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Selection Event
In an isolation experiment, Martin Lake had been below-ground for fourteen months and two weeks. He came up on May 30, Wednesday, 11:35 AM. He discovered that civilization had folded its arms across its breast, closed its eyes, and ceased.
When natural selection wipes the slate, there are always a few survivors. Unfortunately, nature does not select for beauty or intelligence.
Selection Event follows in the tradition of Earth Abides and The Road. In the aftermath of the catastrophe, this is what happens next. People open the zoos, sabotage dams, and in a final nihilistic fling, several countries have a small nuclear exchange of greetings.
It is into this that Martin Lake must go and take his future into his hands.
103,000 words
When natural selection wipes the slate, there are always a few survivors. Unfortunately, nature does not select for beauty or intelligence.
Selection Event follows in the tradition of Earth Abides and The Road. In the aftermath of the catastrophe, this is what happens next. People open the zoos, sabotage dams, and in a final nihilistic fling, several countries have a small nuclear exchange of greetings.
It is into this that Martin Lake must go and take his future into his hands.
103,000 words
304 pages, Nook
First published April 21, 2011
32 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 2, 2011
This book is a very long lecture on the evils of Republican Christian gun toting meat eating humans. It started off with how bad humans were and how good the earth would have it now because all the humans were dead. Now the world can go back to normal. Then the author introduced two Christian characters that were written so evil or stupid that the reader wants them dead. I love that the life long heroin addict is a better human than the christian leader. I thought that the sequences written through the eyes of the dog were innovative and well done until they also became lectures on the evils of humankind. Oh and then we get to hear about how bad it is to eat meat and that Republicans are human rats. That the only way that religious leaders can keep their flocks is by drugging them. The author even found a way to teach us that monogamy was not necessarily the best way to live. Give it a rest already. The author is certainly a talented story teller, I just got tired of being repeatedly bludgeoned by his prejudices. I guess all philosophy IS biography. Exhausting
September 11, 2011
Dare I give a book 5 stars? Not sure I have ever done that before...
Though it is not perfect and I do have some minor objections with the story, it is but a matter of a difference of opinion between the author and I. This rich and thoughtful PA story is a step away from the norm, and is very well done.
As we know from the summary, the protagonist has spent 14 months alone underground, participating in an isolation experiment. When he emerges, society has...ended, completely unbeknownst to him.
There are not many survivors, and a number of those who are left are cuckoo's nest nuts. That leaves even fewer survivors to sustain themselves, find each other, and move forward.
Though this gets minorly "lets all hug the trees and love the animals and sing kumbayah together" at times, the author is not wrong in his assessment that humankind would be a lot better off being loving, respectful, kind and peaceful, non-violent vegetarians. Or meat eaters, as long as you only kill what you need and respect the animal at the same time, which hunters and carnivores should do anyway, even now.
It's a PA story, but it's much more. It's a renewal story, a love story, a rebuilding story, and a masterful fictional essay on what we as humans are doing all wrong. Mostly everything, actually.
There are bad guys, sure, and some of them are a little bit formulaic, but that's OK. The other characters are mostly well drawn, rich and likeable, and you want to root for their success as they attempt to redraw the lines between old society, what constitutes a family, and what we could be doing in a better way.
Won't spoil the plot, I'll just say that this is one you shouldn't pass on...
Though it is not perfect and I do have some minor objections with the story, it is but a matter of a difference of opinion between the author and I. This rich and thoughtful PA story is a step away from the norm, and is very well done.
As we know from the summary, the protagonist has spent 14 months alone underground, participating in an isolation experiment. When he emerges, society has...ended, completely unbeknownst to him.
There are not many survivors, and a number of those who are left are cuckoo's nest nuts. That leaves even fewer survivors to sustain themselves, find each other, and move forward.
Though this gets minorly "lets all hug the trees and love the animals and sing kumbayah together" at times, the author is not wrong in his assessment that humankind would be a lot better off being loving, respectful, kind and peaceful, non-violent vegetarians. Or meat eaters, as long as you only kill what you need and respect the animal at the same time, which hunters and carnivores should do anyway, even now.
It's a PA story, but it's much more. It's a renewal story, a love story, a rebuilding story, and a masterful fictional essay on what we as humans are doing all wrong. Mostly everything, actually.
