Termush (Faber Editions): 'A classic―stunning, dangerous, darkly beautiful' (Jeff VanderMeer)

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The end of the world in Termush comes by nuclear Armageddon, and if the fear of nuclear apocalypse has been superseded today by fears about climate change and pandemics, Holm’s vision of a world transfigured by an invisible poison is surprisingly applicable here too. Much of the book is given over to surreal descriptions, as the narrator imagines the invisible contagion that could kill him without him even knowing until it’s too late. Indeed, our new introducer Jeff VanderMeer praises Termush as ‘a classic: stunning, dangerous, darkly beautiful'. His foreword brilliantly places the novel in its literary context, arguing that the way in which Holm prioritises the ‘psychology of the holed-up survivors and the hazards of societal breakdown’ in the ‘wrong future’ bridges the genres of 1950s ‘disaster cosies’ by John Wyndham and the extravagant 1970s dystopias of J. G. Ballard.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine, which exists to give homeless, long-term unemployed and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income.To support our work buy a copy! I am opposed to the management’s decision to suppress the news of the four dead bodies. By doing this the management has assumed the role of a superior authority to which it has no right. It is arguable that this time the encroachment is of no great significance, that the secrecy is unimportant and may even have been dictated by consideration, but I am against this line of reasoning. The wealthy guests are survivors who reserved their rooms long before the disaster. But despite weathering a nuclear apocalypse, their problems are only just beginning – this is the hotel at the end of the world. The reconnaissance men would take with them long-range microphone equipment and every morning the management would inform us what calculations and observations they had made the previous day. But perhaps a good many of the guests at Termush are relieved to be spared the harrowing details. Living at Termush does not prove that one is more interested in the world outside than people are in general. What was important when we first enrolled was access to protected accommodation, a hotel with trained staff, stores and a motor yacht lying ready to transport the guests away from this country, should it later become uninhabitable.Termush caters to every need of its wealthy patrons—first among them, a coveted spot at this exclusive seaside getaway, a resort designed for the end of the world. The protagonist reports odd occurrences and has strange dreams. What is causing these hallucinations? I have been installed in one of the rooms on the top floor here in the hotel. Everything went according to plan, just as it had been run through for us beforehand, on the lines explained in the brochures we received with our enrolment forms. Klarte dessverre ikke koble på denne boka. Jeg tror det er jeg som er problemet her. Men mulig jeg prøver å være snill fordi coveret er så utrolig fint. Kunne ønske jeg hadde lest den på norsk, men kunne ikke finne norsk oversettelse. Highly recommended as a study of psychology and morality after a cataclysmic event. In the era of Covid-19, I am reminded of ultra-wealthy New Yorkers retreating to their second homes in The Hamptons, while a personal staff maintains their lavish lives.

A processing plant manager struggles with the grim realities of a society where cannibalism is the new normal. I have been thinking over one of the points mentioned in the brochure: “A physical aspect of radioactive destruction is the transformation of elements. For instance, take radioactive phosphorus, P-32. This isotope is converted by the transmission of a Beta particle into stable sulphur. It is not difficult to imagine the confusion that will arise…” This was a fascinating and gripping dystopian novel. The moral dilemmas that arose as well as how each person handled their new life was really interesting to watch as it unfolded. This was a short novel but one that will stay with me for a long time.We did not envisage quite such a ruthless change in our environment. But one of the reasons for our feelings of weakness may be that things have retained their outward appearance, now that the disaster has happened. Without knowing it, we put our faith in the disaster; we thought our panic would be justified if we had to use symbols as violent as those our imagination needed earlier. Despite weathering a nuclear apocalypse, their problems are only just beginning. Soon, the Management begins censoring news; disruptive guests are sedated; initial generosity towards Strangers ceases as fears of contamination and limited resources grow. But as the numbers - and desperation - of external survivors increase, they must decide what it means to forge a new moral code at the end (or beginning?) of the world … I am so in love with this writing style, I can’t even describe it, it’s so poetic and stunning. The story and everything about this was captivating and perfect I adored it!

As VanderMeer says in the introduction, it does feel like somewhere between other, cosier 20th century 'after the disaster' type dystopias and J.G. Ballard type dystopias in which people turn on each other and morality and capitalism are thrown into the spotlight. Termush doesn't let you forget that the narrator and the other residents are wealthy and paid to be survivors, and some of them care mostly about maintaining this status of privilege against other survivors who want to be let in. It is easy to see how this questions the mindset of the wealthy even without a presumably nuclear disaster, and how systems are designed to allow people to keep themselves privileged over others' need.The woman’s reaction is understandable. What is less understandable is the way the rest of us keep such an inflexibly stiff upper lip without relaxing in argument or giving way to laughter and irritation. Her outburst seems to me more natural than our self-control. It means that neither her imagination nor her sensibility is gagged and bound, as ours are. Termush is a luxury resort where the wealthy guests are survivors who reserved their places before the nuclear apocalypse.