The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner is a dark and complex science fiction novel set in a severely polluted world on the brink of collapse. The narrative revolves around a large cast of characters as they navigate the disintegration of their environment due to pollution and destructive behaviors. The book presents a dystopian future that eerily mirrors some of the environmental issues faced by society today. Despite its challenging and disjointed narrative style, the story remains impactful and thought-provoking, shedding light on the consequences of environmental negligence and societal decay.

Characters:

The characters are diverse, offering various perspectives on societal collapse, although many are underdeveloped due to the sheer number of them; Austin Train acts as a focal figure.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is post-modern, utilizing a disjointed and fragmented storytelling approach with an emphasis on media snippets, leading to a complex structure featuring a multitude of characters.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot presents a dystopian vision portraying environmental collapse, showcasing characters struggling within a toxic world through multiple narratives that highlight the political and corporate negligence.

Setting:

The setting is a toxic, polluted future America characterized by environmental devastation, resource scarcity, and a political atmosphere rife with incompetence and greed.

Pacing:

The pacing is fast, with rapid events and a disjointed feel that can be initially confusing but becomes more engaging as the story progresses.

It was the archetype of nightmare: trapped, incapable of moving, with monstrous menacing beasts edging closer. Backed up for better than a mile, three lanes trying to cram into an exit meant for two, ...

Notes:

The Sheep Look Up was published in 1972 during the Vietnam War era.

The book reflects concerns about pollution and environmental degradation that were emerging at the time.

John Brunner's writing style is described as post-modern, with a focus on vignettes and disjointed narratives.

The novel is structured around multiple characters whose stories intersect in a collapsing society.

It depicts a dystopian America where the air, water, and soil are heavily polluted.

The population suffers from antibiotic-resistant diseases and is increasingly ill due to environmental factors.

Characters in the novel often have to wear filtration masks to breathe outside due to poor air quality.

Brunner's work has been compared to that of Rachel Carson, who raised awareness about environmental issues.

The narrative includes media snippets, giving context to the characters' experiences in a polluted world.

The protagonist, Austin Train, inspires a grassroots movement to combat environmental issues, but he himself is a controversial figure.

The book raises themes of corporate greed, political incompetence, and social upheaval due to environmental collapse.

The writing is noted for its ability to be eerily prescient, seeming relevant even decades after it was published.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book features high content warnings for themes of environmental disaster, social decay, pollution-related illness, government oppression, and graphic descriptions of suffering due to systemic failures.

From The Publisher:

Nebula Award Finalist: A "brilliantly crafted, engrossing" dystopian novel of environmental disaster by the Hugo Award-winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (The Guardian).

In a near future, the air pollution is so bad that everyone wears gas masks. The infant mortality rate is soaring, and birth defects, new diseases, and physical ailments of all kinds abound. The water is undrinkable-unless you're poor and have no choice. Large corporations fighting over profits from gas masks, drinking water, and clean food tower over an ineffectual, corrupt government.

Environmentalist Austin Train is on the run. The "trainites," a group of violent environmental activists, want him to lead their movement; the government wants him dead; and the media demands amusement. But Train just wants to survive.

More than a novel of science fiction, The Sheep Look Up is a skillful and frightening political and social commentary that takes its place next to other remarkable works of dystopian literature, such as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and George Orwell's 1984.

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About the Author:

John Brunner (1934-1995) was born in Preston Crowmarsh, Great Britain. He is the author of over one hundred books, including the Hugo Award-winning Stand on Zanzibar, as well as The Jagged Orbit, The Sheep Look Up, The Shockwave Rider, A Maze of Stars, and The Compleat Traveller in Black. In addition to writing mystery, science fiction, and fantasy novels, he was a linguist and translator, and served as an officer in the Royal Air Force.

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The Sheep Look Up

John Brunner