The Rebellers
Reviewed date: 2024 Aug 9
Rating: 1
155 pages
SF Encyclopedia and Wikipedia both tell me that Jane Roberts is most well-known for her series of writings where she channels a spirit named Seth. The Rebellers is a science fiction story published prior to her turning to the occult and publishing the work of (presumably) literal demons.
The Rebellers is not a satisfying story.
Gary Fitch, artist
The overpopulated world is bursting at the seams. Our hero is Gary Fitch, an artist whose job is to produce inspirational propaganda to ensure that the people Work Work Work. Without everyone working all the time, the public will starve. Fitch and his fellow artists live in the Gallery. In fact they've never been outside the gallery. They spend every moment of their lives producing propaganda and know almost nothing of the conditions outside.
Outside
The conditions outside are brutal. Food shortages lead to continual riots. During one riot Gary Fitch escapes the Gallery and experiences the outside world. Hunger and madness are rampant. The poor and unhealthy are euthanized if they can no longer work productively.
Plague
Into this savage overpopulated world, enter a plague: it's fast and deadly. The government has a vaccine but has no plan to give it out. Nobody would trust a government doctor anyway, since everybody knows that a doctor's only job is to euthanize the unfit. The plague is spreading and this may be the end of civilization.
The Rebellers
Fitch falls in with the Rebellers, a revolutionary group that's seeking to overthrow the government. Fitch thinks this is a great time for the Rebellers to overthrow the government, seize the vaccine, and save the world. But the Rebellers have no intention of actually taking action. That would be risky. No, they'd rather sit tight in their underground hideout, wait for the plague to wipe out civilization, and then emerge to pick up the pieces. They'll be kings of the world.
Just making things up now
Fitch is having none of that, so he forces the Rebellers to actually rebel. They do, and they seize the vaccines and begin inoculating people. Then the story goes off the rails. The author seems to be making things up at random. There's some nonsense about a second plague virus that is relatively mild except if the patient is pregnant and has been previously vaccinated against the first plague. In that case, it's deadly. Oh, and conveniently the vaccine also prevents pregnancy for about ten years, so, you know, it's kind of helpful against both plagues (as long as it's not given to women who are already pregnant) and it will help solve the overpopulation crisis.
Fin
And then, without wrapping up the plot or coming to any resolution, the book abruptly ends.