The Genocides

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The Genocides
Cover of first edition (paperback)
Author	Thomas M. Disch
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Science fiction novel
Publisher	Berkley Books
Publication date	1965
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	143 pp
ISBN	NA

The Genocides is a 1965 science fiction novel written by Thomas M. Disch. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965.

[edit] Plot summary

The novel describes the extermination of humans by aliens who are using the Earth to grow plants. These plants are huge and very efficient, with a very fast rate of growth. However, the exploitation of available resources by these fast-growing plants causes the soil to become barren for any other crop or tree. In addition, these plants are unsuitable for feeding any animal (except, perhaps, the rabbits which appear to be very numerous in the book), causing an ecological catastrophe. The effects on humans are very drastic: Human society breaks down, with people no longer able to live in cities.

The action of the novel is centered on a small group of people who still harvest some corn and have a single pregnant cow. The leader of this group is a religious fanatic who kills every other stranger in the name of the survival of the group. Their already-difficult life fighting against plants and protecting the small crop changes suddenly when an outsider begins living with the group, bringing news of strange forest fires. The fires are started by alien machines (presumably from the same civilization that sent the seeds of the plants) and finally destroy the group's refuge, forcing them to escape into a cave. The group travels deep underground, eating fruit from the plants found there. A power dispute splits the group and most of them disappear or die. Four persons try to reach the Earth's surface, but only two are successful -- They assume the role of a new Adam and Eve. However, the book ends with a declaration that no one will survive.