Dies the Fire (2004)

Dies the Fire is a 2004 alternate history and post-apocalyptic novel by Canadian-American writer S. M. Stirling. It is the first installment of the Emberverse series and is a spin-off from S. M. Stirling's Nantucket series in which the Massachusetts island of Nantucket is thrown back in time from March 17, 1998, to the Bronze Age.

In Dies the Fire, S. M. Stirling chronicles two groups during "The Change", a mysterious worldwide event suddenly alters physical laws so electricity, gunpowder, and most other forms of high-energy-density technology no longer work. As a result of this, modern civilization comes crashing down.

Setting

Dies the Fire is set in post-apocalyptic Oregon and Idaho. After an unknown phenomenon disables most forms of modern technology such as electricity, high-pressure steam-power, combustion, computers, electronics, guns, cars, aircraft, and batteries. People quickly adapt, relying on swords and bows. Many people starve, while others continue robbing, raping, and pillaging as before the transition. Many resort to cannibalism. During this collapse, rural folks form isolated farming communities, while urbanites are enslaved by warlords. The book follows the Bearkiller Outfit and the Clan Mackenzie as they struggle to survive, while attempting to understand the mystery of 'what made the lights go out?' in this post-apocalyptic world.

Plot

The Bearkillers

Mike Havel is a former United States Marine, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, and bush pilot. On March 17, 1998, at 6:15 pm PST, Havel is flying over the Bitterroot Mountain Range in Idaho during a mysterious event that becomes known as "The Change". His passengers are business owners Kenneth and Mary Larsson and their three teenage children, Erik, Signe, and Astrid. After the plane's engine and electronics are disabled, Mike makes an emergency landing. Everyone survives, although Mary is injured.

The party hikes across mountains to a ranger cabin. Mike and Erik hike out onto the highway in hopes of finding help. After they get to the highway, they encounter white separatist survivalists who have Will Hutton (who is black) and his family prisoners. After a tense conversation with the survivalists, Mike and Erik attack them. During the battle, they manage draw the survivalists away, unfortunately leading them up the trail to the cabin with the rest of the Larsson family. Mike and Erik pursue them catching up to them after they re-captured Will and control the cabin. Mike and Erik attack the survivalists to free Will and the Larsson family. Prior to the fight, the survivalists murdered Mary Larson and were about to rape Astrid and Signe. All three survivalists are killed.

The Huttons, equine breeders and trainers, join Mike's band. The group elects Mike as their leader, then the group decides to travel from Idaho to 'Larsdalen', the Larsson estate in the Willamette Valley region of Oregon. Along the way, Astrid, suffering from stress from the survivalist incident, attacks a black bear with an arrow from her bow, provoking it into attacking Mike. It injures Mike, then they kill it. The event gives the group their name – the Bearkillers.

On the journey, the Bearkillers recruit other survivors based on their skills relevant to survival in the Changed world, and begin producing chainmail hauberks, swords, shields, and lances. Among the new members is the Waters family; patriarch Billy is an alcoholic who beats his family, but they are accepted due to Billy's experience in a bowmaking factory. Mike nonetheless warns Billy that if he finds him drinking or abusing his family again, he will beat Billy and expel him from the group. Mike is presented with a hauberk of his own, and a helmet adorned with the head of the bear the group slew. The Bearkillers are hired as mercenaries by a group near a Nez Perce Indian Reservation to deal with a cannibal band snatching people along the road to Lewiston. The Bearkillers eliminate the cannibals and rescue their prisoners.

Signe is attracted to Mike, although she keeps him at arm's length, haunted by memories of her near-rape at the hands of the survivalists.

After their mercenary army is larger, Mike takes two companions to scout west. In Portland, Mike meets Norman Arminger, leader of the Portland Protective Association. Arminger, a university professor of medieval history and member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), is re-instating feudalism by recruiting gang members and former SCA members, then eliminating anybody he does not need. Arminger offers the Bearkillers positions as Protectorate nobles, which Mike pretends to consider, and leaves Norman with the impressions the Bearkillers will accept when Mike returns.

After leaving Portland, Mike and his companions rescue Juniper Mackenzie and her friends from another band of cannibals. Mike and Juniper have an instant attraction and have unprotected sex that night before the two groups separate; Juniper becomes pregnant.

After Mike and his companions return to their group, Mike and Signe acknowledge their mutual attraction and consummate the relationship. Immediately after this, Mike is called to deal with Billy Waters, who has drunk a bottle of bourbon and began beating his wife, as well as his eldest son who tried to intervene. Mike keeps his promise to beat Billy in front of the entire Bearkiller company, but refrains from expelling him, giving him one more chance.