World Made by Hand

James Howard Kunstler

After a series of global catastrophes brings industrial civilization to an end, the residents of Union Grove, New York, must rebuild their lives around dwindling resources, local ingenuity, and fragile community ties. As one unsettled summer unfolds, ordinary struggles over food, work, safety, and belonging reveal the tensions—and unexpected possibilities—of a society forced to live without modern infrastructure. Blending speculative fiction with social commentary, the novel explores resilience, dependence, and what it means to create a sustainable future by hand.

James Howard Kunstler

In a post-oil America stripped of electricity, digital communication, and reliable institutions, the people of Union Grove, New York, struggle to preserve a fragile sense of community. As dwindling resources and roving marauders test the town’s resilience, an unsettling religious movement begins to exert influence from within and beyond its borders. Blending survival fiction with sharp social commentary, the novel explores fear, faith, leadership, and the difficult choices required to rebuild civilization after collapse.

James Howard Kunstler

Set in a near-future America reshaped by economic collapse, energy scarcity, and the breakdown of modern institutions, this novel returns to the struggling upstate New York community of Union Grove. As its residents work to rebuild a practical, self-sufficient society, they face political tensions, religious fervor, violence, and the lingering consequences of the world that came before. Blending dystopian fiction with sharp social commentary, the story explores resilience, community, power, and the difficult choices required to create a livable future from the remnants of the past.