Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse

by John Joseph Adams, Stephen King, Jonathan Lethem, George R. R. Martin, Orson Scott Card Narrated by various narrators, Susan Hanfield, Paul Boehmer, Gabrielle de Cuir, Harlan Ellison, Hillary Huber, Alex Hyde-White, Arthur Morey, Lisa Reneé Pitts, Emily Janice Card, Stefan Rudnicki, Judy Young, others

Overview

Famine, Death, War, and Pestilence-the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the harbingers of Armageddon-these are our guides through the Wastelands.

From the Book of Revelation to The Road Warrior, from A Canticle for Leibowitz to The Road, storytellers have long imagined the end of the world, weaving eschatological tales of catastrophe, chaos, and calamity. In doing so, these visionary authors have addressed one of the most challenging and enduring themes of imaginative fiction: the nature of life in the aftermath of total societal collapse.

Gathering together the best postapocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today's most renowned authors of speculative fiction-including George R. R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King-Wastelands explores the scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon. Whether the end of the world comes through nuclear war, ecological disaster, or cosmological cataclysm, these are tales of survivors, in some cases struggling to rebuild the society that was, in others, merely surviving, scrounging for food in depopulated ruins and defending themselves against monsters, mutants, and marauders.

Wastelands delves into this bleak landscape, uncovering the raw human emotion and heart-pounding thrills at the genre's core.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

This harrowing reprint anthology of 22 apocalyptic tales reflects the stresses of contemporary international politics, with more than half published since 2000. All depict unsettling societal, physical and psychological adaptations their authors postulate as necessary for survival after the end of the world. Keynoted by Stephen King's "The End of the Whole Mess," the volume's common denominator is hubris: that tragic human proclivity for placing oneself at the center of the universe, and each story uniquely traces the results. Some highlight human hope, even optimism, like Orson Scott Card's "Salvage" and Tobias Buckell's "Waiting for the Zephyr." Others, like James Van Pelt's "The Last of the O-Forms" and Nancy Kress's "Inertia," treat identity by exploring mutation. Several, like Elizabeth Bear's "And the Deep Blue Sea" and Jack McDevitt's "Never Despair," gauge the height of human striving, while others, like George R.R. Martin's "Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels," Carol Emshwiller's "Killers" and M. Rickert's "Bread and Bombs," plumb the depths of human prejudice, jealousy and fear. Beware of Paolo Bacigalupi's far-future "The People of Sand and Slag," though; that one will break your heart. (Feb.)

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Library Journal

From Steven King's take on the end of humanity through science gone wrong ("The End of the Whole Mess") to John Langan's horrific tale of a small group's valiant last stand against an unbeatable enemy ("Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers"), the 22 stories in this end-of-days anthology run the gamut from nuclear devastation to environmental debacle to the Second Coming. Also featuring Orson Scott Card, Octavia E. Butler, and Gene Wolfe, and including an original story by Jerry Oltion ("Judgement Passed"), this title belongs in most sf or short fiction collections.

—Jackie Cassada

OCTOBER 2014 - AudioFile

The end of the world never sounded so engaging and interesting as it does in this audio production. With an all-star cast of narrators, it provides hours of listening for those looking to settle in to a story of the apocalypse. With some two dozen tales, this anthology proves an entertaining, if dark, listen. The works range from tragic to silly, but each provides a rich and vibrant vision of life after the world ends. Though the production has many narrators, Stefan Rudnicki delivers the largest share of the stories, and his deep and gravelly voice proves perfect for an imaginative look at the future. L.E. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169776799
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Series:	The Wastelands Series
Edition description:	Unabridged

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