There are bad guys, sure, and some of them are a little bit formulaic, but that's OK. The other characters are mostly well drawn, rich and likeable, and you want to root for their success as they attempt to redraw the lines between old society, what constitutes a family, and what we could be doing in a better way.
Won't spoil the plot, I'll just say that this is one you shouldn't pass on...
January 20, 2012
If I could give this a zero, I would. I un-recommend it highly.
Essentially, the author's point ends up "Belief systems are bad; believers in them force people into thinking their way, and if you don't believe that way, the believer's natural reaction will be to kill you. So, the only belief system that works is Libertarianism. You must believe this way, or we will kill you."
Truly a) obviously circular, b) shows a blackness of spirit in the author that's just sad, and c) not the balance I believe the human spirit is capable of.
The writing and story didn't make up for the utter lack of intellectual or human value available to take away from the book.
Essentially, the author's point ends up "Belief systems are bad; believers in them force people into thinking their way, and if you don't believe that way, the believer's natural reaction will be to kill you. So, the only belief system that works is Libertarianism. You must believe this way, or we will kill you."
Truly a) obviously circular, b) shows a blackness of spirit in the author that's just sad, and c) not the balance I believe the human spirit is capable of.
The writing and story didn't make up for the utter lack of intellectual or human value available to take away from the book.
March 25, 2013
Selection Event is a very good post-apocalyptic/dystopian work with an interesting premise to start the ball rolling. The story moves along at a good pace and, for me, it was the proverbial page-turner.
This could have - and probably should have - been another hundred pages in length (it's about 300 pages in the Kindle version) in order to add better character development for several of the characters. The ones that are developed are nicely done, and quite believable. Also parts of the novel seemed to lack adequate detail - another reason for adding the extra pages. I think I would have rated it five stars then. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is into the genre.
A word of warning: If you are a gun-totin' double digit IQ redneck Republican/conservative Jesus freak, you probably won't like this book because your kind are portrayed as a big part of the problem, just like you are in real life. Besides, you probably won't understand the big words. Enjoy listening to Rush, y'all!
This could have - and probably should have - been another hundred pages in length (it's about 300 pages in the Kindle version) in order to add better character development for several of the characters. The ones that are developed are nicely done, and quite believable. Also parts of the novel seemed to lack adequate detail - another reason for adding the extra pages. I think I would have rated it five stars then. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is into the genre.
A word of warning: If you are a gun-totin' double digit IQ redneck Republican/conservative Jesus freak, you probably won't like this book because your kind are portrayed as a big part of the problem, just like you are in real life. Besides, you probably won't understand the big words. Enjoy listening to Rush, y'all!
August 26, 2012
Imagining what a world nearly emptied of humans could look like has a horrific, yet romantic fascination for me. What disasters would Earth face in our absence and how would it regrow and flourish? For the humans that would remain in such a dystopia, what facets of human behavior would survive? In Selection Event, we follow a survivor who had been locked away in an isolation experiment as he struggles against food and fuel scarcity and violent religious fanatics in his efforts to build a functioning community. The world and story premise are promising, but the novel ultimately fails because it lacks forward momentum towards a climax or a central struggle. In addition, most of the characters are disappointingly little more than caricatures.
The story begins when Martin Lake, a previously underemployed college graduate, emerges from a year-long, underground isolation to discover the experiment managers dead and zoo animals roaming the property. A new type of flu had wiped out humanity during his year away, he reads in increasingly sparse newspapers. After a relatively undramatic shock and mourning period, we follow Martin and his dog Isha as they encounter a fun-loving bipolar motorcyclist, a crazed cult leader, and a smattering of other random people leftover from humanity's demise.
The relationships Martin develops fall under one of two extremes. Either they become best friends, though we rarely get to see the relationship actually disclose into affection, or they become dire enemies--always because the other person is totally insane. There are no stories of people coming together through their differences, since difference always entails fatal clashing, even though the main characters are supposed to be embracing of diversity. Diversity is acceptable when it means disparate background, not when it means divergent world views.
Probably the best character is Isha, Martin's dog, who enjoys her own perspective chapters. It's pretty epic that Isha is a main character and that her story is developed quite fully, but it's also telling that the dog is one of the only deep characters and Isha's relationship with her "pet" cat is the relationship with the most narrating.
