Book Review: Odd Billy Todd by N.C. Reed

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A potential apocalyptic event is a common topic among my friends. What would cause it and what would we do in such a scenario can easily take up hours of conversation. As well as what kind of preparations we might make in reality and what is reasonable to actually do today based on the fact that it is an extremely unlikely thing to happen. This year has been no exception and with the rise of COVID and now, with the recent fires and terrible air quality the idea of survival preparedness is maybe not so far fetched. A few months ago my friend could not stop talking about Odd Billy Todd and so when I had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy, borrowed from my brother, I went into it with heightened anticipation.  

Billy Todd wakes up one day to find that a plague has wiped out 95 percent of the world's population in the span of about a week leaving him all alone in his small rural home town of Cedar Bend, Tennessee. He is uniquely capable of dealing with this situation as his family owns a farm near the town that is self-sustaining and Billy's parents taught him how to deal with life in such a way that would allow him to survive almost any scenario. His parents had died sometime before the plague but not before teaching him how to think like a conscientious and moral person. Billy's oddness only manifests itself in a few negative ways throughout the book but seems to really manifest itself as his odd way of knowing how to think ahead, plan things out and shoot better than almost anyone. He is a kind of Aspergian country hero. 

Soon enough he finds that there are other survivors including a woman who has had a crush on him since high school and his neighbors who have a farm nearby. Seemingly unfazed by their new circumstances Billy and the others work diligently to secure resources and plan for the coming desolation of post-apocalyptic life. With solar power, cows, pigs, and lots of guns they make their way through well enough on their own until they find that there is a nearby settlement where they can trade goods and socialize with other survivors. It is on the road to this place that we first meet the dark side of humanity as road pirates attempt to steal from them. This is also when we find out the Odd Billy Todd does not suffer dangerous fools. 

They meet up with others at the settlement and find some folks that they think might want to come back and live on what later is known as the Farms. People with skills and attitudes that cooperate and complement the others are brought in and soon the Farms become a small community. As this is happening Billy finds out that there are additional threats including a group that has taken over a train that is ransacking and killing those along the tracks it travels. Billy and the others work to prepare themselves for both the natural elements and human elements that threaten their lives. They raid nearby towns often in order to find supplies and food and this is where they end up meeting with both potential friends and certain foes. Foes are met with swift justice and friends are allowed to live at the Farms as long as they are willing to work and cooperate. 

All in all, this was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the attempt at taking the ideas of survival preparedness and other post-apocalyptic themes seriously and the way the author does not go the route of psychological drama or relationship melodrama as some of these types of stories do. Not that those are bad but this book is doing something different. It is like a fictional exercise in real-world considerations taken at face value. There are not a lot of metaphorical or abstract language here and everyone in it has their role to play. There are good guys and bad guys and that's about it. 

The author obviously knows quite a lot about the nuts and bolts of what he writes about as the details regarding the tools, engineering, weapons, and survival aspects are specific and deep. The vast majority of the book is about the somewhat mundane day to day life of people who have to fend for themselves. Fuel, clothing, food, and all other manners of day to day considerations are addressed and at times the story got a little repetitive if not boring. This is compared to the much more exciting and interesting parts that involve action and violence as Billy and his group protects themselves from those that would take from them what they worked hard to acquire. 

If you like guns and military strategy this book has a lot of fun post-apocalyptic style scenarios to enjoy. Unfortunately, the bad guys are not particularly well developed and the good guys are so superior that the stakes are not that high and there isn't a lot of nuance in the plot. The book is independently produced and this is the first book by the author so there is something to be desired in regards to editing and the writing can be a little clunky at times. This took me out of the story periodically but not enough to ruin the experience. The writing is straightforward but not boring or lacking in creativity. The book obviously holds traditional values such as hard work, self-reliance, swift justice for the wicked, and other conservative and somewhat Christian in nature as virtuous. This makes sense given its protagonists and setting and isn't preachy at all. Just some good ol'fashioned redneck fun. 

In conclusion, it is a little long in my opinion, and could have used some additional revisions and editing to polish it up. The addition of a well developed bad guy, as well as a more obvious reason to call Billy Odd, would have added a lot to the dynamics in my opinion but as an amateur writer, I appreciate this book for its rawness. I'm glad I read it and it will certainly spark more conversations among my friends.

Check out these other reviews for books about the end of the world:

Book Review: The World Carried On by Channing Cornwall

Book Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

More than Justice

Why are we not satisfied with the prosecution of a mass shooter or terrorist? 

