Content levels
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Famine sweeps across the world when a lab accident unleashes a virulent strain of bacteria that transforms healthy fields into barren wastelands. With the fate of the human race at stake, wealthy financier Stanley Nordenholt establishes a stronghold in central Scotland and assumes dictatorial powers to save what remains of the planet's starving population. This gripping tale of survival explores some of the moral dilemmas that arise in the wake of catastrophic events as well as their social, cultural, and political consequences. A precursor to the latter-day tales from the golden age of science fiction, this compelling novel was published by a noted British chemist in 1923. Acclaimed by the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction as "realistic, reasoned, sociologically observed, and credible," it offers an ever-relevant warning against the exploitation of disaster as a pretext for the suspension of freedom, democracy, and justice.
Is Nordenholt's Million appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This 1923 science fiction novel depicts global famine and mass death following ecological collapse, with a wealthy financier assuming dictatorial control to save humanity. Contains mature themes about authoritarian power, moral compromises during catastrophe, and societal breakdown, but no graphic violence or sexual content.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include genocide, substance abuse, and mass death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Older teens interested in early dystopian fiction and thought-provoking political scenarios will find this a compelling exploration of ethics under extreme conditions.