The part of this book I liked best was the very practical struggle for survival that each character had to endure. For example, at first they use leftover gas to power their generators and cars, but when the gas begins to go bad, they have to find new solutions for power and transportation--new solutions that are quite old from the perspective of human history. They have to discover what their most basic needs are and learn to value the small luxuries they can afford. I like a good book that takes me away from my environment and my assumptions and shows me a new, purer or better way of living and this book, seen from the perspective of basic needs and survival, is an interesting journey.
Finally, a note on the liberal slate. I am a liberal and I enjoy a good liberal read. That said, I also enjoy genuine explorations of "non-liberal" topics such as religion and power. I want to understand problems with religion, not just told they exist. I want to experience struggles between Christians and atheists in their struggle to rebuild the world, not just shown how magnificently they would clash. I'm sure this novel turns off many Christians or religious people because of its portrayal of every religious person as inherently fanatical and ultimately insane.
I think this type of story could be a powerful atmosphere for a deep analysis of evil. Does it exist? Does it reside within humans or are humans at base never evil? Why does a person commit an unspeakable act of emotional or physical violence on another person? Rather than explore evil, this story caricatures it and then all too easily snuffs it out.
I see that the author, Wayne Wightman, wrote several books in 2011. I think at least this book could really have benefitted from him slowing down, taking a break from his story, and giving it a good story edit. I watched the commentary of Cast Away the other day and the director noted that the screenplay went through 125 drafts. 125 drafts. Incredible. But that's what it takes for mediocre work to become excellent.
Overall, I felt like I was reading a draft of a story, and that's too bad because I'd like to have read the final version.
The story begins when Martin Lake, a previously underemployed college graduate, emerges from a year-long, underground isolation to discover the experiment managers dead and zoo animals roaming the property. A new type of flu had wiped out humanity during his year away, he reads in increasingly sparse newspapers. After a relatively undramatic shock and mourning period, we follow Martin and his dog Isha as they encounter a fun-loving bipolar motorcyclist, a crazed cult leader, and a smattering of other random people leftover from humanity's demise.
The relationships Martin develops fall under one of two extremes. Either they become best friends, though we rarely get to see the relationship actually disclose into affection, or they become dire enemies--always because the other person is totally insane. There are no stories of people coming together through their differences, since difference always entails fatal clashing, even though the main characters are supposed to be embracing of diversity. Diversity is acceptable when it means disparate background, not when it means divergent world views.
Probably the best character is Isha, Martin's dog, who enjoys her own perspective chapters. It's pretty epic that Isha is a main character and that her story is developed quite fully, but it's also telling that the dog is one of the only deep characters and Isha's relationship with her "pet" cat is the relationship with the most narrating.
The part of this book I liked best was the very practical struggle for survival that each character had to endure. For example, at first they use leftover gas to power their generators and cars, but when the gas begins to go bad, they have to find new solutions for power and transportation--new solutions that are quite old from the perspective of human history. They have to discover what their most basic needs are and learn to value the small luxuries they can afford. I like a good book that takes me away from my environment and my assumptions and shows me a new, purer or better way of living and this book, seen from the perspective of basic needs and survival, is an interesting journey.
Finally, a note on the liberal slate. I am a liberal and I enjoy a good liberal read. That said, I also enjoy genuine explorations of "non-liberal" topics such as religion and power. I want to understand problems with religion, not just told they exist. I want to experience struggles between Christians and atheists in their struggle to rebuild the world, not just shown how magnificently they would clash. I'm sure this novel turns off many Christians or religious people because of its portrayal of every religious person as inherently fanatical and ultimately insane.
I think this type of story could be a powerful atmosphere for a deep analysis of evil. Does it exist? Does it reside within humans or are humans at base never evil? Why does a person commit an unspeakable act of emotional or physical violence on another person? Rather than explore evil, this story caricatures it and then all too easily snuffs it out.
I see that the author, Wayne Wightman, wrote several books in 2011. I think at least this book could really have benefitted from him slowing down, taking a break from his story, and giving it a good story edit. I watched the commentary of Cast Away the other day and the director noted that the screenplay went through 125 drafts. 125 drafts. Incredible. But that's what it takes for mediocre work to become excellent.
Overall, I felt like I was reading a draft of a story, and that's too bad because I'd like to have read the final version.
