Boring to read. Even though it was very short, it still felt too long. Story wasn't bad overall.

As opposed to more immediate world-ending apocalyptic events I found Greybeard's take on the matter refreshingly laid back. Essentially, current generation of people is set out to be the last one as there are no more children being born. In practical terms this means our protagonist Algernon Timberlane is one of the last few young people by the time story starts in 2030s. And by "young" I mean he is in his fifties and has only childhood memories of what the world was like before "the Accident" in the '80s which altered the world making not only humans incapable of successful procreation, but also many mammals in generals with few exceptions. While the novel explains what happened through flashbacks and recollections, which are spoilers so I won't go into them, I can safely say the causes that lead to this slowly dying world don't really matter because the story isn't about them or trying to fix the impossible. World is what it is leaving Algy and his wife Martha to find their way as years inexorably go on.

Structure we're working here is alternating chapters - present day followed by flashback at various points in time. I particularly liked the one set after things really started falling apart in England so military steps in to assume control. Makes you realize this entire story could've taken a drastically different direction then and there. Amusing bit for me was how a pivotal chapter explaining Algy's reasoning as to why he initially joins DOUCH(E), organization meant to safeguard humanity's future... in a way, fell completely flat. Additional points as the man himself confirms that very thing towards the end of the book. But lest I type things randomly those are the parts meant to flesh out the world-that-was. If you ask me the body of work are present-day chapters dealing with how our little group survives. You never get the impression it's some epic adventure or anything, but rather senior citizens who still have to contend with circumstances beyond their control and other people being idiots as effective post-apocalypse brings the worst out of them. You're on the run with nowhere to go? Come across a secluded makeshift village and stay there for almost fifteen years, why not. Rich descriptions of this new existence go a long way to successfully selling it, though. By god, I believed they were sailing down Thames for most of the book and bustling wildlife coming to reclaim its rightful place as few holdouts of decrepit humanity start becoming more out there with age.

We come to my problem with Brian Aldiss that I keep complaining about despite reading his books anyway. He cannot write characters conversing with one another without coming off as incredibly stilted or expository. I think Greybeard suffers from it in particular because all those scenes between Martha and Algy when they talk about what childhood memories spurred the latter to become the man he is now or what the former feels she's missing as there are no children in the world all sound very dry as presented. Then again that particular type of rapport is Aldiss' preferred. Even with other characters like their religious friend Charles or certain cult leader they come across, for example. Everyone is uttering dialog relevant to their personality, but final result is lack of character itself.

Impression I could not shake while reading Greybeard was one of meandering series of pit-stops along the road to nowhere as there's no clear-cut objective. Novel also pulls the rug from under you in the last fifteen pages or so by revealing the great mystery that has been continually skirted along. You can probably guess what it is, but the abrupt manner in which it's handled just did not sit well with me.