Tom’s A-Cold
First Edition, 1933
Tom's A-Cold (1933) is a post-apocalyptic novel set in a collapsed England two or three generations after a World War I that never ended, grinding civilization entirely to rubble. Small tribal groups scratch out a semi-savage existence in rural Hampshire, with little remaining of the old world beyond a few musty books, crude maps, and fading memories of a culture no one living can fully recall. The novel follows Harry, a young man with natural leadership qualities, navigating a world of violence, feudal power struggles, and the slow extinction of civilized life. The title derives from Shakespeare's King Lear, and the novel shares that play's preoccupation with madness, social collapse, and the destruction of everything that holds humanity together.
As the Anatomy of Wonder notes, the book "set the tone for countless post-atomic holocaust stories," a remarkable achievement for a novel written before the atomic age. Well regarded in its time, it has since slipped into considerable obscurity. Collier is far better known for his short fiction, particularly Fancies and Goodnights (1951), and this novel represents a largely forgotten dimension of his work. Published later in the US as Full Circle.
Hardcover. First Edition, First Printing. Octavo, green cloth, black paper label stamped in gold affixed at head of spine panel, "Macmillan" imprint stamped in gold at tail of spine panel. London: Macmillan and Co., 1933. #11468.
Near fine copy in original dust jacket.
As the Anatomy of Wonder notes, the book "set the tone for countless post-atomic holocaust stories," a remarkable achievement for a novel written before the atomic age. Well regarded in its time, it has since slipped into considerable obscurity. Collier is far better known for his short fiction, particularly Fancies and Goodnights (1951), and this novel represents a largely forgotten dimension of his work. Published later in the US as Full Circle.
Hardcover. First Edition, First Printing. Octavo, green cloth, black paper label stamped in gold affixed at head of spine panel, "Macmillan" imprint stamped in gold at tail of spine panel. London: Macmillan and Co., 1933. #11468.
Near fine copy in original dust jacket.