Post-Apocalyptic or post-Rapture?

October 11, 2005 3:06 PM

SciFiBookIdentFilter: A novel by a woman, published (I think) in the mid-90s, about the US after most of the people have disappeared leaving only about 10% of the original population. The book centered around a group of disparate people who lived together in a house, called, I think, The House, upon which one of the residents was always working and adding new rooms.

I think there was a kid...I don't remember it being about the Rapture, but it sure sounds like it now.

posted by OmieWise to Writing & Language (7 answers total)

Are you thinking of Shadow of the Mothaship?
posted by Loser at 3:50 PM on October 11, 2005

I remember this book. There were stairways that seemingly went off into different dimensions. Eventually, there was an evil person who had some sort of ability to navigate these stairs, and who was once a resident of the House.
posted by thanotopsis at 3:52 PM on October 11, 2005

This may be way off base, but .... The Sundial by Shirley Jackson?
posted by BluntInstrument at 4:13 PM on October 11, 2005

Best answer: Almost certainly Vanishing Point by Michaela Roessner.
posted by blm at 4:59 PM on October 11, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks blm, that's absolutely it. I've been wondering lately what the relationship is to the notion of the Rapture. Do you remember it well enough to know?

Thanks everyone else.
posted by OmieWise at 5:06 PM on October 11, 2005

Do you remember it well enough to know?

I remember a bit of it... (some spoilers ahead).

It wasn't about the Rapture per se, although certainly any time a large chunk of the population vanishes, one might think of the Rapture, and some of the characters in the story do think that.

Mostly though, the story's about the after-affects of the event on society--how the ones trying to rebuild civilization survive, what affect the event has (including from an evolutionary point-of-view), and the work of scientists to figure out what happened and whether it will happen again.
posted by blm at 6:20 PM on October 11, 2005

Best answer: I know this one! And since the first question has already been answered, and I have the book and read it recently, I'll go after question 2:

"I've been wondering lately what the relationship is to the notion of the Rapture. Do you remember it well enough to know?"

SPOILERS AHOY!

(Disclaimer: This is per my interpretation, and as I recall - I actually don't have the book right here with me, it's in storage.)

The house many of the characters live in is the Winchester Mystery House. The legends of ghosts directing the construction, and hauntings, as well as features such as stairways to nowhere (or another dimension) ties in well with some of the more metaphysical aspects of the story.

In the book, no one was ever able to determine the cause of the overnight disappearance of the majority of Earth's population. The Rapture was one theory, mostly held by roving bands of militant Christians of one sect or another. Other theories included a sort of virus/bug/illness/infection (that causes one man to wander around carefully burning houses that he believes are infected).

Towards the end, we get a hint that it may have been due to black holes, or some other interdimensional forces. Some of the more scientific-minded adults have been studing various datum and coming close to an explanation.

Children born after the Vanishing have distinctive hair and, as it turns out, the ability to shift into other dimensions/alternate realities. The adults are kind of blown away by this idea - the children just accept it as natural - they were born with their unique abilities. At the end of the book, the children help to trap a group of enemies in another dimension - they see it as a game as simple as hide-and-go-seek.

So, long story short, no, not really the Rapture, though no definite explanation is ever given. I always thought that left it open for a sequel - but as far as I know, none yet.
posted by attercoppe at 7:39 PM on October 11, 2005