Not This August

Not This August
Dust-jacket from the first edition
Author(s)	C.M. Kornbluth
Cover artist	Mel Hunter
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Science fiction novel
Publisher	Doubleday
Publication date	1955
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	190 pp
ISBN	NA

Not This August, also known as Christmas Eve, is a science fiction novel by C.M. Kornbluth. It was originally published in 1955 by Doubleday. It was serialized in Maclean's Magazine (Canada) in May and June 1955. A revised edition with a new foreword and afterword by Frederik Pohl was published in 1981 by Tor Books, ISBN 0-523-48518-2^[1]. The title comes from author Ernest Hemingway's "Notes on the Next War".

Plot summary

The United States and Canada have been at war with the Soviet Union and the Chinese People's Republic for three years. Both sides' atomic weapons are ineffective, as anti-aircraft missiles shoot down any bombers, so ground forces have done most of the fighting. The Communist nations—whose armies greatly outnumber the North Americans—conquered Western Europe, invaded South America, and are moving to Texas. All American males are required to either perform agricultural work to feed the armed forces or be drafted into military service.

Billy Justin, a 38 years-old commercial artist and Korean War veteran, is at his work as a dairy farmer in Chiunga Center, New York when the radio announces that Soviet and Chinese forces have overrun the Canadian-American line at El Paso, Texas. The last American naval forces were destroyed months ago but the news was kept secret at the time. The President surrenders to the Communists, who over the next several months divide the United States at the Mississippi River, and together form the Democratic People's Republic of North America. Other than a military garrison, a formal disarmament, and the establishment of production quotas for vital foodstuffs, the surrender of the United States leaves Chiunga Center largely untouched. The Soviets kill the Communist fifth column members who had secretly aided the invasion, to prevent them from organizing against the new government.

A paraplegic comes to Justin's farm asking for work. When Justin visits the nearest town, Norton, for supplies, he learns of a secret American resistance movement; the paraplegic is General Hollerith, a veteran of the previous war. Buried somewhere in Chiunga County is a half-finished weapons satellite, a manned space station. It can drop atomic warheads from orbit that are impossible to shoot down, but requires parts and engineering knowledge to launch. The Soviet military police soon capture, to Justin's knowledge, all of the conspirators but himself and the general.

Justin deduces that the contacts he needs to make are in Washington, Pennsylvania. With a traveling preacher, Mr. Sparhawk, Justin walks the hundreds of miles from Chiunga Center to Washington. They benefit from the Democratic Republic's policy of respecting the Americans' freedom of religion, and at Washington Justin receives instructions for an attack planned for Christmas Eve on Chiunga Center to liberate the satellite.

Despite the Soviets' apprehension and torture of a local farmer, they are ignorant of what "Christmas Eve", a mild oath they have heard sworn by various citizens, means until the battle begins. Coordinated by Hollerith, bridges around the area are blown up and nearby arsenals are sabotaged as the townspeople, many of whom are veterans, battle the Soviets as the space station launches. Hollerith's forces triumph, and the Americans transmit an ultimatum to the Soviets and Chinese: The American satellite is armed and will destroy Moscow and Peiping in 24 hours if occupation soldiers do not leave American soil and free all prisoners of war. Hollerith offers Justin important positions in the new government and society, but he refuses them and kneels in prayer with Sparhawk, fearing the fulfillment of mutual assured destruction.

Reception

Galaxy reviewer Floyd C. Gale praised the novel as "believable throughout and thoroughly frightening."^[2] The Boston Herald gave a positive review and the Chicago Tribune called it "The most shockingly realistic science fiction book since Orwell's '1984'...."

Notes

1. ^ "The Internet Speculative Fiction Database". http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?NTTHSGST1986. Retrieved 2008-01-02. 
2. ^ "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, January 1955, p.92

References

• Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 260. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.