April 29, 2012
to say that the author was a bit heavy-handed with the anti-christian overtones would be a huge understatement, not all religious people are terrible nor are all atheists society's saviors. not only was this book preachy and fairly obnoxious overall, but also inconsistent. the author tries to give the impression that all animals should be allowed to live freely without the threat of being someone's dinner, but that idea only goes so far as to include mammals... fish are apparently less sentient and fair game. ??? wayne wightman comes across as the 16 year old high school student that's got it all figured out. maybe he can write a sequel in about ten years after he's gotten off his high horse.
March 22, 2012
I honestly enjoyed MOST of this book, up till the religion thing became too obvious and painful to bear. I generally try and finish books but when I started feeling religion = evil, nutcase, meat I gave up.
What could have been a fantastic look at a post-apocalyptic earth turned into a weird religious read. I don't ascribe to a religion and honestly don't care what others are but also don't want to spend 100k+ reading about it...
What could have been a fantastic look at a post-apocalyptic earth turned into a weird religious read. I don't ascribe to a religion and honestly don't care what others are but also don't want to spend 100k+ reading about it...
September 25, 2011
Oh My,
This is soooo good,,one of the best books I have read this year.
I loved this story and the people in it..
I was wondering if this was going to have a sequel it could have - heres hoping....
Read this in just under 2 days... Brilliant....
BTW I adore this cover - so creepily GOOD!!!
This is soooo good,,one of the best books I have read this year.
I loved this story and the people in it..
I was wondering if this was going to have a sequel it could have - heres hoping....
Read this in just under 2 days... Brilliant....
BTW I adore this cover - so creepily GOOD!!!
September 26, 2011
Selection Event was a great book, with a tight plot that moves along at a comfortable clip, despite the fact that the cast of characters grows throughout the progress of the novel. Martin's character development in his new place in society is believable and compelling. The flashbacks to characters from Martin's past really bring the events of the plague to life, without making the book about the plague. This book is not about the plague, it's about the aftermath, and the book knows that.
A couple problems that I have are that the bad guys are ridiculously bad. I knew that this was going to be a problem when we met our first round of bad guys. Some head honcho who controls his minions with heroin, coercion and racism. Oh, and he rapes women, and it's suggested that he also murders children. Yes, Wightman, I get it. He's a bad man.
There's also some other problems I have with every person who expresses religious beliefs being insane, or evil. If you happen to get religion, you begin to go insane and begin to do bad things. That was a little disconcerting for a reasonable, reasoning Christian, but I'll give it a pass because hey, what other fundamentalists are you going to find in post-apocalyptic America?
I thought that bi-polar disorder was demonstrated really positively, if dramatically, in Diaz. He plays the part of the catalyst in the book. He doesn't change, he simply is, like a force of nature, and sends people to Martin, people to help him and people to challenge him, while he deals with the repercussions of his own untreated bi-polar the only way he knows how, with frenetic movement.
All in all, a great book, for a great price. 0.99$ in Kindle right now, I highly recommend picking it up.
Check out my other reviews at my blog
A couple problems that I have are that the bad guys are ridiculously bad. I knew that this was going to be a problem when we met our first round of bad guys. Some head honcho who controls his minions with heroin, coercion and racism. Oh, and he rapes women, and it's suggested that he also murders children. Yes, Wightman, I get it. He's a bad man.
There's also some other problems I have with every person who expresses religious beliefs being insane, or evil. If you happen to get religion, you begin to go insane and begin to do bad things. That was a little disconcerting for a reasonable, reasoning Christian, but I'll give it a pass because hey, what other fundamentalists are you going to find in post-apocalyptic America?
I thought that bi-polar disorder was demonstrated really positively, if dramatically, in Diaz. He plays the part of the catalyst in the book. He doesn't change, he simply is, like a force of nature, and sends people to Martin, people to help him and people to challenge him, while he deals with the repercussions of his own untreated bi-polar the only way he knows how, with frenetic movement.
All in all, a great book, for a great price. 0.99$ in Kindle right now, I highly recommend picking it up.
Check out my other reviews at my blog
March 9, 2015
Thought it was decidedly meh...
The concept was fine but it didn't feel as though there was anything particularly unique about it, other than the fact he was isolated for a year before the end. I thought Martin was actually a little quick to accept everything that happened but we weren't given much insight to his character in the initial stages. Despite this I was really shocked by some of his actions. Particularly towards the end of the novel.
