The way I read it, McCarthy makes it painstakingly clear that destruction is a necessary catalyst for creation. He treats violence honestly and respectfully, bu

The way I read it, McCarthy makes it painstakingly clear that destruction is a necessary catalyst for creation. He treats violence honestly and respectfully, but he does like to write about some pretty dire scenarios (massacre of Mexicans/Indians, post-apocalyptic scavenging). McCarthy expands on this theme slightly in a rare interview: McCarthy likes the scientists at the Institute for a simple reason: The stuff they explore, like his writing, cuts to the bone. “If it doesn’t concern life and death,” he says, “it’s not interesting.” [0] If you're looking for lighter (but still excellent) storytelling on similar Western/survival themes I'd suggest the Border Trilogy [1] by McCarthy. My high school English teacher had us read these instead of Blood Meridian (his favorite book of all time) because they're much less violent. You won't get the full experience, though, as some of McCarthy's characters are genius because of their depravity, violence, and seemingly chaotic natures. [0] http://www.davidkushner.com/article/cormac-mccarthys-apocalypse/ http://www.davidkushner.com/article/cormac-mccarthys-apocaly... [1] https://www.amazon.com/Border-Trilogy-Crossing-Everymans-Library/dp/0375407936 https://www.amazon.com/Border-Trilogy-Crossing-Everymans-Lib...