The Last Days of Good People, by A.T. Sayre
7 May 2025The Book
Synopsis:
On a small corner of a doomed world, where the capricious laws of nature can’t be reversed, a civilization arrives at the end of its days.
Warin is one of a small team charting the demise of the last few inhabitants of Retti 4, a distant planet in the throes of an extinction-level virus. It’s not Warin’s job to intervene in natural evolution or to question the whims of a cruel universe. He is only to observe and report. Until Warin actually steps foot on Retti 4.
Not the primitive species Warin believed them to be, the rettys are an industrious and ethical lot working together in a close-knit farming village. Lacking the human traits of fear, suspicion, and aggression, they are welcoming, curious, and eager to share their traditions—even in the shadow of a tragedy that they, and Warin, are powerless to stop.
As they embrace Warin into their fold, his compassion grows. So does his own self-discovery. For Warin, far away from Earth, comes a deeper understanding of friendship, civilization, and the true meaning of humanity. And above all, the peace and profound strength it takes to accept the inevitable.
My Review
The Last Days of Good People is an excellent and heart-wrenching sci-fi novella, written by A.T. Sayre, published by JAB Books. A thought-provoking story that, with a relatively simple plot, plays to its strengths, delivering a rather contemplative and moving feeling, taking advantage of a superb character development, full of subtle moments that reinforce the deep meaning of it.
Warin is part of the small team that observes and documents the last few inhabitants of Retti 4; a population whose extinction has been deemed as inevitable because of a virus. It's not his job to intervene or change what is bound to happen due to the natural course, only observe and report. With the ending being inevitable, Warin steps foot into Retti4; getting in contact with the rettys will change how he sees them, starting a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, developing a deeper understanding of the meaning of civilization, humanity and compassion, all while those last days continue their advance.
What Sayre does with the character of Warin is an excellent example of how to develop a character in a relatively few pages: he starts being unlikeable, but his growth as a result of the contact with the rettys is also tied to the reader starting to empathize and understand him; through many scenes, we also get grasps of how the retty work as a society, a rather interesting concept as the lack of human treats such as aggression and fear has evolved into a welcoming and sharing people, who even on the verge of tragedy are eager to make the outsiders feel part of themselves. It is especially heartwarming to observe how, through many interactions, Warin gets to learn their language, a step closer to actually understand them.
Despite one could argue that the ending is kinda predictable, that doesn't alleviate its emotional impact; as we slowly get to know these good creatures, Sayre pushes us towards empathising with them, and eventually, mourning their inevitable ending. The setting is a bit of a reminiscence of classical sci-fi, but with a slower pacing, more contemplative, but which works marvels for the character development.
The Last Days of Good People is an excellent example of a cozy but impactful sci-fi novella, a thought-provoking piece perfect for readers that are not afraid of being challenged. A great debut that I hope is not the last thing I read from A.T. Sayre.
The Author/s
A.T. Sayre
A.T. Sayre has been writing in some form or other ever since he was ten years old. From plays to poems, teleplays to comic books, he has tried his hand at pretty much every medium imaginable.
Having received his BA in film production with a philosophy minor from Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire, he spent ten years in the independent film scene, where he was involved in various capacities in a handful of films. He also wrote and directed a feature length film of his own, ‘Whatever Makes You Happy’ which played at several film festivals across the country. The film won Best Feature Film at the Treasure Coast International Film Festival in 2011.
Feeling disillusioned with his progress in film, he decided to focus on his first true love—writing, specifically speculative fiction prose. He had never actually stopped writing stories at any point in his life, but now decided to devote his full efforts and attention toward them.
Since then he has had great success in the short story market. His work has appeared Analog Science Fiction and Fact on multiple occasions. His story ‘Rover’ was an AnLab Readers’ Poll finalist in 2020, and a shorter version of ‘The Last Days of Good People’ which appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Analog, was an AnLab finalist in 2024. Other publications where his work has appeared are Haven Speculative, Aurealis, Utopia Science Fiction, Andromeda Spaceways, and StarShipSofa.
His first short story collection, ‘Signals in The Static’ was released by Lethe Press in May 2024. “The Last Days of Good People’ is his first novel. A more detailed list of his publications can be found at www.atsayre.com/fiction
Born in Kansas City, raised in New Hampshire, he lives in Brooklyn and likes to read in coffeehouses.