I wasn't sure why the author didn't address Martin being concerned he was going to die either. Surely he'd assume he wasn't immune and so would have been shocked and grateful to find out he wasn't going to die. That should have been a huge turning point for him but it doesn't seem to have even been addressed as far as I remember.
I also felt the end was very abrupt and that the actions at the climax felt inappropriate and somewhat out of left field? It could have been done smarter I thought.
I wasn't sure about the Diaz character either. If I'm honest I don't really see what his contribution to the story was apart from sending strays Martins way.
Overall a decent two/three. It was a quick read and I liked some of the characters. Some were hugely formulaic though and I agree with the many complaining about the treatment of religion in the book.
The concept was fine but it didn't feel as though there was anything particularly unique about it, other than the fact he was isolated for a year before the end. I thought Martin was actually a little quick to accept everything that happened but we weren't given much insight to his character in the initial stages. Despite this I was really shocked by some of his actions. Particularly towards the end of the novel.
I wasn't sure why the author didn't address Martin being concerned he was going to die either. Surely he'd assume he wasn't immune and so would have been shocked and grateful to find out he wasn't going to die. That should have been a huge turning point for him but it doesn't seem to have even been addressed as far as I remember.
I also felt the end was very abrupt and that the actions at the climax felt inappropriate and somewhat out of left field? It could have been done smarter I thought.
I wasn't sure about the Diaz character either. If I'm honest I don't really see what his contribution to the story was apart from sending strays Martins way.
Overall a decent two/three. It was a quick read and I liked some of the characters. Some were hugely formulaic though and I agree with the many complaining about the treatment of religion in the book.
February 9, 2012
I enjoyed the book and recommend it, but yes, the commonly mentioned criticisms are unfortunately true. There isn't a single religious person in this book who isn't evil or crazy. And there isn't a single ideological follower who isn't actually doped up and tricked into staying with the group (whether the ideology is religion or over-exuberant patriotism).
I think if there is a sequel, it should explore how the remainder of humanity is about to wiped out by invasive species of predators that were released into the wild from the zoos. I kept waiting for the baboons to cause trouble. Maybe in the next book.
I think if there is a sequel, it should explore how the remainder of humanity is about to wiped out by invasive species of predators that were released into the wild from the zoos. I kept waiting for the baboons to cause trouble. Maybe in the next book.
April 28, 2012
Earnest. Episodic. Preachy. Uneven.
This is a nice concept and a nice effort, but the overall product is disappointing, frequently too pedantic and heavy-handed, and a bit hard to get through in places. The book sucked me in with the first chapters, and especially those from Isha's perspective -- the perspective of a dog who doesn't understand why her people aren't coming home and nearly starves to death waiting for them. This part was really well done, but it was kind of downhill from there. I hope this author keeps writing and working on his characters and storytelling. There's definitely talent there, it just doesn't shine through quite enough yet.
December 13, 2017
Fun, quick read with some interesting concepts and tight writing...
March 4, 2025
A delight from start to finish
Any of us would be so lucky to live in a post-apocalyptic world with main character Martin Lake at our side.
Any of us would be so lucky to live in a post-apocalyptic world with main character Martin Lake at our side.
August 28, 2017
Don't read this book. Seriously there are better end-of-the-world books out there and this one will just annoy you.
I add my complaints about the book to the already numerous negative reviews posted here.
The author seems unable to separate himself from his own biases and this comes through in the book in many ways:
- he is anti-religion and thinks everyone who follows one is evil and power hungry
- every woman in the book was solely there for a male character to have sex with
- he has strange ideas of what the end of the world will look like i.e. You can have a family with kids and even a family pet, the only thing different is that you'll have to hook up a generator.
Related to that last point - this story is sooo boring. It's as if he's telling a story about a day at the office or a suburban life drama. Where's the thrill of survival? Where's Martin's gut ripping grief of knowing he's the only human left? Where's the psychological development as Martin learns to cope? Instead of exploring any of these, the story bumps along, one boring scene at a time.
The author spends his time simply telling readers what inferences they should be making, not letting the readers do any of the philosophising for themselves (which is more than half the fun with this genre!).
Reading this was a mistake. I should have read the reviews.
P.S. The cover is atrocious.
I add my complaints about the book to the already numerous negative reviews posted here.
