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BOOKCHAT: The "I Survived" Genre [1]
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Date: 2022-09-21
Q: I'm writing a story about the "I Survived" genre of books. I know you are a huge fan of them. You even checked out one of them from the library a week or so ago. So, my first question to you is this: Why do you like those books?
A: Hmm, I don't know that I can pinpoint exactly why. I enjoy novels. Some of them very much, but when I pick up a book or watch a video, 8 times out of 10, it'll be nonfiction: biography, historical narrative, history, or--a survival story. Most of the time I do not gravitate towards a survival novel. Probably because I know by now that there are real experiences out there that can rival the imagination (mine, at least). That doesn't exactly answer your question, dear Pabs, but it touches the surface.
Survival accounts are kinda like a game. As I follow the narrative, I can't help dissecting the choices and actions of the protagonists. "Really? Whadya do that for? You should have done this instead."
Now, I know, Pabs, you are thinking that it's easy for me to second guess a person under tremendous stress and fear. But I think it's human nature. I mean how many people, for instance, wouldn't second guess this horrifying scenario:
Probably, more often though, I wonder if I could ever have pulled through any of the challenges faced by the survivors.
Q: Which do you like best and why?
(a) Stranded at Sea
(b) Stranded in the Mountains
(c) Stranded in the Jungle
(d) Other
A: I first gravitated to mountain adventures, with books chronicling the disastrous 1996 climbing year on Mt Everest especially capturing my imagination. Left for Dead, an account by Beck Weathers, a self deprecating doctor from Texas, who ended up losing hands and nose (if I remember right) may be my favorite climbing account. The guy wasn't an elite climber, but that made his story that much more compelling.
While I still enjoy mountain adventures, I like the sea survival stories best, especially if sharks and storms are involved. I vividly recall an episode of I Shouldn't be Alive that recreated the story of two boys in South Carolina (where I live) who were paddling their fiberglass boat in an inlet. They intended to fish for an hour or two before heading home for dinner. Instead they got pulled out to sea by a strong riptide. In the choppy water their fishing gear was lost. The boys survived several days out to sea without water, food or phone. Quite an episode.
More recently, I've discovered the jungle survival story. The creepiness of the deep jungle is unrivaled (to me, anyway). Think of the predators--Jaguar, Black Caiman, Green Anaconda, wild boar, an unparalleled assortment of insects! Just one little mistake in the jungle can have horrific consequences. A few years ago, I read an account of the disappearance of explorer Percy Fawcett on a 1925 expedition to discover what he called the ancient lost city of Z in the jungles of Brazil. Following on the heels of that book, I discovered the account of Theodore Roosevelt's expedition into the Amazon Basin to survey the River of Doubt. The experience nearly broke him.
There are human survival stories everywhere there are people. The Outback, the African Savanna, plane crashes, Antarctica expeditions. Weather related stories of surviving hurricanes (the one I picked up at the library), blizzards, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, avalanches. Freak accidents at home.
Q: Can you name some titles that you like best?
A: River of Doubt, by Candice Millard
Through the Brazilian Wilderness, by Theodore Roosevelt
Left for Dead, by Beck Weathers
Black Wave: A Family's Adventure at Sea and the Disaster That Saved Them, by John and Jean Silverwood
Alive, by Piers Paul Read--probably my first real Survival story.
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History, By Erik Larson
Q: Why are you such a bad Sister?
A: Probably because you were a terrible influence on me. Still are.
Q: What is the craziest or weirdest survival story you can recall reading?
Possibly the story of five sailors who get hit by a storm in the Atlantic while en route to Florida as they were delivering a yacht to its owner. The yacht sinks and they spend days in a lifeboat on the open sea. The account was riveting. But it was also heartbreaking because three out of the five did not survive the experience. Their story, Shark Survivor, was featured on Episode One of the first season of the TV documentary I Shouldn't be Alive.
Q: Do you also watch survival stories on the television, on YouTube or with a streaming service? If so, which ones?
A: I think I've watched just about every episode of I Shouldn't be Alive on YouTube. Some of them are more compelling than others.
On YouTube I also often watch episodes of I Survived, another old series which documented survival stories that also included accounts of victims of crime as well as accounts of peril in the natural world. I'd love to hear of any newer (or older) programs or books that are out there.
By the way, Pabs, didn't I force you to watch a whole season of I Shouldn't be Alive several years ago? I think you were riveted against your will.
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