Throughout the book of Alas Babylon, there are many independent themes that are addressed to illustrate Pat Frank's ideas. Shown in this book are the ideas of what would come to be if the world were thrown into a nuclear war. Such themes as disintegration of the American way, as well as rebuilding the ways of humanity are present throughout this book, which is classified as speculative fiction.

Speculative fiction usually imagines a future progressing forward. Alas, Babylon, however, deals with a future jerked the other way, where people living in the present are thrown back into almost primitive times forced to barter or grow their own food, and deal with crime(EmptyWorld). Alas, Babylon's picture of post-apocalypse life is strangely compelling with its use of very life like characters as well as vivid imagery. The idea of a serious part of the world being blown away provides...