Jonathan Lethem’s novel “The Standstill” makes a dream come true for everyone who wants to finally switch off. And the end of the world turns out to be endless fun. For a small price.
In every post-apocalyptic fantasy there is a pastoral that serves a longing for the purity of the original state and freedom from the stress of technological modernity. This is the auto-destructive side of sustainability morality that replaces identity politics for most leftists and progressives as they grow up. Who would be better suited to turn this into a novel than Jonathan Lethem, master of ironic subtext and, above all, a long-time resident of the part of Brooklyn where this way of life is centered.