Ed is an average English guy living in Scotland with his wife and two young kids. He’s probably depressed, is definitely out of shape, and is starting to wonder if he drinks too much. He wakes up early after one too many glasses of wine to the cries of his infant son, Arthur. After getting him his bottle, he takes Arthur on a walk to the local shop to pick up the newspaper. But the streets are strangely deserted, the shop is closed, and the owner refuses to open the door. The newspapers, however, are piled outside and the headlines all read STRIKE IMMINENT.
Between thirty to fifty thousand meteorites struck Earth that day, three to five thousand of them hitting the United Kingdom. Edinburg is decimated. After several harrowing weeks stuck in the cellar beneath the wreckage of their home, Edgar and his family are rescued by the local military and brought to join the other survivors in the base’s barracks. They have power, water, and food, but all three are starting to run out. Ed and several other men amongst the survivors – Richard, a fellow father and upper-class type, Harvey, a soft-spoken older Australian transplant, and Bryce, a giant of a Scotsman with a chip on his shoulder – join the soldiers on salvage runs, exploring the ruins of Edinburgh to bring back supplies to the base. When returning from a run, they see helicopters flying overhead and are ecstatic with the hope of rescue and evacuation. Unfortunately for them, the rescue team refused to wait for stragglers, and all the other survivors – including Ed’s family – have been evacuated, leaving Ed and the others behind. The helicopters are heading to the southern coast of England, where ships are waiting to take survivors to the Southern Hemisphere, which apparently was not hit as hard during the event. The ships will depart on Christmas Day, giving the four civilians and three soldiers from the base just about a month to cross the entire country.
Thus begins the main part of the book, the arduous journey from Edinburgh to Falmouth. Half the roads have been destroyed, so even if they could find a working vehicle and enough fuel, they wouldn’t be able to drive. Massive craters now exist where once there were towns, and even the coastline has changed. Food and water are scarce, the sun never comes out, and what is left of humanity has taken on a “every man for himself” mindset. But for each horror, some hope remains. Whether that hope is an old aristo who gives them shelter for the night and brings out the good whiskey, or finally seeing the sun occasional break through the dust clouds that have enveloped the planet, there is always something that bolsters their spirits and keeps them going. The author has a great talent for showcasing the worst and best of humanity one right after the other.
The End of the World Running Club is not a light book. There is death, and abuse, and the horrific aftermath of a natural disaster. But there is hope, through it all.