Maybe it is due to the mysterious nature of these crimes that we crave additional action. They come out of nowhere and strike the innocent with violence that shocks and infuriates. These acts remind us that we are not in total control over the environment and that the barbarism of our past has not been lost to modernity. While violence in the world is going down we still find ourselves subject to nature's wrath but when it is by human hands we seek explanation and prevention. 

But how can you prevent psychopathy, sadism and violent ideology? Many want to take away the tools of such violence but this does not seem to satisfy the masses. Maybe it is because deep down we know that no matter the restrictions people are clever enough to circumvent them. Maybe, deep down we know that no matter what we do we won't be able to stop these kinds of acts of violence. We distract ourselves with ideas of prevention because we don't want to admit the terrible truth that what creates these kinds of people is a combination of biological predispositions and environmentally mediated influences. To regulate is reactionary and by the time the terrorist kills or the active shooter shoots it is too late. We have to go deeper, to the life of these people, not just their last acts. 

All the mechanisms that could prevent these acts are in the communities, families and cultural values that the people that commit them have experienced. Why do we not blame those that encouraged the violence? Why don't we blame the family that ignored their child or abused their child, creating in them a resentment and hatred of others? Why don't we blame the religious leaders and apologists for not disavowing all that would commit these acts? 

We do not do this because we don't want to admit that we are the problem and that the problem is amazingly difficult to solve. There is no one solution to solving these issues. Things can only change when we are brave enough to stand up to violent ideologies, hold parents accountable and understand biological predispositions.  

We must also realize that no matter what we do to regulate, teach and influence others the universe is cruel and we all die. As long as we care about each other we will experience sorrow and anger and it is in those times that we need to look at our own roles in the destruction of civilization. What we do in our day to day lives has an effect on the world around us and it is in the daily decisions that we define our values.

Maybe the next time we encounter the aftermath of a mass shooter or terrorist bombing we will understand that it is the society that we have created, the decisions of individuals and the cruelty of nature that we see in those acts and begin to take responsibility for the world around us. 

Thoughts on Postmodernism

If Postmodernism can be characterized as a philosophy predicated on the denial of logic, science and reason, then by what standard do they substantiate their claims?

Without a standard measurement tool to judge the validity of a claim all claims are valid, therefore, in order to decide which claim should be followed one must rely on some form of scheme or model that becomes a mechanism to reach an ideal outcome.

There have been no better tools for exacting change in the world than those of the logical and scientific kind.

Why should I believe that logic, debate, math, science and capitalism are only tools of "the oppressor" without appealing to some attempt at a logical argument?

You can't just say that it is true because you say it's true. Then anything anyone said could be true. "That's a rock," one could say. "That's a tree," another might say. But if they are both pointing at the same thing and have distinct definitions of the words rock and tree, then both cannot be true. If there is any kind of truth it would be one that helped people navigate the differences between a rock and a tree.

The degree to which two people can communicate honesty and accurately is related to the degree to which they agree on the definitions of the words they use. In other words, the less agreement in definitions the more communication breaks down, and without rational discourse the only options left are fight, flight or submit.

If one person defines freedom as freedom to forcing others to act and another person defines freedom as the freedom from other people's actions and another defines freedom as freedom to act then a discussion on freedom between these people will most likely become contentious. Especially because they all prescribe their own boundaries of the others' precious freedoms.

In order to persuade others, in a world where the value of intelligence is increasing, you would be advised to utilize the tools of the intelligent.

A reason that Postmodern believers are achieving so much at certain Universities, in that they are achieving violence, suppression, destruction, etc., is because that type of behavior is strictly prohibited in the normal world outside certain Universities. The Universities that allow for mayhem to occur on their campuses are not setting a good example to their students about how the real world works.

In the real, working world, you don't get to foist your opinions on others by way of force. In order to succeed in a free market economy you have to get along and cooperate with others. If you want to use force then you will be met with force and if you break the law you will be met with an unbalanced return of force in order to swiftly punish those that cause violence.

If a Postmodernist were to propose laws that infringe on other's freedoms then they will be making the claim that their laws are just and lead to some ideal outcome. Luckily there is a mechanism for determining how strong this statement is. Unluckily though, the mechanism is logic, reason, science, debate and all the things Postmodernists believe are only tools of the oppressors.

Isn't someone who is currently oppressing others' freedoms, such as the freedom of association, freedom of speech, and freedom from violence, a tool of the oppressor?

If you want to fight oppression then at least fight the real oppressor, the government, not fellow citizens trying to pay their rent and shit. Taxes, unjust acts, wrongful imprisonment, corruption, etc., all all products of the governments around the world. What mechanism is in place to squelch these indiscretions in the government? At least in capitalism one can opt out of supporting a business regime they find destructive and immoral.

If words can oppress then any words a Postmodernist says can and will be used against them in the court of public opinion.