The author seems unable to separate himself from his own biases and this comes through in the book in many ways:
- he is anti-religion and thinks everyone who follows one is evil and power hungry
- every woman in the book was solely there for a male character to have sex with
- he has strange ideas of what the end of the world will look like i.e. You can have a family with kids and even a family pet, the only thing different is that you'll have to hook up a generator.
Related to that last point - this story is sooo boring. It's as if he's telling a story about a day at the office or a suburban life drama. Where's the thrill of survival? Where's Martin's gut ripping grief of knowing he's the only human left? Where's the psychological development as Martin learns to cope? Instead of exploring any of these, the story bumps along, one boring scene at a time.
The author spends his time simply telling readers what inferences they should be making, not letting the readers do any of the philosophising for themselves (which is more than half the fun with this genre!).
Reading this was a mistake. I should have read the reviews.
P.S. The cover is atrocious.
February 22, 2018
Great story
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Engaging characters, well written. Unusual post- apocalyptic story, and especially liked Isha' s point of view. Will look out for more of the author's work.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Engaging characters, well written. Unusual post- apocalyptic story, and especially liked Isha' s point of view. Will look out for more of the author's work.
May 9, 2023
Id give it a Meh. Started strong, cool concept with a few plot holes but I could get over it. At about the halfway point started getting boring and lost all interest around the 90 percent mark. More interesting Sci fi/distopian novels out there, skip this one
November 29, 2017
Worthwhile
This was better than most apocalyptic fiction. the writing was sufficient and the story was well-paced. It was an enjoyable read.
This was better than most apocalyptic fiction. the writing was sufficient and the story was well-paced. It was an enjoyable read.
December 9, 2017
Fantastic book
I loved this and I hope there is a sequel as there is so much more to know. This is so worth reading, I couldn't put it down. Thank you for writing it :)
I loved this and I hope there is a sequel as there is so much more to know. This is so worth reading, I couldn't put it down. Thank you for writing it :)
February 21, 2023
This book was a little too obsessed with dating after the fall of civilization.
February 6, 2025
Read it
In my list to read, thought it wouldn’t be particularly special. It was brilliant, great story, great characters, just a great book to read. I’ll be more of this author.
In my list to read, thought it wouldn’t be particularly special. It was brilliant, great story, great characters, just a great book to read. I’ll be more of this author.
October 4, 2011
This is a nice, tightly plotted drama that could not have existed without The Stand (my sweet baby!), but quickly tears off and becomes its own thing. We rotate among a cast of several characters, chief among them Martin, his dog Isha, and a biker afflicted with bipolar depression named Diego, who appears to have been based upon one of Wightman's own friends. (In which case he clearly cared for his friend a great deal, because Diego is more sharply and lovingly drawn than any other character.) Our first encounter with real danger within the book is a Kurtz-like cult leader who shoots his followers up with heroin in order to keep them under control, rapes and murders women, and uses children as spies. Right off the bat, we know we ain't in Kansas any longer. The writing style is clean, and fans of apocadramas will find plenty of meat in one of the great pleasures of the genre: getting to build the world back up after completely smashing it down. I enjoyed seeing the different family structures that can take place when you don't have to please anyone but yourself (and presumably not hurt others).
Issues: religious characters aren't drawn with a lot of depth. Martin is occasionally a bit of a naive twit (not eating meat makes sense in The Jakarta Pandemic, as that book was talking about infrastructure collapse rather than complete depopulation; there were a couple of points in this book where I was convinced that the entire next generation was doomed to die of marasmus or kwashiorkor), but by the end it's in a generally endearing way.
Issues: religious characters aren't drawn with a lot of depth. Martin is occasionally a bit of a naive twit (not eating meat makes sense in The Jakarta Pandemic, as that book was talking about infrastructure collapse rather than complete depopulation; there were a couple of points in this book where I was convinced that the entire next generation was doomed to die of marasmus or kwashiorkor), but by the end it's in a generally endearing way.
