The chance to throw on a tv show, pick up a book, or sink into a video game and forget the outside world can give people a chance to forget everything around them, if only for a few minutes. The escapism label clearly applies to Max Brooks’ Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre, but perhaps not in the way most people might want. Because of its style and commitment to realism, this book is one of the most terrifying pieces of fiction I’ve ever read.
Brooks’ ability to make scary, impossible events feel real is his greatest strength as an author and it’s what makes Devolution such a good book. The lion’s share of the details in this story come from real-world events and places, setting a firm foundation for the fantastical tale that follows. His writing style carries this pretense of fact even further — everything is told through fictional interviews and journal entries that read like something you might find in a magazine or a newspaper. The end result was that I was constantly on edge as I plowed through the book over the course of a few evenings.
The first book I read by Brooks was 2013’s World War Z. It’s a fantastic novel, with a movie adaptation that doesn’t even pretend to follow the same plot. It’s not a bad movie by any means, but it gains nothing by sharing the name of its nominal “source material.” But, in any case, the book itself is excellent.
In the novel, Brooks plots a worldwide pandemic caused by a zombie-inducing virus. The book feels eerily plausible, despite its fantastical premise. Each nation reacts to this new existential threat much like one would expect. In the middle of an actual pandemic in 2020, the book seems to have garnered some renewed attention.
Through its attention to detail and commitment to realism, World War Z established Brooks’ style as an author. It reads like a real-world work of history or political science, told through a collection of interviews with global leaders. Even if the actual words on the page are fiction, it’s easy to tell that Brooks meticulously researched everything he planned to write about. He brings that same level of focus to 2020’s Devolution.
The plot of Devolution — this will contain one or two spoilers, but nothing that goes beyond the first few chapters and official descriptions — follows a group of people stuck in isolation in the wilderness. They live in an eco-friendly community called Greenloop that’s completely separated from nearby civilization in Seattle. When a volcanic eruption cuts off their ties to the outside world, they initially struggle with how to cope without their food deliveries and internet.
It’s at this point that the real threat — a troop of sasquatches — arrives. The animals were driven away from their usual land by the volcano and are hungry, angry, and ready to feast upon the unprepared humans. What follows throughout the rest of the book is a harrowing account, but one that feels surprisingly, incredibly (given the premise) realistic. The sasquatches weren’t interested in hunting down humans before, but the perfect storm brought them to Greenloop’s borders.
The story is told through the journal entries of Kate Holland, one of the people living in Greenloop, and “interviews” conducted with a senior park ranger who later found the wreckage. This format immediately adds an air of realism to the story, as well as some contrast. The tone of the journal entries becomes increasingly frantic, while the interviews feel dispassionate, regretful, and somewhat resigned to the events that have already happened. Through little touches like this, it’s the attention to detail and pacing of the story that make this book so engaging.
It’s pretty clear from the first few pages of Devolution that this story isn’t a happy one. We realize, pretty early on, that the humans of Greenloop are facing a threat that they’re hopelessly unprepared for. Brooks even describes some of the people (and their actions) in ways that make the reader want to scream into a pillow with exasperation. These aren’t the outdoorsy types who are ready for a scuffle; they’re people who love the idea of nature much more than the reality.
Fortunately, Kate and a few of her fellow humans are much more resilient than they appear early on. As much as they find themselves in an impossibly perilous situation, they refuse to go down without a fight. Their struggle — especially in the last few chapters — is the highlight of the book. Desperation is a powerful force, and the specific ways that it manifests in Kate’s story is incredibly moving.
Finishing Devolution, which I did just a few days ago, I’m struck by how few books like this exist. There are plenty of books written about improbable or impossible events. The whole of Science Fiction or Fantasy, for example, exists to tell stories that exist far outside our normal world. But Brooks is a master of making the impossible feel like it’s real. Sitting up late, reading this book, I found myself jumping at noises outside or branches moving just past the window.
I always thought that World War Z was chronically under-appreciated. The movie itself was fine, but it abandoned any commitment to its source material so audiences didn’t see much of Brooks’ creative vision. The story of Devolution seems ripe for a film adaptation, but I’m not sure a camera crew could tell the same kind of story that the pages of this book show.
Fortunately, Devolution as it exists seems to have made quite a splash. I hope that continues — this is a book well worth reading. I can’t wait to see what Brooks comes up with next, and I hope to see more books like this one in the future.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
