Small World

"Small World" by William F. Nolan is a science fiction story that unfolds in a ruined future where Earth has been attacked by aliens, devastating the human population. The story follows Lewis Stillman, who is trying to survive as the only person alive in a deserted Los Angeles. For three years, he has been hiding in tunnels trying to stay alive and avoid dangerous alien children who now rule the Earth. While he searches for food and other supplies, he misses having people around and thinks about what life used to be before the invasion, especially when his girlfriend was still alive and he was training to be a doctor. The story reaches a peak when he risks everything to get his medical books from a bookstore, which brings him into a deadly battle with the alien children, forcing him to face his sad and lonely existence. The novel examines loss, loneliness, and what it means to be human when everything is taken away.