November 2, 2011
Interesting premise...guy who is kind of a drifter signs up for a college experiment to live alone in an underground bunker for a year. His year comes and goes and yet he isn't released by those conducting the experiment...why? They are all dead; in fact, most of the world's population has died from a virus. He enters "a whole new world" and the rules of civilization no longer exist. The best part of this book...the characters, including the dog (and yes, you get the dog's narrative and perspective). The only bummer was that the book is a little slow in places and there seems to be some serious dislike for religion, or is it just religious fanatics...I am not sure how Wightman feels. As a typical male author, the "romantic" relationships seems to be based more on physicality and are too sudden for my taste (no build-up, just jump right to it), but I admit there are some great friendships in this book. I would still have to give this book four stars and recommend it to my dystopian-loving friends. Primarily because there isn't a character or part of the plot that I am likely to forget tomorrow.
September 11, 2024
Read this in 2011. Reminded me very much of Earth Abides.
I have been having trouble with long form reading due to a bit of a nervous breakdown in 2014.
The world is messy right now in ways I never thought could really happen. I think I am sick with Long Covid or VAIDs.
I am house bound and a bit agoraphobic the past few months. An exhaustion that I have never known.
Going to all the - ist drs past few weeks, next few months. Specialists are booked out and in short supply.
Have kept my time during the pandemic listening to podcast - mostly humorists and interviews with a touch of man on the street.
The noise of it though finally getting to me.
Yesterday - out of nowhere I thought of this book and read straight through on my iPhone laying in bed.
Blazed through it - familiar but new and with a bright clarity.
Great read. Thoughtful and real and hopeful.
Fingers crossed.
First book I have read straight through since 2013.
Tonight I try for ‘Ask the Dust’ and am half way through.
My room silent. No voices talking at me from Spotify- just the sound of window AC and occasional rumble of cars and motorcycles on the main road.
I have been having trouble with long form reading due to a bit of a nervous breakdown in 2014.
The world is messy right now in ways I never thought could really happen. I think I am sick with Long Covid or VAIDs.
I am house bound and a bit agoraphobic the past few months. An exhaustion that I have never known.
Going to all the - ist drs past few weeks, next few months. Specialists are booked out and in short supply.
Have kept my time during the pandemic listening to podcast - mostly humorists and interviews with a touch of man on the street.
The noise of it though finally getting to me.
Yesterday - out of nowhere I thought of this book and read straight through on my iPhone laying in bed.
Blazed through it - familiar but new and with a bright clarity.
Great read. Thoughtful and real and hopeful.
Fingers crossed.
First book I have read straight through since 2013.
Tonight I try for ‘Ask the Dust’ and am half way through.
My room silent. No voices talking at me from Spotify- just the sound of window AC and occasional rumble of cars and motorcycles on the main road.
March 31, 2015
Not as good as it could have been. Too little tension. In a post-apocalyptic world, you would expect danger around every corner, zoo animals had been freed, disease, infection, starvation, etc. Instead, the bad guys were religious fanatics who didn't even show up in the story until the last half of the book.
The dog's point of view was my favorite part, and her relationship with the cat. She had plenty of tension. Just not the rest of the story. My second favorite character was Diaz, and he played only a supporting role, which ended NOT to my satisfaction.
There was a lot of anti-religious rhetoric in general as well. I wasn't offended as much as curious why, with all the other potential dangers to choose from, the author settled on making religious people the bad guys. They really were bad, make no mistake. Nothing was off limits if it led to conversion. For balance, he should have included somebody of faith who wasn't a total psycho. Unless he himself just really is that anti-religion....
I purchased for Kindle for $2.99, and it was worth that much. But not more.
The dog's point of view was my favorite part, and her relationship with the cat. She had plenty of tension. Just not the rest of the story. My second favorite character was Diaz, and he played only a supporting role, which ended NOT to my satisfaction.
There was a lot of anti-religious rhetoric in general as well. I wasn't offended as much as curious why, with all the other potential dangers to choose from, the author settled on making religious people the bad guys. They really were bad, make no mistake. Nothing was off limits if it led to conversion. For balance, he should have included somebody of faith who wasn't a total psycho. Unless he himself just really is that anti-religion....
I purchased for Kindle for $2.99, and it was worth that much. But not more.
February 11, 2012
What an amazing adventure! Thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read some of the reviews trashing this book (mainly for some of the 'non-Christian themes') written by obvious Christian people. But what we need to do is disengage our belief system and just enjoy the book for what it is, a bloody good read and a rollercoaster of an adventure. After such an event, I do believe that the Christians would actually bear a slight similarity to those displayed in the book. Certainly not using heroin or drugs to keep people under control, but they would definitely see themselves to be chosen by God for some such post apocalyptical reason. Therefore they would more than likely have a superiority complex in regard to those of non-Christian belief.
