A review of three Books by John Michael Greer.
It’s to John Michael Greer’s immense credit that his work examines aspects of our collective cultural life few others dare touch–and does so more deeply than anyone else’s work does. With a background in the comparative history of ideas, Greer is keenly interested in how people make sense of their world in the context of the cultural narratives in which they’ve been immersed. He is fascinated as well by the psychological processes that come into play when people’s experiences of the world contradict these familiar narratives. As such, he finds today’s world, with its delusions and denial about humankind’s ecological crisis, to be ripe with fodder for his musings and writings.
Indeed, he has lately put out three intriguing books on this theme. Not the Future We Ordered (Karnac Books, 2013) was the first of these books to be published. It’s intended to give guidance to counselors and other professionals who are helping an increasing number of people cope with industrial society’s collapse. The second book, Star’s Reach (Founders House Publishing, 2014), is at once Greer’s first post-oil novel and a delightful first in post-apocalyptic science fiction. Lastly, Decline and Fall (New Society Publishers, 2014) examines the current state and future trajectory of America through the lens of civilizational decline.


