The 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit 35 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia this past Tuesday was even felt out here in Western Pennsylvania -- and further! It was remarkable to us Pittsburghers not because it was so severe this far north (it wasn't, though there were a few spots of damage here and there), but because it was so unusual.
It's not the first time an earthquake has been felt in the Pennsylvania region, but it didn't make the afternoon any less surprising!
So to commemorate such an odd occurrence, catch up on your earthquake fiction with some of the novels and films below:
After the Quake, by Haruki Murakami.
Japanese novelist Murakami tells six short stories that take place between the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the poison gas attacks in the Tokyo subway later that year. Bizarre, haunting, and poignant, these surreal short stories take a look at what life is like after the effects of natural disaster.
Strong Motion, by Jonathan Franzen.
Best known for his books Freedom and The Corrections, Franzen's second novel centers around one Massachusetts family whose lives were being rocked even before a series of unusual quakes start hitting Boston. Trying to discover the source of the quakes is only the beginning of the Holland family's struggle to sort out their difficulties.
The River Wife, by Jonis Agee.
From the 1811 New Madrid earthquake to the bootlegging days of the 1930s, this sweeping romantic saga has a darker tale behind it as 17-year-old Annie Lark discovers her new husband's family legacy -- skeletons and all.
1906, by James Dallesandro.
Historical fiction meets crime noir mystery. Taking place around and during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, this book delves into political intrigue and natural disaster with cinematic scope.
Richter 10, by Arthur C. Clarke and Mike McQuay.
A disaster thriller with a sci-fi plot, Clarke and McQuay combine politics and business corruption with a straight-out-of-the-summer-blockbusters main storyline. Lewis Crane is on a mission to rid the world of earthquakes once and for all -- by setting off nuclear explosions along major fault lines.
The Last Book in the Universe, by Rodman Philbrick.
This YA, futuristic sci-fi novel tells the story of an epileptic teenager on a mission to restore everything that's been lost in a massive, planet-wide earthquake.
Earthquake Terror, by Peg Kehret.
An adventure tale for middle-schoolers about a twelve-year-old boy who must fight to keep himself, his sister, and the family dog safe after an earthquake disrupts the family's camping trip.
Earthquake [DVD] -- 1974
This well-known film starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner does exactly what it says on the tin. Big-action disaster movie of the 1970s!
-- Post by Ms. B
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