Anyway aside from the religious themes the book is very well written. I really enjoyed the sections where I was viewing the world through the eyes of the main character's dog, extremely well written. Look out for more books by this author.
Anyway aside from the religious themes the book is very well written. I really enjoyed the sections where I was viewing the world through the eyes of the main character's dog, extremely well written. Look out for more books by this author.
July 17, 2013
Who succumbed and who lived through the Mongolian Influenza Virus?
Martin Lake was part of an isolation experiment. He went underground and when he came up fourteen+ months later, most of the people on Earth have died from the Mongolian Influenza Virus.
What would you do in a similar situation? He heads to his childhood home, finds his almost starved dog Isha and starts planning his next steps.
I liked that part of the story was told from Isha's POV.
There are good guys, bad guys, women of both types, children, zoo animals, changing weather. I wish there could have been more on specifics of daily living rather than some of the political/religious rhetoric that was a fair amount of the book.
But, all things considered, this was a good snapshot look at a portion of California and TEOTWAWKI genre.
Oh, and I liked the cover art a lot.
Martin Lake was part of an isolation experiment. He went underground and when he came up fourteen+ months later, most of the people on Earth have died from the Mongolian Influenza Virus.
What would you do in a similar situation? He heads to his childhood home, finds his almost starved dog Isha and starts planning his next steps.
I liked that part of the story was told from Isha's POV.
There are good guys, bad guys, women of both types, children, zoo animals, changing weather. I wish there could have been more on specifics of daily living rather than some of the political/religious rhetoric that was a fair amount of the book.
But, all things considered, this was a good snapshot look at a portion of California and TEOTWAWKI genre.
Oh, and I liked the cover art a lot.
December 20, 2011
I really enjoyed this post-apocalyptic novel. I see a lot of reviewers feel like the author was biased against Christians and Christianity, but I didn't come away with that at all. I think the author was trying to portray how people would respond to an extreme situation, and I don't find it far-fetched or discriminatory to imagine that some people would corrupt and manipulate religion to suite their own needs.
At any rate, I thought it was a good book. I had a hard time putting it down and finished it very quickly. The last part of the book wasn't as developed as the rest - there were some characters that were briefly introduced that quickly became very "visible" but were never fleshed out.
At any rate, I thought it was a good book. I had a hard time putting it down and finished it very quickly. The last part of the book wasn't as developed as the rest - there were some characters that were briefly introduced that quickly became very "visible" but were never fleshed out.
January 3, 2012
Well for the most part I was okay with the story. My only beef is with how every single crazy murderous power hungry person in the book was 'Christian'. They were the villains everytime.
I don't generally let what people say or think about different groups get to me, especially in a fictional story, but for some reason this felt excessive. I think that at least once there could have been a villain that didn't claim to be led by God.
There were some things that I did like, Isha's point of view was interesting, the light humor at times was well inserted and helped lighten things up. I really liked most of the characters. Overall it was an okay quick read. But not one I will be reading again soon.
I don't generally let what people say or think about different groups get to me, especially in a fictional story, but for some reason this felt excessive. I think that at least once there could have been a villain that didn't claim to be led by God.
There were some things that I did like, Isha's point of view was interesting, the light humor at times was well inserted and helped lighten things up. I really liked most of the characters. Overall it was an okay quick read. But not one I will be reading again soon.
January 5, 2016
This is an excellent and thought-provoking look at life after 99% of people have been killed by a flu epidemic. Some of the characters, especially bipolar Diaz, are particularly memorable. You'd think, wouldn't you, that with all the Earth empty and yours you'd be able to find a tiny slice of it to be left in peace? Not so. Even with only a tiny handful of people left, some still adhere to the voices of the crazy sky-fairies in their heads, or want to control and generally shit on everyone else's lives.
All fans of dogs in books should give this one a go too. It's got a brilliant dog and the dog has his own pet. (Although I'm not sure any cat I've ever known would like being described as a dog's pet...more its...master).
Great read. Highly recommended.
All fans of dogs in books should give this one a go too. It's got a brilliant dog and the dog has his own pet. (Although I'm not sure any cat I've ever known would like being described as a dog's pet...more its...master).
Great read. Highly recommended.
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