Is it still possible for a (small) population to preserve its old way of life against the wasteful and destructive ways of “modern” civilisation? But if that population is afflicted by a natural disaster (e.g., a tsunami), isn’t that a good opportunity to force “modernity” on it?
“God Has No Church” — the title only appears to be ironic — tells of a small Polynesian island where the harmonious lifestyle is subjected to just that pressure by a corporation that sees a chance to “develop” the island to attract rich international tourists and at the same time destroy the old way of life.
A photo journalist, a specialist in warzones and catastrophes, goes to the island merely to take photos, but does not realise he is heading for a collapse himself. He becomes entangled in the fate of the island in a way he could never have suspected.
Trevor Steele novels 