
His love for nature and extreme distrust of the industrial world influenced much of his work and helped garner a cult following. During his service, he was in close proximity to the ruins of ancient Native American cultures and saw the expansion and destruction of modern civilization. It was during this time that he developed the relationship with the area’s environment that influenced his writing.

Abbey attended college in New Mexico and then worked as a park ranger and fire lookout for the National Park Service in the Southwest. Edward Paul Abbey (1927–1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views.
