- This way-too-long popular novel of 780 pages is built on what seems at first a fascinating premise. Some parisitical bug has infiltrated humans in rural America and turned hundreds of them into 'walkers', virtual zombies, shuffling day and night across the land, unable to be stopped. If grasped they immediately swell and explode. Their skin is impenetrable to sharp objects so blood samples can’t be extracted as they walk. And their numbers are increasing.
- A predictable cross-section of society, from redneck Republicans to evangelical preachers, have a range of views as to what’s caused this - the devil, terrorists, the liberal President in the White House - and their ignorance and fear is contrasted with the informed research of the scientific community.
- The Alt-Right is having a field day, flashing their Swastika tattoos and Confederate flags. They're white supremacist gun lovers, members of fascist militias, supporting a Trump-like candidate in the upcoming Presidential election. The current President, standing for a second term, is a Hillary-like woman who is loathed by these types, and one reason is she 'always wears pantsuits’. She is soon assassinated.
- The scientists can’t identify the pathogen so the huge and ugly Department of Homeland Security takes over. Of course it rides roughshod over sense and science, threatening 'to nuke all of them' if they don't disperse.
- This book grabs you until about halfway through, when things start to get very silly. A sort of hyper-Google called 'Black Swan’, recently invented, can see into the near future. This is too much. Too overripe. Too literal. And way too heavy handed. The problem is, what does all this end-of-days detail actually signify? The story gets crazier the longer it goes on. Why is civilisation coming to an end? Why? The deadly fungus pathogen exterminating everyone just doesn’t cut it. What is it symbolic of? Presumably it's climate change, often hinted at. Perhaps there are too many humans, reeking havoc on the environment. Getting rid of 99% of them would probably help. A chosen elite, revealed to be the walkers, can rebuild after the armageddon! Even create their own gods, as humans always do.
- Wendig’s prose is full of swagger and energy. He can certainly write, in that typical American jazzed up, swashbuckling, rock and roll style. All colour and movement, with the vulgarity to match.
- Don't waste your time on this. There's too much quality literature to read.
- Don't waste your time on this. There's too much quality literature to read.
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